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Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans so lets not try and sue me since I don't have anything to sue for.

Ch 20: Finding Solace in Each Other

Raven found herself waking up on the cold, hard floor. Her whole body was stiff from the position she had been in but she paid almost no notice to that fact. The truth that she had learned started eating away at her again. Dark thoughts had not left her while she was unconsciousness though they had lessened. She still did not remember what she had done but she knew it to be true. She had always spent so much time and effort to prevent her Father from taking control, from preventing herself from becoming what she hated and feared.

However, in the end, she already was all those terrible things; far worse than even she could have imagined. She had destroyed her home and all its people, including her own mother. Raven could feel the tears beginning to fall again as the ache in her chest returned. She couldn't stop the emotions no matter how hard she tried. It hurt so much. Her mother had loved her and all Raven did was destroy her. Raven screamed loudly as she put her head in her hands.

"I'm so sorry mother. I'm so very sorry. You should have killed me when you had the chance." Raven felt like her insides ripping apart. If this was what emotions truly were, she didn't want them. She heard a gently calling of her name as she cried. The voice made her feel a little better and she knew it could only belong to one person.

"Starfire…." Raven looked up into the bright green eyes of her alien friend. Starfire was staring intently at her with her hands folded in front of her. A small smile graced the alien's beautiful features.

"I am glad to see you awake. I was worried."

"I would be worried too if I was trapped in a room with something like me." Raven watched as the smile on Starfire's face immediately fell.

"Do not say such things about yourself friend Raven. They are not true." Raven lost her temper and starting screaming at the girl.

"You heard what Slade said Starfire and you know what, there true. I don't know how but I know there true. I killed all those people. I destroyed that planet. I killed my own mother." Starfire watched as the anger gave way to more tears.

"Don't you understand Starfire! I killed the only person in the world who ever loved me. I killed my mother because she tried to stop me from giving in to the darkness within me when I first lost control. I…." The rest of her words were drowned out by her sobbing.

"She is not the only one to love you Raven. The Titans love you. Robin loves you." Again anger took control of Raven.

"Shut up! Do you not understand what I just said? Can you not get it through your stupid air-head? I am a monster, a killer. I am the reason an entire world is gone and now I am going to be the reason that the entire universe will fall into darkness. You shouldn't love me you should hate me. You should want to rip those chains off and end my cursed existence."

Raven seethed with anger. The chains binding her glowed with energy, containing her power that wanted to tear apart her surroundings. Raven glared at Starfire who only looked upon her with soft eyes.

"Don't look at me like that Starfire. I don't deserve it. Why can't you just hate me like everyone else in this universe?"

"I know you think I am stupid and naïve Raven, but I do know some things. I know that whatever you did is not your fault. I know you well enough that you would never voluntarily hurt anyone. It is and always will be your Father's fault. He is the one who preyed on a scared and frightened little girl when you were all alone on Azarath. It is he who whispers dark things to you when all you want is to be at peace. It was he who took your mother from you.

I know the real Raven. The one who goes to the mall of shopping with me. The one who sits quietly during movie night and smiles when she thinks no one else is looking. The one who has time and time again given everything of herself to fight against villains who would threaten the innocent. What Slade said, what you did, that is not Raven, and it never will be. That is your Father and by X'Hal I will not rest until you understand that!" Raven looked down at the floor the entire time Starfire spoke. Her hair helped conceal her expression from Starfire. Raven was surprised by the alien girls outburst.

"You just don't understand Starfire. Someone as good and as pure could never understand. You're not evil like me."

"Enough!" The sound of Starfire screaming echoed around the room. "I will not sit here while my best friend berates herself. My friend who is Raven is not evil. An evil person would not smile as you did while you were asleep only a few hours ago. An evil person would not make me want to die to protect her. An evil person would not have captured the heart of someone as wonderful as Robin."

Raven instantly met her friend's eyes expecting some time of anger or sadness at speaking the last comment but only met a strong glare of determination. Raven thought back to those feelings that had managed to fight there way into her mind while she had laid in that cell as the dark thoughts swirled within her mind. They were warm and happy. She had had visions of Robin's smiling face and his gentle embrace. She had seen scenes of them holding hands and kissing gently in the moonlight. Raven couldn't help it but she could feel a blush forming on her face. Starfire spoke again but this time softer and lighter.

"An evil person would not blush as you do this moment thinking of her true love." Raven wanted to argue and scream but the warm feeling within her would not leave. She could feel it easing her mind, body, and soul. She could feel it battling against the sadness and darkness within her at the same time. Raven again focused on the alien girl in front of her. Her eyes held a hopeful look as they gazed upon Raven.

"Starfire…I…I am sorry for calling you a stupid air-head. I really don't think you're stupid." A smile crossed Starfire's face.

"There is no need to apologize friend Raven. You were just blowing some hot vapor off." Raven couldn't but smile at girl in front of her.

"That's blowing off some steam Starfire, and there still is no excuse. I just don't deserve a friend like you Starfire, you know that."

"If anyone in this entire universe deserved me as a friend Raven, it is indeed you. And if anyone in this universe deserves Robin, I am glad it is you." The room got very quiet for a few seconds. Raven wasn't sure how to respond.

"Star, I'm…" However, she was cut off by a smiling Starfire.

"Do not worry friend Raven. I have made peace with this. If I can not be with Robin then I am glad it is my best friend in the whole universe who will receive such joy."

Raven smiled at the warm feelings she could feel radiating off of Star. Her empathic abilities might be blocked by these chains, but she could still feel the love coming from the purest heart she had ever known.

"I am just glad that he is not with someone like that blonde monster Kitten. She was truly evil." Raven couldn't help but laugh out loud at Starfire's words. Only a person like Starfire could think Kitten evil but have so much love for Raven. Raven remembered the instance with Kitten and Robin and remembered just how angry she had been as well with that whole situation. She had wanted to banish Kitten to some far off dimension. It was one of the first times that Raven realized that she might have feelings for her leader.

"Yeah. She was quite the bitch wasn't she?" Starfire looked at Raven with a confused expression.

"I do not remember her being a female dog. Was she not named after your adorable baby cats?" Raven only continued to smile at Starfire.

"Starfire, sometimes I'm glad some things just will never change."

"I am glad some things don't change either friend Raven because that means that we will never be apart and will always be friends."

"Starfire, I can promise you one thing. No matter what, I will always love you dearly and I will always be your friend. I will always be all the Titans friends. Not even my Father will be able to change that."

Had they been able to, they would have been hugging but that was not possible at the moment so instead they simply sat enjoying each others company. However, like all good moments as of late, this one would end sooner than it should have. A hiss was heard and both immediately noticed gas coming into the room from a vent on the sealing. Both tried to fight it but could feel themselves losing consciousness. Raven could hear Slade's voice taunting her right before she passed out.

"It is almost time Raven. Your friends should be arriving soon with the final piece of the puzzle and we must be prepared. Nighty-night."

Robin sat at a table with Terra, Beast Boy, and Cyborg. He wasn't really sure how he had ended up here but he could feel the tension at the table. He eyed each of the three people around him. Beast Boy was smiling nervously. Terra had a look of intense concentration on her face. Cyborg's face was completely blank. Robin let out a breath he had been holding in. The room had become completely quiet.

"What are you going to do Robin? What are you going to do?" Robin glared over at his half-machine friend.

"Don't worry Cyborg, I'm in." A big smile crossed Cyborgs's face.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear Boy Wonder. Read um and weep. Full House Kings over tens." Terra and Beast Boy threw down their cards both choosing rather colorful words to describe their disappointment. All the while Robin simply smiled.

"That's a good hand Cy, but no where near good enough to beat four Aces." Cyborg stared in disbelief as Robin put down the cards.

"Why you little spiky hair freak. Fine take my money. But you'll be buying the pizza tomorrow." Everyone got really quiet at Cyborg's comment. As soon as the words left his mouth he knew what he had done. "Sorry guys." Robin looked at each of the down faces of his teammates. He couldn't help but feel the most sad for Terra. She had just found her way back to the living to only face an almost certain death. Robin looked out the window and watched as the sun got closer to the horizon. It seemed like time was making sure to move as fast as it could toward its end.

When the Titans had finally come to the meeting he set up last night, he had told the plan of how they would use SoulBurn and the link he had to Raven to find her. Everyone was a little shocked at finding out about the link but seemed excited about the plan. Robin immediately had dismissed everyone and told them to get ready because when SoulBurn was ready, the time would come.

Robin had felt it necessary to talk to each of them personally before the time came and he had done just that the following day. He had somehow managed to find both Terra and Beast Boy apart so he could talk to each individually. They had been almost inseparable since she had returned and Robin couldn't blame Beast Boy. He would have been the same way had he not seen Raven in a year.

He had talked to Terra only briefly, not really knowing what to say to her. Both of them had a quiet understanding between each other because of their experiences with Slade and it really only took a few nods and gestures between the two to convey there feelings about what was to come.

Talking with Beast Boy had gotten a little awkward when Robin deciding to do the leader thing and bring up the fact that Beast Boy should make sure to be safe and use protection if he and Terra were…well ya know. It was ironic that Robin was the one who felt like the immature one as he blushed while trying to talk while Beast Boy managed to hold a straight face. Beast Boy had assured Robin everything was okay and that he had nothing to worry about. The moment quickly became serious as they started talking about what was to come. Robin had never seen Beast Boy so determined and strong. Beast Boy would be ready, that Robin knew.

Cyborg was the last one Robin went to talk to. He found Cyborg working quietly in the garage on the T-car. Robin never realized it but he was probably the only Titan who never helped Cyborg work on the car. Sure they both talked while Robin worked on his bike and Cyborg on his car but never once did Robin actually personally work on the T-car. In the end, Robin volunteered to help Cy and he and Cyborg worked together on it as if everything was the way it should be. Eventually, the topic turned to what they both had been avoiding. Cyborg was the one who brought it up first.

"Ya know Rob. I know you wanted to talk about it so go ahead." Robin had been shocked that Cyborg had brought it up so abruptly and had hit his ahead under the T-car. He got out from underneath it holding his head looking at a smiling Cyborg.

"Its not that I want to talk about it Cyborg its just that it needs to be talked about. I need to know that you're ready for this."

"Ya know Rob, I don't think I'll ever be ready for something like this. I don't think anyone could be. The truth is there's no choice. The second we found out about this whole mess from Raven, there never was a choice. Hell, we were all in one hundred percent the second Slade came back for Raven on her birthday. I'm not going to be ready for this Robin, but I have no doubt that we will all fight until we can't fight anymore." Robin smiled at his friend.

"Cyborg, you have the strongest spirit of any man I've ever met, you know that. You are the rock of this team. Without you we would never have a chance." Cyborg smiled back.

"Hell if I don't know that. Oh one more thing Rob. Check this out." Cyborg walked over to a bench and held up something. It was now the same colors as Cyborg's metal body though Robin instantly recognized it and knew it used to be gold.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Damn straight it is. A little gift from Brother Blood all the way back. The Ion Amplifier that I used to blow up his first little base. This baby is coming into battle with me"

"Cy, I thought you said if you used that too much it would overload your power core."

"I did say that and that's still true but man this is it. Either we win or we're all dead anyways. If I have to risk my life to maybe do something that could turn the tables, then I'll gladly do it. That bastard Slade has got the two closest things I've ever had to sisters in his clutches and that Trigon bastard's got the guts to threaten my universe. If he wants to play rough, then I'll just show him what a real man can do." The two men started laughing together as they slapped hands.

Robin came back to the reality around him. Robin somehow had gotten pulled into a card game with them all which he dominated in. It was nice to spend the time with all of them though they all knew something was missing. A red-haired girl smiling bright for everyone and a purpled-hair girl who most assuredly would have been making fun of Beast Boy. The time had passed and it was getting closer to night. Robin was about to go tell SoulBurn that they needed to start now but SoulBurn had walked into the room as Robin was getting up. The mysterious young man was no longer limping and seemed not to be in any pain. The bandages on his right arm were gone and there was no sign of the burnt flesh that had been there. He only spoke a few words as he entered.

"It's time. Please meet me on the roof with everything you'll need. It's time to end this." Everyone nodded in agreement and got up from their spots. Everyone quietly got on the elevator and rode to the roof. No words were said as everyone prepared themselves. SoulBurn was the last to get off the elevator. Everyone turned to him for instructions.

"I need Terra, Beast Boy, and Cyborg to stand around me and Robin. Make sure your close. Robin I need you to face me and concentrate on Raven as hard as you can. Concentrate on the connection you feel to her. I will do the rest."

Everyone assumed their spots and watched as SoulBurn seemed to get into some type of meditative state. Blue energy outlined his body as he closed his eyes. Robin could feel the energy as it mingled with his own. He stood on the roof, watching the last sunset this world could ever see, barely visible with all the blackness in the air because of the volcano eruptions. It was a miracle it was seen at all. The colors managed to push through the blackness creating a truly spectacular sight and at that moment Robin was thinking of nothing but Raven and how the sunset was nowhere near as beautiful as she was.

SoulBurn had attached his consciousness to the link between Robin and Raven and was following it out. It took all his concentration to remain on it as it was only a small path in the vast energy of everything in this Universe. He could see energy and connections between so many different things yet he forced himself to stay on the one chosen path. After a few minutes he could feel himself slightly outside the limits of a forest. He was getting close. He could see the link connect with a second being. It was Raven. He could also see another energy burning bright white nearby. It could only be Starfire. Also nearby he saw a black void of nothingness. It could only be Slade. He tried to get close as he could when he suddenly slammed into some type of barrier. He tried to force through it but was unable to. The distance was too far for him to do it. He knew he had gotten as close as he could.

The Titans watched as blue energy began expanding off SoulBurn. They wanted to back away from it but managed to not move. When the energy hit them it felt warm and relaxing. Each of them felt wonderful in their own way. As the energy finally engulfed the three surrounding Robin and SoulBurn, there was a flash of light and the roof of Titan's Tower was empty. The sun finally disappeared below the horizon leaving the world in darkness possibly for the last time.