Eve of Evil

As it was growing dark, it had probably been six or seven hours since they had landed on the planet, Robin calculated, meaning that they had been locked in the dark dungeon for five or six hours, and trying to get our for five or six hours.

"It's useless," Cyborg groaned. "Nothing works."

"Yeah, I'm starting to repeat myself," Beast Boy added.

"We can't give up," Robin pressed. "We're almost there."

Starfire could hear them from the outside. She heard them try all of their gadgets and weapons, she heard them hurt themselves as they tried every scheme possible, and heard in pain and exhaustion. They knew that it was impossible to break free from the inside, but to them impossible only meant to try harder.

She was to stand guard, and she was not to disobey; she understood this, but ever since her encounter with Robin doubts, questions, and uncertainties swarmed her thoughts.

She contemplated opening the door, just a bit so she could see inside and see the faces of her friends. She wanted to see them.

"What are you doing, little sister," Blackfire demanded as she abruptly entered the corridor.

"I was just going to make I was giving them the correct amount of victuals," she made up.

"You aren't supposed to give them any food; it's pretty hard to mess that up. You were thinking of betraying Trigon, were you, little sister?"

"But the Trigon, why must we serve Him? He plans to rule the world!"

"That doesn't matter to me. I'm only here to get what I want."

"Then why am I here?"

"You are here to do as I say, little sister. Follow your orders, and you will get your revenge, and I will get my prize. You are here to guard this door; that is all you need to know."

She attacked suddenly, not giving time for Starfire to react. Blackfire attacked her with a series of starbolts, but she combined her energy to form a shield. Blackfire deflected her eyebeams, but was unable to block her kick that followed.

Blackfire blasted two starbolts, but Starfire used her own to neutralize them, then added another, aimed at her sister. Blackfire dodged it quickly, giving the illusion that she had disappeared.

Starfire screamed as her sister attacked instantly, like a lightning bolt.

Robin could hear discerning noises from the outside. He pounded on the door, shouting Starfire's name. It was not only him, as Beast Boy and Cyborg were yelling as well; her friends were still her friends.

"Silence them!" Blackfire ordered.

"No," Starfire refused. "This is the door that separates me from my friends. This is my door. I will open it."

She blasted through the door with a starbolt. The Titans screamed and backed away as the large explosion obliterated the door.

"Oops, sorry, ehehehe..." she apologized, like her old self again.

"Starfire, I-" Robin began.

"Robin, there is no time now. If you seek Raven, you will find her down this path. I don't mind, how much time you spend with Raven, as long as you spend a little time with me."

Eventually, the Titans left, with their only goal to rescue Raven.

"What is this, treason?" asked Blackfire.

"The highest charge of treason possible, is to act against thine own heart. I know what is right and what must be done."

She hit her sister with a starbolt, angering her. She fired another, but Blackfire activated the mark of Scath and surrounded her hands with flames, allowing her to catch the attack and return it. Starfire watched in fear as her own attack loomed closer.

"You know what you have to do," Dark Raven said hauntingly.

Raven had lost her will to fight against the darkness. Slowly, slowly, she found her mind drifting. She felt Logic run from its greatest adversary, Emotion. She felt loneliness then despair then silence. Then she heard Robin and her friends, burst through the door, calling her name.

Dark Raven flashed her four red eyes angrily, and moved to meet the nuisance. The three Titans all attacked at once, and were actually able to deal some damage. With maturing hope, they continuously attacked, and were able to destroy Dark Raven's shields and protect themselves from her magic.

She looked at her body, and saw that it was fading and changing colours. The other Ravens were trying to escape, causing convulsions and enormous amounts of pain.

"Hurry!" she barked at Raven. "There is no more time!"

Raven stepped forth, as if on cue. She looked solemn and disillusioned. Her body too, was fading.

"Raven, what is happening?" Robin asked distraughtly.

"I'm sorry, but this time there is no escape," she said mournfully. "My body is unstable; I cannot live without darkness. This is the way of my life; this is the way it was meant to be."

"You can fight it!"

"No, I can't."

Dark Raven possessed her body, greedily latching onto the new host. The new host wore a black cape, but her legs and arms were left bare, revealing her blood red inscriptions. No hood hid her hair, long strands of a dark purple shade. Darkness spread from her body, covering sky and ground and mind. This was Her world. It was the world within her mind, the world within the mirror, come to life, expanding and covering the entire universe. The Darkening was complete: an explosion separated the Titans, to different directions of darkness. Raven was all alone, alone in the dark, in a dark darkening world. It was Her world.