Okay, I'm finally getting around to writing this chapter. I've been a bit blue recently, but writing helps sooth the soul, as I've figured out recently by doing a Holocaust poem for school. Anyways, this chapter will include Raven's hesitation, her decision, the party, a midnight appearance, and the stolen Dominatio talisman.

Disclaimer – I own my laptop. I own my shoes. I might even own my life. But do I own POTO or TT? Sadly, no.


She could not resist the urge to go to the party, but oh, how much she wished she could.

The flow of the music was pouring into her mind, her senses completely enraptured in its controlling, trance-like sound. She gazed upon the door, watching its polished surface fade in the diminishing light of the day. She knew everyone was inside, listening to the music, talking, eating the disgusting food Starfire had prepared especially for the occasion. Even dancing, possibly.

It was this known element that kept her away…that everyone was inside and she was not.

It was completely relevant to consider the fact that she would be giving up her ego and reputation for doing what she was about to do, but she felt no other choice. It had been her decision, one she had made all on her own, and she was certain of it. Beast Boy had helped her to conclude this important resolution, and due to his everlasting devotion and concern, Raven submitted to her fantasies.

She held the rose before her, noticing the tender touch the light cast upon the rosy tips. In her other hand, she held the Talisman, its magical jewel hung by the silver chain. Taking one last breath, she knew this was the choice, the final threshold. It was now or never. Pulling her light purple tresses to her shoulder, she slipped the long chain around her neck.

It was a sensation like none she had felt before. If she were to float to the moon, drink in the starlight, and become one with the Milky Way, she would have never felt such ecstasy as she felt then. All colors blended together, a perfect canvas. She felt a high sweeter than any drug could give, a happiness that gladdened her soul and caressed her heart. It was udder and sheer freedom, the ability to live at last. Every way she looked, she saw everything and nothing. She felt what it felt to be alive, to live like a human might live…with no inner demons, no fears of falling, no shattered dreams or lost loves. Only that moment, that single moment that held in it all the gentleness and loving warmth a heart could hold. And within that moment, Raven smiled.

She looked down upon the rose, its perfection seeming endless and, at the same time, meaningless. Placing the rose upon the floor softly, she dared to enter the party.

All glanced up as her presence graced the room. It was as if time were at stand-still. The haunting melody continued playing, but it seemed as if it did not suit the moment. Raven's gladdened eyes and rosy cheeks drew in the breath of all present. Walking down the stairs like an angel of confusion, she drank in the scene around her.

Robin, Cyborg and Starfire were no where to be seen, for everyone's face was buried by a mask. Raven had known who Beast Boy was, for his costume had been displayed to her earlier that evening, as to not separate either of them from each other for any reason (Surprisingly, BB had doned a Dracula costume. His latest movie obsession, 'Dracula 2000', had been the reason for such an exhibit winks to Gerry phans). Beast Boy stood by the couch, his jaw once again dropping low enough to dust the floor. His innocent, lime green eyes swept the figure of Raven, noticing how much lovelier she looked when joyful. The rest of the team, hidden by the shadows of their masks and the room, gazed upon the girl and were bewildered, wondering what could have caused such a change from the gothic girl that she once was.

Meeting Beast Boy by the sofa, he was reminded of her mention of the Talisman, and smiled as its jewel hung from her neck. "It worked?" he asked, a trace of naive curiousity spilling from his lips.

She nodded serenely. The freedom she felt was exhilarating, its newly-explored essence capturing the hour. Walking towards them were three figures, each clad in a different mask. Masks of pink, navy and red met their own faces, the corners protruding from the lips of the masks turned upwards in delight. The tall frame was Cyborg, while the shorter and skinnier bodies were belonging to Robin and Starfire.

"Raven, you look different," Robin commented, a bit perplexed. He wore a red mask, the material covering the whole of his face except for the mouth. The rest of his costume was the deepest shade of blue, giving him the impression of Superman.

"Truly, you do! I told you, friend, things would be just fine! A party was a glorious idea!" The second person, noticeably Starfire, was dressed head to toe in a feline costume, the pink mask matching the pink gloves and little slippers.

Raven only smiled wider, her eyes dancing with the people in the room. Everyone besides the five teens seemed to enter the festivities, enjoying their one night of freedom before returning to a life of crime fighting. Taking the opportunity in all her liberation, Raven sprung to action and moved across the room, talking to everyone in sight and enjoying her new want of society. The titans only gazed in wonder, their thoughts half-filled with happiness for their friend, while the side filled with thoughts of bafflement.


"Okay, fine, I'll get the ice!" Peeved and wiped-out, Beast Boy emerged from the common room, his mask slung over his shoulder and his gelled-back hair flaking. As the door snapped behind him, the changeling relaxed as the haunting tune dulled down to a mere throb. And I thought 'XXX' was loud…he inwardly joked.

Passing through the hallways on the way to the spare fridge in the basement, the nightly spectres of his imagination took the better of him. Beginning to be frightened by the shadows, caused mainly by his imagining and the fact that it was All Hallow's Eve, a cold bead of sweat forced itself upon his forehead. Fasting walking down and all the way back, he could have sworn he saw a skeleton-like face in the shades.

Upon entering the room, the bag of ice held above his head in triumph, he was greeted by anticipation as the rest of party stared at the clock, its face reading 11:58. He grinned wickedly. Hurrying to insert the ice into the main fridge, he hastily passed by several guests, oblivious to their quiet thrill to unmask their fellow. Raven met him, pulling at his hand to join her with the rest of the titans. Their faces glowing eerily in the moonlight, the masks shining hauntingly, the music was soon silenced to nothing but a dim whimper. Raven, never having let go of Beast Boy's hand, looked down and blushed feverishly. Beast Boy, returning this sign of awkwardness, only looked at her through shining eyes, both with excitement and a feeling he was sure she could now return.

"Do you…" Beast Boy stuttered, his eyes watering with timidity.

"…I don't know," she answered truthfully, her face holding an honesty that Beast Boy cherished. "It's all so new to me. It's…hard, but so easy at the same time."

He understood. Nodding, he breezed his hand away from hers, afraid of advancing too far when she was so vulnerable. Missing the feeling of his hand entwined with hers, she put her loose hand upon his shoulder, smiling with a warmth that made Beast Boy forgive all her former times of idleness, of cold passiveness. "But…I think it's something I could learn to understand."

He knew what she meant, and that it was enough, somehow, in that moment. Winking slyly, he turned his face once more towards the clock, as everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath. Less than a minute, now…

It had not even been midnight when it happened. They had all been so intent on watching the clock that they were out of their skins to hear the door swoosh open. The music was now totally silent, and the room was completely still. A few shadows danced across the room, but nothing more than that.

He stood at the top of the stairs, his eyes casting sinister waves across the room. He was dressed from head to foot in Elizabethan crimson silk, fully accompanied by a scarlet cloak and what appeared to be a silver-wrought sword. But what caused such energy, such trepidation and fear and wonderment was the mask he had chosen. That ghostly white mask which Raven had only held in her fingers the day before lay stretched across his face, giving him the most inhuman look and completing the outfit in the most unearthly way.

His presence alone brought agony into Raven's heart. As she stared up at her childhood friend, her old fears returned full-throttle. Despite her feeling of freedom, she felt all alone, like her heart would freeze as it beat in her chest. She knew who he was. And she knew that he had a purpose.

Silence reigned for a long time before his sharp, mocking voice sliced through the air. "Why so silent, good friends? Did you think that I had left you for good?" He paused, looking through the crowd of unknown faces, not affected by any of them. "Have you missed me, good friends?" He halted before Cyborg, recognizing him from the metallic bulk that shown under his costume. "I advise you not be alarmed. There are worse things, you know, than a stolen talisman…"

Once again the room was silent. Raven, determined not to have him see her, was immediately spotted as she shifted uncomfortably in her boots. Figaro, standing completely stock-still, waited as she felt an unknown force to approach him, as if drawn to him. He gazed down at her, her eyes wavering with unchilled fright. He looked deeply into her face, noticing something was different. His lips were tight as he peered, the proximity of their faces too close for comfort. Anger bottled up inside him like a volcano as he withdrew a crumpled rose from his cloak, throwing it to the floor. She grimaced at the gesture, tears starting to brim in her eyes.

His own widened, however, when he noticed the dark blue talisman at her throat. Ripping the chain from her neck with unrestrained power, his face was a congealment of his fury. "Your chains are still mine. You belong to me." He hissed this through clenched teeth, shaking the room with the echo. As the moon disappeared behind silvery clouds, the room was blanketed by shadow. After clearing, he was gone.

Raven fell to the floor with a thump that broke the deadening silence. Beast Boy and the rest of the titans broke from their stupor and ran to her side.

"Raven, are you alright?" Beast Boy asked anxiously.

Shaking her head with disbelief, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Her breathing was ragged and shaggy, coming in with short, gasping breaths. She muttered incoherently, staring at the floor, and finally into Beast Boy's face. "Wh-Where did he g-go?"

Beast Boy did not remove his eyes from hers, feeling a deep pity icing through his veins. "Raven, here, let me help you up…"

Grasping her arm along with Cyborg, the girl rubbed her sore knees weakly. "He seemed so…so different. So unlike himself. And the way he looked at me…" Her eyebrows knitted in puzzlement, staring down into the depths of the floor. "Like…like I had betrayed him." Her voice shook with uncertainty, her legs so weak they could have given out. She looked at each of them, the warm droplets of moisture leaking slowly. She looked utterly defeated.

"He took the talisman."

Beast Boy gasped, his eyes widening with shock and sympathy. Starfire, Robin and Cyborg peered questioningly at him. With a shake of his head, they dismissed their wordless interrogation.


Lying mutely in her bed, the darkness for once did not comfort her. Her hair lay disheveled across her pillow, her costume laying tossed across the floor. Her knees were bandaged from a possible hairline fracture, running down the course of her leg. It was not the force of his pull that damaged her knees, but the shock of removing the talisman that caused such a fall. Grimacing with psychological pain, Raven breathed in slowly and gruffly, forcing herself not to move in case sleep might descend quickly upon her.

Beast Boy entered her bedroom unannounced, coming across the room boldly and sitting on her bed. Lifting herself to a sitting position, she gazed at him incredulously, her eyes sharp with pained grief. Mentally asking what gave him the idea that he could sit on her bed, he instead shooed away the question, and pressed one gently.

"How do you feel?"

"Cold. Empty. Alone. Everything I felt before is back, only a million times over." She was looking back into his eyes, and he was sure she felt nothing at all, while he internally shivered under her gaze. "It's ironic, though. The one person who said they would help me, relieve me from this unending torment, is the one person who has caused me to be miserable once again." She crossed her legs, attempting to hover but became unsuccessful. "My powers are useless. I can't concentrate, I can't think."

His pity was so deep he felt his heart could shatter. Taking her hand into his own, he shuddered as she pulled it away, unfeelingly. Seeing the ache in his own eyes, she wanted to weep, but the tears had never stopped flowing.

"There was ice in his eyes, Beast Boy. I had always seen a fire in those eyes, always burning ardently. But now all I see is a cold, unfeeling person." She was shaking with sobs, her whole body injured. Embracing her softly, she took comfort in his touch and allowed herself weep. Withdrawing from the hug, she gazed at him through glassy eyes. "Beast Boy, all I want is freedom. A world with no more night." He saw that she was honestly professing her confession, a confession that she wanted to be loved and wanted and normal like normal people.

He paused, deciding the right words to say. Shyly, he offered what he thought she could accept. "Let me…be your freedom. Let me be your light." He turned towards the window, rose, and shut the curtains. "You're safe, no one will find you. Your fears…are far behind you…"

She tried to smile, but her efforts were dropped. Turning to go, she rose to, and hugged him for a long time. Withdrawing, their eyes linked. Too confused and tired, Raven walked back to bed, curling up and shutting her eyes. Smiling fondly at the girl, Beast Boy turned to go, leaving the hallway light on for her.


Outside, on the roof of the tower, a figure huddled into a mass of dark cloth. Sighing, he panted ruggedly, trying fruitlessly to control his emotions. His choked voice mixed with the breeze, flying high into the heavens above. A mixture of anger, resentment and sadness flooded that voice, pouring its soul into the air.

"I gave you my guidance…made your soul take wing. And now…how you've repaid me, denied me and betrayed me…"

Coughing, he wrapped the cloak around his shoulders, staring out into the darkness of the night.

"He was bound to love you…as I was bound to …Raven…" Controlling himself, the sadness was gone, and all was left was the agony and fiery bitterness. Cursing the world, he shouted into the darkness, "You will curse the day you did not do…"

Approaching the edge, his eyes glittered with malice. "All that Ignatius asked of you!"


Oh my gawd I needed to get that out! Woof! That felt good to get off my chest. Well, I put a LOT into this chapter, so I hope you're grateful! I hope I didn't go too far with the plot though. I think I did a really good job, so please review! I want 50 people! PLEASE!

Reviews are the best:

I luff your story: Thanks! Lol. He's just heartbroken. I think it's his Phantom character that makes me pity him.

Moo: Lol. I was sort of confused by that too…

Shantel: Why thank you. :grins:

Steve-Racer: Yupp. Go BBRae! Hehe. Thanks for reviewing.

Kate: Yay! I included lots of POTO lyrics in this chapter. Couldn't resist! And from three songs too! Go me! Yeah!

Well, I'm taking a break and am going to read Phantom the novel by Susan Kay. I NEED TO READ THIS SO REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

I remain your obedient authoress,

StakeMeSpike04 (aka NightAngelErik)