Fallen Darkly
K.Blacre
New Something
Throughout the night, Raven found herself unable to get Szephyn from her mind. His soft, yet powerful voice rang in her ears all night while she slept. His golden-auburn eyes burned into her memory. She didn't know what was going on and she didn't like it. Without her mirror, she couldn't consult her emotions to find out just what was happening. The last thing she'd heard before she went to sleep was Beast Boy talking to Starfire in her room about the Titans drifting apart. That seemed to play in her mind a lot, too. What would she do without them? Even though she'd never admit it to them, she liked the way they argued over everything and the way Starfire was annoying at times without meaning to be and Beast Boy and his clowning around. Without them, where would she be?
The knock from Starfire hadn't come in the morning the way it usually did. Starfire was usually up at the crack of dawn, waking the others to begin the day. When she realized there had been no knock, she got up from her bed to go see if Starfire was alright. She pulled on her cloak and boots, exited her room, and went to Star's door. She knocked lightly. No answer came. She opened it just slightly and peeked inside. There on the middle of the bed was Starfire, cuddled in Beast Boy's arms. Raven couldn't help but smile a bit. She left the room and walked down the hall to where she'd put Szephyn. She knocked on the door. There was no response but she wasn't about to just walk in like she had with Star's room. There might be things she didn't want to see. She turned only to run straight into Szephyn's chest.
"Oh!"
"Sorry. Did you want to talk to me?" He asked.
"N...no. I was just checking on you." As soon as her gaze began to slip from his face and down his chest, she walked away. She went to the kitchen to find something, anything, to get her mind off Szephyn. This wasn't like her.
"Look, all I'm saying is the guy can't run around in a sheet all the time. He's my height, but I don't really need clothes, and even if I did have clothes, they'd be too big for the guy!"
"I know, but my clothes wouldn't fit him. He's got my build and your height."
"Robin, Cyborg." They both turned to look at her. "Why not just give him something to wear for the moment and go and buy him some clothes?"
"Like I said, give him something to wear for the moment and we can buy him some clothes." Cyborg said. Beast Boy walked from down the hall and into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and grabbed a soda.
"This early in the morning, BB?" Cyborg asked.
"I've gotta wake myself up. I swore I woke up in Star's room." Both Robin and Cyborg stopped and stared at him.
"That's because you did wake up in Starfire's room." Raven said. Beast Boy turned and looked at Raven.
"You're not helping." He said.
"Good morning, Friends." Starfire suddenly stopped in the doorway, looked around at the others. "We are friends again this morning, right?"
"Yeah, Star. We were all jerks last night." Robin said.
"Beast Boy, thank you for accompaning me to bed last night." Beast Boy suddenly fainted, the soda falling from his hand. Raven stepped over him and into the living room.
"He's taking it well." She said.
"Why did Beast Boy fall?" Starfire asked, looking down at him, then up at the others.
"You two didn't...do anything last night, did you?" Cyborg asked.
"We talked for a long time. Why?"
"No, what I meant is..."
"Cy, leave it alone." Robin said.
"Well, I suppose we could go get that gu..."
"His name is Szephyn." Raven said. Cyborg looked up at her as she sipped her tea. She ignored the looked.
"Okay, Szephyn. We could get him dressed and then go out and buy him some clothes."
"Are we going shopping, Friends?"
"Um, Star, we were going to take Szephyn to get some clothes." Cyborg said.
"Yes?"
"We were going to take him by ourselves." Robin replied.
"Oh. So you will have bonding time?"
"Yeah." They heard a groan. Beast Boy put a hand on the bar and pulled himself up.
"My head hurts."
"That's probably because you fell on it." Raven said.
"Thanks, Rae."
"Well, should we go get Szephyn ready?" Cyborg asked.
"Sure. We'll be back later."
"Alright. Have fun bonding." Starfire said, a huge smile on her face.
"Where are they going?" Beast Boy asked as they walked out of the room.
"Don't you pay attention?" Raven asked. "They're going to get some clothes for Szephyn."
"Who's Szephyn?"
"The guy we found last night."
"Oh! Him. Okay." Raven sighed and rolled her eyes.
"They are going to have bonding time." Starfire said.
A little later, Robin and Cyborg came back up into the living room. Followed by Szephyn. Starfire and Beast Boy looked up from where they sat on the couch. Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. Szephyn wore a dark blue, silk, button-down shirt tucked into a pair of black jeans. He wore a pair of black boots, the legs of the pants covering the boots to his ankels. Over the outfit he wore a black trench coat. Raven opened her eyes a slit and looked at him, nearly falling from her meditation.
"We put the other clothes in his room."
"Wow." Beast Boy said.
"You look very handsome, Szephyn." Starfire said.
"Thanks." He looked to Raven, but she had got back to meditating.
"Don't mind her." Robin said. "She's always like this."
"So how much did you get him?" Beast Boy asked.
"Entire wardrobe." Cyborg said.
"Wow."
Raven's brows furrowed. The jewel on her forehead began glowing again. Her eyes burst open, pure black. She was suddenly thrown through the wall by an invisible force.
"Raven!" All five of them ran to the new hole in the wall. Szephyn stripped off his coat and jumped, floating in the air for a moment before falling into the sea. Beast Boy and Starfire flew in after him. Robin and Cyborg hurried down to the door and out. He flew through the water, chasing after her body as it fell. A green dolphin caught up to him. He guessed that was Beast Boy. Starfire ended up beside BB. Szephyn's eyes began glowing white. He looked at her and noticed her chest was still moving! He sped up and took her hand, pulling her into his arms. Beast Boy caught up to him. He turned into a whale and Szephyn got on his back.
Robin and Cyborg looked around, feeling helpless. Starfire burst out of the water.
"How is she?" Robin asked.
"I...I don't know." Beast Boy appeared in his human form, Szephyn behind him, carrying Raven. He put her on the ground and everyone surrounded them.
"She was still breathing in the water." He said.
"She didn't know she was under water?" Robin asked. Her eyes were still black and the jewel still shined.
"Guess not." Szephyn put a pointed ear to her chest.
"She-she's not breathing!" Robin pushed past, got down beside her.
"Szephyn, when I tell you, breathe into her mouth." He nodded. Robin positioned his hands above Raven's chest and pushed down a few times. "Now." Szephyn lowered his head and breathed into her lungs. Robin pushed on her chest a few more times and nodded. Szephyn breathed into her again. She suddenly coughed up some water and blinked, rolling onto her side. Starfire noticed she'd held her breath and released it.
"Rae, I think it's time you tell us what's goin' on." Cyborg told her.
"I would if I knew myself." She said, her voice cold. Szephyn and Robin helped her to her feet. She quickly pulled away and walked back toward the tower's door. The alarm suddenly went off.
"Not again." Beast Boy said.
"Well, let's go." Raven said.
"We will but you won't." Robin said. "Szephyn, would you stay here with her, please?"
"Yeah."
"I'm going." Raven said.
"No, you're not. It's happened what, three times now? You could hurt someone else or yourself if that happens again. You're staying here." A boulder in the water suddenly exploded. Robin payed no attention to it. "Titans, go!" The other four left, leaving Raven and Szephyn on the shore next to the tower.
"He's right. If that's happened more than once, you need to take it easy." She sighed and walked back toward the tower with Szephyn following.
Starfire flew ahead, Robin ran nearby along rooftops, and Beast Boy carried Cyborg. It was the same guy they'd faced the previous night. They followed him eagerly, trying to catch hold of him. Cyborg fired a shot from his cannon, hitting the man directly on his spine. He tumbled to a stop, the ground ripping around him as he fell. Robin jumped down to the street as the other three caught up. Cyborg turned him over to see him smiling.
"Who the hell are you?" Robin asked.
"What does it matter?"
"It matters because we want to know." Cyborg said.
"Well, in that case..." His smile grew and a power surge threw BB and Starfire back. He jumped up and turned, only to be stopped by a glowing white girl.
"You have harmed her." She said. The man cowered and fell to his knees, his face filled with pure horror.
"You're dead!" He screamed.
"Not nearly as dead as you." She responded. Robin looked at Cyborg, his eyebrows raised in question. Cyborg shrugged and they walked toward the man. Robin tapped his shoulder and the man fell over, the color from his face drained, his face contorted in horror and pain.
"Ah, man." Cyborg said, turning away.
"Why did yo..." He turned to the girl only to find her gone.
"What has happened?" Starfire asked as she and Beast Boy walked back.
"We're done." Robin looked up at her.
"What do you mean?" Beast Boy asked.
"He means that ghost girl killed him."
"So does this mean the girl is on our side?" Star asked.
"No but it does mean that we have more questions to ask, though." Robin said. "We'd better get back to Titan's Tower."
Raven sat in meditation most of the time. Szephyn sat at the bar, watching her. Raven knew he was, but hadn't minded for a while. Now it was becoming annoying. She opened her eyes and let her feet touch the floor.
"Do you need something?" She asked.
"No."
"Then why do you keep staring at me?"
"Because I can't take my eyes off you." He said simply.
"Well can you try to keep your eyes on something else?"
"I've tried. It doesn't work." She sighed and sat down in front of the couch, hoping it would block his view. She then lifted off the floor and began her meditation again. The sword suddenly flashed before her mind's eye again. Her brows came together. She now saw him, Szephyn, in full view, though he wasn't alone. Someone was in his arms. A feeling rose in her gut. It felt like hatred and sorrow all at once. As it became more clear, she saw the girl. It was...her. She opened her eyes and looked above the couch. Szephyn wasn't there anymore. He must have moved. She looked around the room and sighed in slight relief. She got to her feet and went quickly to her room. On her way, she saw Szephyn down the hall in the trainng room. He was punching and kicking at the punching bag with such grace, it mesmerized her. Raven found herself walking down the hall and into the training room. Szephyn stopped his assualt on the bag and looked at her. He walked toward her, leaning down and gently kissed her. She didn't push him away but rather pulled him closer. His arms went around her waist as hers went around his neck.
Beast Boy and the others walked into the living room from the elevator. He scratched his head in confusion, looking around.
"Where's Raven?" He asked.
"I do not know. Maybe she has gone to her room." Starfire said. Robin walked down the hall, and stopped. He turned down the hall that lead to the training room.
"I found her." The others walked to his side and stopped dead in their tracks.
"Wow, Rae." Cyborg said. Raven and Szephyn looked at them and Raven suddenly pulled away from him, her cheeks growing red. She pulled her hood over her head and retreated quickly to her room. Robin looked at Szephyn.
"I think someone has some explaining." Beast Boy said.
Author's Note: Kay, this one was a bit longer but filled with new things. The romance element has just been introduced and nothing goes downhill from here. Tell me what you think.