Disclaimer: Still don't own Teen Titans.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! It's awesome that there are still people reading this. Please let me know what you like/don't like, so I can adjust accordingly. On that note, I was wondering if I should shorten this story up. My original plan for this was to have 21 chapters, but I also planned on cutting out my original inspiration for writing the story (Raven losing her emotions but being able to experience emotions through her empathy).

If you've read my other Teen Titans story (Fallen Angels and Forgotten Teddy Bears) you know that my stories usually revolve around analyzing a character's power and prodding it to see what greater implications can be drawn from it. In Starfire's case, she has to be happy in order to fly, confident to be strong, and so forth. In Raven's case, she's a demonic empath who must suppress her emotions.

At any rate, I decided to stick my original idea back in (just b/c I really liked it) and so this idea keeps getting more and more drawn out. My plan right now is to have 30 chapters in total, but I can scale that back if the general consensus is that it's getting too long. Let me know.

As for this chapter, I hope the pace picks up a little. Sorry if it was a little boring for a bit. We're in the end game now, and most of the explanations are at over, so things should go faster. Also, in chapter 19, Raven starts to feel Beast Boy's emotions, so there was a little foreshadowing...

Today's Poll: Five more chapters or eight more chapters?

Demon Hunters

Chapter 22: Brotherly Love

-Out, demon.-

-Do you really think to command me?-

Lunis frowned in concentration and bent all of her demonic power towards accomplishing this one task. She gripped the Immortal Blade, drawing energy out of it as quickly as she could use it.

"You will leave our brother," Solaris sneered.

Ah, of course. All in good time. But will he be alive when that happens?

Solaris stepped back. "Lunis, put up some shields, will you?"

-A little… busy…- Lunis replied, gritting her teeth.

Solaris frowned. They couldn't have this demon rooting through their minds. The fact that he had spoken in her thoughts so effortlessly concerned her, but with Lunis already occupied, there wasn't much she could do.

I think you will find, very shortly, that there's nothing you can do at all.

Solaris glared at what was formerly her brother and turned sharply to leave. She would not let him see any fear on her; that would only give him an edge. She pushed open the door and walked out into the hallway. When the door closed behind her, she leaned against it, her eyes closed.

We're going to have to kill him, she thought. She knew this with a cold certainty that made her sick inside. Lunis was too busy fighting her mental battle with him, or else she refused to see it, but it was plain that there was not so much as a trace of Pax left.

Logically, it was idiotic to spend any more time trying to exorcise a corpse. Even if they got this demon out, Pax would simply fall limp to the floor and it would be time for a teary-eyed burial. Logically, they should use the Swords and just put an end to this demon's life, as well as the body. Logically, Pax was already dead, and killing his body now wouldn't make one damned bit of difference.

To hell with logic, she thought violently, brushing tears away from her eyes. He's my little brother.

She took a deep breath and walked back into the room.

Lunis brushed her mind, initiating the contact so they could speak privately through her telepathic channel.

-You can't keep this up forever,- Solaris stated flatly. She took in Lunis's worn appearance, the dark circles under her eyes. She refused to lose her brother, but she couldn't let that stubbornness lose her a sister as well.

-I don't need to keep it up forever, just longer than that thing can,- Lunis said sharply.

Solaris shook her head. She didn't want to be the one to say it, but Lunis clearly wouldn't be facing reality any time soon. –He's dead, Lunis. You've known that as long as I have, or longer.-

-No!- Tears were streaming down her face now. –If we just keep trying…-

-Yes, we'll keep trying,- Solaris agreed, to placate herself as well as her sister. –But for now, you need rest.-

-Yes,- Lunis agreed weakly, sagging into her sister's arms as Solaris took the blade from her. –Yes, rest sounds very good now.-

Solaris backed out of the room, holding the sword and her sister. She kept her eyes on Pax as she edged towards the door.

Pax's demonic red eyes followed her every move as she pushed open the door and backed out, still facing him.

Solaris pulled the door shut and breathed a sigh of relief as she turned around.

What she saw was nothing less than a demonic horde crowding every inch of the hallway.

Before she could comprehend what had happened, much less react in any sensible way, the Immortal Blade was torn from her hand. Another demon tackled her, and she was pinned to the ground.

The demon on top of her was in the form of a dark shadowy wolf. He bared his teeth at her, only inches from her face, his claws digging into her shoulders.

Solaris took a moment to comprehend how truly unfortunate this situation was. The Blade of the Pure was missing. The Soul Sword was currently keeping Pax's demonic inhabitant in check. And The Immortal Blade had just been wrenched away from her, probably at the great expense of one of the demons.

So, she had no weapons. Which is not to say that she didn't fight back.

She twisted out of the wolf's hold and backhanded a demon that flew towards her. The demon went unsubstantial to avoid the attack, and so instead of hitting her, it passed right through her.

Class two, she thought, also acknowledging how much easier this was when Pax was there to tell her the strengths and weaknesses of each demon. She dodged another two demons, running back into the room with Pax for the relative safety it would afford.

Instead, she found another dozen demons inhabiting that room.

Force slammed down on her, forcing her to her knees.

Remove the sword, Trigon roared in her mind.

She resisted, trying to ignore that voice, the power behind it…

A demonic hand closed over her own and led her to Pax. The demon put her hand over the sword. She tried to fight back, but he closed her hand around the hilt.

And forced her to pull it back.