Disclaimer: Still don't own Teen Titans.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I've been putting off finishing this for two reasons. First, I want to do this story justice, which is getting a little confusing because I wrote some parts of this out of sequence and now I need to go through and piece it together. Second, there's only three chapters left! I can't believe it… I'm really going to miss this story, so I'm not really that eager to finish it… but the show must go on.

Demon Hunters

Chapter 27: Demon Rising

-Don't be afraid.-

There was no point in denying her fear; his consciousness was intertwined with hers too deeply to even attempt deception. At least fear was something, she told herself. At least that's something.

There wasn't anything to be afraid of, really. It was just that the darkness was so absolute and every moment that it lasted, she felt a growing dread that this was all there was or ever would be, just darkness… She felt another spike of panic rising in her,

-Don't be afraid- Pax thought again in her mind.

That calmed her, for a moment, but the darkness…

-It's always darkest before dawn.-

She needed to find something to hold on to, something to pull her out of the darkness that came from being trapped without her body. She needed to find her way back to her physical self before Anger beat her to it.

She calmed her mental self and searched for the beating of her heart. That should be easy to feel in the dark.

But she was too calm now, her heart beat was too slow and soft for her to hear it.

How can I get it to speed up?

Beast Boy.

She visualized Beast Boy in her mind. The way he was right before she realized her emotions were gone, when he had come to her room… so much concern in his eyes, his hand on her hand…

A thudding echoed through the darkness. There.

She felt her real body, her hands still pressed to Pax's chest. Raven slammed back into her own consciousness.

She felt the borrowed power evaporate off of her in a white mist and she breathed a long overdue sigh of relief.

Relief. That was an emotion, right?

Intense joy swept over her, making her giddy. She giggled. Then her eyes went wide and she snapped down her iron control on her emotions. The happiness fizzled into contentment.

Alright.

Beast Boy? She conjured his image in her mind. She felt a stab of giddiness in her stomach. Okay. Check.

And then Anger found her.

It flickered to the surface, fighting her for control. She felt her eyes turn deep red as her darker side took control.

She tried to build up her walls, but she was already exhausted, too exhausted to do think. She had power, but she was too blinded by pure exhaustion to see how to fight. Anger brushed her attempts aside and roared dark power through every vein.

But Raven was half human. Her body partially rejected such an influx. She doubled over, contorted in pain.

You're mine, Anger said.

Huge dark wings exploded from Raven's back. She screamed in pain as they opened, folded, and then shuddered.

Not just yet, Raven thought, her voice carried by something outside of herself, something that could only be Pax in her mind.

Trust me, Pax told her, no more than a whisper in her thoughts.

And she did. She opened a flood of power that overwhelmed Anger. Pax narrowed that flood into a strategic strike. With Pax to help her, Raven found Anger's presence receding. The dark wings plunged into her back, folding in with a snapping sound and becoming part of her body.

No! Anger shrieked.

You've already lost, Raven told her, pushing the dark energy further and further into a corner of her soul self until she had control.

Immediately, Raven began building back up the walls that kept Anger in check. She didn't stop until Anger was completely walled off.

When she was done she sank to the floor. For the moment, it was enough just to breathe. Slowly, and when she had cleared her head enough to think, one thought came to her:

Time to go home.