We're not alone

In this story's pages

The ride back from the club was silent. Raven could feel inquiring eyes on her, question her actions and why she had spoiled the fun. But thankfully no one spoke. No one broke the blissful silence.

She needed to get back to the safety of her room, where her voice echoed across the room, the same words spoken over and over calming her. Her emotions hadn't been under her control of late, and soon it would affect the others unless she got a grip on reality. She needed to be alone. She needed to meditate.

Her footsteps rang hollow as she left the T-car, climbing the stairs and going through the living room at as fast a pace as she could handle without running. Beyond all, Raven couldn't bear to have the others think she was panicking. After all, there was nothing to panic over.

Calm yourself. She told herself sternly. Everyone made mistakes. It was a natural part of life. There just greater consequences when she did.

"Rae"

She stopped abruptly as his tenor voice, full of concern, reached her ears. Her hands immediately reached for her hood to hide her face, to hide from him, but all her fingers found were empty space, groping in mid-air. In the heat of her slip up, she had forgotten she was wearing that stupid costume. Instead, Raven lowered her hands and just didn't face Beast Boy.

"Yes"

"Are you okay" His voice held more concern than she needed him to show. He shouldn't be concerned, shouldn't pity her. It only made her feel weak.

Her head moved slowly up and down in confirmation of the inquiry. "I need to rest. Tell the others."

"Okay, Rae." She didn't mind the use of her pet name so much now. Her mind was too preoccupied by other things. Some things she couldn't be bothered with right now, and as understanding as Beast Boy was being, Raven had to put him in that category.

Her amethyst eyes roved her room upon entrance, all things in their place…a comforting sight. Raven shed her costume and donned her normal attire, loving the comfortable sense of order her uniform gave her.

Assuming her half-lotus position and rising so that her cloak barely trailed the floor, her lids closed slowly as she attempted to sooth her mind.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zin—"

A white haze surrounded her vision as she saw the muddled vision of flames burning and a dark form raising…a powerful figure…

Her gasp broke the monotony of her chants as the vision broke her trance. It was disturbing, almost as disturbing as the visions she had seen of Terra before her treachery was known. But was this vision of twisting, burning fire…what was it? When was it? If only she hadn't been startled into breaking the trance.

Fire…a dark figure…

Her heart stopped as she glided hurriedly toward the locked chest. Slim digits fumbled with the lock for several tedious seconds before hearing the click and watching it fall to the ground. She realized her breath was held as Raven lifted the lid gently…and breathed a sigh of relief. The dark shadow that enveloped the bottom of the trunk showed a darker rectangular form. Surely it was the book.

Raven reached her pale hand into the chest, fingers passing the place where they should have stopped and grazing the bottom of the chest. Words of a spell for light left her lips, and the area around her grew bright, revealing the contents of the trunk.

Nothing, except for a rectangular burn. Nothing except for the place where the flames had been. No book. No Malchior.

And now that it had happened, the thought that Raven feared most reached her.

You fool. You should have destroyed him while you had the chance.

I could not have predicted this.

Don't lie to yourself. You knew the risks. You knew the possibilities.

The chances were slim. Miniscule. The probability of breaking the curse was vast.

Yet still there. And chance saw fit to provide him an escape route at your hands.

I will recapture him. I will destroy him.

You won't. Even though you have the power, you couldn't raise a hand to hurt him.

That's a lie.

It's why you chose imprisonment instead of death. You still hold feelings for him.

You lie.

I am you, Raven. Why would I lie to myself?

What would you have me do? Not try to recapture him?

Why not seek the aid of those friends of yours? I'm sure they would love to help.

I can handle this myself.

Now who is the one who lies?

…

Do you seek no aid because of this, or because you promised them you would have no more ties to him?

Neither.

Go to them, Raven. It should have be an interesting experience.

"He has escaped." The statement was hollow as she said it, without meaning, without emotion. She realized this as blank stares met her.

"Malchior. He has escaped."

It was amazing to watch the other four react to that simple yet powerful statement. Cyborg's one real eyebrow shot upward, Robin tensed as if readying himself for battle, Starfire's gasp resonated throughout the room, and Beast Boy gave a soft exclamation of "Dude…"

"Are you sure, Raven" Robin asked in a low tone, his expression suddenly showing skepticism, as if he found the very idea too absurd to consider.

Raven's brow knit together lightly. "The book is gone. There are scorch marks where it was. Do you have another explanation"

Beast Boy scratched his head, bemused. "Uh…someone really doesn't like to read"

"Malchior broke the curse. I don't know how, but he has, and he's gone." Raven said, more than just a hint of anger in her voice.

"But…" Cyborg kept a careful face as he reasoned the strange occurrence out. "If he had…wouldn't he have tried to destroy the Tower? Or the city? Wouldn't there be more damage in your room than just burn marks if a dragon broke loose"

"He's powerful. He would find a way."

"Half the city, like, would be in flames by now" Beast Boy said, an attempt to use logic, which was proving difficult for the changeling.

Robin frowned and spoke in a low tone. "Maybe the book was stolen, Raven."

Starfire added her own comment at this point. "Or perhaps the Malchior has been misplaced"

Raven glared angrily at her friends and turned, leaving as she realized they wouldn't believe her. They couldn't understand. That spell was supposed to bind Malchior to the book forever, and a heavy presence of black magic poisoned her room.

She didn't need her friends' help. She could do this herself.