Hello again! Back for more scary fun, are you? N'kay! I won't disappoint! However, there is something I need to address. The whispers they're hearing. There seems to be some confusion amongst my readers as to what that is. The whispers and shadow that Raven sees is the creature itself, just so you know. The fake Beast Boy, Raven, bloody words, and all that other stuff were solid illusions. The whispers warn that the shadow-thing itself is nearby, okay? Okay! Glad I got that cleared up! I don't own Teen Titans!

P.S. Has anyone noticed that some of the events in Beast Boy's diary actually conflict with what's happening in the real world? I did that on purpose, just so you know. I couldn't tell the entire story, right at the beginning, through the diary! That would give it all away! Okay, on with the show…

Raven's Game

Part 13: Raka

Starfire was running down the hall, weeping into her hands. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ran straight into Cyborg. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Star!" He said, grabbing her shoulders to steady her. "What's wrong?" She said nothing and buried her face in his broad chest. She was speaking, but her sobbing and whimpering made it come out as gibberish that he couldn't understand. "Calm down now…" he stroked her hair once (in a friendly sort of way). "What happened?"

"Friend Robin does not believe us at all." She whispered, tears still running down her cheeks. "He does not believe we are to battle the darkness for friend Raven…"

"It's alright." He said, rubbing her upper arms like a best friend. "We got all the lyrics, and we don't need him. If he wants to stay out of it, let him. Raven can beat him up when we get her back." That image actually brought a wry smile to Starfire's face. "There's that smile." He said, poking the underside of her chin to make her look up at him. "Chin up, Star."

"Guys." Beast Boy had arrived. He looked at the both evenly, and they nodded. "It's time. We gotta go get Raven back. Are you two ready?" They nodded hesitantly. It was now or never.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Raven reread Beast Boy's diary, just be sure she hadn't missed anything. Then, she remembered the letter from the suitcase in the attic. It had said there was something in the evidence room. What had he called it…? Vellum? Wasn't that a fancy term for animal skin? Raven couldn't imagine how Beast Boy had reacted when he'd seen that. But… it the real order of the symbols was written on this 'vellum,' then she would have to go get it and piece it back together. And, with some luck, see the final symbol. If they were all on the vellum, then she would see all twelve and get the final one simultaneously. Raven wondered why she hadn't simply gone for the vellum when she'd first heard about it… but then she remembered she'd needed the lyrics to the symbols as well. So, she would've had to hunt for them individually either way.

Sighing, Raven set out for the evidence room. Just as she was about to exit the common room, the phone rang. Raven jumped, then turned with a growl. More tricks and foolery? Stomping over the phone, she picked it up, "It's not like you to pull the same trick twice, whatever the hell you are." She said, grinning from under her eyebrows. "What is it this time?" What Raven heard on the other end of the line wasn't anywhere near what she expected.

"Help us…"

"Save us please…"

"God save us all…"

"It's so dark…"

"Who's there…?"

"Oh Jesus, I'm scared…"

"HELP US…"

The line went dead after that. Raven went paler than usual. She hadn't recognized any of the voices on the line… One of them had been British, another Irish… none of them modern-day. God, they were so real… were they the shadow-thing's victims? From far in the past? Living in its twisted being, screaming for help to deaf ears? Her hand shaking, Raven hung up the phone. "Help is on the way…" she whispered, looking at the phone as though it might talk back. Turning with a flourish, Raven left the common room.

Making her way carefully down the stairwell and to the floor the evidence room was on, she found herself at the door. Heaving a deep sigh, she pushed the door open. Turning the flashlight on and peering both ways down the hall, she stepped inside. A huge array of random items greeted her. Some where under glass, others hung on the wall, still others on pedestals or even hanging from the ceiling. Raven remembered when her fear had taken over after a frightening movie one night, and the Titans had come to this room. Cyborg had said, 'What are we looking for?' and Robin had replied –

"Something that doesn't belong…" Raven murmured, surveying her surroundings with careful eyes. The three computer chips 'Red X' had stolen, Control Freak's remote, several HIVE academy artifacts, Slade's heat gun, one of Mad Mod's canes, a small chunk of Cinderblock… and so many other things greeted her Raven took a long time striding down memory lane. Each thing she came across pulled up a memory like a computer file, and she offered a small smile. As a team, they had quite the collection now. They'd been through so much together, she thought soberly. And yet, here she was trying to save them. All alone. She shivered, feverishly pulling her torn cloak close to her body. Being torn, it offered her no comfort. Her stomach took that opportunity to growl and complain loudly. Raven winced, holding her abdomen. It was getting bad. Really bad. God… she was starving. And starting to dehydrate. Gasping for breath and trying to straighten up, Raven spotted something she hadn't seen in the evidence room before.

Terra's heart-shaped mirror box.

Immiediatly, Raven knew that's what she wanted. Like almost everything else it was under glass, though. Raven played with Robin's utility belt for a few moments, looking through all the gadgets. "Ah ha…" she mumbled, drawing out a glass-cutter. She didn't want to throw one of his exploding disks and damage the prize within. Pressing hard against the glass, she drew a large circle and poked it in the center. The glass popped inward, a perfectly circular piece. Raven reached in and pulled out the artifact, and found it to be without dust. Nodding to herself, she went to another display case and set it down. Setting the flashlight down on its butt so it lit most of the room, she carefully reached and pulled it open. Her face greeted her, looking tired and dirty in the mirror that was in the lid. Raven peered inside and found a piece of paper. Actually allowing herself a full smile, she snatched it. This was it, the final symbol. It was all hers n –

It wasn't anything pertaining to the symbol she sought.

"What's this…?" Raven whispered. It was Beast Boy's handwriting, but it wasn't what she was expecting. "A letter… to Terra?" she stared in open shock, but she opened it anyway. It was dated several months after Terra had been turned to stone, she noticed.

Terra,

I'm sorry, but I have to give up on you now. I promised I would never forget you and that's a promise I'll always keep, but… if we brought you back, things would never be the same. You couldn't be a Titan anymore, even with Slade gone. And… you and I couldn't be together either.

I've… I've fallen in love with Raven. Yeah, yeah I know. "Big scary dark Raven? What do you see in her?" Well, I see a lot of great things. She cares for everyone around her, even though she barely shows it. Her eyes always tell me what she's really thinking, though. Raven might be dark and morbid most of the time, yeah, but… I like her a lot now that I know her.

She's a 'forbidden fruit,' Terra. I know that. But… forbidden fruit always tastes sweeter when you win it. Or taste it. I can't believe I just wrote that…

Uhm… so I guess this is goodbye. I'm no good at this kind of stuff. But then again, you'll never read this letter, will you? You're a stone statue, way down in that cave. I'll still visit you now and then, but… as a couple and as a teammate… Goodbye Terra. You were the best friend I ever had. Rest in peace.

Beast Boy

Raven stared in shock and awe. Fallen in love? With her? Raven? Beast Boy's diary had flirted with the idea, and told of a few heated dreams, but this letter… it was so… mature the way he went about saying it. Forbidden fruit? What an analogy… Raven heaved a wary sigh, folding the letter up again. Yet another revelation to discuss with one of her teammates when the time came. The sudden thought occurred to her… did she like him back? Seeing all of these puzzles laid out by him, all the letters and scribbles, diary entries and clues… had her opinion of him drifted into strange new realms? Raven felt a slight twinge of heat on her cheeks, and she touched one with her hand. She was blushing. Blushing while she thought of the green teen… looks like the answer was yes, she thought.

Placing the letter neatly back into the mirror box, Raven ceremonially placed it back where it belonged. There was no symbol or puzzle in there, so she would have to keep searching. But wait… she stopped and turned, pulling it back out into her hands. Holding her breath, Raven turned it upside down.

RAKA (Rah-kah)

Both symbol and word were present, without the use of the 'red vision.' Raka was one of those number fours with a line through the end of it. It looked a great deal like Morcana, but still different in its own right. "Raka…" Raven whispered, holding it at arm's length. Beams of light erupted from the symbol, straight onto Raven's chest. It tore the material covering her chest, and the symbol was emboldened onto her skin. The fabric gave out, exposing all of her left breast save the nipple. "How did I know one was going to end up there…?" Raven grumbled, but she was still happy. Setting the mirror box down, she looked herself over. "All twelve. I have all twelve symbols…" She whispered, looking at each one in turn. She took her shoes off so she could see the one's on her feet, and then looked in the mirror of the box. Mortym was decorated around her chakra gem, and she offered her image a small smile. How stupid did she feel, covered with writing once again? Last time it had warned of the end of the world, but this time… this time it was to save her friends.

Her friends, and all the victims that had come before them.

Raven suddenly realized the finaly symbol wasn't over her breast to be pointing at her breast, but her heart. Raka was over the left side of her chest, directly over her heart. Nodding and feeling a little more comfortable with it, Raven picked up the flashlight. She accidentally dinged the mirror-box in the process and winced when the mirror fell out. Hadn't Beast Boy glued it in there –?

You'll find the vellum under the carpet.

Raven stared, dumbfounded. No riddle? No trick words or oddly spelled ones? Just boom, like that? She remembered suddenly what Beast Boy's letter had told her. ((You'll find its exact location with the last symbol you find.)) Incredible. He'd been right. Raka had been the final symbol she'd found, and here she was ready to find the vellum. Marveling at how intricately Beast Boy had planned everything out, Raven mumbled to herself as she looked the carpet beneath her feet. Squinting, she saw that the pattern was slightly off. Stepping back and squatting down, she found part of it had been cut up. Reaching with chilled hands, she pulled two hidden flaps back. There, laying in pieces, was the vellum. It looked like parchment, like from Raven's ancient scrolls, but… it looked more alive.

She reached and carefully gathered then up. Placing them slowly on the glass case after she'd hastily wiped the dust off of it, Raven made sure she had all the pieces. Carefully refolding the flaps of the carpet, she licked her dry lips. It was like a puzzle. She could see one symbol here, and another there. But, it still needed to be reassembled so it could be understood. Pulling the flashlight closer so she could see better, Raven began working on her final puzzle.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beast Boy heaved a deep sigh, looking at Cyborg embarassedly. "I kinda… bashed it open so I could go down there again." The metal man didn't look at all offended. He looked straight into the darkness. They were in the basement, standing outside the timed vent that Beast Boy had bashed open earlier. Making sure Starfire and Beast Boy had helmets with lights on them, he let his shoulder light pop up and turn on.

"Let's finish this and get our friend back." Cyborg said.

"I am eager to open a can of the 'butt-whoop' on our enemy." Starfire said soberly. "Let us march into battle." She hadn't been joking, either. She was ready to tear the tower apart for her lost friend, but she was down in the darkness of the cave… lost to the rest of the world. Her best friend needed her, and now was the time to act.

Beast Boy, Starfire, and Cyborg emerged into the cave. The green teen became a fierce tiger, ready for anything the darkness might dish out. Starfire prepared her starbolts, lighting the cave in a green glow. Cyborg's sonic cannon activated, and he held his forearm to aim as they went on. Beast Boy's cat-eyes saw farther than any of them…

So he was the first to see them.

He roared his challenge and charged forward! Thousands and thousands of spectral monsters were coming for them, straight out of that square hall Beast Boy had found. ((A/N: think like the ghosts under the library in "The End" and save us all some time, okay?)) Some had claws, others had cloaks and scythes, all of them were ready to kill. The green teen saw red, and the battle was on.

Cyborg rapid-fired into the crowd as it approached, covering Beast Boy as he darted among them. Starfire blasted starbolt after starbolt, the righteous fury making her eyes glow green. The specters simply came apart… only to reform like a dark mist. For the first time in his life, Beast Boy struck to kill. His claws tore mercilessly through spirit after spirit after spirit. He saw Cyborg's beam cannon blowing them apart, but they always reformed as though they were made of smoke.

He saw one of them slash at him just in time, and he darted out of the way. His huge tiger body was big, but it was also fast. Once he landed he spun to attack again. He trampled over half a dozen of the specters, roaring with teeth and claw and a fury unlike anything he'd ever known. They were keeping him from Raven. Raven needed him. Now. They suddenly dog-piled on him and he became a T-rex to throw them off! His roar of battle shook both the cave and the Titan's Tower. Simply biting down on the enemies that seemed to be made of smoke, he swept them away with his tail. They kept coming though. More and more and more… endlessly.

Cyborg grunted, keeping an eye on the coolant system in his beam cannon. He wouldn't run out of power for a few hours or so at this rate, but if his weapon overheated… He didn't want to think about it. He was too busy fighting for his life. More and more of those things kept coming, right from the direction they needed to go. Firing his beam cannon and breaking stalactites on the ceiling, he watched them crush his foes… only to have them seep out of the wreckage like smoke. Growling in frustration, he aimed his beam cannon to try again.

Starfire ruled the air, blasting creature after shadowy creature. They would screech and fly through the air to get her, only to be hit with another blast of green energy. "Ha! Ha! HAH!" Starfire formed her green dome and exploded it outward. There was a hissing of many fallen spirits… but they were back soon enough. The red head landed near Cyborg and Beast Boy, looking fatigued. "Friends! Our tactics are not working! They are invulnerable!"

"They must be guarding the shrine I saw!" Beast Boy said, human again. "We have to push past them!" He ducked the whistling scythe that was meant to take his head off. He became a bear and slashed the spirit to pieces. Becoming human again, he said, "We have to get to the shrine to recite the lyrics!"

"There's too many of 'em!" Cyborg had a constant stream of his sonic cannon going. "Each one we take down two more show up!" He was sweating and starting to tire. Even the mighty metal man had his limits. A lock of Starfire's hair flew through the air and she shrieked in fear, barely dodging a set of long claws.

"We have to get there, no matter what." Beast Boy whispered.

"Man, I don' think we're going anywhere…" Cyborg whispered back as the ghosts started pressing in on them. Their black, cold sockets stared with bloodlust. They weren't just guardians. They were there to destroy all threats that came.

"We must press towards the shrine, then." Starfire said softly, though she didn't sound very sure of herself. There were so many of them…

They were surrounded.

We're coming to the climax, people! Raven has all the symbols and the others are marching into the darkness to save her. And what about Robin? Will he show upto help fight the ghosts and the darkness that sired them? Maybe. There's only like three parts left in this story, you guys. It's almost over! Next time on Raven's Game, One Thousand Guardians! Get ready!