A/n: Nairu is an OC of mine.

Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Titans, though I wished I did...

Seeing Beyond the Dark

Chapter One: Much dreaded

She wouldn't have agreed to go, in a thousand years, but now she had no choice. One look at those big eyes that pleaded to her—from all of them, that is—and the guilt tearing down her conscience, which she was desperately trying to control lest she blow them all up, and she had nodded. Raven Roth sighed in defeat.

"Another great way to spend my precious time." She muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm. Starfire, apparently, did not get it.

"Oh, this is great, Raven! You finally see how wonderful it would be!" She exclaimed, beaming as she dragged her to the door.

Robin raised a brow. Cyborg and B.B were unusually quiet as their eyes followed the duo.

Raven barely moved. When she finally came to her senses, she jerked away from Starfire, giving her a death glare. It could have easily been a smile to Starfire's point of view. She smiled back, joyfully as ever, signaling a hand for the rest of them to follow.

She's really way out of her mind, Raven thought. If she thinks I'd actually be head-over-heels- on going to some—

Her thought however, was interrupted by a familiar smooth voice that belonged only to the Titan captain.

"Come on, Raven, or you'd be left behind." Robin, urged. The others had hurriedly left already, and he was the only one standing there, eyes unreadable behind his mask. He held out a hand.

Somehow, God condemn her, her mind went way outside her ego and decided by itself before she could stop herself from speaking.

"Alright, fine."

Raven gave another sigh, making a mental note to glare at them to death later and kill her conscience as well. Which she probably would be doing often, considering the place they—not including she—had chosen. She hesitantly took his hand, and his strong and surprisingly gentle force pulled her outside, dragging her behind the others.

Hell and Damnation, she thought again, wondering what forces had cursed her now.

"The newly opened park!" Raven sighed. Honestly, she couldn't imagine what had cursed her to make friends with this girl.

"Nairu, would you shut up?"

"Come on, Raven, don't be such a killjoy," the dark-green haired young teen beside her quipped. "I bet you this is your first time in a park." She didn't have much money on her, and she'd probably be spending all of her savings today. Oh well.

But Raven just shrugged, "No way."

Nairu sighed again, giving her a look.

"What?"

"Nothing. Well, let's go now! They're buying tickets already!" She said excitedly, pulling her nearer to the ticket booth. Nairu had been a friend of the Teen Titan's a long time, and knew all of them pretty well. (a/n: But she definitely wasn't like Terra!)

"Good, let's wait longer then," her eyes following the long queue line up. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

Nairu was quiet, casting her another odd look. The look Raven couldn't quite shrug. In defeat once more, marching indignantly to the end of the line. Nairu looked smug. Raven glared. But her best friend was so used to it she didn't care any less.

God, why have you forsaken me?, Raven snapped upwards, but hearing no reply, felt silly and turned back. Amazingly fast, they were next already, with Nairu by her side, eyes dancing in excitement. Raven sighed for the umpteenth time, tucking her hair backwards as she drew the hood over her head.

"Yes?" The small, brown-haired girl behind the counter greeted her enthusiastically with one of those "plastic" smiles. She could tell. She only rolled her eyes, though.

"Ugh. Two—"She was interrupted, however, by a voice as eager, if not more, than the previous one. Looking at the speaker, she knew that silly smile was genuine.

"Tickets to the amusement park, two please!" Nairu popped up in front of her. "I'll pay—"

Raven, however, protested. She might not be all too humble, but she knew when to be responsible for herself. "I'll pay for mine." She added hastily, pulling a few cold cash and drawing it up I the counter.

Nairu looked baffled but let her pay, handing more money for her ticket. The two snatched them and made their way to the entrance, where Robin, Starfire, Beastboy and Cyborg were waiting for them impatiently.

"What took you guys so long?" Cyborg asked, irritated.

Raven shrugged. The topic was soon drowned as Beastboy's over-eagerly voice filled their ears.

"Woohooo! Let's just go in!" He ran to the entrance gate, wanting to be the first.

"Yes, let us enjoy this wonderful day!" Starfire joined in.

"I suppose so." Robin said, but a grin grew on his face as he disappeared, like the others, behind the big crowd that filled the entrance of the newly-opened amusement park.

Raven shifted her eyes to the fun-filled, much dreaded place as Nairu shoved her inside. It was...well, normal. Big and grand like most and obviously nature-loving. A merry-go-round was placed at the foremost front. It was...huge. And at least thirty children were seen dangling from the immobile figures.

She sighed. If she just didn't hate those things. Awful they were, making your head spin and it was worthless. Who would pay for a bunch of spins anyways?, she thought. Glancing at the sight again, she knew: Awful kids who like awful rides and would pay awful prices to get their awful heads dizzy in an awful ride. You could only put too much of 'awful' in a sentence.

"Those are for children." Nairu told her, following her glance. "Let's go to the more extreme stuff."

She led Raven further to the unbearably densely crowded and impossibly wide park, stopping on several rollercoasters, ferris wheels and boat-rides but Raven shrugged to all of them. Nairu didn't force her—She had better plans.

Making their way to the northernmost corner, they halted in front of a rather fancy looking stall. Raven rolled her eyes. "I'm not going in there."

Robin, after riding a hundred rides, was weary as he, Star, B.B and Cy met up in a hotdog stall. Raven and Nairu weren't there—they'd probably be journeying across the horror booth or something.

"I am quite exhausted." Starfire said, taking a bite of her hotdog sandwhich. They all nodded in agreement. B.B, however, was too much excited to leave.

"C'mon, I know a perfect place we could rest!" He gave them a goofy grin, pointing somewhere to the north. A certain red-curtain-covered stall, with two straight lines building up, blocked only by a long card-board wall.

"We're not going there." Robin objected. At least, in no way was he going there.

A clueless Star's voice followed. "What exactly is the over-decorated stall presents itself to be?"

Beastboy stared at both of them. "Come on! I mean, why not?"

"I'm not going either." Another voice came up. Great, Beastboy thought, now they're all against me.

"It's just a silly store—just for fun—"

"Could someone please tell me what that is?" Starfire interrupted, quite impatiently.

Robin looked at the floor, as did Cyborg. Beastboy glanced at both of them and the changeling sighed. Guess he was the one left to explain.

"That," He pointed at the stall again, "Is a blind love. Or actually, it's a store that supports one."

"...blind love?" Starfire asked, still new to the idea.

Beastboy grinned this time. "it's supposed to help you find your true love. Blind love is when random people just go with each other. It's said to be determined by fate—"

Cyborg and Robin snorted. Beastboy ignored them. "See those two lines? One's for guys, the other's for girls. They get paired up in random, and they say it's blind love and it'll last forever, or something like that. You'd get a free love-ride around a weird place they put up too."His grin grew wider. "hey, you know what I was thinking?"

Robin sighed. He knew the answer but didn't want to hear it.

"What?" The-ever-so-oblivious Starfire asked.

"Why don't we join there, and get partners?" Beastboy winked.

Starfire seemed all for the idea, just as excited. Cyborg and Robin, however weren't on the same page.

"No way. Those are for desperate people!" Robin said with finality in his voice. Cyborg shook his head too.

Looking at the changeling's face, to Star's and back again, Robin sighed. Again. It seems this day was fit for sighing, no?—Arghh. What was wrong with him? He's supposed to be having fun right now! Why is he feeling so...lazy or something?!

Robin pressed his eyebrows and he closed his eyes. Come on, why not? They said it'll be fun. Besides, it wouldn't hurt, right?, A voice at the back of his mind said.

I'm not entirely sure, he thought.

What's harm with a little love?, The voice seemed to have a thinking of its own, far, far away in the depths of the back of his mind.

It just sounds so...silly, I guess.

You're just scared.

Robin flinched. No, I'm not!

The why don't you go?

Robin mentally stomped his foot. Fine!

Fine.

--Arghh. Robin sighed. The creepy-voice-at-the-back-of-mind had just won, without him realizing it until a few moments later when he stomped and marched up the stall, trying not to think about the loud laughter at the back of his mind.

Laugh at me, why don't you? , he snapped at it, and immediately, it fell silent. He rolled his eyes. Whatever was it with him today? That was so uncharacteristic.

Robin brushed those thoughts away as they arrived at the entrance.

"Let us hurry." Starfire spoke.

"I'm not going in there." Cyborg protested. Beastboy shot Starfire a meaningful look before finally replying,

"Fine, suit yourself."

Without any other choice, Cybor left them quickly, returning to the rather crowded hotdog stall once again. Robin watched him go. One down, and three to go, he thought. Wait, what if Raven was actually here?

Nah, impossible. Raven wasn't that kind of person. She was probably, as aforementioned, in some horror booth.

Robin, with determination, followed Beastboy to the left side, at the boy's side, where surprisingly, were a lot of different people. Guys who looked like High-school dorks paraded the front line, talking among themselves. Robin snorted. Probably wanting a girlfriend.

But there were also handsome guys 'round the middle. Looks popular and feels popular, as they were combing their hair and talking in overly-loud voices. Robin started to sweat, as he settled at the final end of the line.

Please, et it be someone I know. Like Starfire or something. He couldn't stand being on a blind love with someone he didn't know, or probably didn't even like.

Then again, he might be overreacting. Afterall, he might meet someone he'd like, someone who's smart, pretty and someone who likes him too. Robin pondered on this.

Afterall, who knows? Anything can go in this craze, wacky world, right?

He sighed to himself. Again (for about a billionth time). He had to admit, the voice-at-the-back of his mind was right, to some point.

He was scared, but he would face this. He was Robin of the Teen Titans, for goodness' sake.

Raven jerked in protest as Nairu dragged her to the women's line, where, impossibly and to her horror, many girls were up.

Raven straightened herself hastily, how could all this people even consider going to such a ridiculous place?

When she finally got comfortable with the long bench they sat (she was squashed, she could hardly breath, so you can't blame her!), he eyes widened as she saw who was sitting right in front of her.

"S-Starfire?!"

At the call of her name. the said girl turned around and smiled at Raven. "Raven, my friend, I am pleased to see you here." She smiled. Raven frowned.

Oh God, she thought. Not only did she have to stand this silly mess, but she'd get humiliated too. Of all the places, they couldn't imagine her here!—Wait,--they??! If she was here, then the rest of the team were too, right? RIGHT? Oh God, oh god, oh god. She would rot in embarrassment.

To her further terror, Nairu realized her presence as well. "Oh hi, Star. Raven and I were wanting to go here for hours."

Starfire blinked and turned to Raven. "Is that true?"

Raven frozed, ironically since she could feel the heat raising too her cheeks, and Starfire had noticed it too. "T—Tha—Lie! Lie! Lie!" She stammered.

"No, she really did...she was hoping to see...uhh..." Nairu paused, thinking. Who would have she wanted to see? "...to see...ah—to see Robin!" She winked at her. Raven scowled. Robin?! What was she, crazy?!

Starfire gave a small 'oh'. "I never imagined..."

"Robin! No, I—"

"Really wanted to go with him and was afraid you'd take it the wrong way." Nairu interrupted her, her smile growing wider the minute. Raven went, if possible, redder.

"No, I don't, you're wrong, Sta—"

"I'm surprised, but don't be afraid, I don't hate you because of you're...altertnative behavior. Besides you are free to like Robin."

Nairu tried her best to surpass a giggle. "See, Raven? You didn't have to hide!"

"No, I don't feel that—"she shot back indignantly, but was interrupted again.

Nairu rolled her eyes. "You know you wanted to."

This time, Raven yelled loudly before anyone could cut her off. "NO, I DON'T! WHY DON'T YOU GET OFF ME??! I NEVER EVEN AGREED TO GO HERE, MUCH LESS WANTED TO WITH ROBIN—!" she paused, before glaring at Nairu again. "AND WHY DON'T YOU TAKE THAT STUPID SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!"

Nairu, however, only looked smug. Starfire looked bewildered. Raven's eyes widened in horror and she instantly wanted to shrink away when everyone stood up to see the commotion and the cause of the shouting.

"This is your entire fault." She softly hissed at Nairu.

Her best friend continued to smirk, her voice high-pitched with feigned concern. "Oh, aren't you glad? I was just helping you realize your inner feelings."

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