Ellu everybody and welcome to the next chappie of my story. I won't delay anybody that wants to read this and just get on with it.

Disclaimer: I simply and unfortunately do not own Teen Titans. You have no legal grounds to sue me, except for certain things unmentionable in this disclaimer.

What is to Come

Chapter 5ive: Burning Thoughts of the Mind

Xaphtious straightened his floor-length black robes and stepped inside the Circle. Trigon, his master, sat upon an obsidian throne that sparkled menacingly in the black flames. Xaphtious bowed curtly and strode closer to Trigon.

"The first attack has been sent and the girls mind was breached. She was an easy target; weak, unprepared, but she has the will to survive. A stronger attack will be needed if she is to join us."

Trigon said nothing of this at first, but then he looked up at his 'puppet'.

"Good," his deep voice boomed, "My wretched daughter has most likely told her everything, but you need to tell her more. Go." Trigon commanded, looking back into a dark orb suspended in mid-air. Xaphtious bowed again and took his leave, prepared to make the journey back to Earth as he exited the Circle.

Karigan woke up feeling refreshed and reenergized. She was actually looking forward to the day ahead when yesterdays drastic turn of events came flooding back to her. Karigan bit back a pitiful sob and slowly moved to get ready. Her wall was still in place and she reinforced it just as a precaution. The team would undoubtedly notice her change in personality and her cool nature and ask questions. That alone made her want to stay confined in her room; that and she couldn't bear seeing Robin. She had worked so hard yesterday at managing her shields that she had neglected her own feelings, which now came back in an overwhelming flood. Karigan sighed, disheartened, and slumped against the door, sliding all the way down to the floor. She was wallowing is self-pity again, and she didn't like the feeling at all. Her head met her knees and she sat in the fetal position trying to pull herself together. She had to be strong; not give the others a reason to worry. If Karigan really didn't want them to find out, this was not the time to be weak. Sighing, she stood up and slowly shuffled downstairs, hoping the others would take her quite demeanor as her just being tired.

The kitchen was noisy, as usual, and Cyborg and Beast Boy were arguing over what to eat as usual. Karigan quietly slipped past everyone and readied some tea; but she did not go unnoticed.

"Hey Kari," Cyborg suddenly said. "What should we eat: waffles or tofu crap?" Karigan's eyes roamed over Cyborg and Beast Boy; they were so carefree.

"Both." She responded simply. Her two friends' eyes lit up and the breakfast preparations began. Karigan intended to disappear to the roof quietly but her plan was thwarted by Raven silently phasing from her room to next to Karigan. Her face was grim and her jaw set. She didn't need t say much, but what she did say was enough.

"He's here." Karigan didn't ask questions, but followed Raven up to her room without making a sound.

When they reached the seclusion of Raven's room, Raven spoke first.

"He's a little ways out of town in forest region. Most likely a hot spot for in-dimension jumping." Karigan nodded and her tired eyes to Raven's violet ones. She wondered what he wanted, but didn't voice her thoughts.

"How will I get there?" Karigan asked.

"I can phase you." She responded. "Do you want me to stay?" Karigan shook her head.

"He won't try to kill me, he needs me. So I'll be okay. I'll just tell you when we're through." Raven nodded as ebony power engulfed both herself and Karigan.

The two reached the forest in little under five minutes. Karigan turned back to Raven.

"If the others wonder where I am, just tell them I'm sleeping or something and don't want to be disturbed." Raven nodded.

"Good luck." And she was gone.

Karigan sighed and turned to the forest; she really should've stayed in bed today.

What little sunlight that filtered through the canopy of leaves and limbs threw shadows on the ground, creating the illusion that it was mid-afternoon at least. And a prefect place for her father to hide. Karigan frowned and looked around, and upon seeing nothing, began trudging through the underbrush. Thorns and branches tore at her face, arms, and legs, irritating Karigan beyond al healthy means and creating small, red, itching scratches wherever they touched. She didn't want to heal herself; she might need the energy involved in the process.

How much farther can this stupid forest go? Karigan thought, her patience thinning. Luckily for her and the forest in her way she could see an opening in the thick vegetation.

"Finally." She sighed, walking faster. As soon as Karigan broke free from the forest she found herself in an empty clearing, seemingly in the middle of the woods. A faint breeze blew through the clearing, lifting Karigan's charcoal locks and gently wafting them about in the air. She turned her head left and right, figuring if Xaphtious was to be anywhere, it would be here.

"Hello, Crossfire." Came a raspy voice from behind her. Karigan whirled around and saw her father step from the shadows. "I hope you didn't have any trouble finding me." He said, obviously noticing Karigan's myriad of scrapes and cuts. She narrowed her eyes.

"None at all. What do you want?" she demanded briskly. When Xaphtious had first spoken, he greeted her in some language that she figured she wouldn't understand; but to her great surprise Karigan found herself responding in the same language, totally without her meaning to. Xaphtious smirked and began circling Karigan like a vulture with its prey.

"Never mind that, we'll get to it later," he responded, waving his hand in the air. "So how'd you mother? Holding her own I assume."

"She's dead, no thanks to you." Karigan spat angrily. He had no right to ask of her.

Much to Karigan's guilty pleasure, a look of shock passed over her father's face. The edges of Karigan's mouth lifted up a bit. She had a weapon against him, though she hated to use it. Sorry mom…Karigan silently apologized before continuing.

She stared at her father defiantly, as if daring him to do or say something.

"Oh yes," she began dramatically, "Dear ol' Andreas dead, gone, six feet under and decaying in a wooden box. Not like you cared though." Karigan watched him in mild satisfaction as each of her words struck him like a blow across the face.

"Oh sorry, you didn't know?" she asked, mocking his shock. "Well you would've known had you stuck around long enough. What did you expect when you joined Trigon? That he would share his power?" Karigan asked intent on planting the horrendous seed of doubt in his twisted mind.

"You'd probably help him destroy the world and whatnot, and he would keep you around for lowly servant duties for awhile. But then he would get bored toying with you, being the master and you the puppet. He'd realize you have power; power that he can use and grow stronger from. You'd be no more important than the million of-"

"Silence." Xaphtious hissed, the pure venom and malice in his voice stopping Karigan in mid-sentence. "I did not come here to listen to the ramblings of those that know nothing. And you are those." Even though he concealed it well, Karigan could tell the seed was planted, and that was all that mattered.

Karigan crossed her arms over her chest. "Well then what did you come here for, if not to hear the truth?" Xaphtious scowled.

"I came here to propose on offer; one that might appease at least part of you." Karigan raised her eyebrows.

"An offer, eh? Let me guess, if I join you without a fuss you'll let my friends live, right? Well newsflash. I know for a fact that if I go all demony I won't even know who my friends are, let alone be able to stop myself from killing them." She watched as a small tick began to form on his forehead; demons were so predictable.

"So sorry, no, you can take your offer an shove it up your-"

"You could see you mother again." Karigan stopped short; Xaphtious has switched back to English. She could see Andrea again? Keep your emotions in check. Raven's voice echoed in her mind. Now she knew what Xaphtious was trying to do. Karigan slammed all of her strength into her shields just as he sent an attack. She closed her eyes briefly and sighed; that had been close.

"Nice try, but I'm more prepared now." Karigan said, staring bravely into Xaphtious' eyes. He frowned and continued walking in a circle around her.

"Yes, you are more prepared. I see Trigon's destiny denying daughter has been teaching you a few tricks. But honestly, how long do you think you can go on? I'm fully demon, and I'll outlive you and your precious friends. And I will not stop hunting you. You cannot deny what is to come." Xaphtious smirked. "And besides, the demon in you is growing stronger, and you cannot suppress who you are."

Karigan's stone-set face did not falter. "I can, and will, and there is no way while I'm still me that I am going to join you pathetic wastes of internal organs." Xaphtious' smirk disappeared from his face.

"I won't make you wait then, because you won't be in control of you much longer." Then a midnight black aura formed around him. "I'm guessing you're immune to normal fires." How did he know that? "But I think that demonic fire might do the trick." Karigan's eyes widened. Yes, she was immune to normal fires due to her powers, but demonic fires she had no experience with whatsoever. Stay away from his fire. Raven's voice echoed in her head. It will harm you like regular fire does humans. Karigan groaned inwardly. Things just kept getting better and better for her.

"You're not going to kill me." She said quickly, gathering as much energy and power as she could.

"Wrong." Xaphtious retorted. "I am going to destroy you, so you are a hindrance to the demon inside you no longer."

Ok, maybe he is going to kill me. Karigan thought a split-second before a black fire ball flew at her. She barely dodged that one when a whole stream came flooding for her. They all bounced off of a firewall she made and then Karigan sent her own group of missiles, thinking they wouldn't do much. She was right. Xaphtious merely stopped them with a wave of his hand and crushed them from existence with the squeeze of his fist. Karigan stopped, frozen in shock. This didn't bode well for her. She had two basic choices: fight, and possibly dies now, or flee and possibly die later. She decided on both, and not to die at all. But while she had been forming her plan, Xaphtious had disappeared, and even worse for her, clouds had covered the sun, bathing the clearing in shadow. Karigan turned in a circle where she stood, but saw no sign of her father.

"Dammit." She cursed under her breath, straining to hear any sound of Xaphtious, and she heard him…too late. A twig snapped behind her and Karigan barely, just as one of his black fireballs came rocketing towards her. The missile was aimed for the top of her back, but ended up connecting with her shoulder and knocking her roughly to the ground. Raven had been right about his fire. Karigan had to roll over on her back to keep the greedy flames from engulfing her whole backside. Luckily for her, she put the fire out quickly and her burn wasn't too bad; she couldn't feel the pain yet, and she still couldn't risk healing it.

Raven, I'm gonna need you help in a few minutes. Karigan warily stood up and turned to face Xaphtious, but he had disappeared yet again.

"What are you Xaphtious? Craven? You attack a person when they're down." Karigan shouted, rotating on the spot and gripping her right shoulder in growing pain. She stood deathly still and quiet, hoping to catch a sound of her father. A faint breeze rolled through the clearing, rustling the leaves on the trees and blowing Karigan's hair asunder. The hair on the back of her neck rose up, and she had the feeling that she was being watched. Karigan spun around, drawing up a wall of fire in front of her at the same time. Xaphtious had returned from the shadow form and fired a single, blazing, black ball of flames right as Karigan had turned around. The fireball rocketed towards Karigan at an alarming speed, but everything seemed to be in slow-motion through Karigan's eyes. Karigan focused all of her energy on bracing her wall for impact, but the missile passed through her defense like a knife through butter. It rammed into Karigan's middle and sent her flipping through the air and landing hard on the ground ten feet from where she had been standing. Xaphtious smiled, she wasn't getting up.

It doesn't have to be this hard…he spoke to her mind while advancing on her like a predator toying with its prey.

Raven had been in the middle of lying to Robin about Karigan's whereabouts when she received her message. Raven, I'm gonna need your help in a few minutes. She shooed Robin away in a huff and silently phased to the forest when he was gone.

Xaphtious was readying another fireball when Raven appeared and knelt down next to Karigan. Raven felt for her friends' pulse and upon finding it, tried to wake up her friend. She looked up at Xaphtious and deflected the stream of fireballs he sent at her with an ebony shield. He looked frustrated at this, and the thought made Raven smirk. She knew she had to get Karigan out of here as soon as possible; so as silently as she had come, Raven left with her fellow teammate without saying a word.

Karigan groggily opened her eyes and groaned. Where was she? Her eyes focused and she was staring at a rust coloured ceiling-her rust coloured ceiling; Raven must've brought her here. Karigan wearily tried to sit up, but flopped back down on the pillow when that simple movement brought her immense pain in her right shoulder and middle.

"Ow, dammit." She mumbled, her breath coming in short ragged gasps; she had forgotten about her burns.

Karigan wondered how long she had been unconscious, and when she waved the curtains away from the window, it had obviously been a long time. The sky was dark and dotted withincandescent stars and the moonlight streamed in through the window.

Her door slid open and Karigan jerked her head in its direction, startled by the noise. Raven silently strode in, a look of relief evident on her pale face. At first they said nothing, but then Karigan looked up at her friend and smiled.

"Thanks." She said. Raven also smiled.

"Don't mention it." Karigan again tried to sit up, and this time succeeded with Raven's assistance.

"I hope you didn't have trouble with everyone else." She commented. Raven sat in her meditative stance a few feet off the ground, but level with Karigan and closed her eyes.

"Only Robin came up looking for you, but I told him you were meditating. That's when I heard your call. Beast Boy and Starfire were looking for you when you were unconscious and I simply told them you were sleeping." Karigan nodded and stared off into space. Raven said nothing for a minute but then noticed Karigan's silence, opened an eye and stared at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, opening the other eye as well. Karigan snapped out of her reverie.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing." Raven frowned.

"I'm an empath, and it is not nothing." Karigan sighed, accepting defeat.

"Is there really any hope for the future? Can we really stop ourselves from destroying the world?" Raven didn't have an answer for her. Karigan looked down at her hands.

"He won't stop. Not until I'm out of the way or he is dead." Now she looked up at Raven, her hands clenched in fists. "And do you know what he asked me? 'How long do you think you can go on.' I didn't have an answer for him; I still don't have an answer. I didn't realize until then that this could go on for years to come. The matter is, I don't know if I can go on that long." She paused again and slumped back against her pillow. "There has got to be a way to end this." She muttered distantly. Raven still said nothing, but was very sure there was no way around their fate; and for the first time since she had known Karigan, the empathy felt her fear and hopelessness. It wasn't just about protecting themselves and one city from people like Slade anymore; this had escalated to the whole planets safety and now they had a more formidable foe. That was the very prospect that frightened Karigan the most.

"You should get some sleep." Raven said, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Are you going to heal your burns now?" Karigan shook her head.

"No, I don't have the energy now. It will have to wait until tomorrow." Raven nodded and helped her slide back down flat on the bed and she silently left.

Karigan stared at her ceiling and felt the gentle tug of sleep pulling her away from consciousness. She knew something had to be done, but the lurking feeling that something bad was going to happenremained strong in her mind.

OoO so how was it? That's nice. Sorry this took so long to get out, but I always have distractions when I start to type, so I just decided to sit down, listen to nothing, watch nothing, and type. No interruptions. And I guess it worked, eh? Ah well…the cool thing is I got yet another idea for a story last week-ish and some more ideas on that story popped into my head two nights ago, and it's a one-shot. Short, simple, and Rae/Rob pairing! But it won't be out for awhile. I'm going to finish writing this one, write more on the other one I just posted and have only one chappie out for, and try to get through school without going crazy. But that's not likely. At least on the school thing. I already am crazy. Anydiddyhoo, I remembered that I used to give little excerpts of the upcoming chapter, so I guess that's what I'll try to keep doing! So here ya go.

"We can help you guys only if you let us." OoO who's speaking? And who needs help? OoO

mind you, the next chapter is going to be long, and I'm still in the process of writing it. So don't expect anything too soon. But I am sick, so maybe I'll get to stay home. But I hope not on Friday…we're taking a field trip to King's Island. fun fun! Haha, now you can be jealous. Or not. But I'll shut up now and let you review!