-sigh- If you want to know why this chapter took so long, go read Poetry and Redemption. I have not just been sitting on my fat lazy butt, you know. :P Oh my goodness I love this song! White Houses, Vanessa Carlton...not saying it has anything to do with anything, but it just came on the radio so I get to be happy now. ...Yeah, I know its not really my thing but..hey, what would you know about what's my thing anyway? Ok, done rambling.

jambey: Hmm...Redemption came darn close to doing that, so I'll do my best not to let this story do the same...but what if that's the only way to make it good? -sigh- Yeah, she did...the end of the last story implied that. I know how that is believe me.

CelticHeiressFiona: The Great Dusty? -blush- You flatter me...go on. LOL.

Mina: LOL thanks, I figured the fic needed some comic relief. Yes, I hate it...and when you walk into a room and you just know the people just stopped talking about you. Good, I know you'll like them...well at least I'm pretty sure you will. I have something of a crush on Artemis -blush- No, it's not a problem...you can say whatever you want in reviews. Thanks!

strwbrrydaquiri: No, no you shan't.

Umbro Draco: LOL yes, yes you did. Hmm...the realistic bit might fly out the window pretty soon lol. Oh yes, so awesome -drools- I'm lost in your awesomeness, Shadow. LOL! You have those too eh? Yeah...try having Larry, Jack Sparrow, and Batty (Fern Gully...you prolly haven't seen it) having a party in your noggin. Yes, I did, and that's with desperately suppressing the sequel to Broken (which, I am fairly sure, will be called Catalyst), plus any new ideas I've gotten. Hmm...I think I just might be almost as surprised as you when it comes to that lol.

Neko: Thanks!

Mystyre: -cringes- I...I don't know. If I'd been using my brain, I would have put this off and wrote Catalyst (oh..that's what I'm calling it by the way) first, but since when does my brain work? I don't want to give myself brain damage, so the sequel will have to wait. You should know by now that I'm a pathalogical liar. No...-sigh- I don't have it, but I saw it in Hot Topic once and found it immensely funny and miraculously like Robin, so there you have it. Yup, it's the poor fellow's fate. Thanks.

superman35405: Thanks...-points to opening message-

you-know-who: Little? ...Only compared to some. I'm afraid you don't know squat about my stories or me. Let's discuss profanity instead.

Scarredbyshallowness: Why thank you. Welcome back Scarred...er...you need a nickname. Thank you, and yes I saw them they were awesome in every sense of the word. Thanks!

ACrazyTeenager2005: No, I think that's right. I'll do my best.

YoukaiTenshi: -pts to opening message-

Dark Dragon34: Thanks!

Reggie Tuesday: Hurray! Yes, he certainly is. Hehe, no pressure, eh? Hmm...small, sparsely populated town. You?

Child of Blood: Only right now? LOL j/k, thanks. Yes, I did.

ChErRyBlOsSoM-FlOwErOfDeAtH: Oh my goodness your name is a beast to type. Thanks.

Dark Princesses: Finish? -pales- That won't be happening for a while, at least. Don't die, you need to update your fic -wink- Thanks!

BranwenAisling: Yes indeed, and thank you! I'm glad...I was worried people would be rolling their eyes with that bit. Thanks, I think I liked that bit best aside from Raven's dream/vision. LOL you might could find it in Hot Topic, that's where I originally discovered the quote. Thanks!

If you haven't already, please please go read SC:P! I'm not going to explain, so confusion is inevitable if you don't read it. I don't want you to be confused...and I don't want you to harass me because you are confused, so this is your last warning! Shut up and read then.

Raven stared at Robin, and Robin stared back. By the look on his face, he was taking this just like she thought he would.

"That's...that's funny, Raven. I never knew you were into jokes." He laughed, somewhat squeakily, one hand traveling slowly to his head in a bewildered fashion.

Raven saw the warning signs and caught his arm before he could tumble backwards off the bed. Reaching for the water bottle on her nightstand, Raven poured a little into her hands and splashed it on his face. He spluttered, eyes widening as the cold water trickled down the back of his neck.

Making sure he was steady, Raven spoke slowly and carefully. "I am not joking, Robin. Everything I have told you is the absolute truth."

"But..." He rubbed his eyes furiously, then tugged his crazed hair. "It can't be! You're telling me that I was...possessed by some freak named...named--"

"Venton."

Robin instantly quieted, shocked into silence by the hatred Raven forced into that small, insignificant word. Just a word...just a name...nothing more. Right?

"If I had friends, they would call me Venton."

Black...

"Robin?"

His vision cleared ever-so-slightly, but the pain did not diminish. Holding his head in a vain attempt to stop the pounding, Robin barely had time to breathe before he was engulfed by another memory.

"Fine. More than...break...wings."

A dimly lit room...

"Robin!"

She trembled, blood pouring from her chest as she stared up at him, eyes glazed with pain. "Why?" she choked.

"...Because it was fun."

"No! NONONO!"

A sneer curled around his lips. "Goodbye, Raven." He pulled the trigger--

Robin screamed, yelled louder than ever before, twisting and writhing in agony. It was no longer just his head, it was his entire body, burning and stabbing pains erasing everything--including the "nightmare". A minute (or an eternity) later, he realized that someone was shaking him and vaguely heard her calling his name...

"Robin!" Purple swam before his eyes, slowly solidifying into the moon-pale face of Raven. She gently took his arms and pulled him into a sitting position, subconsciously brushing what could have been sweat (hopefully), or tears (please, please no) from his cheek. "Are you all right?"

"Nightmare." Robin stared intensely at the ground, examining each fiber of her black carpet individually. "No, a...a memory. This...this one was...worse." His gaze snapped onto Raven without warning, face blank but fear radiating from him. "I believe you, Raven."

She stared solemnly at him for a moment, then offered the water bottle wordlessly. As he downed it, her eyes never left his face, drinking in every feature. She hadn't felt able to for a while now.

Clearing her throat to get his attention, Raven broke the silence. "There is one question that I haven't answered yet, but...I think you'll have an even harder time believing this one."

Venton scowled, shoulders slumped and fists clenched as he kicked the ash-ridden ground viciously with every other step. There was every indication that he was in a very foul mood.

"Stupid little weakling," he muttered, glaring at the crumbling yet ominous tower before him. Insulting the "weakling" seemed to cheer him slightly, as his thin black eyebrows ceased to merge in the center of his forehead. All the same, those ebony eyes were just as fierce as ever.

It wasn't long before he strode up the stone steps, dodging cracks and loose chunks with the ease of familiarity, though his steps were becoming increasingly hesitant. Reaching the top and standing before a gaping black opening, Venton jerked a pale, long-fingered hand through his choppy hair. It was clear that he did not want to go in. Too bad that, at this point, what he wanted didn't matter.

The crumbling flights of stone stairs seemed to go on forever, twisting ever upward, and yet Venton kept his cool, unaffected by the dizzying height and precarious footing. His mind was on a far more dangerous subject.

Unexpectedly, the staircase reached a large, flat platform, suspended in mid-air, unsupported in the black abyss. It stretched on with no visible end, like a gray, cracked ocean.

Venton strode forward determinedly for several minutes, back straight and eyes fixed on a destination that, at first, only he could see. All too soon, however, his mission became unavoidably clear.

An enormous throne, composed of rough slabs of gray rock, towered over Venton's head, an even larger demon occupying its spacious seat. His skin was blood-red, his hair, snow-white, four yellow eyes glaring from beneath a pair of extremely out-of-place antlers. Out-of-place or not, they only added to his...intimidating aura.

"I cannot hide my surprise, Hezbarath. I did not expect to see your cowering face again, considering recent events."

Venton's jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists, but he controlled himself...with difficulty.

"Your failure was nothing short of abominable, Slave. I pit your demonic strength against an insignificant mortal, and you come back empty-handed!" Trigon's hand shot out, snatching Venton as though he were a particularly annoying insect. His servant suppressed a groan as he squeezed, long, yellowing claws pricking Venton's flesh. "You dare show your face, weakling, when you failed to accomplish your mission? I doubt anything could prolong your worthless life now, Hezbarath." Trigon leered down at him, claws digging into his chest as he choked for air. Giving him a "small" shake, the demon demanded a response.

"That...Trinadon...wench--" Venton gasped, wincing slightly as his chest was slowly crushed. "Not...my...fault..."

"Trinadon?" Trigon looked slightly surprised at this, though he did not loosen his grip.

"Can...finish...her...Chance..." Venton's black eyes shot open to their full extent, his face steadily turning purple. "One...more...chance..."

Trigon smirked, considering Venton condescendingly as he crushed his existence in his unforgiving fist. When he was doubtful that the slave could take any more, he released him, letting him tumble through the air to fall with a thud at the foot of his throne. "One more chance? You can finish her?" Trigon settled back in his oversized armchair, already beginning to forget the slave's presence. "For your sake, Hezbarath, you had better. Get out of my sight."

An invisible hand swept Venton's crumpled form backwards several feet until the throne was completely out of sight. The demon eventually struggled to his feet, every breath burning in his lungs as black blood oozed from his body. Wounds inflicted by his Master could only be healed by his Master; regeneration would do him no good. He knew from experience that the injuries would vanish as Trigon's wrath diminished...which would most likely not be happening any time soon.

Calling his Master various and creatively obscene names in his mind (but not too loudly, so as not to attract his attention), Venton limped towards the stairs, cringing at the thought of the long and agonizing journey out of Trigon's domain.

Robin was, once again, stunned and speechless, but this time, his face was bright red instead of ghostly white.

"You...you mean...?"

"Yes."

"And you...?"

"Yes, Robin."

"And...and we...?"

"Again, yes."

Red as a fire engine, Robin staggered to his feet, then plopped back down, then dropped his head into his gloveless hands. A small and muffled "wow" drifted to Raven's ears as she, too, fought back a blush.

"Yes, miraculous, isn't it?" she snapped, levitating over to her dresser and busily stacking and restacking a pile of spellbooks. That discussion ranked quite high on her list of Most Embarassing Moments, just under being in Starfire's body.

Robin's head was spinning, and not just from the recent trip down memory lane. He wasn't sure if he should feel humiliated or ecstatic. He had finally gotten the nerve to tell Raven how he felt, only to find out that she returned these feelings. This sounded far too much like one of those embarassing dreams (which he had never had, of course. -cough cough-) to be true. Well...he could think of one extremely dangerous way to find out.

Walking slowly and quietly, Robin crept up behind her. "Raven?" He'd have to do this fast, before he lost his nerve.

She turned around, gazing at him questioningly. "What?"

...The kiss was gentle, if a little clumsy, lasting long enough for her to return it, long enough for their senses to blend together, minds seamlessly melded...

Robin pulled back gently, searching her face and hoping that it hadn't been too horrible for her. He may have said this before, but...he needed to say it again. "I love you."

Raven looked down, attempting to hide the blush lighting up her pale cheeks. I know. And no, it wasn't horrible. And Robin...? She looked up, smiling ever-so-slightly. It was good to have him back. I love you too.

Yeah, sappy ending. But hey, it wasn't a cliffhanger! MUAHAHA! Oh, Trigon called him Hezbarath, because you know how his mantra is Imnar Hezbarath Sae and Missy's is Kaelin Trinadon Zaria? Well...the middle word in their mantra is their "last name" as we would call it. It's just how it works. See why you need to read Possession, people? I'll try to update sooner this time. -Dusty