A/N: I hope you enjoy and please leave me a review telling me what you think, please! Sorry for the delay, life was hectic and I hurt my wrist.
Please readchapter 7's author's note if you don't plan on reading all of the endings!
Dedicated to: Pureangle, FireKumori mage, Metal Overlord,
Puella ofNox: Thank you and yes I know but I'm too lazy to go back and fix then. Yes daughter of darkness the chapter's title has a translation at the bottom.
Evilsangle: I'm sorry James didn't win but you still get your ending; please post your story! I promise you'll get your ending especially to you.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that would interest you. The chapter was inspired by, HIM and their album: Razorblade Romance (You should listen to it while you read it makes it better.)
Forever in a Coffin
Chapter 9: Amo Iam et Proumquam
(Love Now and Forever)
Recap: I didn't want to take away her mortality but if she wanted it then I would give her what she wants, even if I would hate for it to happen. I love her to the point where I would give anything for her to be happy, even if it kills me. And so I will give her the dark trick if she will accept it.
I could feel her emotions coming from her in waves of agony. I could feel she was afraid of dying, of leaving her friends, of the unknown that death brought with it, but most of all the love she held for everything she had come to know. She wanted the dark gift but was afraid of what would come with it; she knew all about the death and hardships that came with the gift after all the time with me how could she not? She knew that once taken she could never go back and she might just end up going mad like so many other poor souls, not everyone had the resistance to live forever feeding off of others like a parasite always in the cover of night. Always in the dark… always…
I smoothed her hair down trying to soothe her; her hand formed fists and held onto my shirt and cloak like her life depended on it, which in a way it did. I whispered what you would call sweet nothings into her ear and yet those nothings where the proclamations of my heart, meaning nothing and yet the world. Eventually she calmed down enough to speak.
"You will always stay with me and never let anything happen to me will you?" She asked in a weak voice he hadn't heard her use in a long time, the voice of her broken soul.
"Proumquam amor, proumquam. I'll always be with you amor always." I whispered to into her hair, then kissing her forehead lightly.
She looked into my eyes, looking for my sincerity. Quickly finding what she wanted she closed her eyes and whispered soft as the wind, "Deinde capio decerpo."
With one last look around her, I warped her in my arms and picked up her up. And with out another thought I carried her to the place where we had first started our immortal lives together. The forest.
We appeared in a matter of moments and found ourselves under the light of an October full moon (If you've ever noticed the moon is bigger in October, or at least where I live so just imagine a moon that seems to take up the whole sky.) I set her in her feet and held her close to me.
"Alright, darling I want you to hold on to me and whatever you do don't leave, no matter how hard they pull stay with me." I whispered into her ear. Feeling her nod against my cheek and then I took the first step.
With my one free hand I pushed her hair out of the way, exposing the milky white flesh of her throat. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. With on last look at her I did the one thing I never thought I would have to do, the one thing I never wanted to do, and the one thing I never imagined happening. I took her life away form the one thing in my life I loved more then my mortality; me dearest love, Raven.
I closed my eyes and the last thing I saw her do with life was let one tear escaping from her closed eyes. One loan blood-tear made it's way out of my eyes as I pierced her flesh. Her blood washed over my mouth as it had so many times before but now the taste was bittersweet and like poison, so good with the escape it offers but at a terrible price. I slowly drained her holding on tight as I felt her slowly slip into death's waiting arms. She went limp in my arms as I pulled away and with one hand I pushed the stubborn hairs out of her face and asked her one last time.
"Do you want it, amor?" If she answered yes to me one last time I would do it, she had her taste of death and now could see what she would miss if she chose this path.
"Now more then ever." She said with the little breath she had left.
She had made her chose and I would honor it so I brought her to me and pulled her head to my neck.
"Drink now amor and live forever more, with me." I whispered to her as she bit into my neck slowly taking the blood that I had taken form her. The sensation like nothing I had ever felt before. We probably stood there for a long time taking and giving back the blood from one another until we could no longer, each one of us more powerful then the last time. At last we separated.
"We must get going amor back to our grave, come before the sun comes." I told her as I held her to me lifting us into the night sky, enfolding her deeper into the darkness of my cloak.
Flying out over Jump City above the clouds where the building looked like those of a child's toy, they traveled to the cemetery where they would rest for the day.
They reached the crypt an hour before sunrise. He took her hand and led her to the coffin at the end of the pathway and slid the coffin door open. He gracefully stepped into the coffin and then took her by the waist and lifted her to him. They then settled into the coffin and he took the lid and slid it shut over then just as the sun was rising in the distance. Kissing her lightly he held her tightly as she snuggled into his chest and let the deathly sleep over come her. He watched her for a while, just watching the way her body died, completely. The color left her face and she became colder, no more heat admitting from her as it once had when she was alive, and her breathing came to a stop as she fell deeper into her sleep. Once all movement creased in her body and out, he let sleep over come him too. Awaiting the sun to go down so they could start their new lives together.
When he next awoke the sun was just beginning to decent into the very earth it seemed, coating them in the richest black velvet ever imagined. For a moment he didn't remember what had occurred the previous night and felt the slightest bit of panic creep into him when he felt something lying next to him, holding he against them. But when he turned to them he realized it was Raven, who was still fast asleep but her body began functioning once again, signifying her awakening was soon to come. So he decided to just lay with her until she awoke, running his hands through her satin-like hair, and watching her steady breathing.
Finally her eyes fluttered open, like the wings of a butterfly, and reveled enchanting amethyst eyes shinning brightly even in the darkness that engulfed them. She gave him a small smile as she looked into his eyes.
"Are you hungry my dear?" He asked her while gently caressed her face with one hand.
"Only a little, but I need to go back to the tower, one last time." She whispered looking away from him.
"If you must we will go, but first we feed." He told her gently taking her face in between his thumb and index finger, moving her face to look at him. When their eyes met he leaned in and gave her a kiss, a sweet and innocent kiss, but it showed her his desire for her. As quickly as it came it was over, and he was pulling the coffin lid open. Stepping out he then turned to her and picked her up and set her down next to him on the ground. Hand in hand they set out for the city, out to find a meal. They stood in an alley and James taught Raven how to call out to those who would welcome death. She learned quickly and within moments a homeless man appeared in the alleyway and came straight into Raven's arms, where she swiftly fed. Once they where done they disposed of the 'evidence'.
"James, amor, I must go now," She whispered in a timid voice, "I must."
"Very well then amor let us go." He took her into his arms and brought them to the tower where Raven would say her final goodbye. Hands entwined they walked into the dark tower. Silent as the shadows they walked down the empty corridors and straight to Raven's room. When they arrived she sat down on her bed and brought a piece of paper and a pen to her, and began writing.
"James, amor, please destroy all the things in my closet, you know how." Was all she said to him, never once looking up from he paper she was madly scribbling on. Once both tasks where complete Raven stood up and walked over to James and looked up at him. As if he could hear her unspoken plea he left her to herself and made is way out to the tower to wait for her out by the bay, as she said her final goodbyes to those she loved, once again.
Raven walked down the deserted hallways as she had so many times before, but this would be the last time she would, for a long, long time. She walked to the BB's door and carefully touched the door as if it had a life all to it's own. Waiting a couple of seconds she then entered the room and went over to the sleeping form of Beastboy and bending over his prone she whispered into his ear her final goodbye. Making sure she had him fully under her trance so it seemed to him as only a dream.
"Goodbye Beastboy, I'm so sorry I can't stay. I can't tell you why but know that its not because I really wanted to leave you, or the others, but because it's something I must do. I'm truly sorry for this I wish I could stay or at least say goodbye to you in person, but it'll only make it harder to leave. Please know that I love you, and think you truly are funny, but when you don't try so hard to be. I love you forever." She gave him a small peck on the cheek and quickly left the room, but not without leaving a picture of the letter set on the table in him mind. She then left in the direction of Cyborg's room and repeated the process there and in Starfire's room. Until it came to Robin's there she hesitated for about a moment and made sure she had everyone under the spell then she entered the room as quietly as she could and made her way over to the bed, where the lone figure of a sleeping boy wonder could be seen, in a restless sleep, battling the effects of the spell.
Cautiously she approached the bed and kneeled. She raised a hand and moved a lock of hair out of his face and immediately the boy calmed and took to a peaceful sleep.
"I'm so sorry Robin. So sorry I have to do this but it was the only choice I could make to watch over you and the others." She told him, her voice choked with the tears threatening to cascade down her pale cheeks. One tear escaped its imprisonment and then another and another, until she could no longer stop them and buried her face in his chest and sobbed. "I'm so sorry." Was all she could say and she said it with such desperation, it seemed it was the only thing keeping her to this earth. She held onto him like he was the last thing left in life. She cried for all the things she was leaving behind and for the things she was now denied. After a few moments she calmed down and composed herself and continued on with what she came to do. "I can't stay much longer so I want you to know that we will meet again, one day in the future and that I love you so much, all of you. Please forgive me but this is what's best for all of us."
Once that was said she leaned down and gave him a lingering butterfly kiss. And releasing the spell with the kiss, she disappeared with the shadows of the night as the occupants of the tower all shot up simultaneously with only on thought on there mind; the letter.
All rushing to the table, in various states of consciousness and dress, they almost ran into one another in their haste to get the letter and read it. Assuming the role of leader once again Robin stepped forward to take the letter. On the front was on simple word: Titans in a spider Webb writing, written in blood red ink, glistening in the moon light that spilled into the room. One single drop clung to the paper, giving the illusion of the paper bleeding the words.
With shaking hand Robin carefully opened the letter and pulled out a single sheet of paper and read it out loud:
Dearest Titans,
As you have probably discovered I am no longer with you. I'm truly sorry but this is the way it must be and there is nothing that could have prevented it to from happening. If there had been another way know I would have taken it, but there was not and this is my final goodbye to you. Please know that I love you all so dearly and that this is for the best. We will meet again someday. Until then I love you all so much.
Your departed friend,
Raven Roth
By the end of the letter they where all in tears or close to it. And outside the wind howled the word of the dead, for the mortal ears to hear: I will miss you so much.
She arrived at the side of James within moments of her disappearance, and turned one last time to the tower whispering quiet as the wind: I'll miss you so much. Then turned and took the outstretched hand James offered her and with a smile they took of into the air in a waltz straight up to the very moon itself, where they shared on passionate kiss under the stars and began their immortal lives together.
That was the last time we ever heard from raven, although there where numerous sightings of her 'ghost' alluring corrupted men into dark alleyways where they where discovered the next morning lifeless and with smiles of peace on there faces. The citizens where not afraid of her, because the killings where only for those who had done horrors and they where always done peacefully. No cries for help or any noise of distress at all not sighs of a struggle, it's like they all just walked into her arms and welcomed the death that was held there.
I myself sighted her a few times on the streets of Paris, Rome, and many other places. Although the locations varied a few things never did. She was always in the arms of a man shrouded in darkness and a smile of happiness with a twinkle in her eyes. And the show of a luxurious life style, she was always in the latest fashions and always as young and beautiful as she once, was in life. She looked so happy walking in the arms of the man, I could only assume was James, they did in fact look like the perfect happy couple. I always went after them, but it always ended the same way. They would be too far off and when they would turn the corner it was like they disappeared into the very shadows. Once or twice I was able to catch Raven eye and she would give me a small smile, sadness evident in her eyes, and then she would turn and walk on with James, arms wrapped around her. The last time I saw her was in Paris on a foggy night in the late hours of the night. They was shrouded in the veil the night had to offer, walking out of the park and down the street I watched them walk talking quietly until they where out of sight, lost in the fog like a distant memory.
And so here I lie in my bed I can no longer do anything, my body wasting away from my old age. I wait and pry I see her one last time before I die, just like she promised, so long ago. I can feel my life slipping away out of my hands like water cupped in your hands slips away so easily. I can't hold on for much longer, I just hope she makes it in time or I'll die alone, like I've spent all my life. Alone.
Ah there she is now the shadows are growing as the candles light loses its bright shine and dims, casting even more shadows. And yes, there in the door way her figure emerges from the shadows themselves. She's so beautiful, more that I remembered her. With a soft smile she comes to my bed side and slips her cold small hand into mine, bending over me she leans in and kisses my forehead, with her frigid, yet soft lips. She then kneels by my bedside, love reflecting in her eyes giving her face a soft look to it, while the shadows played on her face.
"Richard, oh how I've missed you so much." She told me in a soft angelic voice, barley above a whisper.
"I've missed you too Raven, so, so much it hurts." I bared my soul to her in those few words. "How have you been, what have you done with your life since the last time we talked." I asked her and started the conversation, just like old times. She then told me of her life how she was so happy 'living' with James and how they had a few small houses all over the world and how they traveled around, the people she had met and how soon it would be time for them to sleep again. She also told me of the things she had seen and learned. From the excited way she talked and the twinkle present in her eyes you could tell she was genuinely happy with the way things had turned out, but when I tried to touch the subject of the night she left all hell broke loose. Blood tears welled up in her eyes and her smile faded as she buried her face in my chest and sobbed. "I'm so sorry, so, so sorry I didn't want to leave you but I had to what would the others have thought of me then, I couldn't stand the thought of dieing and leaving you unprotected." You could just hear the unspoken feeling for leaving James being spoken in her tears.
"Sshh it's alright Raven. I'm sorry for bringing it up, we never blamed you for leaving it just hurt to know you where never coming back." I tried to comfort her as tears started to fall down my eyes too.
"Raven it's time." A voice spoke form the darkness at the doorway. I looked up and noticed James leaning on the doorway, with his hands in his pockets, gazing at us. Raven reluctantly pulled away from me to nod sadly in response to James' words.
"I'm not afraid Raven," I told her as it clicked what she had come here to do, "I'm ready for death." She had come here to see me off to death, she would take my life and send my into death's embrace. "I love you and I've seen you at long last I'm ready to go now. I'm glad you've come to take me. Do it and don't be afraid."
"I'll miss you now more that ever, Richard, know I'll always love you." She told me wiping tears of her face and leaned down to kiss me one last time.
I turned to James and beckoned him to me. "Just take care of her like you have been and make her happy. That's all I ask of you, love her for me the way I could not." I whispered in his ear, as I suddenly felt weaker than ever. He nodded in response to my request and them surprised me as he took my hand (Nothing sick you pervs! It's just a friendly man gesture) and put his other on Raven shoulder.
The last thing I remember in life is Raven whispering "Cetei iam et proumqaum " as she waved a hand in front of my eyes and then they closed on their own accord and I felt complete bliss as I whispered "Goodbye my angle of death." To my beloved Raven.
The next thing I know is I'm floating above the world and down on the streets I see Raven and James walking away form my small flat hand in hand consumed in their arms as they again disappear into the foggy streets of London.
120 years later:
A small girl in jeans, converse, and a black t-shirt walks out of a store and into the midnight rain. She quickly runs down a couple of streets until she stops in front of black gates and pushes them open them continues running up the path way to the house at the end of the drive. She gets to the front door and pulls them open, stepping dripping wet into the threshold of a grand staircase where a man in black dress pant and shirt comes down tying a tie and holding a fluffy forest green towel in his arms. He takes on look at the woman standing there and laughs.
"I told you, amor, to a jacket and an umbrella but do you ever listen to me." He chuckles at her disheveled appearance. "Oh come her love." He smiled as he walked down the rest of the steps to stand in front of her.
Before he knew what happened she had embraced him effectively soaking him, too. He stood shocked for a moment, before he roared with laughter and picked her up swinging her about as she shrieked with laughter and happiness. Once they had calmed down he set her down and looked down at her with shining brightly in his eyes. As their eyes make contact their lips came crashing onto on another in a kiss that seemed to stop the very earth. It wasn't just hunger it was love a promise of them always being there for one another it was their story. Their lips sent shock after shock through their bodies; the feel of flesh on flesh was exhilarating even after all the years of this and so much more.
When they parted they had ended up on the couch in front of the roaring fire.
"I love you so much Raven and I always will. I can't believe I'm holding you right now. I must be the damn luckiest vampire in all of history." He whispered into her ear as they lounged in front of the fire and just embraced in silence.
"I love you too James and I have no regrets what so ever." She whispered back as she slowly drifted off to sleep to the feel of his heart beating and his hands in her hair.
He looked down at her, to find her asleep in his arms. He bent down and kissed her temple just looking into the fire. He had all the time in the world to 'live' with this woman and he's be even more damned if he didn't enjoy every moment of it.
(Fades out into the rain, outside the house where they can be seen through the window)
This is where our path parts in the story you to go on and live your live and I to stay in the shadows looking in upon all those around me. Until we cross paths again, maybe in another life or just another time and place.
Vale amors,
FiliaofMortis
Latin translations from the chapter up above
Forever, love forever
take me away
rest now and forever