"Raven… Raven…" comes the calm and soothing voice from the distance…
"M… Mother?" says Raven, shocked in her steps. It couldn't be… could it?
"Raven…" calls the soft familiar voice; the voice that had called her from birth; the voice of comfort and love that she had so, so long missed.
The one who smiled upon her, kissed her caringly, the one who nursed her pains, clothed her and fed her. Sung her the songs that had put her gently, safely to sleep in dreams of gold…
"MOTHER!" shouts Raven, trying to see where the voice was coming from. "Is that you?"
"Raven… My child… I am here…" and soon she can see the form appearing as a faint, dim light in the dark. A light in doubtful darkness…
"MOTHER!" cries Raven, running, oh how she ran! Running with all her speed, all her heart, all her soul and all her strength.
"Raven… do not cry my child… I am here…" says the figure, beautiful and as lovely as she had remembered it. But she began to fade to the distance…
"MOTHER! WAIT!" shouts Raven in anguish, her lungs wheezing as she continued to move. If she had not been so effected by the vision she may have realised flying would have been faster, but she did not. She may also have remembered that her mother, though the promise was so full of hope, was long gone… but she did not.
The turmoil of never having someone love or care for her that same way burned her. She felt she could never, ever, not if a millennia would pass, go on without the security of that voice, that face and that love. "PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE ANYMORE! PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ME AGAIN! I NEED YOU! PLEASE! MOTHER!"
In all her life she never needed her mother more than now, when all darkness seemed to plague her future, and only death seemed to shadow her steps. She needed her… she loved her…
All she wanted to do was to reach out… to be embraced again in the same arms and same warmth; that same warmth that had cradled her when she couldn't even stand on her two feet. A hope to her heart and a reassurance that everything, despite everything… was going to be all right…
"Don't give up Raven… you are almost here…" smiles the face, the face that brought so many tears to her eyes. "Raven…"
"MOTHER!"
Like a echoe in the heart she could feel the emotions welling inside her. There could be no controlling it any longer.
"WAIT!"
"… Raven…"
Raven ran … until… despite everything… she reached her…
…
…
…
The cold touch chilled her and she could feel the empty evil that abided in the treacherous form… Shekron Kaizer…
The grim spectre laughs long and loud at the distraught, angry and broken girl. His power seemed to grow, and his many forms appeared in the dark to clear all hope from her… she was petrified in the mortifying, mocking laughter of the fiend…
"YOU!" she screams out, bawling out tears from the awfully cruel deceit.
"Don't cry Raven!" mocks the grim spectre, and he laughs again. The other forms also move in around her.
"It will all be over soon!"
"Do not fear anything…"
"That is…"
"Except ME!"
"Everything you know…"
"Everything in this realm"
"And everything that you hold dear…"
"Shall be mine…"
"As will YOU!"
…
Raven awoke from the startling dream… her eyes red, her lips quivering and her mind weakened… she fell on her side and cried… she cried until the evening became night and the night transformed to the eerie dawn… but the voice remained…
…
"AS WILL YOU!"