Cold, hard gravel bit into Raven's knees. The air was frigid, and it chilled her to the core, making her bones ache. The strain in her head had lessened, but she didn't trust herself to stand up. She did, however, open her eyes.

She thought for a split second that she had imagined his voice. How could it be possible?

It wasn't possible.

But now her eyes confirmed her fears; they rested their sight on the slim figure before her, dressed in black garments and encased in silver armor, long white hair billowing in the wind, blue eyes smirking at the fallen figure before him. The cold didn't seem to affect him in the slightest.

"Malchior," Raven spat venomously, striving to keep the surprise and fear out of her voice. She squeezed her fingers together tighter, and remembered that the carpet she had been clinging to had turned to gravel and dust.

Her heartbeat quickened as it dawned on her where she was, the familiar setting seeping in through her senses.

The reddish black, empty sky, the massive chunks of rock suspended in space, the ominous caws of small, red-eyed ravens in the distance…clearly, she was in her own mind.

"It's nice to see that you're a bit more perceptive this time," Malchior's melodious voice rang out amusedly.

"But it won't do you much good."

So he could read her thoughts. Raven gritted her teeth. One of her worst enemies had the upper hand in the isolated confines of her mind while she was physically incapacitated. This just kept getting better and better.

"Indeed, this is fairly enjoyable. But come, Raven, aren't you going to greet me properly?"

Anger and resentment flashed in Raven's head, and she lunged at Malchior, ready to claw his face off. Or, she would have, if she could have moved.

To her horror, Raven found herself unable to budge. She realized as the pain in her head lessened, the pain in her was knees fading slightly too. The sorceress could no longer feel the dirt and grime beneath her fingertips as vividly as before. She felt oddly suspended, as though she her body was no longer hers. She gasped in fear at the sensation. Raven looked down; her body was still there, but it was like she was being drained out of it, bit by bit. The only thing that remained steady was the relentless cold.

Malchior laughed an evil, resounding laugh, which did not resemble his usual voice.

"Well, that's in order," he chuckled, grinning at the pit of darkness. It was the first time she had ever seen Malchior's human mouth; his teeth were white and extremely sharp, like dragon fangs.

Raven finally found her voice again. "What's going on? What are you planning this time? Why…"

"…am I using Rorek's true form?" he asked, finishing her sentence, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I would have found that rather obvious, Raven," he said condescendingly. Raven forced herself not to reply.

"Dragons are a bit last millennium. I learned that much in my last battle with you. I am a dragon, but in essence, I am an intelligent creature, with a great deal of magic abilities, if I do say so myself. I can take the form of a human being. It isn't difficult, I know more than enough magic to do that. But it order to do so, I must leave my demonic qualities in another being. And what could be more fun than watching the Teen Titans fight an already half-demon with fangs and wings, who used to be their teammate? The only thing missing is some popcorn."

Raven's eyes widened. Could what Malchior was saying be true? Could he transfer his dragonish features to another being?

"My dear, sweet, Raven, why do you doubt me so?" Malchior uttered saccharinely, crossing his arms across his chest. "Besides, you must admit it; the look suits me," he added smugly as an afterthought.

A deep frown etched itself into Raven's face.

"How is any of this possible?" she asked uneasily. "I trapped you in the book with a curse, just like Rorek did a thousand years ago."

"Ah, very good Raven! Therein lies the rub!" exclaimed Malchior cheerfully.

He's too at ease, Raven thought worriedly, despite the fact that she might be heard. That can't be good.

Malchior cleared his throat, apparently preparing for a typical, villainous monologue, and continued.

"Of course, that second curse was a huge setback in my quest for release. I had come to within inches of ridding myself of that dratted book, and then you sealed me in again. However, I wasn't about to give up that easily. I realized you would never willingly release me again. So I decided to get out myself…through you."

Raven blanched, dreading what would come next. Goosebumps rose on her bare legs as the merciless wind whipped through them, but whether they were from cold or fear, Raven wasn't sure. Unfortunately, she was in no position to do anything but listen.

Malchior smiled cruelly. "You might not have been aware of this, but I have always had access to your thoughts and feelings. It's the rather nasty snag of being the owner of a cursed book."

Raven sneered at this. "Your bluffing. There's no way you could have been inside my mind. I would have sensed you immediately."

"Like you sensed me when you first opened that book?" Malchior countered.

Raven's sneer faltered.

"I believe you are familiar with cloaking enchantments, are you not? I don't think even you could doubt my ability to use them."

Raven felt her newfound confidence evaporate as quickly as it had materialized.

"As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, I was conscious of all your emotional and mental states. I had a front row seat to anything and everything that went on inside your head. I perceived your sorrow and feelings of isolation from your teammates. I saw what is was you ached for so deeply. Understanding, acceptance… companionship. It was fairly simple to devise a plot to win your trust, in order for you to release me."

Malchior smiled evilly. "I'll give you a little example of how I used knowledge of you to my advantage"

The wizard waved his hand, and Raven saw a series of scenes flash before her eyes like a movie screen.

"A giant chicken; I must be the luckiest girl in the world."

"Stankball? You must be the luckiest girl in the world."

"Pretty clever, huh?" "You're a genius."

"That Beast Boy sounds like an absolute genius."

"Your own sarcasm was quite useful for endearing me to you."

As image past image flashed before her eyes, realization firmly took hold. Those words dropped on Raven like acid rain, burning and scarring. She began to shake violently. The former anger Raven had felt toward Terra was nothing compared to what was going on inside Raven at that moment.

She had never felt so exposed, so used…and being the prophesized portal of Trigon the Terrible, that was really saying something. A red curtain seemed to fall before her eyes, and that strange whistling returned to her ears. If Raven could make the wizard fall dead with a look, she would do it in a split second.

Malchior smirked. "It's no use getting all fired up about it. It will only drag things on. But I supposed you might as well, since you usually have to suppress those sort of feelings, don't you?"

Raven realized with a start that the fiend was right; despite her anger, nothing was happening. This both elated and frightened her; it was a relief not be holding her emotions in check, but the fact that her powers weren't working confirmed Malchior's claim that he was definitely in charge here. When here is your mind, that's not a good thing.

Malchior took advantage of her shock to continue. "I waited patiently for the right moment, the moment when you would pick up the book. Weren't you curious that suddenly you felt a burning desire to pick up that old, dusty tome?"

The hairs on the back of Raven's neck stood on end, though she couldn't feel them for very long.

"Of course, I took advantage of the argument you had with that ridiculous changeling to 'strike up a conversation', so to speak. From there, with your own thoughts at hand, it was child's play."

Suddenly, Malchior frowned.

"I suppose you could say I underestimated you. If I had made you powerful enough to release me, I should have known you would be powerful enough to imprison me again as well. Who knows? With your new abilities, we might even have been allies. But I suppose it wasn't meant to be. And forgive me is if this sounds too colloquial, but you know what they say: If you can't join 'em, beat 'em."

Malchior casually shook his white bangs out of his eyes. "I wasn't going to give up that easily. I continued to probe your thoughts. I witnessed that Terra debacle first-hand from your point of view. And that's where things became interesting."

The already cold atmosphere seemed to drop a few degrees more.

This is what he's been leading up to, Raven thought fearfully. He's been telling me all this mostly for his own enjoyment. The old cat-and-mouse game. But what's the point? Raven bit her lip. Even Malchior wouldn't waste so much time for personal glory. Why is he telling me all this?

If Malchior had acknowledged what she had just thought, he chose to ignore it.

"I had already observed a long time ago your outburst when you first encountered the notorious Dr. Light. And then there was that battle with the earth-shifter." Raven felt her insides being churned up at the mere memory of that secluded fight.

"That's where I came up with the idea of producing a similar reaction. It was rather uncomplicated; extraordinarily strong feelings and a lapse of control on your part permitted the surge of your more, malevolent character. You would forget your self; lose control."

An insane grin flitted over Malchior's face that certainly didn't suit him. His cat-like pupils dilated jerkily, boring into Raven's pure amethyst pools.

"Don't you see the brilliance of it, Raven? I've been slipping myself, ever so slowly, into you. Oh, I didn't possess you," he reassured her quickly, studying the look on her face. "Your mind is far too powerful for that kind of nonsense. No, I just needed you to…slip up. Lose control. You wouldn't suspect me, since it wasn't the first time it had happened."

Despite the situation she was in, Raven couldn't help but wonder; did all those years of waiting, plus a resounding defeat, finally make Malchior crack?

Malchior tapped his head with two fingers. "Those power spells you've been having recently, Raven? Those fits, as you so nicely put it? Well, they weren't a coincidence. Those strange voices in your head, those arguments you seemed to have with yourself? Take a wild guess."

Once again, Malchior waved his hand, and Raven felt as though a sledgehammer had collided with her head. The headache that had disappeared returned ten-fold. She scrunched up her eyes in pain.

Terra couldn't be back! Why not? Asked a sly voice in the back of her head. Would it matter to you if she was?

Raven began to shake again.

The sly voice echoed in Raven's head. Why should you tell HIM? It's none of his business. He wouldn't understand, he'd just think your even creepier than he thought.

She felt as though she was going to be sick.

Care that you stupidly caused, spat that annoying voice in the back of her head.

Her eyes gazed ahead unseeingly.

Of course it's his responsibility…you don't think he took you here because he cares for you, do you?

The taunting voices echoed in her head.

Why am I feeling afraid? I should be angry, angry at the traitorous earth-shifter!

How could she not have known?

Raven groaned in anguish as the pain continued to build up in her head.

Juststop,pleasejuststop.

Tears slid down her face unheeded. Her breath came out in short gasps, and her teeth chattered, covered by lips as blue as her cloak. She wanted to tear at herself, to clutch at her head, to force it to stop hurting. But she still couldn't move, she couldn't protect herself from the cold, she couldn't stop the pain; she was rooted to the spot.

Malchior stared derisively at Raven's crumpled form at his feet. He smiled, and suddenly stretched his arms.

"Well, I think this has gone on long enough," he murmured lazily.

With intense effort, Raven opened one eye. She was still shaking slightly, and she realized that she could feel properly again. She slowly clenched her fists, knowing that her range of movement was still limited.

"I know it's the villain's job to explain his evil doings, but even I must admit that I've drawn this out far too long," Malchior continued in that languid tone, sounding more like his old self. "The transfer was completed long ago, and it's not like you'll be alive long enough to ponder over everything I've said."

Raven lifted her head, the tear stains on her face like frozen roads in the landscape. She struggled to speak, but soon found her lips too chapped to pronounce anything. So she simply formed the word in her head.

Why?

Malchior frowned. "Why did I decide to free myself from a cursed book?" he asked harshly.

Raven never batted an eye.

Why are you doing this?

Malchior stared at Raven coldly. Suddenly, he strode forward and kicked Raven fiercely in the side. She cried out, fell over coughing frantically and struggled to regain her breath, clutching at her side.

Malchior's cool demeanor vanished in an instant.

"I could have been free," he said, his voice not much more than a whisper. "I could have left that accursed book." His hands began to shake for the first time.

"I waited one, thousand, years for someone to release me," he uttered, striding forward and grabbing the front of Raven's cloak with one fist. He drew back his other hand and struck Raven square in the face with all his might. Raven fell to the ground with a cry, covering her face with her hands. Blood seeped from her fingers.

"AND NO HALF-DEMON IS GOING TO KEEP ME FROM BEING RELEASED NOW!" Malchior bellowed, his face twisted with rage, panting wrathfully, raising his hand to hit Raven again.

But instead, he let his hand drop to his side. He shook his white hair out of his face, and dusted himself off.

"That little clarification of my actions was merely another opportunity to make you suffer," he said coolly, as though they were discussing the weather. "Not that you'll really need it. There's plenty more where that came from," he concluded sinisterly.

Stepping back a little, he began to mutter an incantation Raven had never heard of.

Suddenly, Raven's body went rigid. For a moment nothing happened. Then the sorceress let out a cry of pure agony. The pain in her head extended to the rest of her body. She felt as though her back was covered in molten lava, especially between her shoulder blades. Hot knives pierced every other area, and she felt as though her jaw was being broken repeatedly. Raven screamed, and screamed, until she could no longer distinguish her voice form the howling of the wind that had chosen to invade her dark and solitary mind.

It happened suddenly. Large, black, leathery wings sprouted out of Raven's small back, ripping her uniform near her shoulder blades. She could feel the fingernails of her hands and feet extending and clawing the earth in a frenzy, shredding her boots. Long, sharp fangs jutted over her lower lip, dripping something that looked suspiciously like blood. Her voice turned from a female shriek to a fearsome roar. But what was most frightening was the sensation of insatiable hunger, hunger for death, destruction and desolation.

When it was over, Raven could see she had grown in size. Malchior's head was a few feet below her own, and in desperation she attempted to impale him with one of her razor sharp claws. To her horror, she saw the wizard raise his arm, and she followed suit. He raised both arms rapidly, and she could feel her wings begin to beat vigorously.

It was so horrible, Raven just shut her eyes and hoped it was all an illusion.

Not a chance, Raven, muttered that cold voice in her head. I think it's high time we head back, don't you?

Before she could protest, she opened her eyes and they were already in her bedroom. Everything looked much smaller.

Malchior grinned at her from below. "I wonder what your teammates will make of this new enemy?" he asked, throwing his head back and laughing that evil resounding laugh that threatened to shatter and devastate everything that Raven held dear.

A/N: Dun dun duuun! Well, this chapter took me a while, and reviews are greatly appreciated. I know this wasn't what most of you expected, but this is how it's gonna be.

hoshi-ko88: Sorry if it was confusing, but I hope you understand now.

Insanity 101: Nope, not him. Who ever said anything about him? (hehehe).

Child of Blood: Well, trade the dash of Slade for some other ingredient.

Black Comet: Thank you

Heroine of the Valley: Yeah, the first chap is mellow. I bet now you understand the voices. Thanks, I liked them too. Yeah, I hope so too. Of course he will, it's ROBIN. It's just my theory of the whole statue thing. Ha! It honestly didn't occur to me, but, yeah, she can! Have you ever seen a cat fight that wasn't? Well, somebody had to, didn't they? Nope, not Slade.

Jambey