I've tried my hand at song fics, and they've mostly turned out okay… I hope you like the song I picked for this chapter, friends and readers! If you don't recognize it, don't feel bad. It's not a really popular song, but I'll tell what its from later, n'kay? The answer may surprise you! (heart) Now it is time for the actual final showdown. Raven VS. Raven! How ironic! I don't own Teen Titans, or Raven and BB would've made out by now! Tee hee!
Raven's Game 3: Final Shadow
Part 18 – Shadow Games
The two sorceresses flew high into the air, stopping and circling one another. One in black and silver with dark eyes. The other in blood-stained white with lavender eyes. The green teen was to be the only witness to the spectacular final fight. He looked on from way down below. The two girls were little stick figures in the sky, but they would decide the city's… no… the world's fate. Beast Boy swallowed, wiping chilly rainwater out of his eyes. He dared not miss a moment.
Raven let the spheres of black energy form on her hands, shaping them into twin spikes. "I'll pay you back for this." She mumbled venomously, looking down at her tender abdomen for a moment. Dark Fall copied her, raising its hands and conjuring the same sort of spikes. Time seemed to slow… almost like bullet-time in a Matrix movie.
Long ago in the ancient past,
I remember a night when we first met,
In a dark shadow realm under a big full moon,
There and then I could tell, you try to break my will.
But now watch as I rise to a whole new height,
And my mad battle cry will be heard all night.
Raven took off like a missile and her enemy flew to meet her. Launching both spikes and barrel rolling behind them the Titan slashed her hand across thin air to form a shield. Her twin's spikes of magic broke harmlessly away, but hers had missed too. Judging the recoil in just a split second the dark girl balled a fist and struck Dark Fall across the jaw.
The doppleganger fell at least a hundred feet in a slashing blur, hitting the ground. A spectacular explosion of rock and debris was forced up, sending smoke and flame everywhere. It wasn't out, of course. It rose quickly into the air and wiped the slight line of blood that had escaped its mouth. A sly grin found Dark Fall's face, and they stared at each other for a moment. Raven thinned her mouth into an even line. She'd just gotten the best of it in terms of speed, but she doubted it was fighting seriously.
Dark Fall conjured a sphere of crackling black magic, letting white lightning play across it. Like a freakish baseball pitcher it threw it at Raven and a maddening speed. She gasped aloud and used both hands, reciting a lightning-fast incantation. Using the amazing momentum Raven caught the ball, swung around, and pitched it right back with a little more power than it had before. She'd added her own magic too it. Catching onto the new game Dark fall copied her and sent the 'ball' back, even bigger than before. Raven slammed dark lightning from her hands to slow it down in time, gritting her teeth and feeling sweat go down her brow. Grunting aloud, she pushed it back with a flourish. "No more games!" She roared, flying directly after it. Holding out a hand like a flip-switch, Raven gestured harshly, closing her hand into a fist–!
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Beast Boy saw black lightning strike down several buildings in the explosion. It was like watching a freakish, supernatural game of tennis or volleyball. Dark Fall had served, Raven returned, back and forth until BOOM! The green teen strained his eyes, trying to find his beloved in the smoke. Something had been hit… a skyscraper. A huge, burning hole was carved into one of the city's skyline buildings! Finally, much to his heart's relief, he spotted Raven hovering near the building. How long would a battle of this sort of magical magnitude go on? BB didn't know…
You keep on playin'
Those dark shadow games and,
No I won't be free again,
You keep on playin'
These dark shadow games and,
Not this time I'm not playing again.
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Dark Fall watched Raven summon needles of black magic out of thin air with her magic, and it formed a spherical shield just in time. Thousands of razor sharp needles of black magic pin-cushioned the shield. Exploding the shield outward to be rid of all the needles, the two squared off again.
Firing blasts of magic back and forth, the two combatants weaved back and forth between buildings. Blasts of dark magic, coils of crimson lightning, explosions abound! It was truly something to behold. Raven went on, chasing Dark Fall around with a full-auto set of black energy. Her arms pumped forward and back, shooting dark lightning every two seconds to slay her enemy. The doppleganger Raven suddenly turned, angled her shield just right and sent the lightning back to its owner! Raven cried out on impact but steadied herself quickly. Too late. Dark Fall was gone. Raven whirled this way and that, trying to find her opponent. Above? Below? Left…? Ri – BEHIND! Too late. Raven grunted as Dark Fall grabbed her in a come-from-behind bear hug. Turning them both upside down, they smashed headlong into a rooftop.
Raven groaned, glad she could conjure a steady shield so quickly. If they'd hit much harder, or dropped from much higher… her head would've been broken. Rising from the wreckage and staggering just a little from disorientation, she faced her enemy. Dark Fall hovered in the air, arms folded, waiting for her to rise. Beating its games was good, but she wasn't good enough to beat it.
So now you know after time has passed,
You can never be sure you're always the best.
'Cause I'm back from the shadows coming after you,
On the brightest day, of the darkest hour.
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Raven brushed her hair quickly out of her face, rising into the air to meet her opponent. Raising her hands, she made to cast another round of black lightning. Dark Fall dodged, springing with incredible agility between buildings. Raven, frustrated with the moving target, followed. She rounded the corner and cried out when suddenly a streetlight flew headlong into her. Casting her magic out of pure panic, she exploded the projectile into thousands of tiny ones. The girl was battered with metal and slammed in the stomach in the follow up attack. She bent in agony, and was struck on the back of the head towards the ground.
The Teen Titan plummeted and barely stopped herself in time. The impact of forceful magic made the pavement cave into a massive bowl shape around her. She looked up, and saw Dark Fall following. Wreathing the rock around her in black she pitched it all upward. The fake Titan weaved through the debris, spinning spectacularly and sending a few back at Raven. She jumped back and out of the crater, glaring at the shadow that had taken on her shape.
So now watch as I rise to a whole new height,
And my mad battle cry will be heard all night.
You keep on playin'
Those dark shadow games and,
No I won't be freed again,
You keep on playin'
Those dark shadow games and,
All this time I've played my friends.
Raven took to the skies again and suddenly halted when Dark Fall made to give chase. Interlocking her fingers and covering her hands in dark magic – POW! The shadow creature plummeted as a quick blur, striking the ground with a satisfying smash of pavement. Proud of her double axe-handle maneuver that she'd seen Cyborg do before, Raven tensed herself again.
Ah, ah, ah, ah,
You destroyed the future with your past,
Forgot the lesson of the test,
You never understood the path,
Too bad today will be your…
LAST!
Suddenly, with a massive gust of wind, the red aura had returned. Raven conjured her own with a whoosh of magic as Dark Fall flew to meet her. Amazing midair fighting ensued, strictly hand-to-hand. Swing, block, axe-handle, shield, kick, slash, dark lightning, back-handed fist strike… it seemed to go on forever until Raven was hit directly in the solerplex. Unable to scream in pain as her lungs collapsed Raven crumpled and hit the ground far below. She trembled in the agony, trying to force herself to breathe. Squeezing her sides inward with both hands, she finally got her chest to work again. Taking in a deep, fresh breath of air she rolled to one side. On her hands and knees she saw the shadow of her enemy pass over her.
In a quick-as-lightning maneuver, Raven blasted Dark Fall directly in the face! It screamed, falling backward in surprise and agony. Whatever she'd hit, she'd hit it just right. The teenage super hero gagged, trying to regain her breath to get up and fight. It was vulnerable, she could get it now. But no, without being able to breathe she needed a moment to recover as well. It was a few moments before Raven looked up to see she'd taken Dark Fall's face off with her attack. The outer appearance was just a skin! Under it was… blackness. The skin quickly reformed, looking good as new.
You keep on playin'
Those dark shadow games and,
No I won't be free again,
You keep on playin'
These dark shadow games and,
Not this time I'm not playing again.
Roaring a battle cry quite unlike her Raven threw herself to her feet and blasted at her foe. Dark Fall rolled, flipped like a gymnast and called black lightning from its hands. Raven's hair flew like a banner as both attacks met at the middle. Grunting, Raven intensified her attack. Her beam widened and strengthened, pushing back Dark Fall's lightning. Growling with a voice from the depths of hell Dark Fall summoned its power to combine both streams of lightning! A huge supernatural charge shot across the very air around them, and the resulting explosion threw them both back. There was a ton of smoke and endless debris.
"This has to work." Within the shroud of smoke, Raven recited a long and complicated spell. Her hands flew and gestured about in complicated patterns, and her eyes were squeezed shut in concentration. "Hope this works…"
Dark Fall appeared out of the smoke, and Raven was soon to follow. Both warriors faced off for a silent moment. Its face was no longer calm or relaxed. It was twisted in rage. Now was the time to act, Raven knew. While the smoke from the last explosion still remained. "You're not as strong as you were." Raven said, trying to taunt it into making a mistake. "The Titans took out a chunk of your army, and you were already tired to begin with from trying to kill us in the game." She pointed at Dark Fall and said aloud, "You're weak!"
In response to the insult Dark Fall took a stance. A shockwaves of power flew away from it in rings, blasting away anything too small of weight. The red aura was intensifying. Raven's plan was working. She rushed forward to do battle with her evil twin, blasting and punching and twisting about to decide the world's fate. Dry-mouthed and a little weak, Raven watched Dark Fall approach quickly and form a swath of red over its hands. It looked like her dressed in black and silver, but it sure as hell wasn't her.
So now watch as I rise to a whole new height,
And our mad battle cry will be heard all night.
You keep on playin'
Those dark shadow games and,
No I won't be freed again,
You keep on playin'
Those dark shadow games and,
All this time I've played my friends.
"The dark core…" Raven was eyeing the center of the Jumangi board, which happened to be her foe's belt buckle. The evil shadow creature gestured dramatically, ready to cast the red magic and slay her foe. "NOW!"Raven cried.
Another Raven leapt out of the smoke and bear-hugged Dark Fall from behind!
Dark Fall roared in surprise, accidentally casting the spell skyward. It blasted upward and exploded, lighting up the city like the forth of July ten times over. Putting both hands together Raven said her three magic words while her copy was struggling with Dark Fall. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Dashing forward a sword of pure magic appeared in her hands! Thrusting it outward and towards the dark core Raven screamed a battle cry that would even make Cyborg proud as she threw herself forward. "Jumangi…"
The third Raven disappeared. The dark core shattered into a thousand glassy pieces.
The doppleganger, evil Raven stood stock still for the longest time. Raven stood back with her white, shining blade. That, and the copy a person spell, she had never tried before. It was a good thing both of them had worked… Both girls stared at each other for the longest time. The evil Raven's cloak shriveled up like one watches a cigarette burn. The clothes of her enemy curled and aged at an astounding rate. Raven watched all of her skin go black and glassy. Black opal, or maybe marble, Raven realized. She watched the endless darkness in its eyes begin to fade, all of the pale skin turning slowly to stone. It looked, amazed, as its body started solidifying in such a way that it could no longer move. The grinding sound in the air was painful. It was almost like that whining sound one hears when slowly chewing ice with your back teeth. Its mouth came open, even for just a moment… trying to say something. Its mouth was moving, but it no longer had lungs to voice the words with. And to be honest, Raven didn't give a damn what it had to say. Raising her shining blade high above her head, she watched the darkness completely leave its eyes.
When Raven brought the supernatural weapon down, Dark Fall's body exploded into a thousand icy pieces.
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Beast Boy wasn't sure what to make of her when she emerged from the wreckage. Raven walked amongst the split streets, the glass and rock and wood. Signs pointed the wrong way and stuck out of the ground at odd angles. Her cloak was back around her, though it swayed in the brisk breeze to show off her tatter clothes. "R… R…" he couldn't even say it.
She spotted him and before either one knew it they were embraced. It wasn't a very strong hug since they both felt so weak, but it was all that mattered. Both of them leaned against a building that was still standing, sliding to the ground. Raven flipped open her communicator while Beast Boy continued to nuzzle her. "Calling… anyone who can hear this. Jump City is safe again. Tell all state troopers and emergency services to get their asses down here." With that, Raven dropped her communicator to the pavement. The earthy, salty scent of her boyfriend was comforting… but she passed out anyway. Beast Boy barely had time to cradle her fall before he followed. But, after all the shit that they'd been through lately, who could really blame them?
Well, how 'bout THEM apples? What a battle! I hope ya'll liked it, 'cause it was fun to write! Well, Dark Fall is gone… so what about the Titans? What happens after all the stuff they've been put through? Let's find out in the next chappie! The horror is over, but stay tuned anyway! Don't forget about that lemon I promised everyone! Tee hee!