§

He found her asleep on the floor, face smeared with tears and form crunched in an uncomfortable form. At first, the demon hesitated. It was ill form to touch his sleeping charge, but she could not be kept well lying on the floor like that. After a few more minutes of indecision, the large reptilian arms wrapped around her and carefully lifted the girl up from the floor. Sun light filtered through the windows as he carried her gently to her bed, and pulled the warm blankets over Celeste's slender form. A large claw brushed gently against her face, and he paused, crimson eyes confused as the guardian watched in confusion. The face of the protected flinched, and her whole body shivered, pain lifting through the very pores of her skin. And the protector wanted to do anything to lift that pain.

"You can't understand because your not HUMAN!"

"And where do you think demons come from little one?" The yellow-eyed monk asked.

"I don't know," The tiny onyx and scarlet being replied with a shrug.

"They were born from humans, and a shadow was cast over them. These mortals were chosen by fate for some reason, and cursed with a dark power. But no matter what, remember that nothing born with a heart can ever truly loose it."

The creature shook his head from his memories, and found Celeste looking up at him with violet eyes.

Thoughts strung through his brain in a myriad of emotions and finally he found words to say.

"Your awake then, Celeste."

The girl's head shot up, wariness and yet a spark of hope was painted on her face.

"You said my name." Her voice was shot from the crying, rough and whispering.

Upon hearing it, the Azeranian walked across the room and gathered some water from the translucent pearl basin and filled a delicate silver goblet. The action gave him time to sort out his decision, and make it final.

"I did," He affirmed, handing her the intricate cup.

She took it, looking at him strangely as the cool liquid went down her throat.

There was a moment of silence between the two, and then the demon dove right into his chosen path.

The guardian gave a sigh and nodded to her still-worn outfit. "If you are going to continue to wear that you may as well wash it."

"What, am I beginning to smell?" The beautiful mortal gave a small laugh, warming to her protector's new character.

She did, but the demon would not go as far as to day that. "It is old."

A warning passed through her and she spoke, her voice evening out. "How do I know you will not take it when I dry it?"

Trust is something that must be earned. He knew. "Take it in with you if it gives you any security. I'll also leave you while you clean it." The tall-formed being began to walk to the single door of palest oak.

Celeste watched him step towards the door, calmly. Her mind kept wondering why he was suddenly like this. She had yelled at him last night, she had been furious. So why is he nice all of the sudden? Is it a trick, or something else? The human was reluctant to hand out her trust, but wanted to end her lonely exile so badly.

"Wait!" The words walked out of her mouth before she could run after them.

The demon paused, glancing over his shoulder.

"What is your name? You call me by mine now, should I not return the favor?"

There was an dominant gap.

"Desparos."

§

Raven knew that she could not outrun the undead. They were everywhere, masses of blue-fleshed, black-nailed, white-eyed people stretching out to reach her. So, she stopped, evening her breath out to gain control over herself. After a moment of struggle, she opened her twilight orbs again and stood her ground against the oncoming dead.

"What do you want?" Her breath misted in the cold air and voice fell upon the vastness of the field.

But the corpse run stopped immediately. The preserved army of horror froze, staring at her in strangeness as though waiting for something.

Okay, well they're not attacking right now so at least I am a little safer... Her thoughts began to thaw and flow again. Maybe I should continue talking, but I don't have time to waste... Just when the titan opened her mouth, she noticed a ripple in the standing dead. A gap appeared, heading straight at her so that way where it went, the beings parted left and right, only to file in again as it moved on. Something was coming. Instinctively, Raven lifted the power from her soul and into her hand, feeling the neutral presence familiar itself with the new surroundings. She would be ready if they tried to attack.

Slowly, the hole moved to her through the masses until it broke through the front line. A dead silence was in the air.

Raven looked down to see her opposer, the one who had dared to stand up to her, mere feet from her living flesh.

"What?" She murmured to herself.

A boy stood there, smiling.

"Hello Raven,"

§

"Your going to get yourself into trouble." Desparos chided carefully.

Celeste shrugged and gave him a mischievous wink. "I know!"

She continued with drying her long hair on a silk towel.

"Master will be very angry with you, Celeste." He was trying so hard to please her.

She knew it too, but her stubborn fury would not yet be budged. "Well Trigon can go throw me off a rock if he cares." The teen brushed through it, allowing the dark locks to flow freely, glittering the vaguest hints of purple.

"He'll do more then that, I fear." The demon muttered to himself, but made no reply to his clever charge.

With a swing, Celeste was back in her newly-washed outfit of jeans, tank-top, and jacket. She looked every inch the teenage girl she should have been. Desparos shook his head, keeping mental comments to himself as he led his charge out of her room, and down the hall. Master was waiting for him in the room below. She followed him down the winding stairs, looking smug and in-control. No one would have guessed she was being held hostage in a foreign land by a demon underlord. Stair after stair they climbed down, protector and protected. Past halls of fire and slave chambers of mortals being chained and beaten. The demon had to hull the girl away from the labor rooms to prevent her single-handed attempt to free every last man, woman, and child under the cruel whips.

Needless to say, he was a little more then glad to reach his final destination. It was a wide, empty cavern with Trigon sitting a top a throne of stone in the center.

There was a pause and Desparos shot her a desperate look as he stood in front, looking suddenly noble and bold.

"May I present the Lady to you, my Master." The demon showed their classic sign of respect by laying his entire body on the ground, stomach down so that the flesh of his nape was well exposed.

Trigon looked down, superior, in-control, powerful. This was his world, and he was king.

Two People

Two Wills

Neither Giving

Neither Shaking

Two People

One disaster.

"I shall not bother you much for your time in Azerath, mortal Queen." Trigon began, grinning maliciously as his baritone voice racked off the walls threateningly.

"Today I shall impregnate you so you may bare me the gem, and in nine months time I shall take the child from you. Simple enough, even for a mortal."

Celeste was in shock at his ease as to talk about such a delicate subject matter. She stood, her eyes wide and mouth opened slightly as she watched the gory ritual.

Monks of Azerath began to line the sides, coming from somewhere in the shadows. Four on each side, the yellow-robed creatures beat large drums to a haunting rhythm as a taller monk, dressed in black robes strode down the center.

Celeste was standing still, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

The black-clad figure walked regally up to his demon Master. Upon reaching the bottom of the stone throne, he threw himself onto the ground, neck baring up in offering.

"Rise, Rinshid, order of the monk." Trigon's voice rose across the tavern.

The monk stood back upon his three feet.

Celeste was standing still, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

Rinshid leaned his eight foot, horned head down to draw a long, thin dagger from his robes. It was cut into sloping waves and painlessly sharp, a ritual knife. Raven's future father accepted the knife blade and brought it up with his left hand, high above his head to strike at an unknown opponent.

Celeste was standing still, wide-eyes and open-mouthed.

Trigon brought the silver dagger down to his own crimson flesh, allowing the cool metal to pierce deep into his hot bloodline. He gave a roar, tossing the weapon away. Rinshid immediately stepped forward, a palm-sized vile open to collect the black blood that wad fiercely draining down the arm. Demon lord held his arm out and squeezed with a clawed hand, filling the clear glass tube with his black, dead life-blood. The drums stopped, the air fell silent and the black monk turned abruptly to the woman. He began to walk, slowly. Rinshid came, ten feet, six feet away, three feet away.

And suddenly, Celeste gave a cry and ran.

Trigon growled after her running form.

"Come back girl, less I have to do it myself. My blood will fuse with you and you will bare my child!"

The stone splintered and shook with the force of his voice. Desparos, obedient to the point and still lying belly-down, turned his head just enough to see the white-eyed fear in her eyes as she kept running.

No! I will not, I can not, I must not... Keep running! Celeste's thoughts were jumbled as she scrambled aimlessly across the rocks. She was faster than the monk, and fueled with disgust half-way between fear and anger. The black monk began to fall behind.

Suddenly another great cry lit the cavern, and Trigon's bleeding arm wrapped painfully around his bride's slender form. Even as air left her lungs, the human struggled in the grasp of the bleeding demon.
Trigon laughed wickedly as the liquid from his arm drooled slowly down to his clenched hand, and slowly tricked into the mortal's body.

Celeste gave a cry of agony and rage as his blood burnt her fair skin, sinking through to touch every bit of her body. It was like a shadow was wiping over her skin, her mind, her heart. Her dear star spirit of purity was cast into the dirt. She was a fallen star. And then it was done, the blood finding every inch of its victim and marking it for all eternity in an ancient grudge. The teenager was limp in her husband's arm, shaking as her body convulsed, pain and shame leaking into her as violet eyes clouded.

"Now, you shall feel that pain for a time." Trigon noted as he set her down on the ground, looking broken and fragile.

But even as he turned his back, a change began to come over Celeste. Her body shook, skin crawled, dark hair fell messily across her face. But her eyes darkened a look of raw desperation and fury crossed through the eyes. Suddenly, she didn't look so young anymore.

"You may stand and go." Master nodded idly to the still Desparos, uninterested now that his goal had been achieved.

With a nod, the disturbed guardian walked to regather his charge. Only as he watched with surprise, saw the girl fly right by him. Well, she was levitating, very quickly.

The demon turned with almost amusement until the power in the mortal, the mere human's voice, quaked his cavern of old stone and deep magic.

"DIE TRIGON!" She shouted, ramming the fallen dagger deep into his chest, spraying the black liquid everywhere. The monks ran in fear, Rinshid whispering as he took his leave.

"May Annikki forgive me for I fear I have called down the very hand of Zinn's wrath."

"WRETCHID GIRL!" The creature snarled in response, ignoring the wound nearly cutting through his body as he swiveled around to find his captive.

"And now your bastard child will die with you." Celeste breathed, the bloodied dagger dripping black upon the bare earth.

"Lady Celeste don't!" Desparos cried, running toward her with all haste, transforming his body into one with two legs and two arms. A chiseled, handsome face, deep eyes, and a thick-muscled body. A human body, except for the red and black-scarred skin. His last attempt to reach her.

But her will would not be broken.

Celeste took the dagger and drew it through her own body, never feeling the pain.

§

"Who are you? How do you know my name?"

The corpse looked to be young, maybe four or five. The boy had a smooth, angelic face marred only by the crimson eyes. A slightly defined nose, almost delicate looking as hair, dark raven-colored hair that seemed tinted in a faint blue hue. Of course, the dead child's skin and lips were black and blue, but the careful hands, petite build, darker aura... It was all so familiar.

Raven felt her power course through her veins and felt one less mature, but nearly identical from the boy.

"I am no name.

I know your name

For we are almost the same." He replied in a high, sweet voice of innocence and rhyme.

"What do you mean, almost the same?" Raven asked, wary still of this stranger. Dead stranger.

"I was the old.

Though she was far to cold

To see my un-mold." No name almost sang.

"Well aren't you a cheery dead kid." The Teen Titan spoke with blunt annoyance.

Of course, the child clapped his hands.

"Oh yes, come with me,

So you can see.

How much fun

We can have without the sun!" The blue-boy grabbed her living flesh and Raven flinched inside, not letting it show outwards as she followed the dead at a much more sedated pace then his dancing through the field of decay. All the other corpses simply stared emptily, almost hungrily, as Raven and No-name passed by.

"Where are you taking me? And, what is this place?" The girl's natural curiosity peaking up while she kept constant alert in case the strange companion turned.

"So many questions,

So little corrections.

We are in the Dead-One's Place,

And I am taking you somewhere safe." Her little leader bounced through the gray grass as he ambled about, seeming to know where he was leading. The short, neck-length black hair flopped about thickly as he jumped, framing his carefully-planned face. They walked along in quiet some more, only No-name singing a soft melody, almost a lullaby.

Despite her best precautions, despite all the strife and bitterness and distance that was in her, Raven found herself pitying No-name. If this is the realm of the dead, then he died so young... That is why I have to draw the sword, and kill Trigon. Even if I die, at least there will be less evil in the world, less chance for someone like No-name.

"What are you thinking?

Because be careful Raven or you could find yourself sinking." The child warned, suddenly coming up on her.

"What... How do you know my name, I didn't understand." The gothic teen asked careful to not betray her thoughts.

No-name laughed.

"How I have missed her,

Silly sister."

§

Celeste awoke, hours, days, months later. She didn't know, nor did she care. But rather the loving embrace of the dark was so much sweeter then the harsh summons of the sun.

Desparos was sitting by her bed, still in his demonic-human form. The scarlet eyes were gazing farther away, looking worried.

The girl lie in her bed for a few more moments, allowing the pain in her body to subside and simply watch the man before her. Finally she spoke softly.

"Why did you change like that?"

The guardian nearly flew at her, he leaped up so quickly. "Lady Celeste you are awake..."

"I asked you not to call me that." The teen suddenly looked aged as she coughed, her form racking.

Gently, Desparos leaned down and held her head as the breath angrily escaped her lungs. She let her neck rest limply in her arms when she was done, struggling for breath.

Sitting back down, he answered her first question in a low voice. "I thought you may have listened to me, not done... that if I appeared to you in a human body."

The dark-haired woman shut her eyes, listening to drown out her agony. "I didn't even know you could do that."

"All demons can, they just choose not to. They have no reason to want to be human." Her protector replied, looking away from her again.

"And you do?" Celeste asked in a whisper, then continuing before he had time to answer, allowing the silence to swallow up her words. "I wouldn't have listened anyways. Did I kill them? That damn creature and his child?"

The demon looked hard at her, almost as though he could see through the thick fur blankets and to the bandaged lower abdomen.

"Master is the Lord of all demons, as well as King of Azerath. It will take more then a dagger to kill him, however... the blade which you struck drew through red to black and out again. Your child is dead."

There was a pause, and a faint breeze swept into the room. The prone form shivered, and Desparos immediately stepped up to shut the wide windows.

"It really was my child then, as well as his..."Celeste wasn't directing her question at anyone, not really asking anything.

"Is their anything you need?" Her tutelary asked again with concern.

"No, just let me rest." The girl spoke in a decisive tone.

With a silent nod, the demon walked out the room. The door shut with a snap.

In a flash, Celeste's dreamer eyes shot open, cold and determined. They scanned the room for a moment, finding no intrusions to her new quest.

"I'll see you in hell, Trigon." She seethed as the woman forced her body to move, grabbing a short knife one of the servant had left there.

Along with the silver-bladed knife, she pulled on the dark, black and mark less cloak of fine silk. With the hood pulled low and the dark billows covering her form, no one would be able to identify her as Queen of Azerath. The blade, while used for cooking and repair, was sharp enough for her purposes as Celeste slipped it into a pocket. Then, with a small glance back at the door, she opened the window and dove out into the dark night of Azerath.

§

Raven blinked, her mind rebelling at the words. Then she gave a startled cry. "What do you mean, I'm your sister." She was glad, as an afterthought, that there was nothing near her to have been destroyed by her little outburst.

No-name shrugged, and for once his wide red eyes seemed sad.

"Almost-sister,

How I have missed her.

I am almost-brother,

killed by our own mother."

The teen shut her mouth, allowing control to hold her as an iron in the tumbling sea of past shadows and sorrows that threatened to overwhelm her. Celeste killed her own...

"Celeste killed you, her son?" The fair-skinned girl finally trusted herself to talk again, her voice shaking even as it was beaten flat.

The child's head was dropping, his eyes lowered to the ground and dead feet scuffled across the gray grasses as he spoke with regret, confusion, and pain in his little voice.

"Before I was born,

But after Father had sworn

So the beat of my heart was new.

But Mother hated so deep of him, that through me she slew."

No breeze rustled by the corpse valley, but she suddenly found herself chilled.

"She killed you... because your father was Trigon, the same as mine?" Raven's violet eyes scanned the silent mourning of the gray sky. But then, why am I alive, here still? I was created of the same blood, by the same woman as him, who killed her son for revenge upon the father. I was born of the same father, the under-lord of demons who condemned his bride. Why is it that I am alive and he is not? What is so special about me?

Finally, the living sister voiced her thoughts aloud in a low whisper. "Then why did I live, No-name?"

No-name gave her a loving, knowing smile that small children give to people far older to them when they know the answer to a question the other does not because children understand what is simple and adults do not. And under the mourning gray sky and chilled grasses, away from the blue corpses and in the realm of forgotten souls and fallen stars, did Raven learn the simpleness of the fickle hand of fate. And these words she never left behind. They taught her more in life then did all her last sixteen years from education at the monastery to time with her earthling (and alien) friends. It was her dead brother with no given name that said these things to her, wiser than all the age of time with his simple, inconsequential understanding of life. And he was dead.

"You live, little Raven

In a life full of people who need savin'.

I died, dear sister

Because Mrs did not like Mr.

You are a demon reckoned,

Because you were born second.

I am dead in cursed,

Because I was simply born first."

§

The hall of Trigon was quiet at this hour, the dim-lit walls of stone lit only by the everlasting fires of hate and rage to glow red in this night. Slaves toiled on the last of their night shift, weary and bent. Slave-masters slept on mats, one eye opened to watch their many charges. And a lone figure prowled the halls.

Celeste walked quickly, the long folds of her black robe making her a simple passer-by to all who might have glanced at her. She held her head high and kept her stride even as to look as though she belonged there. But her breath came out short and her heart kept skipping. I must not slow. If I stop now, I will not have the strength to finish this. The thoughts repeated in her head.

And soon she turned to the large chamber and found the doors left crannied open. The woman eased herself through the crushing pillars of stone.

And there on his throne sat her victim, fully healed from his earlier wound given some time ago. He was almost relaxed, content showed on Trigon's demonic face, the very idle of her fury.

So now, I strand before you in the last time.

"Trigon!" Celeste's voice rung through the halls with power and tragic grace. The closed crimson eyes split open at the sound and the very rock rumbled before their feet. The mortal didn't even flinch. Instead, she gathered up the last dregs of her strength and removed the velvet soft black hood from her face, wanting him to look into her dark eyes for the last time.

And Trigon stared, then laughed. "Insolent human, you cannot kill me."

"No, I can't." Her soft voice was weighted as guilt and an everlasting hurt showed through the twilight eyes.

The end of the sun, the beginning of night. The young Queen drew the sharp-bladed knife from her robe, holding it above her own right wrist, poised to strike the essential artery.

"But I can die myself." Cold determination spawned of hopelessness threw down the small knife.

"Mistress Celeste don't!" A dark voice sounded suddenly.

And in the fading light the teen found her hands being held by her demon guardian, ripping the knife from her grasp.

With surprise widening the doorways in her face, she stared back at him. Desparos held her wrists firmly, without chafing as a pained look scattered his normally stoical features. And in the silence, Trigon stood.

"Desparos, demon of the ninth order of Azerath," His Master summoned the creature by his full name.

A certain calm passed through the demon's body, and Desparos turned to his lord.

"As the Mistress is your charge, what is done to her is done to you. For saving her, you have won your own life."

Desparos didn't even flinch as his near-death situation cascaded over him.

"However, for addressing your charge by her earth-given name, I punish you in 1000-strokes. Rise and face your punishment." Trigon's voice echoed in their minds.

With a stiff nod, the guardian stepped forward and knelled in his human body. One of the slave-master's, a black-armored minotaur, came to meet him, standing with a barbed black whip and a cruel smile. Celeste watched in horror as the whip descended, once, twice. Three times and it had cut through his tough hide. She had done this to him.

§

Raven and No-name walked along in silence. He had said they were coming to the end of the journey, they were almost upon the sword. And with Raven walking, face masked, and No-name ambling, singing his tune, the opposite pair went farther.

He is very patient for a kid, but then he is dead... Poor thing, did he really die just because he was born first? Because Celeste's hate had wane when I was born? Is that really all there was to it?

And in her mind, Raven pitied him as she had pitied no other being. She had stopped asking questions, not wanting to push the child hard.

"Why have you stopped asking questions?

Do you fear of my corrections?

Do not fear to ask my choice,

For I do so love to hear your voice.

'Cause when I hear it, I know only

That I don't have to be so lonely."

No-name bounded up to her in his high singing voice.

"Are you lonely, then?" Raven almost winced inside at the stupidity of her words.

He dropped a bit.

"No name to speak,

No friends to seek,

I live dead alone in meek."

Raven wanted to comfort the brother that she had just found, for his sorrow was as deep and unjust as her own. Even is he wad dead, she could help.

"Well then I'll give you a name. How about... Veli... it is a word I hear one time in Finland." Raven stopped talking right there for two reasons.

The first was because they had reached a grass-less circle in which lay the grand sword of life, palm's width and palm's thick, shining silver with the palest periwinkle easily fading at one end and the fieriest orange cascading away at the other. The hilt was strapped for use not beauty, and yet it gleamed with its own inner light in this fallen place. A fallen star.

The second reason is because her brother had completely stopped, and was staring up at her while tears, red tears flew down his cheek.

Shit, what did I say now? "Look...er... kid, if you don't want me to name you then don't worry about it."

To her surprise, No-name shook his head, wiped away the tears and gave a small laugh. "No dear Raven-sister. I am so thankful that you have given me a name, so that I may have that in this place and remember you... Veli, what a wonderful name!" And with that, the now called Veli, ran up and hugged his sister around the waist.

At first, Raven blushed and tensed, but when she saw his delicate form embracing her for nothing more then a name, her spirit softened a little. The elder-looking sister knelled down, a ghost of a smile on her lips as she brushed the tears from the little one's eyes. Her hand shivered as it touched the dead skin.

"You know, I am here to use that sword. After I use it though... I'll die myself. If you want, I could come join you here so you wouldn't have to be so lonely." Raven's tone was cold, but soft.

Veli looked up at her again, bright-eyed. "Oh yes, we will have lots of fun Raven!"

She smiled back at him, thinking. Perhaps dying won't be so bad after all.

§

"And from that day on, when I saw Desparos beaten and nearly killed for what I had done, I changed. I found something else to loose, and dedicated myself to my people and my studies. Again, as you saw, I lapsed only in Raven. But I could not kill her as I had done my first child, for hate no longer burned bright within me. I had found content, if not joy, in my life. And when Raven was born I truly did live again. That is my story, and though I love my daughter, this battle must end. And so end it." Celeste finished her tale to the titans, a single tear falling from her shaking eyes.

No one spoke and all stood in shocked silence, until the walls began to rumble, and rocks slid down.

"What's happening?" Robin demanded, steadying himself.

The Queen of Azerath looked around. " Raven has withdrawn the sword. It is time to leave, we shall meet her on the other side. Everyone, link hands."

And so grabbing onto each other, the titans formed a circle so Celeste could transport them back out. And they finally left the Sepluchrum of Mortis, one hole in their circle.

§

A/N- I'm sorry about the wait, hopefully the length will make up for it!