Heehee! I told you I posted two chapters, the next chapter is almost done, so expect that one up in about two days or so, maybe not even that long. Anyhow, I would like to once again give a shout out to all my reviewers! THANK YOU! You make me feel so happy!
Anyhow, I'll leave you here, and come back at the bottom of the page! I'm so sneaky!
Disclaimer: …Do people even read this thing? I do, you know, just for the witty things people put on this thing, some of them are hilarious! But, I can't think of anything… -does a little skit- I don't own the Teen Titans! –small clapping- Thank you, thank you!
Two Pennies A Wish
Chapter 5: Mind and SpiritRaven took a deep breath as she looked at her meditation mirror on the table, she then stood up straighter and took the mirror in her hands, peering at it. She would now find out what emotion it was, she just hoped she was ready for it.
She saw the screen on the mirror shift colors, and then she felt a soft tug at her soul, and she felt herself being pulled into her mind.
Different colors passed her and the gravity that was forcing her down increased with each passing second. She felt her eyes forced shut and then she was pushed out to the ground of her mind.
Raven sighed as the force of the gravity was released, and now she felt weightless, can they make up their minds?
Raven lifted herself from the ground, and floated past the dark scenery of floating rocks, dead trees and dying grass. Small ravens crowed at her, their eyes following the dark girl with every movement.
Raven seemed to pay no mind to this and went further along the route she had been so familiar with.
She went a little further along the path, only to have a big shadow of a raven be placed in front of her, then it's form shift into Happy.
Raven frowned, "Happy where is the new emotion?"
Happy gave Raven a fake pout which looked more like a smile, "Oh, c'mon Rae Rae, that's no way to greet your Happy side. Smile and say hi!" She urged.
Raven rolled her eyes, "Happy I don't have time for this, can you just show me to the new emotion already?" She said, trying to put on her best monotone she could to hide from being so anxious.
Happy smiled, "What new emotion?" She asked…err…happily.
Raven growled, "Forget it, just take me to Knowledge." She threatened.
Happy clapped her hands together, reminding Raven shortly of Starfire, and placed her arms out on either side of her, "'Kay Rae, but you have to be an airplane with me!"
Raven felt like ripping Happy's head off, "Happy…" She drawled.
Happy just smiled, "Fine, you can be the flight conductor guy."
Raven rolled her eyes, "Oh I'm ecstatic." She said sarcastically.
Happy grabbed Raven's hand, "Good, you should be."
And before Raven had another word in the conversation, she was sucked into a portal again.
Raven fell onto the ground once more, already getting real tired of the whole thing. Then a new voice was heard, "Ah, Raven, welcome." Came an almost monotone voice.
Raven looked up to see Knowledge, sitting on a pile of thick, dusty volumes of something Raven could not see. "Skip the formal, where's the new emotion, she was speaking to me last night."
Knowledge frowned, pushing her glasses back up her nose, "Raven, there is no new emotion. Surely you must be mistaken." She said.
Raven frowned, "No, no mistake…but who could it have been?"
Knowledge frowned also, "I'm not to sure Raven."
Raven sighed, "Well, okay, I'm going to check with the others."
Knowledge nodded, "Good idea." She then returned to her book, soaking up everything she could.
Raven then started off in the grass, the scenery was simple, grassy hills and few trees with scattered flowers. Nothing too extravagant, and nothing to dark. Raven saw Happy skipping along among the flowers, a green cloak in her hands. And a very unhappy and cloakless Brave running after her.
Raven gave the two a small smile, and Happy seemed to beam even more wider and give a thumbs up in Raven's direction before getting tackled to the ground by Brave.
Raven chuckled softly and turned and walked along the dirt road, trying to find which emotion was talking to her last night.
She found herself coming into a new section of her mind. Beautiful vibrant flowers were everywhere, green dew-kissed grass grew healthily here and a stone bird's bath stood at the end of the road.
Raven frowned, oh no, she thought, her heart dropping. She had seen this scenery before, the peacefulness of it, so soothing. But not to Raven, it made her heart quicken, the last time she had seen this was when…
"Ah Raven dear, I was wondering when you would arrive here." A soft, almost dreamy voice came from behind her.
Raven spun around, hardly believing what she was seeing. There was the emotion, a white leotard with a kind of creamy light pink cloak.
The emotion had a gentle smile on her face, and a dream-like look in her eyes. She looked so much older, so much more matured than any of the emotions here.
"Please sit Raven dear, we have so much to talk about." She urged, and with a small flick of her hand, a small round table of stone appeared, then two stone chairs with cushion on the seat and back.
The emotion sat down and two mugs of tea appeared on either side of the table, and the emotion took the mug in front of her into her pale hands, sipping from it.
Raven sat down in the chair, confused and suddenly miserable. "Not again." She said sadly, and then looked up, "Who is it?" She asked.
The emotion smiled gently putting the mug down, "No, not again actually." She spoke.
Raven felt her insides squirm with glee, "Good, but then why are you here?" She asked, her heart slowing for a moment.
The emotion put a strand of hair behind her ear before speaking, "I will start from the beginning so you will not get confused. And drink your tea dear, you don't wanting it going cold now do you?" She said with a small twinkle in her eyes.
Raven shook her head, and sipped from the mug, and the emotion spoke softly at first. "It all started with Malchoir." She said, with the largest smile she had, and the sparkle in her eyes went on. Raven felt her heart drop, like someone falling from a skyscraper. So fast, so exciting but then when you reached the bottom, and came to find there was nothing there to save you, it hurt.
The emotion went on though, "It felt like a dream come true didn't it? Never called us creepy, merely different, and we were. So kind and gentle, there to make all the tears go away. Love, that's what it was. So beautiful and abundant, but so fragile." She said, the sparkle in her eyes diminishing, and her smile altering to the smaller one.
"He broke us, all of us. In different ways yes, but he broke us all." She then eyes Raven with sadness in her eyes. "And we won't repair fully from it. We won't forget, not after all the pain and happiness he gave us. So we tried to move on." She spoke, a small tear coming from her soft lavender eyes.
"It's been awhile since him, it's been awhile since we've been able to trust." She then looked at Raven. "Raven you are not in love, I will inform you."
Raven gave her a questioning glance, "Then why are you here." She asked quietly.
The emotion smiled, "Because you dear, are in 'like'."
Raven nearly choked on her tea, "WHAT! NO! NEVER AGAIN!" She yelled, standing from her seat in all her anger.
The emotion just smiled on, "Careful darling, sit and cool down, do not wake Rage, she hasn't been disturbed in quite awhile since Beast Boy you know."
Raven frowned, sitting back down, "What do you mean?"
A new sparkle came in her eyes, this one gentle, fragile, "Who was there when Malchoir broke your heart? Beast Boy. Who's been there all throughout the days when all your friends found love of their own? Beast Boy. Beast Boy has always been there for you. Both of you have a bond now. Friendship. But friendship can grow my dear." The emotion spoke with a hint of happiness in her eyes.
Raven felt her stomach flip, "So…I'm in love… with Beast Boy?" She asked weakly.
The emotion just grinned, "No dear, I told you, not love. My name is Affection, and that is what you have for Beast Boy, affection. Not love." She spoke softly.
Raven frowned, "I…can't like Beast Boy though."
Affection raised an eyebrow, smiling, "Oh, and why is that?"
Raven looked at her, "We're to different from each other. He's so…happy, and carefree, and I'm dark and grumpy. We have almost nothing in common." She argued, mostly trying to make herself agree.
Affection laughed lightly, "Honey, in the world everything has to have a balance. Without balance, one side will fall. Balance is the key to keeping your place in life, knowing when, how and why."
Raven was quiet for a moment, trying to sort her thoughts out, and then looked back up to Affection. "It's to dangerous." She said quietly, not wanting to believe herself.
Affection smiled lightly at her, "Raven, he won't hurt you like Malchoir did. He would never do that. He's been with you this long, and if he didn't like it he would've left long ago." She pointed out.
Raven frowned, placing her eyes on her coffee mug, trying to find doubt, trying not to believe.
Affection's reassuring voice spoke up again, this time, more softer, more lighter, "Don't be afraid Raven." Raven looked up, searching Affection's eyes with her own. "Don't be afraid to love again. Because when everything else fails, and you start to feel alone, the feeling of love will still be alive."
Affection then gave her a soft, patient smile, a smile like her mother's, "Everyone is capable of love, something that we all have in common with each other. But there are some of us, that don't catch it until it is to late."
Raven looked at Affection, shock at first, then one of understanding.
Affection then rose from her seat gracefully, "Now Raven you must get back, I believe it's time for your dinner. Wouldn't miss that now would we?" She said with a grin, before opening a new portal.
Raven stood and walked to it, looking at the swirl of colors in it before looking at Affection, "Could I…fall in love ... with Beast Boy?" She asked, her eyes holding fear of the answer.
Affection just smiled, "That's the wonder of love my dear, you never know when, our when your not, going to fall into it."
Raven felt herself grin lightly, before stepping into the portal, getting sucked up once more.
-TT-
"Raven?" A muffled voice called through the metal of the door. "Raven?"
Raven felt herself land gracefully on her feet, mirror in hand. "Raven?" She heard.
Raven put the mirror down, and turned to the door, "Who is it?" She asked in something a little less than monotone.
The voice stopped and she could feel the smile in the words, "Dinner's ready." The voice said, the voice she had grown to find soothing, the voice she found comforting, Beast Boy's voice.
Raven smiled a little, Affection's words still running threw her head, "Oh, I'm coming."
Raven then came to the door, taking in a breath as she got ready to open the door. When the door opened though, she could feel her heart's pace quicken.
Beast Boy smiled down at her, "Hey, you've been in your room awhile, I was getting worried." He then gave her a look of concern, "Anything you want to talk about?"
Raven shook her head, feeling her heart jump with joy because he cared so much about her. "No, I was talking to my emotions. Nothing serious." She said, not so truthfully.
Beast Boy nodded, his grin coming back as they headed down the hall, "That's good, anyway I got Cy to play me one and a half games on the game station." He said, puffing out his chest proudly.
Raven raised an amused brow, "Oh, one and a half?"
Beast Boy's smile faltered, "Err…ya…Bee called and he kind of fazed out." He explained.
Raven rolled her eyes playfully, as they entered the kitchen to find… no one. Raven frowned, "Where is everyone?"
Beast Boy gave her a nervous smile, "Robin and Star left to the local pizza joint, and Cy took Bee out to one of those expensive Italian places." He answered.
Raven grimaced, "Oh, so were alone?"
Beast Boy nodded, "Ya, pretty much. Unless you want to go over to the Arcade, that's where Aqualad, Speedy, Mas and Menos are. You know how Cy and Bee have been planning the whole Italian thing for awhile, so the guys came over too. But I didn't think you wanted to hang out with all the guys, so I made dinner here." He said with another nervous smile.
Raven looked up to him, "What about you, are you going with the guys?"
Beast Boy laughed, wrapping an arm around her, "And leave my best friend here alone? Never." He then went to the counter and took different plates and sat them on the table.
He said I would never be alone, Raven thought with a small smile, and he was there to make sure I wasn't.
Beast Boy then pulled out a chair for Raven, bowing, "Madam?" He asked, with a charming grin, and upraised brows.
Raven broke out of her small trance and moved over to the chair and sat down. Beast Boy then went to his own and plopped down.
Raven noticed that the lights were slightly dimmed, creating an almost romantic atmosphere.
Beast Boy grinned as he shoved his fork into his tofu slab, before taking it to his mouth and chewing heartily. "Oh yeah, East's staying over tonight, so we're gonna have a massive party going on!" He said with a chuckle.
Raven rolled her eyes, a small grin on her face, "Yay, more time for me to sulk in my room." She joked.
Beast Boy laughed, "No, Rae you have to come and have fun with us, please don't go to your room? Promise you won't?" He asked pleadingly, giving her wide, sorrowful eyes.
Raven pretended to consider it, then sighed in a playful manner, "Oh, might as well, nothing more important to do." She agreed.
Beast Boy pumped a fist into the air, "Yes!"
Raven again rolled her eyes, and took a mouthful of mashed potatoes.
A moment of silence rang threw the entire building, growing nervousness on both their parts, and just as Beast Boy opened his mouth to say something, a new voice erupted.
"HELLO?" Came a male voice.
Raven's face fell, a little annoyed at the sudden interruption. Then both Titans rose from their seats, powering themselves up for the intruder.
And as quietly as possible, the two Titans went down the stairs, cautious of every small movement.
Heehee! I am so bad! Cliffy! I haven't done one of those yet, so I thought, 'Hey why not? I mean, their probably already a little ticked off that I didn't update sooner, so why don't I get them REALLY ticked off by leaving a cliffy!' LOL. But never fear, you'll get the next chapter in about a day's wait! WOOTNESS! Oh yeah, how do you like Affection? All the fics I've read about Raven's emotions and such, Love and Affection always seemed to be hyper and stuff, I guess it's just how people see it. I see love as a gentle, patient, and fragile thing, something more mature, but that's just me.
Thanks a bunch for the reviews! You guys warm my heart. And now I'm going to warm my stomach by eating an all meat-lovers pizza! Go Cyborg and your love for meat-lovers pizza! You big hunka cybernetic, metal parts you!
Love and Peace