Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or Beauty and the Beast
Author's Note: Okays, here is an extra long chapter for you guys, I hope you like it! As promised I shook it up a bit, there are definitely some same scenes and this still follows the structure of the movie. But there are also some added bits, including a scene directly from Teen Titans. At any rate I hope everyone is pleased, and THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! Ah, reviews make me so happy! Please everyone who reads this review, even to just say hi. Okay well then, enjoy!
Raven sat in the dark for sometime after Bumble Bee left. She tried to meditate but hunger was ebbing at her and she couldn't concentrate. She hadn't eaten since breakfast, and now she was regretting not eating before she left. Maybe I should have stuck around for that wedding, I would have been fed at least. She thought to herself wryly. But even this she admitted is better than marrying Adonis. Now lets see about getting some food. She walked over to the door and peeked her head out. Speedy was pacing in front of it. Before she could retreat into her room he spotted her. He gave her a sort of shrug,
"Sorry, I can't let you out. Unless" a smile appeared on his face, "you've changed your mind about dining with the master?"
"No I haven't" Raven said in a monotone voice. Speedy frowned, but Raven didn't care. Her pride would not let her back down, but she was so very hungry. I want to leave! She thought firmly. Then a sudden coldness enveloped her, as a raven shaped mass of her powers consumed her. A strange emotion over took her as she was pushed at a very top speed through a long dark tunnel. She remembered the emotion vaguely as she stopped, she believed it was called fear. Not one she had a close relationship to, and not one that she would like to see again for that matter. She took a deep breath as she looked around her; her heart was pounding from the rush. She found herself down the hall from her room. She hadn't escaped Speedy though. He had spotted her and was running towards her at breakneck speed. Raven turned and dashed, she didn't know where she was going, but figuring the kitchen would be on the first floor and most likely near the main hall, she ran in that direction. As Raven ran down the stairs, the large gap between her and Speedy narrowing at an alarming rate, she spotted a large pair of open doors. She spotted a stove and long wooden tables inside. She concluded that it must be the kitchen. She sprinted as fast as she could towards it. Just as she reached the double doors, she was brought to an abrupt halt. She could feel an intense, unpleasant pressure at her throat; someone had grabbed her cloak. Raven turned to find an only slightly panting Speedy. She glared at him as she tried to catch her breath and he quickly released the hem of her garment.
"How did you do that!" he exclaimed in pure astonishment. Raven raised an eyebrow, Do what? Glare? She thought, and said as much. Speedy gave a soft chuckle but shook his head, and his face became serious again.
"No, how did you get past me? All of the sudden this huge black bird wrapped around you and." Speedy said hurriedly. An emotion, similar to fear, but one she experienced much more often was sinking over Raven. It was dread. Raven knew what was coming next, and she didn't want to hear it, not again. What she did was 'freaky,' 'disturbing,' disgusting,' 'frightful.' A worried look shined threw Raven's eyes, as her face stayed blank. She stayed in control of her powers though until Speedy spoke,
"Well anyway, it was really awesome. You have to tell us about your powers," he said. Raven blinked. "Come on," he continued, "You must be hungry, I'll get Kori to make you something." Raven's heart leapt; this reaction to her powers was not what she was used to. For the first time in her life, not only were her powers being tolerated but she was being welcomed somewhere. She found herself smiling. Happiness fluttered around her. A loud clatter sounded behind them, they turned around to see a suit of armor, it's various pieces now lying unassembled in a heap on the floor. A black aura faded from them, and Raven blushed. Speedy just gave a smirk and led Raven to the kitchen. It was a large, warm and tidy place. A few signs of the makings of a grand dinner remained, but on a whole the place had been cleaned up and put away for the night. Raven felt a sharp stab of guilt. She hadn't thought of all the time it must have took to make the meal, and what a waste it was that no one had ate it. She sighed; there was no point in stressing about it now. A shout of laughter caught Raven's attention. She looked in the direction it had come from, sitting in a corner at a small table previously hidden by a stove were all the people she had met so far, minus the Beast. The two with the strange names, Aqua-lad and Bumble Bee were laughing uncontrollably at Korriane, who was hold three strips of bacon of her head and was stamping about snorting and growling. Beside her Speedy was laughing too, but Raven just stared at Kori with a raised eyebrow. The red-headed girl spotted her and in answer to Raven's questioning expression, replied in a flat voice,
"Where I come from this is hilarious." The others all started laughing again, and Raven merely smiled. Anything more would have been trouble for everyone.
"So! Friend Raven, what brings you here?" Kori cried, when she had gotten rid of the bacon.
"Well," said Raven, "I'm a little hungry" her stomach growled, emphasizing her point. Everyone laughed except Raven, but she was able to smile safely. Only Aqua-lad seemed to object Raven being fed, because of the Beast's command. But after some badgering from Speedy, he gave in. Raven polished off three pieces of reheated pizza before she was full. With her requested mug of herbal tea in hand, Raven fell into easy conversation with the other four young adults. By then they had all seen at least little shows of her powers, and were eager to hear about them.
"So your powers are controlled by your emotions yes?" Kori asked sipping on her mustard drink. Raven frowned into her tea,
"Well, they are closely connected to them. If I allow my self to feel anything to strongly they go haywire. I need to stay calm and concentrate in order to keep them under control." Kori nodded,
"Yes, I saw how all the doors of the cells opened on their own accord when your anger at the master was fierce." The taller girl said simply, "So what things can you be doing exactly?" she added beaming, Speedy then launched into the story of how Raven teleported, they were all very impressed. Raven found herself blushing. She tried very hard to wish away her happiness and stay emotionless. But these people were enamored with her powers, with her.
"I only really do things on accident though," Raven protested, "Usually, things just explode, but sometimes I get lucky and they do useful things, like teleporting me, or opening doors or something." Raven explained, embarrassed, "I have control enough to keep them quite most of the time, but not really to use them."
Bumble bee smiled at her, "You just need practice," she said lightly, "But let's just talk now." Kori jumped up, her eye's gleaming with happiness, she looked a bit like how Raven was trying very much not to feel.
"Yes! Most marvelous! You must tell us of your family. Start with the shorter of the brothers, the one with spiky hair and a pleasantly looking face." She squealed.
"Ah" Raven said, a bit taken aback. But then guilt seized her around the neck. She had been so caught up in these new people, she had forgotten about her brothers. How could she, if only for a minute, have enjoyed life here better than with them? So what if they liked her powers? They weren't all she was. Life here wold not be better, she told her self firmly. That Beast was around, and Victor and Robin weren't. She needed focus on that, she told herself as she began to tell stories. They were funny stories from when they were little. The time when Robin was five or six and had climbed the tallest tree in the forest, just to prove to the other two he could, and wasn't able to get back down. The time that old woman had mistaken Victor for a telephone booth. The time when five year old Raven did not get the lollipop she wanted and she cried so much the whole square flooded, but only because her sadness had broken the fountain in the center of town. When Robin had given her the candy though, her smiles washed the water away in to the fields, covered in a black aura. Raven didn't tell her new friends that even though the town had good crop that year because of it, from that day forward the villagers avoided her. If she had told them, she reasoned, the story wouldn't be funny. So she moved on to the story of how they got their dog instead. Raven skipped over the time when their parents died and moved on to when they were older. She told them about how the flour had gotten every where when she tried to make pancakes for Victor's birthday, how they had fought over pizza, she talked about card games, about the unfortunate thing that occurred when they had cleaned the refrigerator. Raven felt despair trying to claw it's way out as she told the story of how the shop keeper Mumbo had turned Victor and Robin's map into a rubber chicken that had bit Robin; for she realized with a start it had only occurred the day before last. They were all sent into a laughing fit, except for Aqua-lad who had noticed Raven's face.
"Take a deep breath Raven." He said calmly as he watched all the china being consumed by what looked like black flame. Raven closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath, and the china settled neatly into place.
Raven scolded her self, That was careless of me! Raven looked around, no one but Aqua-lad had noticed. He was staring attentively at her,
"Raven," he asked solemnly, "Is it a constant thing? Do you always have to keep an eye on your powers to keep them in check? Can you never get to just relax?"
Raven shook her head, she felt compelled to explain further as everyone turned to her,
"It's like there is this constant pressure in my chest, and if I don't pay at least a little attention to it, it will try and break free. But sometimes, if I feel something strongly, sometimes a little bit will snake out, and there is nothing I can do." She said, placing a hand on her chest as she said it. Bumble Bee whistled,
"That sounds like trying to do everything one-handed."
Raven nodded, that was just what it was like, with one hand she was holding the door shut, with the other she was trying to do everything else.
"You get used to it." She found herself saying, not really wanting to talk about her powers anymore. Speedy stood up,
"I suppose you want to go to bed now?" he asked. Raven shook her head, finding she wasn't at all tired,
"No, I think I want to look around some." She was strangely curious about the castle and wanted to see more of it. Aqua-lad and Speedy shared a look, and Aqua-lad dragged the other boy aside.
"I don't think this is a good idea" Aqua-lad whispered fiercely to Speedy, "We don't want her snooping around in places she shouldn't" Speedy just smiled,
"You worry too much my friend," he said as he clapped Aqua-lad on the back. Aqua-lad just frowned at him, Speedy rolled his eyes, "Okay fine! How about this, we'll take her around ourselves and make sure she doesn't get into any trouble, alright?"
Finally Aqua-lad nodded. Speedy smiled and then walked over to Raven,
"A tour it is!" he gave a short bow, "Right this way, milady." He said with a grin showing the way out the door, Raven put down her cup, said good bye to Kori and Bumble Bee and followed the two out the doors.
Aqua-lad and Speedy led her through different halls and rooms throughout the castle. Giving histories of rooms, and their furnishings, noting if anything important had happened within their walls. Raven noticed everything was dusty, dirty and dark. Gloom seemed to lurk in the corners even after Speedy took time to light up the places they visited so Raven could see. All the trimmings, stone and not, were dark, both in colors and the scenes they featured, gargoyles in the hall, bats on wall trimmings, dragons on the mantle, swords and thorny bushes on the arms of chairs. Sometimes Raven would catch Aqua-lad or Speedy staring at them in way that suggested to her, that they shouldn't have been there. On a whole Raven found the tour very enjoyable. When they would reach a new room Aqua-lad would throw open the door and Speedy would take a torch in and light the candles and lamps. They would stare around as if they hadn't been there in years and when they did talk it was with such emotion Raven could feel it wafting off them. There was emotion embedded in the rooms too. Just underneath the grotesque shapes there was something else and as the two young men would relay stories from the past it would rise with such vigor that Raven could almost see the scene play before her eyes. Most of the stories were about a boy named Garfield. Raven wondered who he was. The castle was shrouded in a great deal of mystery, and it intriqued Raven. But there was pain too. Raven could feel it, little threads of her powers crept out like feelers, searching for it's source. It was coming from the western side of castle.
They were back in the hall; Raven stared up at the grand staircase. The west wing seemed to call to her. She knew Speedy and Aqua-lad would never let her go up there.
I need to see what is up there! She said to her self. Her mind raced, she wondered if she might be able to teleport herself up the stairs. Aqua-lad had stopped and was beginning to explain something about a nearby tapestry; they weren't looking at her. Raven took a deep breath; she concentrated on getting up the stairs, and mentally opened the door to her powers,
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she whispered as the black aura came spilling out of her. When she opened her eyes, she was standing at the top of the stairs to the west wing. Her eyes shone triumphantly, and she tried to quash the happiness bubbling up in her throat.
Raven walked softly through the corridor; she had the distinct impression she had to be quite here. Not unlike the feeling you get in a church or temple. But it was not a peaceful silence. As she walked Raven took note of how destroyed everything was. While the rest of the place was gloomy and ill cared for, havoc had been wrecked on the west wing. Tapestries torn, curtains shredded, even a painting in a very grand frame had long claw swipes running through it. Raven also noted how all the mirrors she came across were shattered in a very peculiar way. It looked like someone had smashed their fists into them again and again. She stared at her strange jagged reflection, thinking about what would compel someone to smash a mirror with ferocity. Raven could tell the destruction of the mirrors was done purposely, not by blind rage. The Beast lives here, the thought occurred to Raven suddenly. He hates to see his reflection Raven thought to herself. What a very human thing to think, that you're ugly. The Beast's image arose freshly in her mind. As huge as a bear on it's hind legs, but it resembled a werewolf than anything. Broad shoulders, canine legs, matted dark green fur, huge clawed paws, gleaming white fangs protruding underneath the snout; it made her stomach churn. But it's eyes were what confused her. As much as she wanted to think of the Beast as an animal, those green eyes were certainly human. That confused, and almost hopeful that had filled them when she had agreed to take her brothers' place, was not something she could forget easily. It troubled her.
At the end of the hall stood to very huge wooden doors. She pushed them open and found herself in a room even more torn up then the hallway. As she pushed tattered pieces of curtain out of her way as she made her way through the room, something grabbed her attention. On a surprisingly clean and sturdy round table, floating under a glass case was a black rose. There was a faint purple glow to it that attracted Raven; she walked towards it, enamored.
"It's so beautiful!" Raven murmured.
"Yes it is very beautiful, isn't it?" a cool smooth voice said behind her. Raven spun around quickly. There in the shadows, pinned down by a multitude of chains was a huge black dragon. Raven gasped. It grinned wickedly at her, with narrowed yellow eyes.
"You should take it.it would look lovely with that beautiful hair of yours" Raven blushed slightly at the compliment, but kept her head. She wasn't one to fall for a trap laid out by a dragon, she had just been reading about them that morning after all.
"NoI don't think I will," Raven said in a skeptical voice approaching the beast slowly.
"No, wait! Stay where you are." The dragon replied urgently in a very different voice. It's eyes had turned from yellow to pale blue. Raven stopped short. She stared at the dragon but did not come any closer. Aside from the strange voice, and the fact that the dragon clawing at it's own muzzle, there was something different about it. First of all huge reptile was not lying on any type of hoard of treasure which was what would be expected. Also the dragon was chained down. Not much could hold down a dragon. There must be some pretty strong magic on those chains Raven concluded. She gave a half smile as she thought about what those chains could be made of. Her mind turned over ideas. She thought about a charm she had read in the book of Azar, and wondered if it had been applied. She itched to get her hands on those chains. Her heart raced at the idea of anything mysterious and powerful and anything that could hold a dragon was certainly both.
She began to walk toward the dragon. Just as she was a foot away the dragon stopped struggling with itself. It stared up at her with two huge yellow eyes. It gave her a catty smile.
"That's it my dear, come closer so I can have a look at that pretty face" Two things happened at once that caused Raven to jump back. Just as the dragon took a swipe at her with long sharp claws, Raven heard the Beast roar. The Beast shoved her out of the way and went at the dragon. Once the dragon retreated, bleeding slightly, into the shadows, his chains rattling, the Beast rounded on Raven.
"What are you doing here!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "I told you never to not to come here!" Raven took a step back.
"I'm sorry" Raven stammered as she backed against the wall. The Beast's eyes were filled with rage.
"Get out!" The Beast roared in her face. "Get out!" Raven suddenly found she was extremely mad. She felt the anger surge through her, her powers strained to lash out. Raven took that power and channeled it,
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven shouted back at his face and sunk into the floor. She found her self at the bottom of the grand staircase. She ran down the length of the hall past Speedy and Aqua-lad who appeared to be arguing. They spotted her.
"Where are you going?" Speedy called as Raven threw open the front doors.
"Promise or no promise," she shouted angrily over her shoulder, "I can't stay here another minute!" As she stepped out into a snowstorm, she heard Aqua-lad call faintly behind her,
"No, please, don't go" he sounded defeated.
Up in the west wing, the Beast sat in a heap by the Rose. He felt like crying, the Monster had lashed out at Rorik and then had turned to Raven. That wasn't what he wanted to happen, not at all. He stared at the Rose remorsefully, the ratio had changed, more petals lay on the table than connected to the rose. He turned to Rorik angrily,
"Look now! See what you've done!" The dragon stared at him with a look mixed of surprise and mild annoyance.
"Never mind all that. Did you know prince; she got Rorik to come out. He tried to warn her. Stupid girl" he said. The Beast turned to him; he didn't seem to be able to comprehend it.
"But you're Rorik." The Beast said stupidly. The dragon whisked out his forked tongue in disapproval.
"You know what I mean." Was all he said. The Beast continued to stare at him. But then a shout reached his ears,
"Master!" he heard Kori's voice call and sure enough she appeared through the doors. "She has left!" she shouted.
"What?" he cried. Kori continued to explain,
"Friend Raven, in her anger had taken leave of the castle! But as you know none of us can go and get her" she trailed off.
"Is she a fool!" the Beast shouted, "Doesn't she know what's out there!" Before Kori could reply, the Beast ran from the room. Kori watched him go and then walked over to the window, cold air blew through it. She stared out of it, and instead of worrying about the Beast catching a chill as she normally would, she thought of how lucky Raven was.