A/N: OK here's another chapter and srry it took a few days but the last few days have been pretty hectic… yesterday we went to the zoo and the day before we went to the amish village (boring!), plus I've been having a pretty big writer's block and my computer is being all screwy… BUT I finally choked up this chapter so I hope you enjoy, although you may not because I wrote it during a block, so if you want to just say it sucked or whatever but please review… thanks! SoR

Seven

The Gem of Karaz

Crescent's POV

It was 'lunchtime'. We were each given a piece of stale bread and a small bowl of tasteless soup with some cloudy water… the same as always. The Titans and I sat in a circle in silence: we still didn't know why we were mining this place.

I missed 'daddy' terribly… not having him around felt like a piece of me was missing… another piece.

I still didn't know what had caused my sudden attack the other night, or why I was having all of these strange dreams. All I knew was that my birthday was five days… and I was not excited by any stretch of the imagination.

I looked up from my 'meal' and saw Aqualad staring at me… he had been for the past few days… it was pretty uncomfortable. I couldn't take this awkward silence, so I got up and walked a little ways off. After a few minutes I heard footsteps from behind. I turned around and saw Aqualad walking over to me.

"Oh, hey," I tried to smile.

"Hey," he smiled weakly. "You OK?" he put his hand on my shoulder.

I looked into his tired dark eyes, but I had to look away… I couldn't lie to his face. "Yeah, I'm fine," I managed at last.

"Well, if you need anything, just ask," his hand snaked to mine and grasped it softly.

"Am I like a burden to you guys?" I asked suddenly.

"No, of course not."

"You sure? Because I sorta just barged into everything," I coughed.

"It's OK. You're dad was killed before your very eyes," I fought the tears from falling. "Powers or not, we're still heroes, and we're here to help."

"Thanks," I actually smiled and the next thing I knew he was getting very close to me.

'Oh my God!' a voice squealed in my head. 'That's so cute!'

At the same time another one snapped: 'Ugh… how sappy!' Weird...

"Please," a cold voice jeered, "This is a place of work, not love." We looked away from each other… and my heart sank.

Malefica.

She laughed and walked towards us. "Hope I'm not intruding or anything," she sneered. "But you," she pointed a finger at Aqualad. "Go, now."

"What? No," Aqualad answered firmly.

Malefica drew very close to him. "I don't think you understand the concept of power, boy. I have power over you, and if you value your life, you will do as I say. That is the concept of power… get it?"

"Whatever," Aqualad spat and walked away, but not before giving me one last look of confidence.

"As for you," Malefica circled around me when Aqualad had gone. "There is something important I need you to tell me. Where did you sleep three nights ago?" she inquired.

"Excuse me?" I asked, puzzled.

"Don't you understand what I said?" she laughed her cold, sick laugh. "Where did you sleep?"

"Why do you need to know?" I questioned. Immediately hot pain stung my cheek, and I felt blood running down my skin.

"My reasons are my own," she spat. "Tell me now."

'Don't do it!' a voice cried.

"No," I answered simply.

"What?" Malefica sneered. She raised her hand to slap me again, but as it came down, I caught it. Surprised filled both of our faces.

"I said no," I repeated. "Don't you understand what I said?" I smiled. Malefica pulled her hand from mine.

"You think you're funny, girl?" she laughed. "My Master has told me not to kill you, but that doesn't mean I can't kill your new friends… maybe that will loosen your tongue." She snapped her fingers and two of those flame creatures appeared behind her.

"Get me Aqualad," she ordered, smiling.

"What?" I asked.

"Lemme go!" I heard Aqualad cry as the two flame guards brought him. Immediately the others came running, but stopped when they say Malefica. Aqualad was thrown with force onto the ground, so he was lying down on his stomach. He moaned in pain. Malefica brought her hands up and brought them together before ripping them apart. The top of Aqualad's robe (A/N: I couldn't think of anything else to call besides a piece of ragged brown cloth) peeled quickly off of his torso.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

She ignored me and put her hand up. Instantaneously a whip of lightning crackled to life in her hand.

"What… no!" I cried. The others were frozen with fear.

Malefica brought her hand up and the whip came down.

Aqualad screamed as electricity coursed through his body.

"One!

"Two!

"Three!…"

Aqualad's cries continued to pierce the cavernous mines. Tears ran down my face. I was petrified… should I tell her what she wanted to know? I couldn't just let Aqualad suffer like this, but what would the consequences of telling her be?

"Thirty!" she screamed and the whip came down again.

Huge red gashes split Aqualad's back, and blood soaked the ground.

"Turn him over," she commanded.

My thoughts ran quickly through my head. What should I do? I can't just let Aqualad die like this! His face struck me like lightning… it was almost lifeless. Saliva ran from his mouth.

"Turn his neck," she ordered. It was done so that his cheek was facing up.

Oh my God… she can't be serious! But if I tell her, what will happen?

The whip came over her head and Aqualad screamed again as the whip dug into his stomach and was pulled up to his face. Blood poured from his stomach through his chest through his neck and up to his temple.

"NO!" I screamed, falling at Aqualad's side. "I'll tell you," I cried, tears falling onto his almost lifeless form. I cradled his head in my arms and put my forehead to his. His blood mixed with my hair but I didn't care.

"Excellent," Malefica smiled and the whip vanished. I couldn't believe I had let this go on for so long… I should have told her what she wanted a long time ago.

"There," I pointed to a few feet away from where our fire had been. "Where that little clump of dirt is."

"Good girl," she smiled and turned around.

"Wait," I got up. "What about him?"

"Guess you're outta luck, kid," she laughed. "You should've told me a long time ago. In a few minutes he'll have lost enough blood to die," she cackled madly.

"NO!" I screamed. I pulled his shirt from the other side of his body and ripped it into strips. First I bandaged the neck, then the face and then I wrapped the remainder of his shirt around his stomach. That covered the cuts on the stomach and some of the ones on his back… but the shirt was used up. "I need something else," I cried as I turned him on his stomach, ignoring his moans that slit my soul.

"Oh right," Speedy tore some of his robe and gave it to me. I quickly put it around Aqualad's back, and turned him onto his back. His eyes slowly flickered open.

"You're alive," I pushed the hair out of his face.

He coughed and blood and spit came up. Then his eyes closed. I bent down and gently kissed his forehead. "Sleep," I whispered and got up.

"Now," I snarled. "Let's see what that witch wants."

"I will stay," Starfire offered. I nodded.

The six of us approached Malefica.

Malefica's POV

"Dig," I growled to the slaves I had seen passing by. "Dig because your life depends on it!"

There were footsteps behind me and I turned around to see Crescent standing there. "Are you positive this is where you slept?" I asked curtly.

"Quite, Mistress," she bowed mockingly.

"You have five other friends," I whispered venomously to her. "I wouldn't be mocking anyone."

"Uh… beg your pardon, Mistress," an alien man cut in. "But we've hit something hard."

"What! Excellent!" I exclaimed and pushed them out of the way. I looked down and saw a hump in the ditch, and tiny gleam of red. I hopped down and bent over, and swept the dirt out of the way. There, in the dirt was a huge red orb, glowing eerily by itself. "Perfect," I whispered to myself and brought the sphere into my hands and lifted it up. "Behold, the Orb of Karaz!" I walked slowly up, being careful not to drop it. My back was turned to the others as I stared deep inside the Orb.

In its reflection I saw something… a shovel being raised over my head. I smiled and as the shovel came down I turned around and thrust the Orb into the air.

Blood red light poured from the Orb and bathed the room, and crept up to the shovel. The digging tool shattered and the person who had held backed away in fear, as did the others. I smiled as the red light recoiled. I put it slowly down onto the ground and laughed. "So, you think you can just destroy me that easily?" I pointed to the one who had held the shovel: the alien man. I picked the Orb up and held it out to him. "Stare into the Orb."

Crescent's POV

My knees suddenly felt weak, and I had to fight to stop myself from collapsing when that demonic red light poured from the orb. At that moment I realized that the Orb had caused my attack the other night, but why? No one else seemed affected by it more than their fear.My breaths became ragged and I felt my nose beginning to bleed… but luckily the red light faded and my attack melted away, but my knees still felt weak.

"So, you think you can just destroy me that easily?" Malefica pointed to the alien man who had held the shovel. She picked up the red ball from the ground and held it out to the man. "Stare into the Orb," she ordered.

The man gulped and looked straight into the orb… and a huge headache filled my head, my vision became fuzzy and thoughts faded into blackness… but before unconsciousness took me I saw the alien man staring into the Orb… and fall dead to the ground.

A/N: Well I'm not sure how many more chapters there are going to be, but I think at least six or so… but I might be wrong. Well hope you enjoyed and just please review :) SoR