A/N: Well here I am with another chapter, enjoy! Constructive Criticism and love reviews are greatly appreciated:)
Eleven
Emancipation
Malefica's POV
Rorek and I leaned against a wall of Trigon's castle, waiting for a long line of flame guards to finish leaving the castle.
I turned to Rorek. "Are you ready?" I asked.
"Always," he answered.
"I never got to thank you," I sighed.
"For what?"
"You saved me twice… you stopped Crescent from killing me and you rescued me when I was dying in the wastelands… even though I tried to kill you. Why?"
"I find it difficult to ignore a damsel in distress," the white haired mage answered.
Suddenly I pulled him forward and pressed my lips against his. Rorek seemed taken aback, but to my surprise he kissed me back. We stood in a passionate lip lock until the last of the flame guards had passed.
Rorek pulled away gently and a smile flickered across his face.
"That was for… saving me," I blushed.
He pushed blond strands of hair out of my face. "Let's go," he said and muttered foreign words.
"What did you?" I asked, as I could see no change in either of our forms.
"I made us invisible to those around us, but not to each other."
"Oh, ok, now follow me."
It was the afternoon of when Rorek had rescued me. Raven and Crescent were probably at the mines right now, attempting to liberate the slaves. Meanwhile, Rorek and I were infiltrating Trigon's stronghold to steal the Book of the Dead.
We crept into the palace, keeping to the shadows. My hate for this place was too great to express, as was my hate for Trigon. He had betrayed and lied to me, and he would die by my hands.
I led the way down a labyrinth of dismal hallways and tunnels; pausing each time I saw a movement, even if it happened to be just a rat or a castle servant. In all honesty, the castle servants were the lucky ones: they were given decent meals and had actual beds and rooms, even if they did share them with about six other people. How Trigon picked the servants, I didn't know…
A flicker of movement broke me out of my thought trance. I looked down and a four-eyed rat was at my feet. It looked straight into my eyes and I was afraid it could see us, but then it scurried off.
"We have to move faster," Rorek hissed.
I nodded and took his hand and jogged off, quickly and lightly.
Rorek seemed shocked by my speed. "Quite the fast one, aren't we?"
"Mmm hmm," I muttered, thinking of my old life. I had been the star of the track team. My eyes began to water as I remembered how happy I had been, and how my entire life had just crashed in around me in one day. If I had been there my mother and father wouldn't be dead… I would have been able to protect them from that monster who murdered them. In an instant I realized that everything that had happened was my fault. And for the first time in years I felt remorse…
I looked up and saw that we were approaching Trigon's room. "OK, here we go," I whispered and pressed my ear against the door… Trigon wasn't in there.
I looked back at Rorek and nodded. My hand slowly turned the doorknob and we slipped in. The room was just as I had left it… completely black. Hundreds of books lined the wall of the great room and the air was thick with a vile smelling perfume. I led Rorek over to a bookcase. "Help me move it," I whispered.
Rorek looked strangely at me and nodded before putting his hand out. He looked as if he was going to move it when he let out a moan and was thrown to the ground. "Dammit couldn't you have told me there was a web of spells around the bookcase?" he snapped as I helped him up.
"That's why I said help," I answered and wiped some dust off of his clothes. "Now, I can't combat that web but you could… you try and break it down and then I'll move the case."
Rorek nodded and closed his eyes and his brows slanted into a sharp V. "Hurry," he said through gritted teeth. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. "I can't hold the hole for long."
I nodded and put my hands up, finding the opening in Trigon's complex matrix of spells. I felt the power flow from my hands to the case and slowly it lifted and moved to the side.
Rorek let out a gasp as he released his hold on the magic.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
He nodded and we looked at what was behind the case… a door stood there, unprotected.
"Apparently Trigon didn't think anyone besides him could get passed his primary defense," I laughed at his arrogance and waved my hand, causing the door to swing open.
We walked into a dark chamber. In the middle was a pedestal and on top of it was The Book of the Dead. Lying around it in a circle were the Bones of Azar.
"They defend it," Rorek said. "The moment we touch the Book something will happen."
I nodded. "Correct… so we don't touch the book," I smiled and lifted my hand up and the Book floated towards us. It came to rest in hands. "Now, let's go."
We were about to leave when the door shut. Any light that there was in the room vanished and I felt something around me… a suffocating darkness. "Rorek!" I called out. I hadn't taken into consideration a final security measure.
"Malefica… get away! I will do what I can!" he called and a blazing light sprang to life, vanquishing the darkness around it.
I felt life and strength slipping away from me as the darkness became thicker and with the last ounces of my strength I summoned enough energy to teleport away… leaving Rorek behind. The last thing I heard was a scream as darkness took him.
Raven's POV
"Shush!" I hissed as Crescent's foot snapped a twig in half.
"Sorry," Crescent answered.
We were creeping behind the rocks, trying not to be noticed… so far nothing bad had happened, but it was difficult being silent and fast at the same time. Malefica's words had chilled me to the bone… was she telling the truth? Would Starfire, Cyborg and the others really die if we didn't hurry. I wasn't willing to take the chance.
"We may have to fight, are you ready?" I whispered.
Crescent nodded slowly. "I am. We have the strength of each other, so I'm ready."
"Good," I replied.
We continued slithering forward until we reached the place where Crescent was sure they would be.
I poked the top of my head out from behind the rocks. They were getting up from break to go back to work… my heart was torn to see Beast Boy wearing that horrid brown rag and already his face was dirty and tired. I shuddered to think of the tasks that they had put him through just to see if he was a worthy worker. Aqualad was up too, but he looked horrible. A huge scar ran down his face since I had not been able to finish healing him.
"C'mon," Crescent whispered and we hopped over the rocks and ran towards them.
"Guys!" I said. "Quickly!" They turned around and smiles spread across their faces. Beast Boy ran up to me and pressed his lips against mine. It was short, but sweet and passionate.
"You came back so quickly," he said. He leaned in and whispered into my ear, "You look hot in white." I blushed furiously.
"Nice wardrobe change," Aqualad grinned weakly as he landed a soft kiss on Crescent's cheek.
She blushed. "Thanks… I'll explain later."
"Now, Crescent," I nodded to my sister.
'Hurry it up!' Rude yelled.
'We have to go before they notice they're gone,' Wisdom put in.
'I know! I know.'
Crescent produced a silver key from her clothes and flattened her hand so that her palm was up. The key floated above her palm with a white mist flowing from it.
"Quite serene for a contraption of Malefica's," I observed.
"Huh?" Speedy stared at me with a confused look on his face.
"Ooh… it's shiny," I explained dryly.
Más y Menos giggled.
"Shut up," Speedy snapped.
They stuck out their tongues at him.
"Stop, please," Starfire pleaded.
"Look," Cyborg pointed at the key.
The silver mist floated to their cuffs and they snapped and fell off.
"We are free!" Starfire exclaimed and rubbed her wrists.
"Now let's kick some ass," Bumblebee grinned.
"Um guys I think we've got a problem," Beast Boy said.
"What?" I looked up from the key and gasped.
Hundreds of flame guards surrounded us.
"Get out," I said to them. "Crescent take them back, I'll handle this."
"No!" they cried simultaneously.
"In the name of the great Lord Trigon, you are under arrest," one of the fiery warriors growled.
"Go!"
"Sisters stick together," Crescent put her hand on my shoulder.
"As do friends," Starfire's hands sprang to life in green orbs. "We may not have as much strength, but we can fight!"
Cyborg nodded and his sonic cannon emerged from his arm.
"No," Raven shook her head. "I won't allow it. If I die then Trigon's plans will be foiled, but if you all live you can still strike him down."
"Nobody's dying except for him," Bumblebee assured.
They all nodded.
"Are you going to come quietly?" the flaming knight asked.
"Maybe this will answer your question—"
"No! You must not fight!" a voice cried.
There was a flash of blinding light and my mother floated before us.
"Mom? What?"
"I will take care of them! Return and resurrect Robin! I can fight these, but only together can you destroy Trigon. GO!"
I reluctantly agreed… I wouldn't be able to see what my new powers could do yet.
'This is about more than your powers!' Knowledge cried.
'Right!'
"Leave!"
The flame guards descended.
"AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!" I roared. Surprisingly, a white, not black, dome surrounded us and we were consumed by a white raven that teleported us to our meeting place.
As I looked back I saw flaring white lights coming from the mines and the screams of flame guards reached my ears. My mother sure can fight.
"What the hell is she doing here!" Aqualad roared.
Malefica stood before us, with the Book of the Dead in hand.
"Where's Rorek?" I asked.
"He's… dead… he was destroyed saving me from darkness," a tear rolled down Malefica's cheek.
Ironic.
'NO!' Happy cried. 'That is not happy!'
'Shut up.' (A/N: you can guess who said that)
"Why is she here!" Beast Boy cried.
"Because…" I explained.
"So you're willing to trust after everything she did?" Cyborg inquired.
"You must understand that I did what I did because Trigon said he would bring my family back. If I didn't appear evil he would've killed me."
"So you destroyed millions of other lives to spare your own?" Starfire sneered.
"I am so sorry for the pain I have caused you," Malefica said.
"But if it weren't for her you would all be dead, she gave us the key to emancipate you all," Crescent admitted. "She can't reverse actions, and she may not ever be able to repay us for what she has done, but she did save your lives, and she has brought the Book of the Dead to us."
"And I love her," a weak voice said. We turned around.
"Rorek!" Malefica cried and hugged the mage. He was bloodied and beaten and his clothes were torn.
"Not even pure darkness can stand up to me," he smiled weakly as she kissed his gently on the lips.
'EWW!' Rude cried.
'Aww,' Love squealed. 'Even ex-evil people can fall in love!'
When they were done I took the book from Malefica.
"Starfire… are you ready to say hello to an old friend?"
A/N: Well this fanfic is, sadly, coming to an end… possibly only 3 or 4 more chapters. Again I'm sorry for the delay in updating, and I'll try to update sooner… after all this wasn't as long as last time. Well lemme know what you thought and srry about any grammar errors I may have missed.
-SoR-
