La Manaña Despues

The Morning After

Stone made his way through the trees as smoothly as he could. He had been moving for the last hour and so far he had been able to carry a sleeping Raven without disturbing her.

He had done what needed to be done. He broke camp, sent what was left of his group off to disperse, hide, and make their way back to the capital with as much haste as safely possible. Stone headed off on his own; a backpack of rations and Raven were all he had with him.

Somehow someone had betrayed his trust and leaked word that the Di'Candra was alive and under his protection. Upon learning that she was leaving the capital with a very small guard someone had ordered a strike, a very poorly planned and executed strike but an attempt on her life nonetheless. If Raven could use her powers, if she was able to protect herself like she could on the surface Stone wouldn't be forced to stealthily make his way back to the capital. Though they were only a day out by horse it would take at least three days to get back to safety. Stone could have made it in one but he wasn't going to push Raven that hard. She wasn't as used to hard traveling as he was and didn't have the advantage of, mostly, undying stamina that his cold body gave him.

Raven awoke with the odd feeling of movement and swaying, as if she was being carried. Opening her eyes Raven could make out Stone's, Victor's, chin and the real side of his face. Blinking rapidly to adjust to the bright light of morning Raven could make out trees moving by and noticed that Stone was cradling her in his arms. Satisfied with the feeling of being held by Stone Raven reach up and wrapped her arms around his neck to help support some of her weight.

"It's morning, so now you have to listen to what I have to tell you." Stone said when he knew Raven was awake.

"Well good morning to you too." Raven said as she pulled Stone's head down so she could kiss his cheek. Despite himself Stone let a small smile grace his lips for an instant before donning his stoic mask once more.

"Someone tried to kill you last night. Fortunately they botched that up so clearly they were amateurs. However, now that the word is out that you are alive and here some of the lords, no doubt most of them will want to kill you." Stone said warming up.

"I figured as much." Raven replied bitterly. Having listened to Stone and reading books from his library, Raven was pretty much caught up to the politics of the Nine Hells though most of it seem completely ludicrous to her.

"Good that you finally understand and accept or situation."

"It's not like I have a lot of choice. I'm stuck down here until you decide to let me go back home because it's not safe for me down here." Raven replied somewhat put off. She really didn't like the fact that she was a prisoner to Stone's protection despite the person he harbored behind the walls of Stone.

"You're right; it's not safe for you down here, not if you can be attack in what is supposed to be safe territory for you, your own faction's territory, so to speak." Stone added the last part as he watched Raven's expression go from surprised to disapproving.

Deciding that if she was stuck with Stone for the next few days alone, and wanting to stay on his good side in order to bring out the old Cyborg in him, Raven opted to stay silent.

Taking the quiet as his queue Stone continued; "We're going to the surface, more specifically the old Titan Tower in Jump City. It's the only place I know on the surface well and where I have… spare parts stored and I'm in need of a patching up."

"So why are we hiking back to the castle? I thought you could still teleport from the surface to down here and vice versa." Raven inquired.

"You've been studying well," Raven could feel the blood rush to decorate her cheeks at the complement. "but I'm way out of my element on the surface, especially given the time I've spent down here. So we're going to bring Dick with us. He may take his freedom but I'm pretty sure he'll stay around to make sure that I don't do anything to you unwittingly become another bodyguard. I have no idea what the climate will be like up there so I'd rather have more protection for you then not."

"So your telling me that you'd let Robin go if he wanted to once we're back home?" Raven inquired quietly.

"I'm sorry Raven but I can't let you go. You'd have to kill me to be free of me, but that is a risk I have to take once we're top side. The defences must be tightened here before we can come back and so I'm sure you'll have ample time to do away with me if you wish. I'll warn you though; I'm very bent on uniting the Nine Hells and placing you on the Blood Throne, and I have eternity to do it." Stone replied.

"I see. Could you put me down so I could walk by myself?"

"So you can slow down the pace or get capture and killed? No." Stone replied before he turned on his jump jets and began making sharp bursts of speed that carried them swiftly through the forest they were currently in.

The rest of the morning was spent in silence, the sound of Stone's personalized jet powered legs the only thing that cut through the natural sounds of the woods. Raven spent the time pouting and not for the first time regretting her parentage.

Lunch was passed in silence but the meal was no sooner over when the loud quiet was unbearable and Raven broke the silence. "When you died and came down here, how did you come to work for Tir'eir?" Raven asked. Apart from the need to break the silence Raven wanted to know just how Stone had come to work for the now puppet head of House Tir'eir. If her memory served her correctly, the warlord and general weren't on very good terms when Stone entered the underworld.

Stone stopped to look down at Raven. He had been expecting her to question the unholy alliance between Tear and himself, not how it came about.

"First off, I didn't die." Stone began to walk again ignoring the surprised and puzzled look on Raven's face. "I simply was brought down here with Tear and his little merry band of his butler and adopted angel daughter. I came to work for him for several reasons. Down here things were unstable and he wanted to crave out a nest egg empire for himself. Of course to do that he had to amass power and in order to that he needed to have a strong political and military front. Thanks to you Tear could no longer fill both roles and he needed me to be his general. I already could fight, I just had to adapt to the way things were done down here. So in short the partnership is one of necessity and survival on his part."

"That's all nice but you still haven't told me why you're working for him. From the sounds of it you could have walked away." Raven chided Stone for not answering her plainly.

"I could have walked away but then I wouldn't have been able to spy on Tear. Remember how he was when he came into our lives he was kind of strange. I was going to leave the Titans anyway because of the age restriction and I really had nowhere to go once I left. Since Tear was such a nut case in his interest and plans towards you, I sort of made myself indispensable to Tear so I could make sure that you stayed out of his hands." Stone finished off quietly.

Raven was quiet for a few moments to soak in what Stone had just told her. If she was understanding what he had just told her, he had spent the last ten years, literally, in hell just to spy on a person that just might have worked her into his plans for conquest. "You've spent all this time working for him so you could"

Stone cut her off. "Get to you before he did and keep you safe from him. I've heard some of his plans for you. One scenario includes what I'm trying to do. To get you to sit on the Blood Throne and restore order in the Nine Hells. Other plans included… using you to… bring his heirs into the plane."

At this Raven's face faulted with shock, horror and disgust of being thought of as nothing more then a breeding tool. She knew that because of the strict genetic breeding rules of Tanar'ri, the type of demon Tir'eir was, Tear would have to mate with her in order to have his own children.

"I can assure you that direct heirs from Tear would be great dangers to yourself, Maria, his celestial daughter, and myself of course. He would have a direct descendant to pass power to side stepping Maria or myself. Given the fact that I want to retain the power I have gained and that Maria would like to keep her place as her 'daddy's little girl' we've had an alliance to keep you safe from that particular plot. She may hate you for what you did to her father but she will honor that pact as it is in her best interest to remain the only child of House Tir'eir." Stone told Raven to assure her that none of Tir'eir's plans would come through, particularly his plot to take power away from Stone.

"I see." Raven replied. Really what other reply could she have given as it was a rather large amount of information to digest in such a short time period. Quiet descended on the pair once again as Raven retreated to think things over while Stone pushed. After a time Raven spoke up again; "Stone?"

"Yes?"

"You once told me, back at the palace that I would be crowned and married. Since this was after your coup is it safe to assume that you actually intend to place me on the Blood Throne and marrying me?" Raven finished timidly. Even though she didn't like the idea of being in a forced marriage the prospect of marrying Stone was rather a pleasant notion despite the current situation between them.

Stone paused again for a moment before resuming his walking. He knew that he had failed in keeping a poker face, his pausing was enough of a sign to give his surprise away. "I had originally planned to place you on the throne, yes, and have you remain single as the prospect of a political marriage to you, or myself being single as well, as even the prospect would keep most clans at the very least neutral towards us." Stone explained earning a small "oh" from the woman in his arms.

"Of course," Raven's attention was perked up again and she made no attempt to hide her rapt attention she was giving Stone right now. "being married to you would close down any future political alliances with another clan. I think the idea is worth considering, at the very least. Especially when the future Queen of the Damned is so beautiful." Stone said with a faint smile as he leaned down and kissed Raven on the forehead as she turn rather red at the compliment.

"So where are we?" Stone asked Raven.

"We're in a forest." Raven replied. She thought that the answer to that one was rather simple and wondered why Stone would ask such a question.

"I know that. I meant, where are we on our relationship? Are we dating, will we go back to you being my fake consort and prisoner or will you be my real consort or what?" Stone explained.

"Well first off, I'd really not like to be your prisoner on any level but seeing as we are still down here and I can't kick some sense into you I'll be a good girl for now as far as being your captive goes. As far as being your consort, dream on. I'll still do the duties if it lets me travel around with you but you are not getting into my pants, eh, robes. And lastly, I suppose we are dating, so you'd better be nice to me." Raven summed up for Stone.

"Fair enough. Besides down here honor dictates that no one gets into anyone's bed until after the wedding. It happens of course but on a much small scale then up there." Stone said pointing up. "Down here only the poor and desperate hor themselves out to the soldiers. A dishonorable girl's family can expect no parting gift from the groom's family. Cruel but those are the rules. I've put a stop to the prostitution, raping, and pillaging that occurred in my armies because of that honor system. The major rule bending applied to soldiers since they were mostly dead men though it left a mess on the home front. Inside the military, at least down here the raping wasn't so much for pleasure, it was a way of marking territory if you will. I end that with the death penalty. After I killed a few men for raping and stealing and few women for selling sex it stopped very quickly. The men were insistent that one girl from every village we conquered spend a night in my tent so that I would have the responsibility of 'claiming the new lands bounty' in the words of one of my officers. So most nights I take in a terrified young girl that the men have chosen, or sometimes the village's populace has offered after surrendering their village, give her a hot meal and let her sleep on one side of the bed. I simply then play some random porn soundtrack I got on a surface trip and let my men think what they want to. In the morning I give the girl 100 gold coins and tell her to say she had the laying of her life. The 100 gold coins buys her silence, and her future husband's silence that her honor is still intact. So in a way I pay the dowry for her. It's an odd way to take advantage of the holes in the system but it works." Stone finished his long spiel.

"So the stories of your bed prowess is all fiction?" Raven asked.

"Pretty much." Stone replied.

"So you've never actually bedded anyone?"

"Never really had the time or desire to. I know most guys upstairs would think me crazy but lots of free sex would be rather shallow show of character and self discipline. I've always been busy with more pressing matters like expanding an empire, waging wars and for the most part learning the politics to becoming popular enough to challenge Tear should you ever show up, which you did. I'm going to assume given your nature, what I know of your character and your silence that you haven't slept with anyone either." Stone stated off handedly and slightly off subject. He had, after all, turned the topic back, given ever slightly, to his general duties as a whole.

"What makes you say that?" Raven said blushing. She was still a virgin and knew that her blushing like school girl was giving her away but she wanted to know why Stone would guess that she had never had sex before. They had never had any intimate contact outside the few kisses they had shared in the last 24 hours so there was little evidence of her complete ignorance towards the act of sex.

"The things I just listed. First off you're not the kind of person that shows emotion very well, at least not up there where you have to keep yourself from blowing things up and that means suppressing your emotions. So you would never let yourself do things that would make you lose concentration and distract you. That in and of itself would throw sex out the window. You are someone hard to get close to, again your emotional block out is the main culprit and you distance yourself from people. So flings would be out as well. Your silence and blushing just support my theory because it shows you are rather embarrassed to be, what? Oh 26, 27 years old and still a virgin."

"27, my birthday was last week." Raven answered blushing furiously. Even a decade later Stone had read her like a book showing her just how little she had really changed in the last ten years. "And you're four years older then me making you 31." Raven knew from the time she had kicked him that Stone still had the equipment he needed to change his status in that particular column.

"I'm glad to see you can add, Rae. Of course we're rather oddities since most people are married young, girls are married off at around 15-17, boys a little older, 17-20. It gives them time to set up a home and have some money. Of course there are people like Maria who is going on 511 and I'm pretty sure she still hasn't slept with Jacob yet."

Raven looked up at Stone inquisitively. "Jacob the head butler, Jacob?"

"One and only. They've been having a secret affair for the last couple of years. Nothing overly serious since they both have to be extremely careful but as far as I can tell they're madly in love with each other. Rather romantic but Tear will have Jacob's head on a plate if they sleep together. So waiting isn't such a bad thing really. Some just wait longer then others."

"Right, can we change the subject?" Raven asked. She was getting rather uncomfortable about the current topic, especially since Stone was talking about it as if he were talking about the local wildlife.

"What should we change it to?" Stone asked in return.

"Um… you sure you won't let me go peacefully once we get back home?"

Stone nodded his head solemnly.

"But why?"

"Several reasons. On the odd chance that Tear has people spying on us, just waiting to kidnap you. In case someone up there tries to kill you, I know Slade is down here but he still has a strong following up there and happens to have strong ties to Tear. I'm sure Robin would love to kill him for good. Those are the practical reasons. On the selfish list, I just don't want you to leave me again. You the only person I've been able to really talk to and trust in the last decade. I'm sure you just want out and aren't listening to every word I say trying to find the hidden codes, or plotting to kill me or trying to sway me to one opinion to another. You are simply you, and that's one of things I like about you." Stone finished reciting his reasons as if he were reciting a shopping list.

"Ok, apart from the last part… I was fine up there for the last 10 odd years; I really don't see why I wouldn't be alright on the surface. I would have control of my powers and be able to take care of myself."

"Bluntly princess, Tir'eir will find you and drag you down here and fuck your brains out. It may not be tomorrow or in 3000 years from now, but as long as I'm not around he will send people after you. My presence puts off you getting raped." Stone said icily.

Raven did take too well to being told this and was naturally fuming. "How can you be so blunt?" She snapped in response.

"You leave me little choice with your obvious ignorance and lack of want to understand. You're a smart girl Raven, I know you are. Why are you being difficult to deal with, apart from the being held against your will portion. You're also just as strong willed as back then so that is hardly a surprise." Stone said once again regaining his control.

"Because you jabbed on about a lot of things I have no clue about and expect me to understand it all. I can't remember every little detail from all those old books you had me read. In case you haven't forgotten I don't have a freaking memory of a laptop!" Raven snapped before hastily covering her mouth. Stone's face had visibly flinch at the last comment.

"I thought you would be more interested at my comment of Tir'eir coming for you 300 years from now. I wasn't being figurative." Stone said with a slight strain to his voice.

"What?"

"Take moment and think of your heritage." Stone paused to give Raven her moment before continuing. "Your dad may have been the Father of Lies and all that but because of his blood in your veins you will live just as long as him if not longer. Your father was like many of the demons here, only death by unnatural means could have killed him. Like your father you're immortal, only death from poison or a blade will actually kill you. You regenerative abilities are one manifestation of this immortality, your blood keeping you alive." Stone explained.

"I, I see." Raven replied allowing herself to relax some in Stone's arms. It wasn't everyday someone found out they were immortal.

"Since you would live forever, and I knew that Tir'eir would live just as long, so I know I had to be around just as long." Stone told Raven with a complete lack of emotion in his voice, something that Raven found creepy for the first time in her life.

"In order to protect you I became a member of the secret sect of Dread Lords, a powerful alliance of various warriors and mages. In exchange for eternal life much like yours, I simply had to give up my soul."

"How? Why? Damn it Cyborg, you're not making any sense." Raven said bewildered.

"Let me explain. Every person has a soul, a portion of their mother and father combined. Top side people wander around completely ignorant of this fact. When they die, none go up to heaven. None; that is because the gates to happiness are only opened to those that follow a certain way of living. Your father had the insight to win his bet with the up aboves, by opening the doors of the Hells to all comers. Down here there was no torture as depicted in religious slander, but people were given another shot at life, but without their souls. They would be born and live and die here just as they did up top. So in a way, a soul was man's reset button they claim that doesn't exist. For those that come down here, a soul is a powerful bargaining chip. Of course once the soulless die, it truly is game over, as far as we know anyway." Stone finished.

"Thanks for the lecture." Raven said pouting. She had just been lectured and she didn't like being lectured period.

"You are very fickle in your choice of mood." Stone commented earning him a glare that would have normally made the old Cyborg run for cover. However it had little effect on the newest person that Victor Stone had given himself in Lord Stone.

"You now choose to get angry and apologetic and sad and frustrated when the situation calls for it. I keep a straight face for the most part. It seems that over your short stay down here we've flipped roles."

Raven looked at her carrier perplexed.

"When we were Titans, I was always expressive while you were stoic. We've switched down here. Isn't it ironic, you had to come to the Nine Hells to be to laugh and not worry about blowing things up?" With that Stone quickly knelt down, deposited Raven gently onto the ground and proceeded to tickle her ribs making Raven squeal in surprise and delight. By now several appliances would have met an untimely end having exploded and scattered across the Titan Tower. However down below the only thing at exploded was Raven's voice as her laughed carried through the trees.

"CYBORG… STOP… IT!" Raven managed to breathe out between her fits of laughter. Stone relented and sat down next to Raven, patiently waiting for her to get here breathing under control.

"I never knew you were so ticklish." Stone commented, amusement clearly evident on his voice.

"Well now you know and if you even think of doing that to me again I swear I'll put the hurt on you." Raven threatened Stone. She could see that inside his head, the two wheels that she knew were in there had managed to crank out a single thought, that he was planning to tickle her in the near future.

"I think that is why I never knew you were ticklish before. If anyone came within a meter of you, you would send them flying through a wall. Not down here, Rae. I can tickle you without fear for my internal mechanics." Stone replied.

"You really worried about that?" Raven asked. She sat up and leaned her back against the same tree Stone was leaning against. It was getting near to dusk but it was still light enough that Stone wasn't worried about having to gather firewood, yet.

"I was always a possibility. Fortunately you seemed to prefer destroying microwaves and lights instead of power cells." Stone chuckled. Stone then looked up at the dimming sky and turned to Raven. "You have two choices. We can either set up camp here for the night or I can carry you while you sleep and get us to the citadel by morning. I would have to take a day to rest and repair the damage done to me but you could enjoy a hot bath, warm bed…"

"Are you really giving me a choice?" Raven asked. Stone shrugged. Raven knew that Stone would really rather keep pushing on and would probably just pick her up and carry her once she fell asleep. However the fact that Stone was asking her was a plus, even if she really didn't have a choice. "You're just gonna carry me once I'm a sleep aren't you?"

Stone's expression didn't change one bit as he waited for an answer.

"Can I ride piggy back for a while? At least then I can get a better view." Raven muttered as she got up with the help of Stone's extended hand. Stone dropped to one knee and allowed Raven to climb up his back and wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist before setting off once again.

A/N: Well I'm settled into college now so my writing time is severely compromised but I'm still working at it. So here's the deal; I write something, you read it, you click that little review button at the bottom and you leave a message. Anything is fine but I really like the longer ones. Rant, rave, flame, whatever, no one liners if it can be helped.

Oh yes I do have to say this. American TV is so censored. Also, Bush, Katrina, disaster. Need I say more? Even my critics can't argue with me when I say that Bush is completely useless and should be taken out of the white house. His mother told the poor minorities that they were better off now that they don't have food or a place to live or clean water. She should be shot for saying that.