The changeling shook his head and blinked several times, but the vision before him did not vanish. He instantly recognized the scene. It was the week after Jake was born. They had invited the old gang over for a celebration and Raven was the first one who arrived, as she teleported directly to the Logan household, which was across the bay from the Tower in the new University Heights neighborhood.
At first the vision was ghostly and as he continued to stare it solidified and he was able to hear the conversation they were having. He froze, expecting them to see him, but it was soon clear that they could not. He approached cautiously and sat down next to his younger twin, who was engaged in a lively conversation with the gray sorceress. Garfield stared at her, and it took all of his willpower to not reach out and touch her, fearful that if he did that she would pop like a bubble and vanish. Instead he sat as still as a statue and listened.
His twin was beaming at Raven.
"So how have you been Rave? What have you been up to?"
Raven took a sip of her tea before answering.
"I've been well, doing the usual: reading and meditating when we aren't fighting villains."
He continued to grin.
"I saw you capture Dr. Light on the news yesterday. You so have him whipped."
Without betraying any emotion, she replied.
"You would think that he would have learned by now that he can't win. I suppose that he never will learn."
He then gave her a mischievous look.
"So, are there any guys in your life?"
"Other than Robin and Cyborg, no."
He stifled a snicker.
"That's not what I meant."
Raven sipped her tea again.
"If you're asking if I'm involved in a romantic relationship, the answer is also no."
"Aw, c'mon, how can a pretty girl like you not have a boyfriend?"
Raven locked eyes with him.
"You're joking, right?"
"No, why would I do that?"
"BecauseI'm creepy, Gar, really creepy. What kind of guy would be interested in me?"
Beast Boy watched in awe. He remembered the conversation somewhat; it was ten years ago when it took place. But as he watched it, from his ghostlike perch and knowing the truth about how she felt about him, he hated himself for what he said next.
"What about that guy you met in the disco? You know … when we first met Blackfire."
She shrugged her shoulders.
"That was a long time ago. For all I know he went off to college and became an accountant. It doesn't matter anyway, that's the only time I ever saw him and to be honest … he was kind of boring."
"But my point was that he was interested in you."
"I'm not gonna go to Goth scene to look for a boyfriend, so give it a rest, OK?" She snapped at him.
His face betrayed the remorse he was feeling.
"Forgive me, Gar, I know you're just trying to help and I appreciate it … but … let's face it … I'm me." She apologized in her flattest monotone.
Raven's expression looked so sorrowful that real Beast Boy wanted to cry. He wanted to reach out and hug her, and tell her that she was loved … that he loved her. But his body wouldn't obey him and he sat frozen next to his younger self, who still wasn't showing any signs of male pattern baldness unlike his present day self.
"Raven, you are loved. We all love you … I love you." He managed to speak, but she could not hear him.
Suddenly, a blond three year old girl burst into the family room.
"Aunt Raven! Aunt Raven! You're here!"
The sorceress smiled as the toddler ran to her and climbed onto her lap. She ran her gray fingers through her blond hair.
"Indeed I am Melissa. How have you been?"
"Good!" The toddler replied emphatically. "I have a new baby brother!"
"I know, I came to see him."
"He's asleep right now. Mommy says we can't dis … dis … wake him up."
"It's OK; I can wait until he's done sleeping." Raven smiled. "I brought you a present, Melissa."
Young Beast Boy leaned forward.
"Raven! You're always giving her presents."
"So?" Raven replied as she produced a wrapped package and handed it to Melissa.
The young girl squealed with delight as she accepted the gift.
"What do we say, Melissa?" Her father reminded her.
The young girl smiled sheepishly and looked up at the sorceress.
"Thank you, Aunt Raven."
"You're very welcome, Melissa. Go ahead, open it."
The little girl ripped the paper off of the package, which was predictably, a book.
"It's Winnie the Pooh! But he looks different."
"That's because this is the original Winnie the Pooh, not the Walt Disney version. Would you like me to read it to you?"
The girl nodded enthusiastically and squirmed into a comfortable position on Raven's lap. The sorceress opened the book and began to read it to the wide eyed girl. Young Gar reclined on the couch; also listening to Raven read the story, when the doorbell rang.
"Looks like the others arrived. You guys keep reading … I'll get the door."
The doorbell rang a second time and with no warning the vision disappeared. Gar reached out to where Raven had been sitting, but she, just like the old recliner, was gone. The doorbell rang a third time, this time in the real world.
"I'll get it." Terra shouted.
-( scene break )-
Everyone was crowded into the family room. Starfire and Nightwing sat on the loveseat. Cyborg, Flash and Jinx occupied the couch. Gar and Terra sat in a pair of wing back chairs while Melissa and Jake, along with twelve year old Mar'i Grayson, sat on the carpeted floor. Hugs and pleasantries were exchanged and everyone was now sitting in an uncomfortable quiet.
"I ordered some pizzas." Terra broke the silence. "They should be here soon."
"Thanks Terra." Nightwing replied and paused for a moment. "There's a lot to talk about."
"I'll say there is. I want to rejoin the team, but Nightwing says I can't." Gar blurted out.
Terra turned and glared at her husband.
"No. Way. Garfield Mark Logan, you are not going back into the superhero business."
"But Terra."
"I said NO!" She snarled at him. "Not even if you were Superman!"
Nightwing placed a hand on the changeling's shoulder.
"Interesting that you should say that Terra. I've been calling in every favor that's owed to the Titans. Even the Young Justice League offered to help us, which means Superboy will be helping us too."
"Dick … this is really important to me." Garfield pleaded.
"Forget it, Gar, I'm not going to incur Terra's wrath. Plus, you haven't been a superhero in over ten years."
"So what? It's like riding a bike; you never forget how to do it."
"No, it's not. Remember when Bane broke Batman's back? Azrael had to fill in for him. Eventually, his back healed, but Bruce had to retrain, for a long time, before he could wear the cowl again … look Gar … I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you really aren't fit right now to wear the spandex. I'm not saying that you're washed up, because you're not. But right now, you're not in superhero form."
Clearly frustrated, Garfield stared at the floor.
"So what am I supposed to do? Just sit here while strangers, people who never knew or even met Raven, take this new Brother Blood down?"
Nightwing shook his head.
"Not at all. Gar, I have a very important job for you. It's one that only you can do."
The changeling's pointed ears perked up.
"Now you're talking! So what do I do? Do you want me to track Brother Blood down?"
"No Gar, nothing like that … I … we need you to write and deliver a eulogy at Raven's funeral."
Beast Boy stared dumfounded at Nightwing.
"You want me to do what?"
"Gar, this is really important. No one was closer to Raven than you. I'm certain that she would have wanted you to do it."
Garfield sighed. "I guess you're right … OK, I'll do it."
"Dad?" Melissa interrupted. "I'd like to help you … it would mean a lot to me."
He wrapped his arms around his daughter.
"I'd love you to help me, and I'll bet Aunt Raven would have liked that too."
They were interrupted by the doorbell.
"The pizzas are here … everyone have a seat, I'll get the door." Terra announced.
-( scene break )-
It was later in the evening. The pizza had been devoured and the adults were back in the family room, discussing the details of their plan to capture Brother Blood. Melissa and Mar'i, who would someday be known as Nightstar, retreated to Melissa's room. The two girls were very different. Melissa had no powers and was an ordinary looking girl. Mar'I had an orange Tamaranian complexion; her blue eyes glowed like her mother's. With her dark hair she looked a lot like her estranged Aunt Blackfire.
The two girls had never hit it off as friends, which wasn't surprising. Mar'i would be a superhero when she got older, Melissa would just go to college and live an ordinary adult life, other than the fact that their parents were superheroes they had very little in common. Things were different today, however. One of the few things they had in common was taken from them, ruthlessly snatched away with no warning. The two girls, who rarely socialized, now had something to share.
Mar'i noticed that there was a recent portrait of Raven and Melissa on the wall. The young princess looked at the portrait silently, then at the bookcase next to it, which was full of books.
"Aunt Raven gave you all those books?" She asked.
"Yeah, she did."
"She hardly ever gave me books."
"What did she give you?"
The princess shrugged.
"Stuff. She never did figure out what to give me. Heck, even I don't what I like. She tried all kinds of things: toys, books, computers, clothes … she even gave me a dagger once."
"A dagger?" Melissa snickered.
"Yeah, you know, Tamaranians are supposed to be warriors."
"You are half human."
"I don't look human … I don't feel human. I … I don't know what I am. Maybe that's why Aunt Raven never knew what to give me. Heaven knows she tried."
She traced her fingers across the books in the case.
"But Aunt Raven did understand you."
Melissa sat on the edge of her bed and sighed.
"Aunt Raven was my hero." The blond announced.
"Well, she sure kicked butt."
"That's not why she's my hero." Melissa interrupted.
"What do you mean?"
Melissa stood up and paced around her room.
"I'm an ordinary girl, Mar'i. I don't have superpowers. Do you have any idea of how that made me feel? Here I was, surrounded by people with powers. I don't know how your dad handles that."
She paused.
"But Aunt Raven taught me that I wasn't weak, because I have a brain."
She began to choke up.
"And then this jerk … he took her away from me ... I hate him …"
Mar'i wrapped her arms around Melissa and hugged her.
"She's still with us, Melissa. And she's right, you aren't weak, and neither am I."
The Tamaranian walked over to Melissa's desk, where she left her handbag. She opened it and pulled a strange looking hand mirror from it, which she handed to Melissa. The blond looked at the macabre looking mirror with a puzzled expression.
"Aunt Raven told me to give this to you if anything ever happened to her."
Melissa stared into Raven's meditation mirror.
"What do I with this?" She asked.
Mar'i shrugged her shoulders.
"She didn't say."
Melissa continued to stare into the mirror. She inexplicably felt drawn to it and caressed its surface with her fingertips. She then locked eyes with Mar'i.
"I think I know what to do."
She looked back into mirror, staring into its depths, and whispered.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."
Her room suddenly vanished.
