Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender or Teen Titans. I own only the plots/ideas/situation that I have placed the characters in and my OCs.

Important notes: At the bottom.

More drastic changes with the chapter but as I said before I am much happier with how I've been changing it. It seems better polished or something. I don't fucking know but hey I like it. And I'm curious to know how many of my old readers wrote this story off as a lost cause when I announced the re-write, bet you didn't think I would make this much progress so quickly. But you should know I started this because I saw how lacking full-length crossovers were for these fandoms on here...I won't leave you in suspense.

Fractured Minds
Chapter 15: The Expectations of Reality...

Jump City; The Old Library/Day 18

Raven was ejected violently from the unstable portal and crashed painfully against the far wall. Her escape from Wan Shi Tong's library had been a fight every step of the way. As she went to rise from the ground she felt a searing heat on her skin. Her limbs locked up and as she slumped to the floor the last thing she saw were her birthmark's flaring brightly across her body.

Nevermore; the armory/Day 17

There was a heavy oppressive feeling in the air. She felt it the moment their mistress departed from the library. She idly caught the dagger she was tossing in the air as it fell back down while she paced aimlessly back and forth. Her mind was screaming that something was wrong. What is it? What could it possibly...

A loud 'make your ears bleed' siren pierced the silence. She looked around and dived through level after level until she found the right floor. 'Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. That's...'

And just as quickly as she'd done the first time Courage teleported directly to Madam Snark. 'We have intruders Snark!'

Very slowly she turned to glare at the most reckless and annoying of her cohorts. But the green emote seemed to completely ignore her.

'Summon the others.'

'I swear if this is some foolish game your playin-' She heard a sickening crack and a painful pressure blanked her body. She was suspended in the air and face to face with four green eyes.

'Summon. The. Others.' After this she was dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Shakily she got to her feet and stumbled over the words to summon the others. They had a few minutes at most before they arrived. Everything was blurry but she was leery of trying to find her glasses with Courage around.

'Here.' She jerked away from Courage's reaching hands. 'Relax I'm not going to rough you up even more.'

'I'm sorry.' She sighed. She had no idea what the hell was wrong with her lately. 'I shouldn't have lost it with you.'

Whatever Madam Snark was going to say was lost as Red loomed over them and hissed, 'This had better be good four eyes.'

'If you have a bone to pick, pick it with Courage.' Red did a double take at the amount of venom in her tone. G.I. Jane winced at the use of their mistress's name for her and then slapped Madam Snark's glasses into Red's hand.

Red didn't quite know how to handle this. On one hand Worm was a huge thorn in her side but on the other, she was afraid of G.I. Jane.

'Why am I here, Courage?' Their mistress preferred Worm's company and she wasn't about to side against Intelligence.

'Once every one is here I will tell you.' Red growled but other then that she simply passed Worm her glasses and took a seat at their meeting table. The last of them to arrive was Lazy which didn't surprise anyone. Affection, however was absent; that was a troubling thought.

'We have intruders.' There was grumbling all around and Red's four eyes narrowed to silts. But before anyone could speak. 'One of them is Slade.'

Red upended the entire table, it spun off into the distance and the far off crash of its landing was drowned out by her snarl. Red was growing larger and larger as the seconds passed.

'Red.' The near giant emote grabbed the unfortunate Courage from her seat and brought her to eye level. 'I recommend that we use the Pit.'

And like a balloon popped with a pin Red was normal sized. It took her a moment to let Courage go. 'Quite vicious of you.' Red smiled, 'I like that.' Courage shivered.

The others had fallen silent at her suggestion. The Pit was a defense mechanism; one of few that Nevermore possessed. The Pit in particular was the nastiest, most foul, and required the consent of them all. Those subjected to the Pit were trapped inside their mistress's memories and forced to relieve them. No one had ever escaped with their sanity intact.

'M-Mistress won't l-like this. B-But if she finds out that we let that bastard get away and when we could have done something about it too...' Timid's voice grew firm as she had spoke.

'Be that as it may Wilt. I second G.I. Jane's recommendation. Its high time we gave Slade his due and whoever else was fool enough to follow him inside our home.' It was something of a relief to Courage to hear Madam Snark's unspoken forgiveness and as everyone gathered to prepare the Pit, she saw Madam Snark mouth 'We'll talk later'. A slight nod was Courage's response.

The Other End of Nevermore/Day 18

Red stars dotted the ink-black sky. There was no moon or sun nor was there wind. The rocky path that she woke on was unbelievably soft. It was eerily silent. Gingerly she rolled to the side and crouched, keeping low to the ground, eyes scanning back and forth for threats. When more than five minutes passed with no other signs of life she rose to her feet. On her left was a stone archway and to her right was a winding path, with black gnarled trees breaking up the otherwise bleak landscape. I'm not in that tower anymore. But where in Agni am I?

'A mindscape.'

At the sound of the voice she spun and swept her leg through the air, a wall of bright red flames sprung to life. She punched more fireballs into the wall, the wall bent outward but did not break and as more fire balls rushed forward the wall stretched into a thin tunnel of flame. The tunnel began to writhe back and forth, in time with her steps. A giant bearded dragon's head rose above the rocky pathway and dove down directly on the speaker.

She collapsed to the ground and sat panting on the blackened ledge, the speaker was no where insight. 'That was pretty impressive.'

She didn't have the energy to scream or make another fire sprite. Wearily she glanced behind her left shoulder and saw the person who spoke. All she saw was a hooded figure wearing a black cloak. "R-Raven?"

'I'm afraid you're mistaken, Firecracker. I'm not Raven.' The hooded figure's voice bled amusement. She wasn't in the mood for it.

"Then who are you."

'I'm apart of Raven.' Somehow the hooded figure's words reassured her and it was starting to drive her up the wall.

"You're one of her emotions." She said, knowing that she would surprise the hooded figure with this. She still had vague recollections of fighting armored versions of herself. Almost immediately thousands of the questions that she needed answers too, sprang up and she fought to keep them in.

"Did my uncle really ask you to help me? Why are you helping me? You don't even know me." She was heedless of the affect her questions had upon the hooded figure. She had a fierce desire to understand anything about their brief encounter below Ashfall.

'He did.'

"I doubt that." Her voice was devoid of emotion. But Affection could feel them.

The hooded figure had grown still. 'Raven was shown a great kindness by your uncle and he was reminded of you throughout their interactions. This in turn caused him distress and would lead him to request her aid, to help you.'

"So your help is all because of an old man's regrets." And she'd thought it was finally over, that someone genuinely cared. "I don't need his pity or your false sympathy."

She glared at the silent hooded figure. The stillness was unnatural and it was worrying and just as she felt a shift, saw the slight openness of the hooded figure's mouth, the shadows rose up and another cloaked figure appeared. "Go help the others."

The hooded figure bowed their head and disappeared into more shadows. The newest cloaked figure released a breath and flashed her a self-deprecating smile. "This is not how I envisioned we'd meet again and so soon. Though I'm insulted that you think so little of me."

"Why wouldn't I? The only reason that you're helping me is to repay my uncle for his 'kindness'. Zuzu probably sent you to torture me further." She said fighting back the urge to claw this piece of Raven's eyes out.

"It is true that I owe your uncle. He did save me a lot of trouble when I traveled to your world, quite unexpectedly. But that is nothing compared to how much he's helped me achieve with," Shivers wracked her body as Raven laughed, it was a dark and ominous sound. "combating my inner demons. I do not sympathize with you. I understand to some degree what being used, weak, and helpless is like. To be at the mercy of a father whose power is not to be defied. To have no family, no recourse, and to have even my friends abandon me; in another life."

She does not know from where the courage came but all the same she feels the familiar, almost natural, sneer on her face. "I do not believe you."

"What Raven says is true." Before she can blink Raven is in front of her and she watches the man get flung back, skidding across the ground.

His prone body is still for a moment and then he rises to his feet, a chuckle escapes him. "Is that anyway to treat your guests?"

"You won't leave here alive."

"Is that so?"

Giant shadowy talons burst from the ground all around him but he seemed completely unconcerned as he nimbly dodged them. Just as he'd closed the distance between them, a red cloaked figure tackled him to the ground. 'Azarath Metrion Zinthos. You picked the wrong mind tod-'

A foot connected with her chin, cutting her off, and sending her flying through the air. Before he could press his attack, he was forced back by blades of shadow as they almost sliced him in half. "Not bad but have you ever stopped to wonder that maybe its not just me and that one's father roaming around in here."

There was a rumble and several dozen cracks spreading along the nearest archway proceeded his statement. Eyes wide Raven felt the disturbances all across Nevermore. With each successive collapse of the archways it felt like someone had switched her blood for acid. Through the intensifying agony she registered a spike of panic from Azula, it gave her a point of focus.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

One by one the red stars above them winked out of existence and everything was smothered in darkness. An eternity passed before a faint red glow cast light upon them as Raven's birthmarks appeared all around them. Slade-bots were drifting weightless in the air, the rocks from the archways they collapsed were drawn to them like magnets. The scrunch and scrapping of crushed metal was drowned out as the cry of a thousand ravens echoed.

"Game over birthday girl, Psimon sends his regar-"

A flash of white light and a boom of thunder forced him to dive aside. Then he rolled to avoid a flame covered fist. More flames followed him making it difficult to regain his feet but he did. "Ah princess so good of you to join us. Although I was told you possessed a modicum of intelligence, chasing after us on this venture was foolish; nor does it lend credence to your father's claims."

And like a striking snake he scored a devastating blow to her abdomen, completely ignoring the the fire surrounding him. As she doubled over, he pulled a small detonator from his pocket and pressed down on the only button. The detonator flashed purple before the entire pathway beneath them spider-webbed with cracks and shattered. Raven watched as Azula fell into the darkness below and rushed after her.

"Psimon sends his regards." The runes on her skin and in the sky turned a sickly shade of purple. The agony from before broke free and swept through her like a tidal wave. She ignored it and willed herself to go faster. She had to reach Azula before the shadows swallowed her. Her fingertips graze Azula's right arm just as the firebender made contact with the shadows. Darkness and a sea of pain overwhelm her as voices and images light up the Pit.

The Gem was born of Evil's fire

The Gem shall be His Portal

He comes to Claim

He comes to Sire

The End of all things Mortal

"Her mindscape is unlike anything that I've ever encountered before." There was a pause as if to decide whether or not to continue. "Her emotions...they're almost like whole other people. She is fully self-aware."

"Have you identified the inner-medium?"

There was a nod. "Her Rage, the red one, he uses it to influence her and he's able to enter her mind at will. I fear that she will succumb within a year, but only if you do not immediately oversee her instruction, Azar. I strongly advise her ties to Arella be cut off when she turns two. Lastly not a word of the prophecy should ever be breathed of, to her."

With the last of his report given, esteemed Grandmaster Sazz takes his leave of the scared council chamber. It was no longer in his hands what befell the spawn of Trigon. The fate of the very universe rested with Azar and Arella.

The ethereal Grandpristess Azar slumped in her chair, wishing that her grandmother was still within the physical plane. Her kindly eyes turned to Arella. The other woman met her gaze without flinching and without emotion.

"It pains me so very much. But I agree with Sazz. Have you any objections?"

It breaks everything in her to see the woman shake her head. "I have none as my feelings are irrelevant. I love her dearly but Sazz is correct. She must never grow attached, she must be trained as quickly as possible to never give into the slightest emotion. There is however something of Sazz's report that I disagree with. With holding the prophecy from Raven will be disastrous."

"So you've finally decided on a name then." Her voice has a touch of exasperation to it, it had already been eleven months since the child's birth.

"If I left it to the likes of Sazz...it would be a far crueler name then she deserves." Azar does nothing to reprimand Arella at the implications in her tone. It would surprise many of the council to see her cowed and meek in front of a mere mortal but all of this woman's woes and her child's future actions can be lain at the feet of any Azarathian. For Arella and Raven, she will let any transgression against her person pass as neither of their lives will be easy.

"Raven will be placed in my care a year from now. You will have no further contact outside of any educational purpose or interaction in the city from day to day. Only in the most dire of circumstances will you be allowed to see her in the capacity of her mother. However once I deem her ready, she'll once more be in your care. I will retrieve her the eve of her second birthday. For now I present you with this," She held a gold ring inscribed with intricate rune work out to Arella. After Arella had taken the ring and deposited it somewhere on her person, "that will protect Raven's mind for the coming year. As for the prophecy I will give Raven a yearly assessment and should she ever pass, I will reveal its contents."

"I understand."

The Gem was born of Evil's fire

The Gem shall be His Portal

He comes to Claim

He comes to Sire

The End of all things Mortal

She can hear the whispers as they approach the the classroom.

"I heard that she's receiving one on one tutelage from Azar."

"My father said she has three chakra gems already. But something's corrupted them and they've all turned dark."

"Oh yeah I've seen her. She is so weird and she's like a void, none of my classmates from Empathy 101 can detect any of her emotions."

"Grandmaster Sazz says that her mother practically shoved her into order custody and has refused to have anything to do with her since. He also said that her name wasn't even given more than a moment's thought."

"Isn't she like four, what's the order even doing assigning her to advanced Mysticology and why does it have to be our class."

"Can she even speak Latin fluently yet?"

Aretu motions for her to stop as they reach the doorway. "Wait here until I call for you."

She nods and nearly jumps out of her skin when she feels the tell tale coolness settled the hood of her cloak over her head. She quickly tamps down on the well of emotion that caused her powers to lash out.

"Intrate et sedebit."

She hesitates for only a moment before entering. The class is small with just ten other students. To her dismay, Aretu waves her to a seat at the other end of the long table that her newest classmates are sitting along. She fights back the urge to teleport to the chair, Azar won't let her do that without supervision yet. But she doesn't want to walk in front of them. Beneath her a pool of shadow forms and all she knows next is the cold. In the blink of an eye she was standing next to the chair with everyone's eyes on her.

Aretu clicks his tongue in disapproval but says nothing as he turns to the board and begins to draw a diagram on it. "Hodie puteus incipere..."

As the lecture begins in earnest she slides from her chair and settles on the floor with her parchment and quills, scribbling furiously. She left a projection of herself behind in the chair and tries to ignore the simmering rage itching across her skin. After a while Aretu becomes absorbed in his lecture and that is when they start whispering again, "Revered Goddess, Mazra, you're right she's a dead zone. And those blank lifeless eyes are creepy."

"Did she teleport to her chair?"

"No. She's capable of going intangible for short periods of time. She was also placed in my intermediate Levitation class."

"She can levitate?"

"Yep and the other day I saw her enter the Arch."

"What?! No way is she that advanced in the practical application of magic."

"Runes too."

"So not only is she some freak with a skin disorder but she's also more advanced in her studies at the age of four than all of us and the younger half of the order combined."

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos." She tries chanting her words under her breath in an attempt to drown them out and focus on Aretu's deep rhythmic tone explaining about the history of Egyptian artifacts being excellent anchors for curses. But she's just barely discovered her words and they haven't had much impact with her mediation so far.

"I overheard Grandmaster Sazz discussing 'demon spawn' with Aretu last month, you guys don't think they were talking about her, do you?"

Her chanting tampered off and for the first time, she welcomed the cold that pervaded the area around her. White hot rage was pressing against the fragile barriers in her mind, it was starting to hurt. But she held it back.

"They must have been. Because I remember my mother saying something about a demon raping a woman that Azar brought here. Then the freak is left with the order, the timing of that is no coincidence. No wonder her mother pawned her off at the first opportunity. I'd bet anything that that is also why the freak's mother wants nothing to do with her."

Her resolve crumbled. The world exploded, the cold spreading its reach beyond her, devouring and hurting all that it touched. "I'll show you a demon's spawn, all six years of it!"

All that she was, was screaming and the smell of blood, that is until she heard, "Summon Azar and Arella."

Everything is washed away as her vision blurs.

She wakes with a jerk but a soothing calmness grounds her. Her breath is uneven, sweat slides down her face, and her mouth is dry. She recognizes her room and Azar, but the other woman's familiarity eludes her. She doesn't wait for either to speak. "Is it true? Am I a demon?"

Neither of them speak. Their silence is too much for her.

"Tell me." She is so lost. She's having trouble remembering what happened during class that morning, her memories are scrambled up. She doesn't stop her tears and they burn uncomfortably hot as they roll down her face. "I can't remember what happened today. It was just a haze of red, it was like there was a steady thrum at the back of my m-mind. T-Telling me to hurt and destroy."

Her tears come faster, she scrubs them away but they won't stop. She can't make them stop. She felt the stirring of that terrible rage in her head then as quickly as it was there it was gone. She went rigid as the other woman pulled her into an embrace, it was the first time anyone had ever hugged her.

"No. You are not a demon." Her muscles relax against her will into the woman's arms, head tucked beneath an angular chin, eyes closed against the tide of her tears, and a grip of death on the woman. "You're my daughter and I love you."

In the back of her mind she knew this. "They said you just gave me up."

"You needed training, training that I could not provide for you." She can sense how much pain this has caused her mother. It does nothing to dull the aching emptiness nor the sting of rejection. Abandonment is still abandonment.

"Please don't leave."

"I must and know that I do this for you." Raven refuses to let go. "When Azar says you're ready, we can spent as much time together as you want."

"You promise?" Bright violet orbs gaze imploringly into darker ones. She can see the sincerity, that she can also feel, in them.

"I promise."

"Raven," She swivels her head to Azar. "did you practice your words this morning?"

"No." She is struck with a bottomless pit of agony from her mother, she doesn't quite understand the cause of it.

"Meditate. Arella and I have some delicate matters to address." As the two reach the doorway of her room Azar turned and pinned her in place with a knowing stare. "Aretu told me how you reached your chair in his class this morning, we will be discussing that incident later."

The Gem was born of Evil's fire

The Gem shall be His Portal

He comes to Claim

He comes to Sire

The End of all things Mortal

Azar's spiritual ascension was a difficult time for everyone but for her it was torture. The order sends her to live with her mother the day before. And when the sun rises she knows that she can't attend the thirteen day ritual to honor the dead. Because the rage is especially strong. The desire to burn everything physically pains her. She will spend the next thirteen days in a meditation trance, it is the only way.

"Raven," She has to fight to remain still as her mother calls her. Her breathing is strained as her mother enters the room. "Are you ready?"

"I'm not going. I have to mediate." Mercifully her mother's presence is gone moments later and she begins to chant, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

She is still chanting thirteen days later when the rage overcomes her. All that she is, is shadows, cold, and destruction. It is the first time that she enters her mindscape without the mirror and it is also the first time that she meets Rage.

Red is the first thing that she sees; a red cloak. The figure wearing it towers above her with four blood red eyes focused on her.

Try as she might she can't keep the fear out of her voice, "W-what are you?"

The entity cloaked in red lets out a soft growl. She's too terrified to jump at the sound. A flash of white blinds her, the entity's smile is wide, 'A demon but so are you.'

"No I'm not!" She growls back. The entity's amusement wraps around her like a snake.

'Oh? Then why'd you growl back?'

She can't find a reason. This doesn't seem to matter as the entity asked another question.

'Why do you lose control when you're angry?'

She shakes her head. The entity laughs.

'Why do your thoughts so easily turn to destruction?'

She takes several steps back. The entity matches her step for step.

'Why does the rage sing through your blood?'

The entity grows to a monstrous size in the blink of an eye; red skin, antler like horns, and bone white hair. The entity plucks her from the ground and she's trapped in its fist. Air rushes past as it brings her level with its gleaming fangs. Those four red eyes hold her transfixed as vortex of preternatural enlightenment quells her struggles. She knows it is Trigon that speaks.

'The Gem was born of Evil's fire, the Gem shall be His Portal, He comes to Claim, He comes to Sire, the End of all things Mortal.'

The entity releases her and she drops like a stone.

When she wakes, she is in her mother's arms. Half of Azarath was destroyed when he took control. "You lied to me. I am a demon and I'm going to destroy everything."

"You're half-demon. He told you, didn't he?"

"I'm going to earth and I will stop him even if it kills me." She is gone in an instant. It takes little time for her to prepare the ritual. Her presence can no longer be felt in Azarath as the last of Arella's tears run dry.

The Gem was born of Evil's fire

The Gem shall be His Portal

He comes to Claim

He comes to Sire

The End of all things Mortal

When she crossed the threshold into the ancient chamber, the keepers came to life reciting the prophecy that plagued her every waking thought. As she descended further down the stair blood red runes were written across her skin, glowing bright.

She quietly drew her cloak around her, hoping none of the others would noticed her apprehension.

He noticed, of course he did. But even as he turned with a question on his tongue, she couldn't take another step. She couldn't face this. "I can't go in there."

"Raven wait."

She phased through the ceiling and vanished.

The Gem was born of Evil's fire

The Gem shall be His Portal

He comes to Claim

He comes to Sire

The End of all things Mortal

"You may have created me but you were never my father." To drive her point home she hit him with a blast of white energy, it drove him back.

"Wretched insignificant—" Another blast of white energy hit him squarely in the chest.

"Fathers are kind."

"Fathers protect you."

"Fathers raise you."

Each statement was accompanied by a blast of that white energy. The last one forcing him to kneel before her as she rose up, boosted by the white energy. "I was protected by the monks of Azarath, I was raised by my friends; they are my family, this is my home, and you are not welcome here!"

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

A few seconds later and everything was engulfed in white.

The Gem was born of Evil's fire

The Gem shall be His Portal

He comes to Claim

He comes to Sire

The End of all things Mortal

"Can't this thing go any faster? Urgh! I just want this day to be over." She was growling and very annoyed at the slow, patronizing tick, of her clock.

She sighed, "Relax only a few hours to go. It might not even happen, focus, meditate... it will be midnight before you know it…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azar…" Half way through the first word of her mantra a hacking cough prevented her from speaking. As she grabbed her throat flames erupted around her forcing her eyes open. When she opened them the flames were all over her room.

"What you have concealed you shall become. You have no other choice. Your destiny shall be fulfilled." While the voice spoke she watched as the flames drew a familiar symbol upon the wall. "The portal must be opened!"

The Gem was born of Evil's fire

The Gem shall be His Portal

He comes to Claim

He comes to Sire

The End of all things Mortal

As he caught a hold of her cloak and proceeded to tear it off of her back he said, "What you have concealed you shall become. You have no other choice."

His words only served to anger her as she rose from the ground, her soul-self forming around both arms, saying, "No."

He grasped both of her arms easily, her soul-self dissipating, "The message will be delivered. Your destiny shall be fulfilled."

The night sky was slowly replaced with a blood red one and all that remained of the city were ruins. With only the croaking four eyed birds and stone statues in sight. An ominous shadowy figure howled into the blood red sky. "No"

"Yes…look at it, drink it in. Behold the world you are destined to create." His voice came out in a hiss with a hint of maliciousness in it as if the horrid ruins filled with death and decay brought him an endless amount of satisfaction.

She shook her head and wrenched away from him, stumbling forward she said, "No I won't do it, this is just a vision, this can't be real."

She tensed as he grabbed her from behind, holding each arm firmly, "This is the future; your future. It began the day you were born and nothing can stop it. This will come to pass, I will make sure of it. You're going to destroy the world, Raven. It's written all over your face."

Her eyes lit up and she screamed, "NO!"

The Gem was born of Evil's fire

The Gem shall be His Portal

He comes to claim

He comes to Sire

The End of All things Mortal

How could anyone survive all that? These are the first of her thoughts as she comes to. The sight of red stars peaking through the gnarly branches of a giant tree is disconcerting as is the figure perched above her, cast in shadow. She is so tired but the panic rises, it could be her father in that tree. There is slight movement, she catches a glimpse of blue fabric and it makes her feel safe. Its a blue cloak.

She swallows thickly. She hates how trusting she is of this Raven woman and loathe as she is to do it, she lashes out. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"You weren't supposed to see any of that."

That wasn't the response that she was expecting from the woman. "Then what was the point?"

"To destroy the minds of Slade and your father." The words came out in a hiss and she is wary as the woman vanishes from her perch. Only to appear on her left, Raven's back is leaning against the tree. "Slade's a slippery bastard though."

She rolls to the side putting more space between them but surprisingly has no desire to go very far. She also elects to recline against the tree but she keeps her eyes glued to Raven, one can never be to careful. "I could've done without the mocking commentary and the jabs at my level of intelligence."

She sees Raven's mouth twitch and then Raven chuckles, oddly its very warm and soothing. 'Safe' is the word that her mind supplies. Despite everything she witnessed of Raven's life, she still feels safe and cared for. She refuses to trust this feeling, her luck hasn't been that great ever since Sozin's comet.

"I still don't trust that any of this is real Raven." She said. The reluctance positively drips from her tone.

"I'd be surprised if you did." She blinks at this. This conversation wasn't at all what she was expecting. It sounds as if she knows something about the dragons. And why isn't she demanding that I change or show remorse. Surely because uncle fuddy duddy sent her...

"Because you had no other choice or at least not an easy one. You were a general, a warrior, a firebender, a prodigy, and a princess in that order. You were taught that the Fire Nation had the right to conquer the world. Your father...the less said about him, the better. Your uncle asked me to help you in anyway that I could. I didn't sense any ulterior motives from him when he made the request."

"Are you reading my mind?"

"No. I'm reading your emotions." Raven's answer to her unspoken question is jarring to hear. She huffs in annoyance as she realizes that she said that out loud.

"Why...why are you encouraging my mistrust of all of this?" She says gesturing to the barren rocky platform that doesn't extend more than ten feet in any direction.

"Slade has successfully disrupted my," Raven frowns and seems to have lost the ability to articulate her thoughts. "my mind. For lack of a better way to explain it to you without confusing you horribly. Therefore I can't physically take you to one of the places from my memories; proving that all of this is real."

"Basically you're saying that we're trapped inside your mind." She folds her arms and shrugs then settles even more against the tree, head tilted back, eyes closed. "No dragons."

"Its temporary." Raven regrets bursting her bubble as the sheer maelstrom of her emotions return stronger than ever.

"I know what the dragons represent. I know what they want from you." Raven isn't prepared for the intimate proximity. Up close those gold eyes are so very intense and there is still the taint of insanity in them. Azula's breath is unnaturally warm as it washes over her face. "Don't leave me in suspense."

Raven is taken aback at how vulnerable she sounds, how much the dragons have troubled her.

"You're descended from Avatar Roku and from Fire Lord Sozin. They want you to choose."

She reels back as if stuck and stumbles away from the tree, away from the feeling of safety that Raven exudes.

She's lying. But what does she get out of lying and if she isn't? How do I choose? What if I don't want to. I never asked for any of this. Her thoughts continue spiraling out of control. She feels too hot again. She falls easily into a stance but the flames do not come and the heat lulls her further and further into sleep. The last thing she hears as she finally gives in, "We'll speak again soon, Azula."

Latin translations:
Intrate et sedebit: Enter and be seated
Hodie puteus incipere: Today we'll begin with