Disclaimer: Teen Titans isn't mine

Not exactly back yet, but I had the motivation to write one chapter...

The second scene includes a rather lengthy lemony portion, so be warned.

"Speech"

Thoughts


Frost. Void. Cold... there is no feeling. I can't... it's numb. Death cries. The ravens scream. No...

Heat. Heat... warmth. There is...

Light? Is there..?

Darkness. The veil of darkness shrouding my vision. I cannot see anything. Death's touch clouds my eyes. The deepest shade of violet... it is black and cold... barren. Empty. There is no-

Warmth. I thrive in darkness but I crave light as well. I am a creature that fancies the glacial frost, and yet I crave heat as well. I... what do I want? Who am I?

My voice is silent in the void. My lips move, but I cannot be heard... nothing can be heard, except for the ravens' screams.

Death's skull hovers behind me. Its chilling breath, I feel...

It is not unwelcome. It is always there, ever present, but for now I cannot accept it. A thought to entertain, no more. For now, my body will not permit me...

There is a thought. A feeling! I can feel it at my fingertips... it breathes at my ears, with the ravens' screams. What do I sense? What do my eyes see?

The blackest shade of violet and the empty void. The shadows of the ravens, wandering my dreams. I see, but what can I say? What can I do?

There is darkness, and there is light...

I understand.

She opened her eyes but her vision was still a little blurred. Still half asleep, still exhausted, it took a couple moments for her aching body to protest her being awake and another couple moments for her head to throb painfully. She closed her eyes again and let out a low, uncomfortable noise, curling her body into a ball.

There was something warm nearby. The heat felt comfortable against her cold skin; instinctively, she shifted closer to it, hoping to steal some of the warmth for herself. Surprise briefly flitted through her mind as she made contact with flesh, but it did not take her long for her to decide that she was too tired to really care.

Curling in further, she intertwined her legs with another pair, then nuzzled her face into what seemed to be a shoulder. The other person shifted a little, allowing her access to a softer piece of flesh, and vaguely she realized that the other person was a girl, but that did not bother her either. She felt a pair of hands ghost across her back for a couple seconds, then rest there peacefully, radiating the heat that her body so craved.

It was warm and though her head still hurt, it was now nothing but a faint irritation; she felt distinctly more relaxed, despite there being someone else in her bed with her. Vaguely, she had the sense that the other person actually belonged there, but if that were the case, she had no idea who it was. So many names ran through her mind, so many faces, but in her semi-conscious state of mind, she could not think of anything.

Drowsiness came quickly again and this time she gave in, letting her mind fade back into - this time - peaceful repose.


When she opened her eyes again, her vision was still a bit blurred, but she blinked a few times and her vision cleared slightly.

The first thing she noticed was a pair of pink eyes staring at her. Confusion riddled her mind for a few moments - her eyes glazed over slightly, but no matter how hard she tried, she simply could not focus her vision. Her drowsy mind stirred a little, but part of her was still tempted to go back to sleep.

"You look so different when you sleep," the other girl spoke lightly, cautiously. Upon receiving no response, she let out a low breath, then continued. "You seem so small," her cheeks colored slightly. "So vulnerable... so delicate. I mean, I know you're not, but still..."

Raven turned on her side and came face to face with another girl. "I... why do you say that?"

"I... don't know. It's just..." she bit her lip. "I guess I didn't expect you to want to cuddle with me. At least not before we talked."

"I was... cold. You were warm." There was a slight blush. "I couldn't help myself." Violet eyes met pink ones. "I'm sorry."

Instinctively, she knew what the violet haired girl was talking about. "No, I'm sorry. I should have-"

"No, it's my fault."

"Not really-"

"It is."

The pink haired girl sighed. "No, it isn't. It's both of our faults, okay?"

"It's-"

"You idiot. Shut up and listen. It's both of our faults. So let's just forget about it and move on, okay?"

They stared at each other for the longest time.

In the moonlight, curled up next to each other, the blankets warding off the cool spring night, the ethereal light casting its soft glow everywhere, violet and pink stared at one another, pink eyes filled with fierce determination and the violet ones a little surprised, a little weary, and a little sad.

Surprisingly, Raven was the one who looked away first, burying her face back into Jinx's chest.

"Whatever," she mumbled and Jinx's eyes widened as she felt a little bit of wetness on her bare skin.

"It's okay," the pinkette murmured back, running her hands through Raven's hair. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Raven shook her head, wrapping her arms around Jinx's body. The other girl said nothing, a little startled by the show of affection.

They remained locked in that position for a while until Raven finally broke away, sniffling a little.

"You're not still mad at me, are you?"

Jinx sighed. "You dummie. I already said it was okay."

"But you still seem so-"

"Raven," she said quietly. "It's fine. Seriously."

Raven bit her lip. "But you were so afraid when I got to you. I was afraid that-"

"It was... nothing."

"It wasn't. My father-"

"I already know. The other two told me a little bit about him. He was just trying to trick me."

"You don't believe that."

"I do."

"I'm an empath, remember?"

Jinx frowned. "Raven-" she broke off as she felt Raven's cold fingers touch her face.

She flinched slightly, unable to help herself, then pursed her lips and turned away a little. "You have no idea how afraid I was," she breathed. "You scared me so much, and yet..." she shook her head. "I didn't know what to think. I wasn't sure... I thought you were - well, you are. But I thought you were like him."

"I am nothing like him," Raven hissed distastefully.

"I know, but I wasn't sure. It was just... ugh. No, I think I felt better once I watched you sleep for a little bit. You know," she let out a small laugh, "you've never left yourself open like that before. I've never even seen you sleep before."

Raven tilted her head slightly. "I've left myself open to you. I've slept next to you. I've slept with you."

"Not like that. The thought occurred to me... if I had been someone else, say, one of those Titans, I could have easily killed you right here," Jinx's lips curved down. "The thought of that scared me too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The thought of you being vulnerable. I guess... I never thought of that before. I never thought you could be hurt. In other ways too."

Raven looked away. "I'm... not as emotionless as you think I am," she murmured quietly.

"I know," Jinx said hurriedly. "I didn't mean it like that. I - you know how I feel..."

The violet haired girl moved closer, putting her hands on the other girl's shoulders.

Crouched over the pinkette, she looked down with a rather odd expression on her face for a moment, then let her hands trail lower, over Jinx's breasts. "Do you want to?"

Jinx grinned. "So that means we're okay?"

"We're fine," Raven replied, pinching lightly. "This is fine, right? It's been a while..."

"That only makes it better," Jinx gasped lightly.

Her grin slowly died away as Raven continued her work, massaging and pinching as Jinx's body responded, and soon she found her breath coming out in short gasps as Raven lowered her face to her hardened nubs.

Licking, biting lightly, she trailed her tongue over Jinx's stomach, leaving a line of wetness that added an extra layer of sensation in the cool air. She tongued over Jinx's smoothed mound... the pinkette spread her legs a little, giving Raven a little more room to move around and a distinctly better view of her pale, smooth lips, now glistening with a little bit of wetness.

The pinkette was completely bare, covered with slippery fluid... Raven held her face over Jinx's crotch for a moment, licking all around, biting, teasing... the other girl's scent was light - not as musky as her own - but pleasant... enticing. Running her hands over Jinx's thighs, and then over her sides, up again, then down... hands roaming up as she breathed on Jinx's body, teasing the other girl's breasts more, and the pinkette's secret areas excreted yet more fluid, until she was very nearly dripping with arousal, yet Raven still did not touch her, letting the heat in her groin grow even further.

"Raven, please..." Jinx closed her eyes, gasping.

"No."

"But-"

"I'll let you do whatever you want to me after. But for now, let me have my fun."

Jinx's eyes flashed with want - and excitement. "I'm holding you to that," she grinned again, "you better promise."

Raven bit her lip - and something in her eyes made the demoness's body tense - Jinx was up to something, she supposed, but she shrugged and nodded.

"That's not a yes - agh -"

The sorceress did not respond, lowering her hands a little, resting on Jinx's hips, then one came over and brushed lightly against Jinx's crotch, then a little harder, and then began rubbing yet harder... and then she replaced the finger with her tongue and inserted a couple of fingers into Jinx's dripping entrance, working furiously.

The pinkette's breath caught in her throat, and then her gasps slowly became moans, ones that grew noisier and noisier as the minutes passed, at least until Raven paused again, face wet with Jinx's arousal.

"Why'd you stop?" Jinx gasped.

"Isn't that obvious?" Raven smirked again.

"No - ahh - where do you think you're - nnghh -"

Raven removed her fingers, running them over Jinx's smooth vulva, then bringing them up to Jinx's lips, letting her taste herself for a moment, then back down to the smaller, tighter hole on the pink haired girl's underside - Jinx jumped and yelped as Raven teased her momentarily.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Relax," Raven murmured, pushing her fingers in with a little effort, despite the fact that they were already well lubricated.

She pushed in and out for a minute, varying her pace so that the other girl would not go over the edge too quickly, and then she brought her face back up, leaning down for a kiss. And even as she felt the other girl's mouth respond, Jinx began grinding her crotch against Raven's thigh, slowly at first, then more furiously...

Raven backed away, holding Jinx's legs still.

"I didn't say you could move," Raven laughed lightly.

"You didn't say I couldn't," Jinx breathed out.

"True. But still, that was desperate."

"Well, excuse me, but I really need to - hnnn - ahh -"

Raven lowered her face again, and this time, her motions were faster, harder, and she did not lift her face even as Jinx's thighs clenched around her neck.

She remained locked there for maybe twenty seconds, stuck in place as Jinx's body squirmed around, dragging her where it would as the pinkette rode out the waves of pleasure. Her voice, unrestrained, graced the air with her moans, and the clear fluid dripping from her coated Raven's mouth, the taste - slightly sweet, just like the scent.

When Jinx's legs finally let her go, Raven raised her head, taking a long, low breath, then moving up to kiss Jinx on the lips again.

The pinkette opened her eyes and grinned. "Your face is red."

"You were choking me."

Jinx smiled. "Sorry. It's just... it felt good, ya know?"

"It better have," Raven muttered, prompting a light laugh as Jinx sat up, pushing Raven back.

"My turn now. Stand up."

"But-"

"You promised you'd let me do whatever I wanted, right? You've never let me do anything before-"

"I couldn't let things be out of my control. Especially in an act like this. I couldn't trust..."

"Do you trust me?"

Raven paled at the mischievous glint in Jinx's eyes, but the rational part of her - her empathy, which was making fireworks in her mind from Jinx's chaotic emotions - told her that the other girl would not do anything too drastic. Maybe there would be some pain - Raven was a demon, after all - but not anything to really hurt her.

"I... do," Raven bit her lip. "It's just... I've never been... as you say, vulnerable before." She stood.

Jinx smiled and stood as well, tying a blindfold over the violet haired girl's eyes, then tying her hands together, binding her to something attached to the ceiling. Laughing, she ran her hands down Raven's smooth arms, tickling her nipples momentarily, before crouching down and tying each of her ankles to something else, forcing her legs apart, with a bit of room for her to move - but not very much.

"I didn't realize you were into bondage - mmpff - " Raven broke off as Jinx kissed her hard and began trailing her fingers all over Raven's body.

Jinx fingered over the sorceress's hardened nipples, slapping her breasts a few times - not hard, not softly either... just enough for a little pain, and then ran her fingers all over the smooth, grey skin again. Raven remained completely silent, though her face had turned a deep shade of red. But she was still silent, at least until Jinx leaned in and bit down on the sorceress's neck, eliciting a cry of half pain, half pleasure from the other girl. And, perhaps more notably, she left a little bruise - a mark of possession.

"We belong to each other," Jinx whispered quietly in Raven's ear, smoothing back her sweaty hair. "You trust me, right?"

Raven nodded, feeling a strange mix of excitement mixed with fear. Maybe she was a little afraid, because her senses were still a little off - because she was not in control - and yet there was still that sense of innate trust. Looking into Jinx's eyes earlier, knowing that even if the other girl was a little afraid of her, she knew that they were still best friends. Jinx was loyal enough that no matter what Trigon had shown her, she still, instinctively - perhaps - trusted Raven. And perhaps now, she was aware that it worked both ways. Rather, it was supposed to?

"I trust you," Raven said quietly. "You know what that means, right?"

Jinx paused for a moment. "Do you love me?"

Raven squirmed a bit. "What is love?"

The pinkette ran her fingers over Raven's chest again, then brought her face down, biting - gently at first, then harder, until she elicited another cry from the demoness.

"I don't know. But, you understand, right?"

"I think so. It's... not about trust anymore," Raven's breath was a little ragged. "Or control. It's about... understanding."

Jinx grinned. "I don't know about that. You might be a control freak, but sometimes it's nice when you let me do what I want too. To switch roles..."

Raven bit her lip. "Making decisions is hard. Sometimes it's easier to let someone else tell you what to do. To make you do things, and for you to agree. Sometimes... it's easier to submit."

"But then you don't get a choice."

"It's okay. Decisions come down to who's right. Rather, who's more likely to be right. Nobody can be right all the time. Nobody can be in control all the time..."

Jinx brought a hand down to Raven's dense, dark body hair, pulling at the silken bush lightly. "What if we're both wrong? What if neither of us can be right?"

"I'll take that chance," Raven said quietly. "It's better if we're both wrong... that's better than you being right but me still ignoring you. Right?"

"I suppose," Jinx's hand slipped lower.

Running along Raven's entrance, her fingers teased aside the drenched fur on Raven's vulva, and then flicking at the engorged nub near the top of Raven's slit. It was silent for a few moments, though Raven's breath steadily grew more ragged as Jinx touched her, and her crotch grew yet more slick with her increasing arousal.

"Jinx," she whimpered.

"Not yet," the pinkette replied. "I'm only getting started. You can't possibly except me to let you go yet."

"But usually-"

"Usually, but not this time. You gotta trust me, babe. I know what you need."

Jinx crouched down, placing her face right in front of Raven's nether regions. The demoness's scent was strong - musky and intoxicating, but not at all unpleasant. Her skin, slick with arousal and sweat, only excited Jinx more, and as she continued to tease Raven, she felt herself getting aroused again.

She brought her face closer and licked at Raven's sensitive nub, then spread Raven's legs further apart and pushed in a couple fingers, her other hand inching down over her own body. Again, this time she moved slower, then harder and harder, until she was sure that the force was hurting Raven a little, but for the most part Raven was silent. Frowning, she shoved in another finger - and felt Raven's tightness clench around her, followed by a light moan. She paused slightly, proud of herself for producing such results, then dove in again, harder, burying her face in Raven's crotch.

The other girl's taste was saltier, stronger, but tinged with sweetness too - and extremely arousing... she always found herself excited whenever she got to do things with Raven, but tonight it was even more so than normal - perhaps it was because she was the one in control now - perhaps it was because Raven had finally begun to open up to her a little more - perhaps it was because of the admitted trust.

She had asked if Raven trusted her.

Usually the question was ignored... the sorceress typically displayed no affection and allowed none, and despite the fact that she knew that Raven did, in fact, have plenty of such emotions, it was still nice to have confirmation. It was nice - because she felt a little more reassured that Raven, in fact, did not hate her, and perhaps even liked her.

"I do like you," Raven half gasped, half moaned. "Otherwise why would I have brought you here to begin with?"

"To protect me," Jinx stood again, touching Raven's lips with a glistening finger. "But you forgot about one thing."

"And that is?"

"You didn't consider that one day, I might be the one to protect you, in some sense. Maybe not in fights, but maybe-"

"I get it," Raven continued breathing heavily, chest heaving. "I was just-"

"Used to doing everything by yourself. But eventually, if you slip up, then you'll go down alone."

"But you're here."

Jinx crouched down again. "I was always here, Raven. You just never let me in."

"I - nnghh," Raven moaned again as Jinx ran her hands through her pubic hair.

And then the demoness made a strangled noise of surprise as Jinx spanked her - hard - a few times, leaving her skin bruising a little. She felt a hand pulling at her fur, a hand at her throat, choking her slightly, and then two fingers pushing into her mouth, letting her taste herself, before disappearing, replaced by a tongue pushing against her lips.

And abruptly, Jinx withdrew. "Was that too much? That was-"

Raven shook her head, gasping a little. "I'm part demon, remember? You'll have to be a lot rougher than that to turn me off-"

"Oh, is that so? Well then, now I know for next time..."

Raven paled a little, and Jinx laughed, caressing the demoness's cheek lightly, leaning in close. "I'm not that innocent either. You should know," her voice was a breathless whisper in the other girl's ear.

"I - mmpff-" Raven broke off as Jinx pushed their crotches together, holding Raven's body in place.

They rubbed their sensitive pleasure buttons together, the wetness making the motion smooth, almost frictionless - it was not enough for much sensation, but the mere feeling of them sliding against one another - the closeness...

Abruptly, Jinx knelt down again, running a couple fingers along her own opening as she pushed her face to Raven's bush again. The demoness began thrashing about, squirming violently in her bonds, and she felt her own orgasm approaching quickly as Raven pushed her hips into her face - despite the fact that she had wanted to hold back for longer, her hands would not obey her - her mind screamed at them to stop, but her body cried for more - and more importantly, Raven's body cried for more... harder! She could practically hear Raven's voice in her ears, and perhaps Raven was talking to her, through her moans, but she had already begun to lose awareness of her surroundings. Still, her body responded automatically, and she pushed harder and harder - she was sure that she was hurting Raven now with the amount of force that she was putting into each thrust, but Raven - she remembered vaguely - was part demon and needed the pain.

She fingered Raven harder yet, and the wet, squelching sounds resounded with Raven's cries of mixed pain and pleasure, then she felt Raven's body shudder, and heard the demoness moan noisily as her muscles spasmed once.

Raven's muscles clenched again, and Jinx blinked as a spurt of fluid hit her in the face, and then her own orgasm hit her, and everything was gone to bliss.

...

This time it lasted longer... this time maybe even a minute and even as the sensations began to leave her body, Raven's body spasmed again, squirting out another wave of whitish, somewhat translucent fluid.

Part of her was aware that Raven, for some reason, was crying again, but mostly, she was still dazed and confused, wondering what exactly had brought this about, wondering what exactly the both of them were doing.

Raven thrashed around one more time, squirting one last little pulse of fluid into Jinx's face, then she slumped down. It was only then that Jinx noticed that Raven's wrists and ankles were bleeding. She shook her head a little and stood, fumbling with the ropes, taking care not to hurt the other girl.

Jinx bit her lip, holding the sorceress's shuddering body still as she undid the bindings. Raven's legs wobbled for a moment, then would not support her any longer and she began falling, but Jinx caught her and hugged her close, pressing Raven's face into her shoulder.

"Sorry."

Raven's voice was very quiet, but calm once again. "It's not your fault."

Jinx raised an eyebrow. "Then why were you crying?"

"I wasn't."

"You can't lie to me. You should know that by now."

Raven broke the embrace and bent her head down, letting her hair shadow her face. "My father... you have to understand. I've never felt fear like this before... and then I was suddenly alone..."

There was a slight pause. "But now you're back."

"I'm sorry," Jinx repeated. "I-"

"Let's not talk about it," Raven breathed out lightly.

They stared at each other again and it was silent. The moonlight was clear and bright as it streamed in through the window, casting them both in the palest of blues, almost like a pair of spirits in the night.

They did not speak - there was no need to speak - there was already understanding, and there was no need to ruin the silence that pervaded the night air. It was a few moments of calm, for now, that was at least as much as they could allow themselves. Silence... she felt that it was strange, considering that she had always wanted Raven to talk, to break the silence that had separated them, but then once she had had that affirmation... the recognition of trust, the silence was welcome once again. Because now, she knew, the trust was implicit, and there was no need to speak it - it was a wonderful thing in itself, and she felt no need to ruin it... at least until Raven began swaying on her feet again.

Jinx stepped forward and helped the other girl steady herself before looking down, blushing. "Well, uh, I guess we should clean up then."

Raven shook her head. "You can, if you have the energy to. I'm going back to sleep."

Jinx laughed softly. "Okay then. Sweet dreams, babe."

The violet haired girl gave her a brief smile before gliding over the bed and collapsing into the blankets, letting oblivion take her once again.


"You two did what?"

"Richard, man. At some point you gotta realize that-"

"Realize what? That sorceresses are evil and need to be exterminated?"

"Richard, she saved-"

"You didn't forget, did you? She killed so many of our men - our friends-"

"Richard, what she was-"

"Nonsense, Victor. You should feel lucky that we're friends, otherwise I would demote you back down to squire status and force you to relearn the tenets of knighthood."

Victor sighed, turning toward the smaller knight cowering behind him. "And you. Are you just going go to stand there all day, or are you actually going to say something?"

"B-but he's-"

"I know full well who he is," Victor turned back to Richard. "You're not always right, you know."

The masked knight folded his arms over his chest. "I know full well that I may mistakes. But even you have to admit. We both saw; there's no way that one is not evil-"

"You also didn't see her risk her life to save that village-"

"A ploy. She knew you two were there. It's all about putting on faces for demons-"

"She had no idea."

"And how do you know that? Listen, and listen well, Victor. Demons are known for their gilded tongues. They are experts at manipulation and seeming to be not what they are. Underestimate her, and we are doomed."

"Or maybe you're being overly-"

"Victor. We've gone over this."

"Dude, all I'm saying is-"

"Ladies, ladies," Garfield cut them both off. "I hate to break up the... conversation, but the food's getting cold-"

"This is more important!" they both turned toward him, glaring down at him.

Garfield yelped and shrunk down, but still stood firm. "Don't you think this is the wrong time to be arguing about this? We haven't seen enough of this sorceress dude-"

"Lady."

"Lady, whatever. We haven't seen enough of her to make a good call-"

"I have," Richard muttered under his breath.

"Well maybe. But still, she might have changed since you last saw her. Besides, if she's willing to help us save our people, isn't that a good thing?"

"I'm more worried about how that fits into her plans."

"The point is, she's not an immediate threat, so we shouldn't need to worry about her until she becomes one. Right?"

"Well-"

"Yeah, Richard. The little man's right for once. Regardless of what all of our opinions are, we have another task to do first. Get rid of these invaders."

"I- fine," Richard grumbled. "But I'm not forgetting about her."

"Wouldn't expect you to. Now, mind if we go eat?"

"Sure. Go ahead. I'll catch up in a moment."

"Richard-"

"I just need a moment to think. I'll be down shortly."

"Fine."


"What the hell are these things?" Garth gritted his teeth, swinging his sword in a wide arc.

The blade was a bright flash through the air - he clove apart several of the fiery beasts, but they easily reformed and forced him back on the defensive.

"Fire demons," the woman behind him breathed out, panting heavily. "That's what everyone has been calling them. No normal weaponry is effective against them."

"Then how are we supposed to get rid of them, Karen?"

"Roy needs to-"

As she spoke, several arrows flew over their heads, striking the amorphous creatures head on, freezing them instantly upon contact. They fell over and shattered as they crashed against the ground, leaving behind nothing but a few crystalline shards of what seemed to be glass.

"Victor really needs to give us some stuff too," Garth muttered. "Why is Roy the only one who gets to test his new inventions?"

"'Cause I'm the best, clearly," the masked knight leapt down from a tree branch and landed lightly on the ground, eyes scanning the horizon warily. "Where are these things coming from?"

Karen sat, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Apparently they are summoned, like sorcerers' elementals. Some of the villagers spotted something in the forest 'making them out of thin air'. So we need to get rid of the creator. Otherwise we'll just be fighting his armies endlessly."

The two knights looked around, grimacing. "We don't have much longer," Garth curled his hand into a fist. "Every time more of these beasts come, more of the village is turned to ashes. We are fortunate that everyone was evacuated safely. But this cannot go on."

"I could try hunting him down-"

"Roy, if you go in alone, we can't back you up. What if it turns out to be stronger than you?"

"But we can't stay like this forever. We have to do something eventually."

"I- that's true. But if we can't hold, then what should we do?"

"We retreat when necessary, that's what," Karen muttered. "But for now, cut the chit chat. We've got work to do."

She drew out a pair of daggers, facing the fiery elemental creatures charging at them. Garth and Roy readied themselves as well, but none of them could be prepared for the sheer ferocity of the coming assault.

Something was different this time. Bloodlust heated the air, crackling with demonic energy; all of them could sense it easily... it was some sort of supernatural force, driving the fire things into a frenzy, lashing out with twice as much force as before, their amorphous forms churning about wildly, blazing like true fires, scorching everything around them into charred ashes. They tore across the village in a frenzied charge, tearing straight through the three heroes standing in their paths, leaving only scorched earth behind their infernal march.

In the forest, two pairs of yellow eyes opened and a large shadow approached the smaller one, which knelt down as the other approached.

"Lord. I did not expect you, else I would have-"

"Yes, you could not have known. It was on a whim that I came here."

"What for, Lord?"

"There was something that I sensed. It may have been my imagination, but I wanted to be sure."

"The three knights?"

"No, not them. My daughter. She may have done something."

"But I do not sense her at all. I have encountered no resistance-"

"She is more clever than that. She may have done something else. But I cannot seem to tell what."

"Lord, perhaps you are over thinking it. When she met you in battle, she was still no match for you. She is not a threat-"

"She is a bigger threat than she may seem. It is not her alone. It is the ravens." Trigon looked up at the sky, eyes narrowing.

In the fading light, the darkened silhouettes of birds could be seen circling above. He studied them as they flew about, seemingly randomly, but perhaps in some sort of intricate pattern, their cries haunting the air, weaving some sort of magical spell with their ethereal harmonies.

It was suspicious... but he could not tell quite exactly what they were doing, and if there was one thing that he had to be cautious of, it was those ravens... he did not know quite exactly what they were, or what they could do, and for some reason, he could not seem to judge quite exactly how powerful they were.

There was no use in being overconfident - especially since pride was something that was supposed to belong to Raven, and not him. It was something he was supposed to teach her - so of course there was no need to overestimate his own powers.

But then again, there was no need to underestimate either...

"Those three... Titans. I see what she's done."

"They are still there..."

"Those are dummies that the ravens planted there. I see what my daughter is trying to do. She is collecting allies to increase her chances of beating me."

"Well, of course-"

"But I did not imagine that she would seek out those fools. You see, their leader is one who would hunt her to the end of the world. There's no possible way she can convince them to help her and expect anything to come of it."

"Then she is making a mistake."

"Indeed," Trigon scratched his chin thoughtfully. Perhaps. For now, it is hard to say what will happen. For now, time to lie in wait and see.


"So you're not going to help?" Raven pursed her lips. "My father-"

"We are sorry. But it is not our place to fight Trigon. It will cause problems if we aid you, one whose blood is half mortal, against a pure blooded demon lord."

Raven looked at the ground. "I... I don't know much about how politics among demons work. But are you sure there's no way you can help me? He's-"

"We know full well how Trigon operates," Belyllioth sighed. "I'm sorry. We want to. Believe me."

"I know. I know... it's just..."

Jinx squeezed her hand. "We'll be fine."

"In your dreams," Raven muttered. "Realistically..."

"Realistically, Trigon cannot be beaten outside of your realm," Asmodel closed his eyes. "Only with the aid of your friends."

"He's not stupid enough to come here. He'll just destroy everything else. Even if he can't touch me, if everything else gets destroyed, it's all pointless."

"You will have to lure him, then."

Raven bit her lip, then turned as Jinx put a hand around her waist.

"We'll come up with something."

"Very well. Then we'll be going. We have intruded upon your world for long enough."

Raven nodded slightly. "As you say. Where will you go?"

"Elsewhere. There are many realms that the demons reside in, and here, in the heart of your domain, he will be unable to track us." Belyllioth paused for a moment. "If it so happens that you defeat him, we shall pay you another visit, dear Raven. If you do not mind."

"I don't... but..." the demoness sighed. "Never mind. I will not keep you longer."

The two demons looked at each other, then faced one another, muttering a few words. A soft opened a portal to another world, one that seemed barren, empty, without light - one of the demon worlds - and then they looked at Raven once again.

"Thank you for the help. We wish you luck in your... endeavors."

Raven took a long, low breath, then managed to muster up a smile as the two demons entered the portal and disappeared.


Her smile dropped quickly as soon as they were gone. She remained motionless for a minute, radiating stress and disappointment, then tilted her face up, staring at the sky.

"Raven? Rae? Are you... okay?"

She shook her head.

"Rae, we're going to be fine. Do you hear me? We're-"

Raven sighed.

"Why are you so worried? There's no need to be so stressed about it. We're together again-"

Raven frowned, then gestured toward the sky.

In the distance, a flock of shadowed shapes flew across the moonlit clouds, at first no more than a whirling, shapeless mass of dots, then, as they drew closer, becoming a flock of ravens, whose dark eyes glowed brightly in the night. Their eerie cries rang out, softly, like human voices, like spirits, lost, contained within the bodies of birds, like pieces of a soul, like the wanderer returned home...

They gathered around, circling the two girls for several minutes, then focused their stares on Raven, brushing up against her with their soft feathers.

"We have some guests," Raven murmured. "I... don't think we can do this alone."

Jinx's eyes widened as the ravens dispersed, revealing the bodies of three unconscious Titans resting on the ground. "So you kidnapped them?"

"No. Saved them from danger. They were trying to fight Trigon's army. Didn't work out too well for them."

"Well. I dunno. They could be hostile when they wake up. Like, waking up in a weird place, with their most hated enemy in front of their faces..."

"I hope they won't be too rash," Raven fidgeted with her fingers momentarily, then pouted a little. "It's just... I don't know why they hate me too. Stupid Richard, poisoning their minds against me..."

"Well, no offense Rae, but you weren't exactly diplomatic toward them before."

"I know, I know... I just hope it works out better this time. We're going to need help against my father, if we want to stop him. I just hope they'll cooperate."

"Well, we'll have to wait to see once they wake up."

Raven looked up, then nodded slowly.

Behind, hidden within the shadowed leaves of Avalon's forest, the ravens' watchful eyes glowed darkly, slightly tinged with the deep, rich hue of crimson.

Silent guardians, they stood motionless, not moving until Raven finally stood and took the bodies of the three knights inside the castle with her. Watching, as Jinx followed, and only then did they take flight, rising into the sky and circling above Avalon in the pale light of the moon.

Then, once again, the night was filled with their haunted song.