Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans
I swear I'm going to finish this story.
Edit: Posted the wrong version of this chapter earlier. Newer one has a slightly different plot.
They stared at each other, the pink haired girl crouched protectively while cradling her friend's head in her arms, and the masked knight standing in the pale moonlight without a shred of emotion on his face.
"Well? You gonna say anythin' else?"
Richard grimaced, hand held over the hilt of his sword.
Jinx's eyes blazed furiously. "Didn't come here to fight? Is that what you're tellin' me?"
"Wait, I-"
"You did this to her!"
Pink energy began crackling everywhere. Through the nearby trees and in a deadly aura around her, lightning fizzled in bright, rosy arcs. Richard drew his sword defensively. "Wait, wait! Let me explain myself."
"Fuck you."
Jinx lashed out, sending waves of power at him. Richard drew back, clothes faintly singed. He tried to dodge the next one, but found that his knee would not support his leg and ended up collapsing to the ground. Damn it, she won't let up! I didn't bet on her being here.
The younger sorceress put her friend gently on the ground, then stood and went closer. The furious energy swirling in her eyes crackled frighteningly as she approached.
"I should kill you right here," she whispered. "You're done fuckin' with Rae. We're not dealin' with you anymore."
"Kill me and you'll never get anyone else on your side," Richard's voice was tight with pain.
"And?"
"Wasn't that what you wanted? Isn't that why you came here to begin with?"
"Yes, but-"
"He's right, Jinx. It was why we came." A pale hand wrapped around Jinx's wrist.
The pinkette turned, magic draining from around her body. "Rae? Rae, you're alive!"
"I am." Behind, the demoness stood, darkness gathering around her. It solidified quickly, then formed a loose fitting robe. She pursed her lips and looked around, then back toward Jinx, keeping her grip firm when the pink haired girl tried to move forward again. "Don't."
"But he hurt you-"
"He was not here while I was fighting. And I am not hurt."
"Then he set you up!"
Raven turned sharply. Richard gritted his teeth. Keep your mouth shut! "I didn't," the lie was a little forced.
The violet haired girl noticed. She frowned, then released the other girl's hand. "Stay put. And be quiet. That means both of you."
It was quiet for a moment, Richard clenched and relaxed, clenched and relaxed. His eyes shifted to the dead bodies on the ground, to the dried pools of blood staining the earth, then back toward Raven. Around her, the natural forces began stirring.
The soft moonlight cascaded down in waves. Like magic, it enveloped them in warm silver, swirling around the demoness like pale mist. In the ivory light, she was ethereally beautiful, an otherworldly being that appeared almost like an angel, floating just barely above the ground, an avatar of the moon itself descended to the mortal plane. The night was cast in the palest shades of monochromatic color, where there was only the alabaster sheen of arcane power at work. The sheerest sensation of light radiated, emanating from her in pulses like a heartbeat. The robe around her spread like a cloak and suddenly she was no longer a demon, or even a human, but a raven cast in the purest white, caressed by the moon's energy in the silent night.
Her eyes met Richard's own, and suddenly, he knew that she could see past his mask and the pools of his eyes into the depths of his mind. Briefly, they were connected.
Memories came flooding back. There was desolate loneliness, the utter solitude of long years alone. Both of them had lost their parents. They were both obsessive, protective, stubborn creatures. They both, in many ways, had an odd affinity to the darkness. They were reserved, yet emotional people. It was a bundle of shared traits born of similar circumstances. They both had few true friends. For most of their lives, they had been alone. There had once been the comfort of a family, but it was torn away from both of them in a rapid burst of violence. For her, it had been the outburst of a demon lord that had caused it. And for him...
She was the one who taken his parents away from him. It was the two opposite faces of the same coin. As her hands could heal and protect others, she could easily destroy as well. She had killed his parents, right in front of the eyes of a young, sensitive child. Where was the love of his family? Where were the people he was supposed to care about and protect? Where was justice, and fairness, and love, and kindness? They had taught him that these were all traits important to a knight. These were the qualities of a man who could change the world for the better. That was what his parents had told him. But before his very eyes, the world spit those values back in his face. There was no mercy.
The images flew before his eyes. He remembered. He had begged her, cried on his knees for her to stop. She just did not care. He pleaded for forgiveness, and when that had not worked, he had threatened her. When that failed too, he had asked her to try to understand. If he, just a young kid, had his parents murdered in cold blood in front of his eyes... how twisted of a person could he become?
She didn't care. It was a downward spiral of darkness.
There was no fairness. It was just a whim of hers to have killed his parents. There was no justice. He was too weak to fight her up front. She was a cold, cruel being who killed without mercy or remorse. But, it was expected of a demon.
Raven drew back and went closer.
"Is that how you feel? It's my fault?"
Pale moonlight shone brilliantly. Like a pair of blossoming flowers, her eyes sparkled and the sheer whiteness was graced with blooming lilac color. Somehow, their positions were reversed. Somehow, she was the one who seemed like the angel in that instant, and he was the dirty, filthy one. He was the one with the filthy demons in his heart.
That's bullshit! She's playing games with my mind!
She drew yet closer.
"Wait, Rae! It's dangerous! He'll-"
Raven turned slightly. The light surrounding her was blinding. "I'll be fine."
"He'll try to kill you!"
"You don't know that." She turned back, face a white mask in the moonlight. "I know how you feel, but out of respect, I will not invade your mind. I just want to try to reach an understanding with you."
Richard nodded slowly. All lies! Remember, those are the only words that come out of her mouth. Lies!
Raven bent down a little. The alabaster light spread around her and engulfed him as well. The injures Jinx had inflicted upon him slowly began to fade. "I know how you feel. I know what it's like to lose your parents. For having caused you so much grief, I am sorry. I truly mean it."
Lies.
"I understand if you cannot put it behind you. I understand that you cannot forgive me. I suppose it is only fair."
"Bullshit-" the pinkette cried out, but the blazing light warned her to stay quiet.
"Jinx, stay out of it."
"But-"
"Jinx."
The younger girl sighed, but stayed quiet. Raven turned back, then bade Richard to stand. He got up gingerly, eyeing her warily.
"If you know that, then why bother?"
She wants something out of me. What is it? Is she... going to try to take control of my body? Yes, that's probably it! I have to be on guard. I have to look for an opening and strike before she does. All this energy around me could easily be turned into an attack. So I have to be ready to act soon.
"You just don't get it. I have to try. You have to understand. I care about this world just as much as you do. I'm a healer. And I'm a caretaker of the land itself. If Trigon takes over, everything gets razed to the ground. I don't want that to happen either."
You're a filthy liar.
"And?"
Raven sighed, exasperated. "I very much doubt you want that to happen either. Look. I'm not out to get you. I know that in the past, it might have seemed personal, but I'm truly, truly sorry and I don't want to fight you anymore. Wouldn't it just be easier to work with me and beat Trigon? The faster we defeat him, the faster I can get out of your life and never bother you again."
No, you're the one who doesn't get it. You're a demon. It's not that I don't want to have anything to do with you. It's that it's my responsibility to bring you before God's eyes and have him purify your soul. And to bring justice to my parents' murderer. You have to answer for your crimes. You must answer for the inherent evil within you. No matter your reasoning, it doesn't change anything. You are evil. I will be the one to fix that.
"And you believe that it is so easy for me to just trust you? You bring destruction no matter where you go. Look at what happened to Victor! He was my friend. He was my only true friend I had made after those long years alone, and you took him away too! Just like how you took away my parents- you-
White light blazed in an unearthly halo around her. Gently, her fingers crept under his mask and lifted it from his face. It dissolved easily in the ivory cascades. Violet and azure met together in pale moonlight. Somehow the sympathy in her eyes only made him more irritated. Demons were not supposed to be sympathetic! They were cold, cruel creatures. They were inhuman and evil. There was no way a demon could have any amount of empathy for a human's emotions. They were incapable of pity. They loathed kindness and mercy. They could not love. And so they could not understand it. Yes. She is cruel and wicked. She's still trying to deceive me. She has to be. She's trying to use me. Just watch. She'll try to control me with the magic she's summoning. It can only be evil sorcery.
And yet... why was the light surrounding him so warm? Pale and white, it was somehow not the cold bite of death, but celestial radiance of the warmest sensation, soothing and healing, calming and tranquil. It was the color of silver and white gold, freshly fallen snow, but with all the sensation of a warm embrace. It was longing and melancholic, but also pitying and sympathetic. It was pure whiteness, streaming down as the palest, most untainted form of heavenly energy. It was not a pristine, celestial magic that should have belonged to a demon. So why?
Richard took a deep breath.
...
Abruptly, sanguine blood dyed the ivory a sickly crimson.
Jinx gave off a strangled noise of rage as a blade pierced Raven's back. Before he could get it in any farther, she hit him with a vehement blast of pink energy and caught Raven as she staggered back. Tearing the little dagger out, she fixed her eyes on the wound, hoping, hoping that it was not-
"Jinx," Raven muttered, coughing slightly. "Jinx, don't overreact-"
The pinkette wiped her eyes, then threw out another blast. Richard grunted, landing hard against a tree. The tears fell freely, terror and wrath pulsing out from her in unrestrained floods of emotion. She shook her head, water dripping off her cheeks, then threw another sphere of energy at the knight, then another, and another, and another-
"Jinx? Jinx, calm down."
The pinkette ignored her. She kept throwing blasts until Richard's clothes were black and singed and his skin was badly burnt, and even then she didn't stop-
"Jinx!" Raven grabbed the other girl's wrist. "I'm not hurt. Relax."
The younger sorceress held the next attack and stifled it. She looked down. "What? Rae, you- your wound's gone!"
"It is."
"Then you okay to sit on your own?"
"I suppose. What are you- Jinx!"
The pink haired girl stood suddenly and walked over, feverish rage boiling in her eyes. Without a single word, she grabbed Richard by the collar of his scorched leather armor, spit on his face, then threw him down and stomped between his legs. The half-conscious knight groaned in pain, rolling around to try to defend himself. This time, though, she would have none of it.
Jinx rammed her heel down on his stomach, then on his chest, breaking a couple ribs, then kicked his head, and just for good measure, aimed another hit in the crotch. The last one prompted a scream from the knight below her, but even that was not enough for her. She crouched down, glaring into his face, then slapped him hard. She raised another fist, nearly broke his jaw with it, then raised another-
A cold hand caught her wrist.
"Jinx," Raven's low voice cut through her rage. "He's already out."
The pinkette took a slow, deep breath and stood. Rosy cat eyes met lavender irises. Behind, the shocked faces of two other knights greeted her as well. So there were other Titans here. Somehow, she didn't care. Lips pressed into a thin line, she bent her head down and put it on Raven's shoulder. The violet haired girl staggered a little, but leaned into her friend's embrace briefly before stepping back.
"Jinx, I understand that you are angry, but killing him in a fit of rage is not the right choice."
"He stabbed you. After all those chances you gave 'im, he still calls ya evil and tries to kill you. Fuck. And I even warned you!"
Raven turned slightly, briefly making eye contact with the two Titans behind her. She sighed. "Yes, you did. I should have listened, but it was never dangerous for me to begin with. Not with the spell I had active."
"Spell-"
"I'll explain later. Look, you were right, Jinx, okay?"
"I told you so. He's a jackass and he's dangerous to you! Like, imagine if you didn't have that spell or whatever-"
"I wouldn't have gotten close to him."
"Yeah. Great, so you wanna make allies with people who'd just try 'n kill you at every opening. Ugh. Should've just let me kill 'im. Or you gonna say that'd be a bad idea?"
"Well..." Raven put a finger to her lips. "No. I don't have any particular qualms about you killing him. Not anymore. I gave him yet another chance, but now it's clear that we can't work with him."
"So then why won't you let me-"
"I just don't want you to lose yourself in anger. I want you to calm down and actually think before you do something you'll regret. Then, if you still want to do it, I won't stop you."
One of the other knights stepped forward. "Whoa there, I know that the dude attacked you, but-"
"But what, Garfield?" Jinx spat out a little more harshly than she intended. "Look."
She bent down and picked up the dagger on the ground. Terra and Garfield both gasped a little when they saw that nearly half of the blade was covered in blood.
"You gotta to be kidding me."
"If I didn't stop him, Rae woulda... she..." the pinkette stuttered a bit.
Raven rolled her eyes. "I told you, I wasn't in danger. Although, it was his intention to kill me. He was like that yesterday as well. I suppose Victor's death triggered him. And Jinx..?"
The pinkette glanced down at the unconscious man on the ground, then back up. She took a long breath, pink light flaring at her fingertips. Energy surged in her body, but somehow, somehow... she let it out in a long sigh, looking back at Raven.
"Don't worry. I'm not gonna kill him. You're right. Shouldn't do stupid stuff when I'm angry." She turned. "You guys might as well just take 'im back to your castle. We're not comin' back, by the way."
"But the demons-" Terra spluttered.
"Sorry, you're on your own."
Garfield pouted. "But Lucky..."
"I don't wanna hear it. Not from Sir Dickhead's biggest fan."
"Dude, even I think what he did was wrong."
"Don't care."
Raven chewed on her lip, drawing closer to the younger girl. "Is this okay? If you make enemies out of all of them, your dream of making other people see us as good sorceresses gets harder too."
"And risk your life for that? Nuh uh."
"I wasn't in danger..."
"Riiight."
"Well my wound is gone right?" At the puzzled look on Jinx's face, Raven turned away. "I'll explain everything later when we're alone. I am just wondering if-"
"I don't care. We're leaving."
Raven shrugged, then opened a dark portal.
"Wait! You two can't seriously-"
"Miss Terra. While you and Sir Garfield may have good intentions, your, ahem, friends are a danger to Jinx."
"And you," the pinkette quipped.
"Not really. Regardless, I originally wanted to ally with the Titans in hopes that we would not fight meaninglessly with the greater threat of my father being around. It was logical and worth trying, but now I see that it simply cannot happen. We are being hurt more by this false alliance than by acting as enemies outright."
"Hey! We didn't try to hurt you."
"Maybe not you specifically. However, I also I do not seem to recall many instances where you willingly helped me either. It was only that one time when you and Victor helped me at that village. And that time, the only thing you really did was refrain from killing me while I was down."
"What?" The pinkette began to shriek, but Raven put a hand over her mouth.
"Y-yeah, but we really did wanna help, but you were like... l-like it was way outta my league and-"
"Whatever the case, it is becoming too hard to work with the rest of you. It is less productive than if we were on our own. Sorry."
Terra's eyes shone pleadingly. "Sorry you feel that way. No, really believe me, I am. I know they treat you like shit, but-"
Jinx tore Raven's hand off of her mouth. "But nothin'. We're leavin'. Rae's too tired to argue with you guys." The pinkette pushed her friend toward the portal.
The dark sorceress rolled her eyes. She muttered a quiet sorry, then stepped in. Jinx spared them a glance, then followed. The portal closed.
Avalon
The shadows thickened. Energy surged up, dumped one girl onto a soft bed, then another one beside her. Before the second one could get up, her friend crawled on top of her and pinned her down, staring angrily into her eyes.
Raven pouted very slightly. "So I'm the one who got in a fight with Trigon and I'm the one who got stabbed by a knight, and you're still mad at me?"
"You got in a fight with Trigon?"
The demoness winced. "Jinx. You're loud. And you're being rough."
"I am? Oh, sorry." The pinkette loosened her grip a little, then shook her head slowly. "Alright, Rae. I don't even know where to start. First, what the hell was that about Garfield and Victor not killing you-"
"Oh, that. That happened a while ago. No need to think too much about it."
"Rae."
"It was a little thing."
"Ugh. Fine. Fine, fine. I'll let that one go 'cause... ugh. You're a big fat idiot. Why the hell'd you go to fight 'im alone? What's wrong with you? You coulda died! You almost did die! And it was obviously a setup from Sir Asshole! And then you still gave him a chance to try 'n kill you even though you knew he was against ya! Rae, you-"
"Jinx. One, your hands are now on my chest."
"Oops. Sorry."
"Two, Richard did not set it up in full. He talked to Sebastian Blood and released him, then plotted a way to get me to come to the forest alone. He did not know that Trigon would become involved, however. He also did not know that I could fight them all off before he even arrived."
"Rae. That's like the definition of a set up. He wanted a way to kill ya! You even said it yourself! He was plotting since yesterday!"
"Look, I had to try. I didn't want to make all this effort to find new allies, only to throw them away in an instant. It was worth a shot. And besides, I keep telling you I was not in any danger, no matter how it might have appeared."
"Riiiight. So then why were you totally out of it?"
"I was injured-"
"So you were hurt!"
"Let me finish my explanation. As you should have realized by now, Trigon is almost impossible to harm in most ways. So what I did was cast a spell on him that mirrors damage I take onto his own body, more or less."
"So you hurt yourself?!"
"Yes. The other downside to this spell is that it harms the ravens. And no, I can't trade my life for his since the mirroring doesn't work like that."
"So how does it work?"
"It's a bit weird. In the first place, it's not meant to be used against demons, but I thought I would try. It doesn't echo any physical hurt, but his powers should be greatly weakened at the moment. And he was also injured before, so that was why I could fight him off more easily this time. It was also why I wasn't afraid of Richard, who had no method of truly killing me. In fact, to kill me in that state, he would have needed to strike a blow enough to kill me more than a thousand times over."
"Not like it makes it any better. You knew he'd try, but you still went..."
"Jinx... how long are you going to go on about that?"
The pinkette sighed. "Fine. I'll drop it. Guess it's fine, since you knew what you were doin'. Ugh.." she took a deep breath. "Anyway, that spell's cool. So yer basically immortal when you cast it."
"Not really. First, the magic takes a significant set up time. It can only be used as a trap, and it requires a target for me to echo the damage onto. Unfortunately, any hurt they take, I will also take, so it requires very careful use and planning. And second, when he's fully powered up, Trigon can easily kill me a thousand times over if he gets a direct hit."
Jinx paled. "H-he can?"
"Yes. That's not saying that much, since that would only be if he got a direct hit. I mean, even one of those knights can kill me if I just stand there and take the hit."
"Oh. But still! Agh, Rae..."
"Yes?"
"... I wish you didn't have to deal with any of this. Why're you always the one gettin' hurt?"
"Always? You're exaggerating."
"Okay, fine. It's been like... like three times. But serious! Nobody else got hurt by Trigon-"
"Victor died."
"But..." Jinx blushed. "Besides! If you just hurt him the same amount you hurt yourself, it wouldn't even do anything!" She changed the subject.
"I can heal many times faster than him, and even faster with the ravens helping."
"B-but..."
"Now, if you don't mind, could you get off of me? I hate to say it, but you're heavy."
"Hey!"
Raven rolled her eyes. "You are also taller than me. Of course you are heavier."
"Oh. Hey! Still not nice!"
"Then why are you smiling about it?"
"Am not."
The demoness snorted a bit, then curled up against the other girl. A warm hand ran across her back. There was a little kiss at the back of her neck, another one closer to her collarbone, and... the next one was much rougher, almost a bite rather than a kiss. Raven flinched and turned. She put a hand to her neck. Jinx grinned wickedly.
"I'm still mad at you, you know. You're mine, Rae, and that means you don't get to go runnin' off on your own and gettin' hurt without me being there."
The violet haired girl frowned, rubbing over the mark of possession on her neck.
"It doesn't come off like that, ya know."
Raven sighed, then made a little noise of irritation. "So next time, I'll bring you too and you'll get hurt with me. Is that it?"
"Yep! Hey, ow!"
The demoness smiled, putting her head against the pinkette's shoulder. Her fingers trailed over the other girl's upper chest, where there was now a matching mark on the pale, smooth skin. "At least I have the courtesy to be discreet about where I leave my kisses. The way you do it, I can't even go out until it disappears."
"That's the whole point of 'em!"
"How crude."
Jinx giggled a bit, then put her arm over Raven's stomach. "You know what else is crude?"
She put her hand into Raven's underwear and pulled at the silky, soft hair there. Not surprisingly, her hand was pulled away rather quickly.
"Not today."
"Aww..."
"I need sleep to heal properly. You know that."
Jinx grinned. "I know. I was just playin'. 'Night Rae."
"It's already morning, actually."
"Whatever, just sleep!"
Dusk
A pink haired girl yawned, stretched her arms, and sat up. She rubbed her neck.
"Hey, Raven-" Jinx turned.
Wait. She's not here. Guess she got up already. Wonder where she went.
Cat eyes trailed down a flight of stairs into a large room lined with statues, but the throne was empty. Okay, not here. Maybe she's outside?
Jinx exited a door and looked toward the forest. It was darker than normal, somehow emanating an ominous sensation - or maybe it wasn't that, but just... disturbed? It was hard to say. She looked out toward the little lake a short distance away, then to the gardens, then back to the forest. She's probably in there. I feel like she is. Should I look for her? Well, maybe she wants to be alone. I mean, I can totally respect that. Bein' close is great, but at least a lil' alone time is good too. Maybe I'll take care of the garden for now.
The pinkette hummed quietly to herself as she grabbed a bucket and walked over to the lake. She filled it with water and moved back over to the gardens. Tomatoes look like they're growing pretty good. Dunno about the onions and potatoes yet. I can check on 'em later. Oh yeah, and hmm. Rae's herbs. They smell good. I could make tea for her.
She looked up. In the sky, the sun was a dim, dusky orb falling over the horizon. The wind blew by; she shivered. Something feels a bit weird. Maybe... I dunno. Maybe I really should look for her. Wait a sec.
Squinting, the young sorceress put a hand over her eyes and looked into a sky. There was a large, dark shape floating above one of the hills in the distance. The ravens? Nah. It's coming closer. I wonder... oh right. That dragon. Malchior. Looks like he's out feeding or something. Or just stretchin' his wings. Actually... he might've seen her. I could ask him.
Jinx sprinkled another bucket of water over the herbs, then set it aside and gathered up a bit of energy. She sent a bolt of magic into the sky - a harmless signal - and the dragon turned course. In moments, he was flying above her and when she beckoned for him to come down, he landed with a large puff of air in front of her, just by the side of the little lake.
"I have not seen you for a while. Did you require something of me?"
"Well, we've been running around for some time. And yeah, actually I was wondering if you've seen Rae."
"Mistress Raven? She went there earlier," the dragon nodded toward the forest.
"Oh. You know what she was doin'?"
"No. The ravens were not friendly so I did not feel the need to bother her. She appeared to be in a foul mood."
Huh. Wonder why. I wonder if I should check up on her. Or... wait, did something happen? Maybe I should go see if she's okay. But what if she yells at me? Meh, I can deal with it. I mean, something just doesn't feel quite right. 'sides, I give her plenty of alone time usually. Just wonder if I can find her. Or wait...
"Do you think you can find her now, or-"
"I have no desire to. I believe you recall when you two first brought me here. She told me to 'keep my nose out of trouble'. She has reinforced the point that I am to only help you if she requests it."
"Pff, I'm just as good as her-"
"I have no wish to disobey that girl."
"Fine... guess I'm on my own."
"You are. Now, unless you require something else, I shall be going."
Without waiting for her response, the dragon flew up and away, back toward the hills. Jinx grimaced. As unfriendly and unhelpful as ever. Though, guess he answered my questions at least. Guess that wasn't so bad, considerin' he's a dragon. But, anyway, gotta go look for Rae. Here goes.
The trees were black and thick all around. Night fell like a dense shroud, rife with perturbed sensation and thick with unrestrained energy. Some sort of sorcery hung around, not something invoked on purpose, but more of an aura. It did not feel dangerous, but it felt heavy, almost like water.
The air grew blacker and thicker. The trees here were tall, dressed in leaves of unnaturally dark color. She shivered again. Raven might have changed since that time, but this place still brought back unpleasant memories. It was the Demon's Grove, after all.
In the thickest, darkest part of the forest, not even the light of the brilliant moon could reach through the intricately woven branches. The pink glow of her eyes was an anomaly in the ever deepening darkness, and her very presence seemed to disturb the uneasy stillness all around her. It was eerily quiet. There was a profusion of sensation in the air, thick, but restrained, swirling slowly like a pool of viscous tar.
It was hard to breathe. It wasn't just that it was damp and musty. It was the heavy weight, like she was being buried alive within the grove itself, crushed under the weight of the immense void. It was darker than ever before. The shapes of the trees were distorted into grotesque, abhorrent shapes. The muted sensation crawled against her skin, sending goosebumps down her spine. It was like the caress of something sinister, the cold touch of death mixed with the burning grasp of something devilish.
She stumbled over something and crashed to the ground. Except, she didn't land properly - the earth seemed to swell up and suddenly there was the sensation of musty soil surrounding her. Her breath caught in her throat. The mutilated forms of the trees drew closer, warped in ghastly darkness. She struggled, trying to get to her feet again, but something rough coiled around her legs and held her in place. The blackness was overwhelming.
Panic filled her pink eyes. Her chest heaved for breath as more unknown shapes wound themselves around her body.
Somehow, she was moving again. No, they were moving her? They drew her deeper and deeper into the darkness. Energy flared at her fingertips, but fizzled out immediately - oblivion was raw and stifling. Slowly, adrenaline gave way to fear when the acrid taste of blood filled her mouth. Her heart pounded harder and harder, sweat dripping down her face in small rivulets and running down her neck and chest.
She tried to cry out. Somehow, no sound came out of her mouth. The only thing she could hear was the hammering of her own heartbeat. The black forest was thick with the stench and taste of blood. All around, the suppressed sensations churned, a mix of raw destruction and icy rage and faint melancholy.
A single note broke through the thick veil. It echoed for a moment, then was joined by another. A third came in, and over the course of several minutes, more and more began to sing. It was a chorus of low, feminine voices, soft but guttural, faintly rough. Through the black veil, crimson eyes opened in flocks of two pairs each. The silky sensation of feathers caressed her skin.
The bindings surrounding her began to squeeze. Her heart pounded harder than ever. She tried to scream, but somehow the energy in the air choked the voice out of her throat. Feathers rustled faintly as they hovered around her. She looked toward them pleadingly. Her bones groaned under the pressure of the constricting shackles.
They sang again. The notes fell discordantly together, grinding harshly against her ears. She whimpered as one of her ribs snapped.
Please! Please... Raven...
Their movements were frantic around her. Soft voices cried out again, and this time, their song came in harmony.
And just like that, she was free.
...
Jinx took several long, shuddering breaths before looking up. She winced with pain. I shouldn't have come here. This was such a bad idea. I...
Suddenly, she caught sight of a cloaked figure standing not too far away. Wait a sec. Is that...
It caught her looking and moved away.
"Wait!" The pinkette took a few steps forward, but her chest protested the abrupt movement. "Damn it... Rae!"
Crimson eyes opened again. There were hundreds around her, all grouped together in narrowed slits of four. The ravens cried out to her and drew in again. A surge of terror flooded through her breast. Oh god they're gonna kill me! They're - oh no, no, no...
She closed her eyes and put her arms over her head, but instead of pain, the soothing sensation of healing waves ran through her. Wait, what's... what're they doin'?
Tentatively, the pink slits of her irises opened again. Vermilion greeted her, but she had the faint realization that their eyes lacked the menace that she had previously imagined. Sure, they certainly seemed demonic, but... they're helpin' me. They... want me to go chase her?
Another cry from the ravens seemed to affirm her thoughts. Jinx shook her head vigorously, breath coming in rapid gasps. I'm gonna go find her.
"Raven!" She began running again.
At the edge of her vision, she caught sight of the other girl disappear behind a couple trees. The pinkette followed quickly, propelled by an energy that was not her own. Above, the dark birds followed as well, their grim eyes casting a mirthless, sanguine glow in the deep blackness.
"Why are you running? I thought we went over this! We're supposed to trust each other!"
She stopped. Both of them did. In front of them, there was a single, towering tree carved of the blackest wood imaginable. The cloaked figure ran her fingers along the smooth bark, then bent her head down.
"Leave, Jinx." Raven's voice was husky, rougher than normal.
"Rae-"
"You don't want to see me like this."
Jinx blinked a couple times, then stepped forward anyway. "I think I do."
"No."
"Yes." The younger sorceress stretched a hand forward.
"Stop!" Raven held a hand up.
Darkness gathered around, restraining Jinx's body, but it was dispelled within a moment. Above, in the branches of the black tree, the ravens began singing again.
"No..." the demoness breathed out, slumping a little. "Please don't let her-"
"Rae." Jinx's voice shook a little, mixed with fear and trepidation, but she gathered herself and tried to stay calm. "Do you trust me?"
"I... I..."
The pinkette moved yet closer. They were within an arm's reach. She took another step. Just like that, Raven turned a little. Two pairs of crimson eyes greeted a single pair of rose colored ones. Jinx paled.
This is Rae. Yeah. It's Rae. She's a demon too. She's like her dad.
Images came flooding back. It was the same as what Trigon had showed her - it was Raven, wicked and twisted like a true devil, burning and torturing others just out of sadistic delight. It was Raven on top of her, kicking her face into the ground and twisting her limbs at impossible angles, cackling madly when the bones broke and screams filled the air. It was Raven tormenting her without a care for her feelings or her life. It was Raven's eyes who were filled with hatred and anger, a lust for blood and power...
Her eyes. Look at her eyes.
The words were a gentle command. Jinx obeyed, stifling her own gasps. It was Raven right in front of her. At first, it seemed like the sanguine eyes were just glowing pools of wicked crimson, but she fought down the instinctive fear and drew a deep breath.
And then she realized it. They might not have been their usual violet color, but those eyes still very much expressed the Raven that she knew. It was the downcast turn of their shapes and the flecks of color flying through them underneath the surface of the dark, blood-like color. When she looked more carefully, it was not a vicious crimson at all, but a dismal, subdued vermilion, rife with repressed emotions and... were those tears at the edges of her eyes?
Demon or not, she was still Raven. My Raven.
Jinx forced her shaking hands to calm. She stretched one forward and pulled the hood of Raven's cloak back. The demoness's hair had lightened from a dark mauve to a pale lavender. Her skin was faintly red, almost rose colored in the nearly opaque darkness. There were the hints of fangs under her mouth and sharp, black claws where her soft, gentle hands had been. Her face was more angular than before, the bones forming almost jagged edges compared to the mellow swell of her cheeks before. It was unnatural. It was... disturbing. But she was still Raven.
The pinkette kept her face as smooth as possible. She took one more step forward, then put her hands on Raven's shoulders. Just like that, the demoness slumped down.
"I didn't... want you to see me like this."
Jinx sat beside her, lips trembling a bit. She's scary. Shit, like, if I saw her like this before, I woulda totally freaked out. I probably woulda left. Or... well... okay, maybe not that, but I woulda had tons of nightmares. I mean, it was part of the reason I left before, too, so... ugh. I don't know why she's so scary! Feels like my heart's gonna explode at any minute. I can't... I can't...
"We... had that talk about trust. I know. But... it's just... it's better if nobody has to see me like this. I know you're... you're... scared of me..."
The pinkette looked up, still shaking. "Wait. Are you crying?"
"N-no..."
A soft sniffle suggested otherwise. Jinx hung her head, slightly ashamed. I mean... she's still Rae. I can't just go hurtin' her 'cause she looks a little different. What kind of shit friend am I?
"Rae." Jinx cupped her cheek. Her hand made contact with damp skin. "You were crying."
"I... I wasn't..."
The younger sorceress took another breath. Her heart still pounded in her chest, but she continued trying very hard to stifle her own fear.
"I'm sorry."
Raven blinked a couple times, wiping her eyes.
"I know we talked a ton about trust. I shouldn't be so scared of you when you're like this. It's just... bad memories. And the forest practically attacked me when I came here!"
The demoness looked away. "That's... not my fault. I told you not to come here."
"Yeah but-"
"And I wasn't the one who did that. You know I'd never hurt you. Not again, after that huge mistake."
"Oh. So what was that then?"
Raven chewed on her lip. "Well..."
Jinx clutched her chest for a moment, then shifted closer. She slowly reached a hand forward, grabbed Raven's hand, and - taking care to not get cut by the sharp claws - put it over her breast. She was a little surprised when she felt a little squeeze, and a bit more surprised when it didn't cut her.
"They're retractable?"
"... Yes."
"Neat." Jinx leaned in further.
Their faces were very close. At that distance, she could make out all of Raven's features. She traced a couple fingers over the curve of Raven's cheek bones, the softness of her lips and the faint scars along the side of her face that were normally invisible from farther away. The skin was exquisitely soft beneath her touch, a little warmer than before, but... but... it's not like she's a different person just because she looks like this. She's part demon, yeah. I already knew that. I shouldn't be judgin' her just 'cause I'm seeing her like this, though. I can't be so stupid.
"Rae," the pinkette's voice was quieter. "Can we just be honest with each other? I mean, I get that you have some secrets, and... you know, that's okay. It's just... a little hard like this, ya know? It's..."
Raven squeezed the other girl's hand. "If you want to be honest, then how about we start with your feelings?"
"But-"
"I want to know how you really feel."
"I don't want to make you feel bad."
"I'm an empath."
"Oh. Then..."
"I just want to hear it from you. It's different than me sensing it."
Jinx grimaced, then nodded. I owe it to her. "So, I guess... ugh. Just... here's my no bullshit answer. You're scary, Rae. You're hella scary. When I pulled down your hood, I honestly wanted to just run. You gotta understand. 'Cause of what happened before when I came here, then what Trigon showed me, and ugh, I know what you can do to people... and you know, demons have a bad rep. So it's just like instinct, right?"
"Oh..."
"But, but but - I think... I mean, what kind of crappy person would I be if I didn't even give ya a chance, right? It's not like you go insane just 'cuz you're in demon form."
"No, I am still very much me."
"Right. And besides, up close, you don't look that scary at all. Actually..." Jinx grinned a little, "you look kinda cute, honestly. And the fact that you have retractable claws is so cool."
Heat rose in Raven's cheeks. Her mouth worked furiously for a moment, but she could come up with nothing to say.
"So, yeah. It'll take a bit of gettin' used to, but you don't need to hide from me. 'Kay? Also means no hiding away when this happens every month."
"But... I'm still a demon..."
"It's just who you are. You were born that way, so you can't really help it, right? Besides, I can accept that. It's not so bad. We're both freaks, right? Freaks gotta stick together."
Raven offered her a glare. "That's one way to put it. Thanks..."
Jinx grinned again. "You look so evil like that! In a cute way, I mean."
The demoness grumbled under her breath, but something in her expression relaxed a little bit. She closed her eyes, then leaned back. Jinx pulled her closer, letting Raven rest her head on her shoulder.
"So. Your turn."
"My turn?"
"Yeah, you gotta tell me what happened to me earlier. And what this place is. And how you feel."
Raven pursed her lips.
"You can't just bail on me now..."
"I could. You wouldn't be able to do anything about it."
"Hey! You're gonna say that while restin' so comfortably against me?"
"Yes."
Jinx pouted. "I swear when you go in demon form you turn into an even bigger tease."
Raven rolled her eyes. "So, this place... it's a strange area of the forest. You see, it's not entirely real."
"Wait, what?"
"That's right. It's... well..."
"C'mon, spill it."
"In a sense, this is actually part of my psyche. However, it's also part of my father's psyche. It's sort of the link between our minds."
"Wait a sec..."
"I think I once explained to you that I have a sort of inner dimension inside my head. I call it Nevermore."
"Yeah..."
"Trigon has one like that too. This is the area between our two inner dimensions. So, he has some control, and so do I."
"So he was the one who did that to me earlier?"
"Yes."
"That's... freaky..." Jinx shuddered. "But then... but if this is part of his head too, why doesn't he just use this to come here and fuck with ya?"
"Several reasons. One, because this is not strictly in a physical plane of existence, you cannot just teleport here. Two, he is... stronger than me normally," Raven spoke with a bit of distaste in her mouth, "but here, powers do not work like normal and we are on even footing. And three, because of them."
The demoness gestured up at the ravens perched in the branches.
"This is a very special place with odd properties. You need more formal training in demon sorcery to understand it properly, so I cannot give you the full explanation now. Suffice to say, you should definitely not come here alone. If I'm here, I can keep you out of trouble, but if not, then things may happen, whether or not Trigon decides to mess with you."
"It's just freaky that part of your head is connected to his... he could totally be corruptin' you then!"
"Do I appear corrupted to you?"
Jinx grinned. "Well, yes."
Raven snorted. "Sure. But, until you notice me acting like a power hungry demon lord, you have nothing to worry about."
"But if I do..."
"It won't happen. Not until he kills me and takes possession of my dead body."
"Rae! Don't talk like that!"
"I can talk however I please."
"Yeah, but that's... that's... joking about gettin' killed? I just-"
"What, you're worried?"
"Yes!"
Raven's eyes opened a little. Streaks of pink flew through the deep, sanguine pools. "You know... I was scared too. When you saw me, I could feel how afraid you were. I thought... it was like... your hatred, I could accept. But you being afraid of me... I couldn't deal with it. Then when you looked at me and you were scared out of your mind, it honestly hurt a lot-"
"I'm sorry."
The demoness closed her eyes again. "It's just because... everyone's like that. They see a demon and they just think 'she must be evil'. Even Arella... even my own mother was afraid of me in this form. No matter what, in this world, a demon is hunted..."
Is that what Trigon was talking about before? No, he was using that as bait to try to get inside my head. He doesn't care about that at all. He's not like me.
"I'm so sorry."
"But you know, even if I look like this, I'm still the same on the inside. It still hurts... mmpf- Jinx?"
The pinkette wrapped her arms around the other girl and hugged tightly. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I really am."
Raven blinked a bit. Jinx frowned, sensing her friend's hesitation.
"You gonna hug me back?"
"What? Oh." Raven leaned into the embrace a little.
They stayed like that for a couple minutes, then Jinx drew back, sighing. "You're the most awkward hugger ever."
"I know."
"We gonna have to work on that."
"I suppose so." Raven stretched her arms and yawned. "We have been here for quite some time."
"Yeah. You wanna go back?"
"Looking like this?"
"Like I said, there's nothing wrong with it! C'mon, let's go."
"... Fine." Both girls stood. Jinx reached for Raven's hand, but the demoness drew it back. "Wait. Did you remember to water my herbs?"
"Of course I did!"
"Oh, very well then." Raven slipped her hand into Jinx's.
"So if I forgot, you weren't gonna let me hold your hand? Meaaannnn!"
"Yes, I am the epitome of cruelty."
"Totally."
As the two girls walked through the forest, pale moonlight radiated through the leaves and sparkled in the fading night. Behind them, the dark shapes of the ravens hovered in the air, gracing Avalon with their harmonious songs.
A/N: Soooo much fluff. o﹏o
