Disclaimer: Teen Titans isn't mine

Sorry, I wanted to post sooner, but I've been sick for 2 weeks and super behind on schoolwork. t.t


Light.

Pale light greeted a pair of fuchsia slits.

Right. The night basically lasts forever here. Almost forgot about it. It's honestly pretty nice though. The moon's really pretty here.

Jinx turned to the side. Huh. She's still here. Pale fingers caressed a lock of whitish hair away from Raven's face.

The other girl was still in demon form, but somehow, up close, she seemed... more docile than ever before... if that was the word to describe it. Somehow, she was cute like this. It was a lot easier to see it up close. From afar, the sheer aura of darkness tainted with vermilion radiated raw danger and black sensation. Raven, demon or not, could be colder and far more threatening than anyone else, save perhaps Trigon. It was the grim magic that she wielded, power at its utmost strength, sorcery that could eradicate life without a second thought... that magic was the impression that she always gave off.

But here, curled up and asleep like a little cat... there's no way she's not cute!

Jinx grinned. She leaned down and nipped at Raven's neck. The dark sorceress moaned softly.

"Not now..."

"Mmmm... you were awake?"

Raven shifted, hugging tightly against Jinx's body. If there was one thing the pinkette had learned in the past few weeks, it was that Raven was perpetually cold. Well, actually, she had learned two things. Raven was cold, and she didn't like being cold. So, the hugging wasn't exactly a show of affection in the normal sense, but it was good enough.

Jinx put a hand down over Raven's back, stroking her smooth muscles gently, then caressing her slightly lower. Raven's breath was hot on her collarbone.

"Stop being so horny."

"Heh. Sorry."

The demoness's breath slowed.

Guess she must be exhausted. She's been over workin' herself lately. Gotta recharge some time. 's okay. I could use some more sleep too.

Rose irises closed. She fell into a sea of dreams.


Heat and cold washed over her body in waves. Bathed in a sea of black dreams, her mind wandered, suspended in a subconscious limbo of crimson skies and rocky plains spread across a bottomless void. A swirl of ravens flocked around her, their hot feathers caressing her with warm heat, then drawing back and letting the icy cold pierce her toasty armor. Darkness breathed a bit of pressure against her body, then withdrew again. It faded further, as if sucked away by a vacuum.

Fire and ice bled through her veins. They took turns, easing her body out of the thick valley where dreams and nightmares dwelled, slowing joining her mind with her physical form. She turned a little, stretched an aching muscle, then the darkness faded further.

Soft whispers touched her ears. Frigid wind ghosted across her skin, then was rapidly replaced by warming fire. Sparkling heat gave way back to the pale luster of cool moonlight.

Sleepy cat eyes opened briefly. She shifted again, sensing the person in her arms slinking away and stretching. Black dreams gave way to the celestial radiance in the white sky. In Avalon, it always seemed to be night.

Jinx took a long, slow breath, then turned once more. Heat faded to cold. She opened her eyes, greeted by Raven's nude form beside her, stretching her sleek muscles as if she had had a good, long sleep. In all probability, both of them had.

The demoness was back to normal. Her skin glowed with ivory color with the moonlight washing over her. Her face was less angular, softer, like the rest of the gentle curves of her body and muscles. Violet eyes sparkled as pinpricks of color in an otherwise monochromatic world. Her hair was dark again, tinged slightly violet, extending past her shoulders in long, messy locks that stuck out in all directions. Below, the triangle of her darker body hair hid the secret cleft between her legs.

Jinx sat up, stretching as well, eyes still glued downward. Raven straightened out her tangled hair a little, then sighed.

"You really want me, don't you?"

"... yeah. Kinda. But if you don't wanna, it's okay."

The demoness put a hand to her back. "No, it's okay. Just don't be too rough today, okay?"

Jinx grinned. "Don't worry. I'll be gentle."


Raven broke off a piece of bread and put it in her mouth, then offered it to Jinx. The pinkette took it gratefully, staring at the map on the table in front of them.

"It may surprise you, but we slept for several days in the time of the outside world. It may even have been a couple weeks. I am not sure."

"Really? No wonder I'm starvin'."

"There is the fact that both of us were exhausted, but it is also the byproduct of the magics of Avalon. Time flows differently here, as you recall. A plethora of energy in the vicinity, or a particularly large outpouring of sorcery elsewhere can also cause disruptions in time here."

"So... what you're telling me is..." Jinx spoke slowly, "Trigon did something?"

"Most likely. I spoke with Malchior a bit earlier. He did not see anything, but notified me of the difference in time."

"Huh. That grumpy dragon."

Raven tilted her head. "He's rather nice for a dragon, you know."

"For a dragon, yeah. Hey, come to think of it, why don't you have him help us fight Trigon?"

"I could. He probably knows that I wish to call upon his help when we confront Trigon again, but like the ravens, it is better if he fights near Avalon. Dragons grow stronger around places with higher densities of magical energy. Farther away, I am not sure how much he can do."

"Oh. Hmm. But Trigon's not stupid enough to just come here either..."

"That is the issue. He probably plans to destroy everything else first, if he has not done so already. Even then, he cannot fight on even ground here, but the ravens will not just sit around and let that happen anyway."

"Huh."

"Hmm?"

"You don't control what they do, I guess?"

"Not exactly, no. The point is, we will have to fight some time. I know he has at least one goal in mind, and that is to capture me. Or kill me."

Jinx shuddered and squeezed Raven's hand. The demoness pursed her lips.

"He also knows that I am still a rather large threat to him. I'm not that weak."

"Wasn't sayin' you were."

"Okay. In any case, I think I know him well enough to know that he wants to destroy the Titans first and make an example out of them before obliterating Camelot. Or, he may just make an example out of them and reign by terror. I'm not sure what his true motive is, but he will want to destroy their authority."

"So what you're sayin' is, we either use you as bait, or them as bait."

"Bait? I don't believe I can use myself as bait at this point. He will not confront me unless it is somewhere far from here. The ravens are too much of a threat to him around here. The Titans are the only option. By now, he knows we have broken off from them. He will assume they are alone, and I will not care to defend them. At least, that's what I hope."

"But you're still gonna try?"

"Let me clarify. We won't be working with them. We will just use them."

Jinx sat back. "Hope that jackass doesn't stab ya in the back again."

"I will see to it that we will be nowhere near him."

"You sure this is a good idea?"

"No. I don't really have any better ones, though. There isn't too much we can do to get him to come fight in our territory. The only way is to get the Titans to come here, and even then, he will be on high alert."

"So you have some kind of plan?"

"In a manner of speaking. It is not well formed yet, but there is a monastery that I wish to visit. It is rather close to here, hidden away in some of the hills. Its name is Azarath."

"Whoa. A monastery? You mean like... one of those places... that... hunt demons?"

"Typically, they do. Azarath, however, was once home to many sorceresses. I do not know how much it has changed, but it is worth a visit."

The pinkette dipped a piece of bread into some soup and munched on it quietly. She looked up at Raven, back down at the map, then up again.

"Rae, I'm worried."

"I can tell."

"I just want you to be safe."

"I don't like putting myself in that kind of danger either."

"I think I'd kill myself if anything happened to you."

"Jinx," Raven muttered sharply. "Don't talk like that."

"It's true! Rae," she moved closer. "I dunno what I'd do without you."

She put a hand toward Raven's hair. The demoness bent her head down, letting the other girl play with her fine, silken locks.

"Well... I do wish to visit Azarath briefly. It should not be dangerous; the monks living there should still be pacifists, if nothing has changed. And even if they are not any longer, they still won't pose much of a threat to me."

"But-"

"And you're coming too. Unless you don't want to."

"I am?"

"It's not like you'd let me say no."

Jinx grinned. "You're learnin'."

Raven rolled her eyes. "I told you. I'm sick of fighting with everyone. Most of all you, Jinx. There's no reason for me to make you upset. And... erm... I do suppose it feels nice to have backup. Just in case."

"Oooh, bein' honest for once."

"Whatever. When you're done eating, let's make a trip there, shall we?"

"Sure. You not gonna eat more?"

Raven wrinkled her nose. "Not now. I need to keep a clear head. Hmm. I also should bring something as a gesture of goodwill. Meet me outside when you're done, okay?"

"'Kay."


Dense mist obscured their path forward. The sounds of sloshing water and the cool, damp air surrounded them as their boat glided forward smoothly, propelled by Raven's shadowy sorcery. It was quiet and still, tranquil at first, then eerily silent as they crossed the lake surrounding Avalon. Whereas the protective veil around the magical isle had imparted a sense of comfort to the air, here, where the mortal realm was bare and unguarded against Trigon's potent energies, the imminent tension of danger imparted the atmosphere with a sense of focused threat.

Jinx drew a swift breath, the shift in sensation sending shivers down her arms. She looked back, sensing Raven's tension as well, but stayed quiet. The dense mist pressed in, disturbed suddenly by the croaks of hidden amphibians and the cries from dark shapes of birds gliding through the impenetrable shroud. The pinkette turned toward the other girl, raising an eyebrow in question. Raven shook her head, then gestured upward.

The songs started.

High in the air, flying among the clouds, the ravens emerged from the shadowed forests of Avalon. In front of them, the mists parted, revealing the fiery, dusky glow of the setting sun reflected across the clear waters beneath them. Raven put a finger to her lips and the song died away quickly, then stood slowly, taking care not to overturn the boat. She beckoned once more, and this time, the ravens followed, darting streaks of black energy in the setting sun.

The pace of the boat's gliding slowed. Raven threw out a rope and drew them in toward the shore. She held out a hand, helped Jinx up, then got out as well. Violet eyes glanced around briefly, noting the locations of the ravens around them, before she put a finger to the boat and sent it back toward Avalon.

The younger sorceress let out a long, low breath that she hadn't even realized she had been holding.

"Not teleporting us this time?"

"It's not far. Making the physical journey is valuable sometimes."

"I guess..."

"Although, I suppose it might be a little unpleasant right now, given the circumstances. Sorry, I didn't think of that."

"It's fine. It's not that bad. It was kinda, you know, a bit creepy for a bit, but it's better now."

"That is because I called the ravens to us."

"Ohhh. Right. Them."

"Shall we get going?" Raven put her hood up.

"Sure." Jinx followed as the other sorceress began gliding forward. "Wait. Why'd you tell me to wear white if you're still gonna wear black like always?"

"Relax. I can change the color of my clothing." As she spoke, Raven's cloak shifted gradually from its usual raven black to a medium grey, then to pure white. "I do think that white will give a better impression, though it may not really matter. We shall see."

"So you care about what those monks think? We gonna make some new friends?"

"Not exactly. It is better if we do not have to fight, though."

"Well, obviously. But you're bein' kinda dodgy."

"Am I?"

"Yeah. I mean, you still haven't told me why we're goin' to Azarath and what you're lookin' for."

Raven pursed her lips. "I didn't want to bog you down with details, but if you would rather know them, that is fine too. Azarath is a very, very old monastery. My mother came from there. She also has a grave there, despite the fact that she moved to Avalon later."

"Ooh. So you gonna visit her?"

"She isn't really buried there, so no. I don't have any particular emotional connection to Azarath either. I do, however, know that they used to keep a large collection of old texts and documents. If those still exist, they could be beneficial to look at. It is also one of the places with the highest density of magical energy outside of Avalon. This benefits us..."

"... but it makes Trigon stronger too, right?"

"Yes. I was considering baiting him here to set a trap, but it would be very risky. Either way, it doesn't hurt to pay a visit."

"'course not. How far in the hills is it anyway?"

"Not very much farther in horizontal distance. It is a little ways up, however. Usually, the monks will take the long route up the hillside, but I can just raise us up the mountainside."

"Sure, but... you sure they won't be scared if you just randomly show up usin' magic 'n stuff?"

"I am fairly sure they know about me already. Whether or not I use my powers does not matter."

"Hmm 'kay."

A circle of dark energy appeared beneath them and Raven carried them up the hillside. They rose rapidly above the nearby forest, still a bit farther up, until there was a wide view of the countryside beneath them and the tall walls of mist guarding Avalon in the other direction. The sun glowed vermilion just above the horizon. Jinx looked away.

It was a quick trip. They arrived at a spacious, flattened area carved into the steep cliffs, where there were several buildings built straight into the rock in a neat semicircle with a tower in the center. All around, there were gardens of foodstuff and herbs, interspersed with flowers every so often. There were some monks watering the plants as they stepped off of the energy circle and moved toward the monastery. Above, the bell began tolling. Raven fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve.

As they drew nearer, some of the monks looked up warily, noticing that Raven was floating very slightly above the ground instead of walking, but none of them spoke directly to either of the two sorceresses, nor was there any indication of open hostility.

Raven looked around briefly, then headed for the building in the center, opening the doors with her powers and slipping inside. Jinx followed.

It was a gathering hall, she supposed - but it was surprisingly plain. There were none of the large statues typical of the other churches she had been in, nor was there fancy artwork, nor any sort of ornate decoration. There was a little podium, an altar behind it, some benches, a few candles lit around the sides of the room, and that was pretty much it.

There was a priestess near the altar, lighting some candles above a figurine of a woman. She looked up as they approached, a flash of recognition flowing across her features as she saw the pair of violet and pink eyes.

"Lady Raven."

"She knows you?" Jinx tilted her head.

"Sir Richard spoke of you two."

"Oh, that guy..."

At the miffed look on Jinx's face, the priestess smiled a little. "Rest assured, we do not seek to be your enemies."

Raven relaxed a little. She gestured to the air and a portal opened. It dumped a few, large rolls of brightly colored cloth and a couple pots of herbs on the ground, then disappeared. The priestess stared for a few moments, then got up and walked over. She ran a couple fingers over the fabric.

"This is very finely made."

"We have had a long time to practice," Raven's voice was low and smooth. "The herbs are from Avalon's garden as well. You could try planting the seeds, but I suspect they may not grow well outside of our island."

"The gifts are much appreciated nonetheless. I am afraid that we have nothing that we can give to you in return-"

"That's fine. I did, however, happen to come for something. Does the old library still exist?"

"Looking for something to use against the demon?"

"I am."

"So it is true. You are fighting him after all."

"Of course I am," Raven muttered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Sir Richard made it seem as if you were in cohort with him."

Jinx's face darkened. "That ass."

"Wouldn't expect any less from him. No, I'm afraid that is not true. Have you heard the story of my mother? The priestess Arella?"

"I'm afraid I have not. I only know a little about her. I also did not know she was your mother."

"Ah. Well, let's just say that Trigon was the one who ended up causing her death. I have plenty of reason to hate him for just that."

"O-of course. I was not doubting you."

"Very well. So, the library?"

"Yes. It is beneath the current records, in the house of annals. There is a key that you will need- ah. But I suppose you will probably not need it."

"I won't. I just thought it would be better to ask permission to enter first."

"The librarians usually do not like it when people enter the old library unsupervised, so you may have to convince them. I do not think there will be a problem, however."

"I see. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The two sorceresses left the building. Raven studied their surroundings for a moment, then led them toward the one on the far left. She knocked briefly before they entered and was greeted by another, older priestess at the door.

"Hello."

The elderly woman studied Raven's face carefully. "By Azar, you are that young sorceress..."

Jinx snickered. Raven rolled her eyes. "Despite my appearance, I can assure you that I have lived for quite some time. Regardless, I am inquiring about the old archives that I was told was in this building. Would you allow us to go inside and look for something?"

"It is almost closing hour and I cannot let you go in unsupervised-"

"We'll be careful. I promise." Raven's eyes glowed very slightly. "I'm used to handling old documents."

"You are? It may be okay, then."

"Yes. We promise we won't damage anything. You can trust us."

"I suppose I can. Very well. You may enter with this key. Please place it on the desk when you are done, girls."

"Will do. Thank you."

Raven shifted past the priestess and Jinx followed. As soon as they were out of earshot, the pinkette grabbed the other girl's hand.

"You cast a spell on her!"

"I did not such thing."

"Then why were your eyes glowing, huh?"

"I was only helping her think in a way that she was already beginning to lean toward. It was only a little nudge."

"That was so dirty! Come to think of it, why don't you do that more often?"

"You mean like against the Titans? Because that would require me to micromanage them, and in the case of Richard, for example, it would take a lot more than a little nudge for him to be on our side."

"Oh. Duh," Jinx laughed a little. "Still, it was totally hilariouswhen she called you a girl. I mean, she's probably still older than me, but you're like an old hag even compared to her."

"An old... hag?" Raven blinked a few times. Her lips curved into a pout. "I didn't realize... that's what you thought of me..."

Jinx held her hands out. "N-no no no. I was just teasin'! Honest! Rae..."

Raven unlocked a door and led them down several winding staircases. The air grew damper and mustier around them. Violet eyes glanced to either side and lit some lamps on the walls as they walked through a little hallway into a room lined with bookcases and ancient scrolls. The dark sorceress scanned a large number of them briefly, then gathered them with her powers and put them in Jinx's arms.

"Well, since I'm so old, you can carry those books for me."

"Mmpff- Rae, these - are heavy!"

"If they're so heavy, how could you possibly expect a weak, fragile, old woman like me to carry them?" Raven smirked a little and put a finger to her lips. "A young attendant like you would be much better suited to carrying my reading material."

"Mmm - Rae, this is... actually... really heavy!"

"Means you probably need to do some more exercise."

"I'm... actually... gonna drop... something-"

"Oh, fine." Dark energy surrounded the books again and carried them around as Raven finished scrying. "That's everything I want on this floor. Let me look through them quickly."

Jinx panted a bit and sat down, propping herself up on her arms as she watched the dark sorceress scan through the texts in a rapid blur.

"That's so unfair," Jinx huffed. "If I could read at that speed, I'd totally be great at magic by now!"

"Reading text with your powers is a skill you'll have to learn, then. Although, it does help that I already know most of these books."

"You do?"

"Yes. I have a feeling this library is organized chronologically. These are newer texts. All dated after Arella sealed Trigon away."

"Oh. So we gotta go down some levels?"

"I suppose so. Here, while I go look for more books, take these ones and put them back where they belong."

"... that's like a hundred books right there."

"Yeah, so?"

"Raeeeee..."

"In my youth, telekinesis was one of the basic abilities that all sorceresses had to learn."

"Oh suuuure, just pretend like you're tryin' to teach me some new magic. You're just prankin' me! Besides, I don't even know where these books are supposed to go!"

The demoness allowed herself another smirk. "Fair enough. Though, in all seriousness, I'll have to teach you some basic spells sometime. Telekinesis, healing, levitation..."

"All stuff I suck at! You even gave up on trying to teach me 'cause I sucked so much. Don't you remember?"

"That would suggest a greater need to practice. But I digress. Let's keep going."


"Treatise on demon sorcery, the mark of Scath, guardians of Hell..." Raven flipped through a few more books, casting them aside as she went.

Jinx blinked a few times. "Guess you read all these before?"

"Yes. Being part demon, I've had to learn a lot about them. Part of that also includes learning about my father as well."

"Huh." The pinkette scanned over the pages of an old book in her hands. "Some demons' diet consist mostly of sulfurous compounds and other inanimate materials. Others are solely carnivorous and feed on the flesh of lesser creatures. Still others, like the Vvoraket, are cannibals and will eat their own young if there is a shortage of food." She wrinkled her nose. "Gross."

"I had the unpleasant experience of meeting one once," Raven muttered under her breath. "The stench they emit is unbelievably foul. Compared to some other types of demons, the Ignyar, or the infernals of my father's realm are not too bad. Their nature is aggressive and destructive, but they can usually be reasoned with. Well, sort of."

"Sort of?"

"They probably wouldn't listen to normal humans. However, under typical circumstances, they might listen to someone like you."

"Yeah, but I guess they won't now 'cause stupid Trigon's here."

"Most likely, yes."

"Wonder why he even bothered to come here."

"It could be one of many reasons. Demon politics are tricky. While true demon lords, like my father, cannot be killed except under very specific circumstances, they can still be overthrown by various means. Battles of succession are common in Hell."

"Makes sense. Wait- you said he can't be killed?"

"No, not really."

"We're fighting an immortal demon god?!"

"Yes."

"Holy shit..." Jinx put the book down. "No wonder he was so strong. And you said he's not even at full power yet."

"Not nearly, no. Demons inherently grow weaker in mortal realms. It has to do with the nature of their energy. Even my sorcery is subdued because of that, though to a lesser degree because I am part human as well. And before you ask, no, I'm not immortal the same way he is. Obviously."

"Damn."

Raven continued sifting through the stacks of books around her. "Truthfully, there are many issues in Hell. It's not at all like what humans normally think of it as. There is no 'Lucifer' that rules over everything. It also isn't exactly all fire and brimstone either. There are many realms, each of which may have one, or several demon lords presiding over it. There is no centralized power; you might think of it like an anarchy. Within each realm, the demon lords may rule to a greater or lesser degree, but so much fighting occurs between different groups of demons that there really isn't any stability there. By nature, most demons can be quite aggressive and twisted. The constant fighting only warps their personalities further."

"So maybe Trigon's just tryin' to get away from that?"

"I don't know. Maybe. The problem is, it won't exactly be a smooth transition if we just let him do whatever he likes here."

"No- no I wasn't suggestin' that. Was just wonderin'."

Raven sighed. "The reason doesn't matter that much. It would be rather disastrous if we just let him take over this world. Mortal realms aren't built to handle demons. In the best case, he'll transform this place into a dimension that mirrors his homeworld. That means burning everything into a black wasteland."

"Yikes."

"In the worst case, his sorcery might conflict with the energies already here and it might tear the fabric of reality apart. It could be a giant explosion that destroys everything, or we could all just cease to exist. There's no way to predict what could happen."

"That... sounds bad."

The demoness nodded, then stood again. "These books are all from my mother's time. Some of them were ones that she taught to me. I'm impressed that they managed to preserve these texts for hundreds of years, but they still aren't useful."

"So we keep goin'?"

"There is another level below this one, but it does not seem very large. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look, however."

"So let's go. Or, err..." Jinx paused at the look on Raven's face. "Somethin' wrong?"

"No, no, I'm just... let's see..." Raven thought for a few minutes. "The old library at Avalon was razed when Trigon attacked us. I managed to gather a fair number of books to build a new one, but all the prior texts were lost. I was hoping to find some of those duplicates here, but... I just can't seem to remember the name of the one I was looking for."

"What's it about?"

"Immortal beings. Not just demon lords, but celestials, deities, demigods and similar creatures. I'll tell you about it as we walk down."


Raven's eyes shifted from side to side as they walked down another spiral of stairs. The air grew colder and denser, lit dimly by the torches on the walls that sparked to life at the demoness's beckoning. Distorted shadows floated along the walls as they descended downward. The atmosphere was thick and musty; nobody had come here for quite some time, perhaps several years, perhaps longer.

It was cold and dark. All around, she could sense the weight of thousands of tons of thick, dense rock around them. They must have been deep into the heart of the hills by now. On all sides, the behemoth of the solid hills pressed in around them. Caught in the jaws of the imperturbable foundation of nature, the deep, dark depths of the earthen belly where ancient energies swelled as slow breaths in cold, stagnant time. It was frigid and dark; down here, the raw might of elderly, titanic forces loomed above their tiny, fragile forms. Jinx shivered and drew closer to the other sorceress, closer to the protective cover of her cloak.

Raven took another step down and looked up. She let Jinx squeeze her hand, remaining motionless for several minutes. Her breaths fell in line with the surge and ebb of the natural energies around her. All around, crimson eyes emerged from around them, vermilion slits flecked with a myriad of vibrant colors. Suddenly, it wasn't so intimidating anymore. The power of the earth warmed around them, caressing their bodies with its firm, steadfast presence. The demoness held her arm out and a raven flew out, nipping her skin lightly, then flying back into the darkness. She drew her hood back.

Her voice was husky. "I don't know why, but mortals - sorceresses included - have always been fascinated with immortality. Perhaps it is their own, fleeting lives. Perhaps it is their own powerlessness. Regardless of the reason, true immortality is the thing furthest removed from most magical studies. The reason obviously being that most truly immortal creatures keep their secrets to themselves and are often aloof. So, most of what is known is just speculation."

Jinx nodded. "But you? You're sort of you know..."

"I'm ageless. So are you. You have lived for over twice the lifespan of a normal mortal and show no signs of aging either. Some sorceresses are like that. Sometimes, it takes long exposure to Avalon to cause this to happen. This isn't what I mean by immortality. That is just a time thing."

"Oh."

"Well, let's see. Do you know, in the first place, what makes us ageless?"

"Uh... well, I read some books on it. Something something about like us being magical creatures so we're fueled by magic and not physical stuff, or whatever."

"In essence, our life forces are not determined by physical necessity, but rather the energies around us. This doesn't mean that our physical forms aren't important - if our bodies die, our souls go with them. Immortals are suspected to be different. When a normal being dies, their soul is either destroyed with their physical body, or in some cases, it is claimed by a higher power - a deity, usually - and loses its own individuality. In rare occasions, a soul sometimes can regain itself and can be reincarnated, but... that's irrelevant. The point is, this probably doesn't happen with immortal beings. There are plenty of records of the physical forms of things like demigods being destroyed. Actually, even Trigon can bleed."

"Yeah, I saw that. But you're sayin' even blowin' up his body won't do shit against him?"

"That's correct. In fact, demon lords are known to 'die' in duels all the time. The difference between us and them is that their whole essence is contained in their souls, probably, and so killing their physical forms is useless. At least, that's the basic thought. In reality, it's a little more complicated because souls can be destroyed or consumed as well. Regenerating a unique body also usually isn't trivial, but somehow things like demon lords can create new bodies for themselves rather easily. So, it's a bit strange."

"Okay, so... how do you destroy a soul?"

"If you're a demon, you can eat it. Yes, that's a crude way to put it, but that's essentially what it is. If you're just a normal sorceress, well, good luck. It takes special powers that you can't learn."

"Oh... but, maybe you could..."

"Like I said, the soul of a demon lord has different properties. Even if I were to try eating Trigon's soul... not that I would want to, but..." Raven grimaced distastefully. "He might be able to possess my body if I were to try such a thing. Even if not, I would most likely not be able to subdue him."

"What about the ravens?" Jinx shifted her body as she felt feathers fluffing gently against her.

"Not likely." Raven glided forward, fingers trailing along the spines of the ancient books. "I don't know everything about them, but what I do know is that they are intimately connected to this world, a mortal dimension. At the same time, they are part demon in themselves. It's... complicated. I don't think I can explain it very well."

"That's okay. But, if they're demons, then maybe?"

"Around here, where the force of nature is extremely dense? It could be possible, if we could somehow destroy Trigon's body and capture his soul. In Avalon, maybe. But, he would never be stupid enough to engage us like that."

"True..."

"That's not the reason I brought them here, anyway. They're here to help me look."

The eyes flitted around through the thick darkness. Raven ran her fingers through her hair, then sat. Jinx followed suit. The two girls faced each other for a little while, hands clasped together as the ravens continued searching.

"Something the matter?"

Raven sighed. "Yes, but... we'll see."

"You 'fraid we won't find anything?"

"No, I think we'll at least get some ideas. The thing is... either way, the ravens are coming back. Let me read a bit of what they've found."

The rustle of feathers marked their return. They placed a small, black in front of her, then continued searching. Raven dusted off the top, then opened it carefully. The minutes ticked by in silence as she turned the pages, eyes scanning down columns of ancient, probably demon text. One of the ravens perched on her shoulder, its dark eyes reading along with her and - Jinx assumed - translating whatever Raven could not understand.

The ravens returned again several minutes later, placing another book in Raven's lap, then gathering around the two sorceresses. Raven pursed her lips and closed the first book, handing it to Jinx and picking up the second one. A raven approached the pinkette and its eyes glowed. She stroked its feathers, and opened the covers.

They read in silence. The ravens closed their eyes and faded back into the shadows, save for the two on the girls' shoulders. Time passed slowly, like the grains of sand slipping through the crevices of an hourglass. Jinx looked up a couple times, but Raven was deep in thought and the younger sorceress kept quiet, not wanting to disturb the aura of concentration. At one point, Raven's brows furrowed and she looked at the ceiling briefly; after that, she began flipping the pages faster, eyes darting across the pages more rapidly than ever.

At last, she set it down and closed her eyes.

"Rae?"

"I suspected that this might be necessary."

"What might be? I didn't read the whole thing; couldn't really understand it."

"That's fine. This is demon sorcery, which is not something you really need to know that much about." Raven looked up again. "We might have a little problem, so I'll keep this brief."

"Wait, a problem?"

"Friends. Not the human kind."

The dark sorceress stood and raised an arm. All around, sanguine eyes sparked to life and the ravens cried out softly, their ephemeral, ethereal voices singing briefly, then disappearing.

"Come on, let's head up. I'll talk as we go."

Jinx nodded. "So, what'd you find out?"

"Several things. There were a few that I had already considered. I remember telling you that my mother sealed Trigon away by sacrificing her own life."

"Showing me that, but yeah."

"That was one option. Not the sacrifice part, but a powerful seal. The problem is that one, sealing spells without tradeoffs are usually weak, and two, the only reason the seal was so strong the first time was because Arella did it in Avalon. I didn't realize it at the time, but the ravens probably aided her in that."

"Makes sense. So, seals suck."

"Generally, yes. It would be very hard. Either way, there are a few more options. One is to somehow destroy his body and his soul will automatically return to Hell. I didn't realize that would happen, but it makes sense given the nature of a demon lord's power. They don't belong in mortal worlds. Inherently, their powers stem from the energies of their own worlds, so naturally, they would have to return if their physical bodies are destroyed."

"But that wouldn't stop 'im from comin' back."

"It wouldn't. It would be a temporary solution, but it would buy a lot of time. These two were my original ideas."

"Alright, so what else?"

"The next few are a bit tricky. To kill a demon lord, there are a few special requirements. All of them require some sort of sacrifice."

"Oh. Rae..."

"Shush. We don't have much time. We might need to fight soon. I don't want to make the ravens stall for us for too long."

"Alright. So... sacrifice?"

"Yes. The text is commented on by different sources, so there are a few different perspective. From the celestial magi, one proposition was to 'trade' the soul of the demon lord with that of another being. The two souls would merge and become a single, new entity with 'largely' the same traits of the other being."

"Mostly, huh."

"Yes. Of course, there are some restrictions placed on that 'other soul'. Needless to say, I don't have any such thing except for my own. It could be doable, but that maybe is a big maybe. They never tested it on a real demon lord, only some of the nobles. Basically, the stronger ones but ones without any special traits."

"Sounds risky."

"It is. From a race known as the 'void beings', one method suggested is a form of suicide. You instigate a spell that ties your own soul to another one, and destroy both completely and utterly. It's basically used in very desperate moments. I do happen to know it."

"And you're not gonna do that."

Raven pursed her lips. "I would hope not to. This one seems to have worked, but has obvious drawbacks. From a group called the 'New Gods', they seemed to believe that destroying an immortal was actually impossible, but there were other methods to deal with them, like driving them insane, or destroying their minds. Some of their spells are positively outlandish and ridiculous, though... I mean, the psyche required to drive someone like Trigon insane would be..."

"... totally not possible for us."

"Yeah. There are a couple others, but I think the best one comes from the demons themselves. 'The blood of a child, applied fresh, can inflict great damage when used properly.' That's what they said."

"So what the hell does that mean?" Jinx's eyes narrowed. "I don't like the sound of that."

"It means that covering him in my blood will make him vulnerable to attacks that he normally wouldn't be vulnerable to. The one problem is the amount of blood required."

The pinkette's face paled. "And how much is that?"

"A lot. More than I have in me."

"Rae..."

Raven shrugged. "It was to be expected. Even the children of deities are at most usually demigods, so it would obviously take a great sacrifice from the blood relative to be able to invoke such a spell. I forgot to mention that the spell involved also leaves me vulnerable as well, so if I were an immortal being, it would put me at risk too."

"That. Sounds. Horrible."

"It isn't guaranteed to kill me outright-"

"Using more blood than in your entire body?! Rae-"

"The ravens can heal it very quickly. The thing is, I will likely be too weak to fight him after. So if we were to try this, you would be the key part of this plan. It would be up to you to do the fatal blow while his focus is on me."

"Rae, I-"

A loud rumble above them cut Jinx off. Raven's voice came out hurried and strained. "I don't want to fight with you about this, but to fight someone like Trigon, there must be some risk involved. Before you say anything, I am not putting you in danger for this, and besides, you aren't made of the same stuff as I am. Being related to him, I am the best bet for any sort of sacrifice to actually work out."

"There has to be another way!"

"Fighting demon lords isn't so simple," the dark sorceress raised her hood. "It's not like I'm planning on dying, you know."

"You practically are!"

Raven's eyes sparkled as she turned back to Jinx. "You know that I care about you."

"Yes..."

"You know that I don't want to be separated from you."

"I know that."

"... it's not like I want to risk dying and leaving you alone."

"I know. It's just... Rae... I really, really... like you."

"I like you too... you know that, right?"

"Of course I do."

Raven sighed. "I'll keep trying. I don't want to do this either. But it might come down to me having to use one of these methods. If that happens, then I need you to be ready. Please, Jinx. I need you to believe in me."

"I need you to stay alive!"

"I'll do my best. Look, we can talk about this later."

The two girls emerged through one more doorway and Raven set a key on a nearby desk. The atmosphere was noticeably warmer than it had been earlier - faint wisps of smoke were already floating through the doorway. Raven's cloak slowly darkened back into a pitch black. Jinx clutched the other girl's sleeve.

"Is he here?"

"Yes."

"Is this going to be it?"

Raven took a deep breath. "I don't think so. He's still injured. He wouldn't fight us in that state. But you still need to be ready-"

"I... Raven..."

The violet haired girl squeezed her friend's hand. "Let's go."


A/N: More focus on planning this chapter. I don't think it was very good, but I'll try to do a better job for the next one. Sorry.