CHAPTER 12

"What is that thing?" Raven asked, as she and Hiei stared at the shadow in the distance. "It looks kinda familiar..."

Hiei couldn't answer. He had no idea what it was. He'd never seen it before but... if Raven said it looked familiar maybe she'd seen it before... He looked over at her, trying to read her expression. It was emotionless with a slight hint of curiosity. The same face he made sometimes. She knows what it is, he thought, she just can't remember where she'd seen it. But if she knows it it knows her. It knows her essence...

Suddenly the shadow turned in their direction. The two froze as it locked eyes with them, its four windows of vision burning a blood red color. Raven gasped and unconsciously grabbed Hiei's arm, hurting it. "Is that my father?" she whispered.

Hiei couldn't give her an answer. He'd never met her father. For some weird reason he made a joke. "I guess I should have spoken to him first before I started going out with you..."

Raven stared at him. "Hiei!" she gasped. "This isn't the time or place for jokes!"

"Sorry," he said. "I couldn't help it. I think Beastboy's nack for joking at the worst of times is rubbing off on me."

"Wel don't let it," Raven said. "It's not a good trait to learn..."

"I know," he said. "I don't plan on letting anymore of him rub off on me anyway."

The shadow roared and the two remembered what they were supposed to be doing. They looked back at the shadow and saw it coming closer. It's four red eyes were locked on Raven and Hiei could feel hate coming form them. "Well if it really is your father he's mad at you," the fire demon told her.

"I can see that," Raven said, rising into the air. Her face held anger. "I can't believe this. Those weird things are going to use me to return my father from hell!" Hiei watched her fly toward the demon. "Well it's not going to happen again!"

Hiei had a bad feeling about this and ran after her, ready to fight the other demon if Raven needed his help. I hope she can defeat him like she did before...

"How do you and Terra know each other?" Starfire asked.

"Well," Terra said, leaning against a ruined wall behind her. "Before I met you guys I was always exploring and going where ever I wanted. One day I stumbled upon a portal that took me to another dimension and that's where I met Kurama," the girl looked the fox demon over. "Back that your hair was shorter wasn't it?"

He nodded.

"So anyway," Terra went on. "I met him when he was on his way to school. He noticed me without me even trying to make him and for a moment he thought I was a demon. When I told him who and what I was he seemed relieved and worried at the same time. " Terra smirked. "I also met Hiei once but he doesn't seem to remember me."

"Terra," Kurama said. "What are you doing down here?"

"The guys who sent Raven and Hiei to the nether world rescued me from my frozen prison," the blond girl replied, flipping some hair out of her eyes. "I was greatful to them." she glared at Starfire. "And mad at you guys for not even making an effort to help me."

"But we did help you," Starfire told her. "Raven tried everything she could to bring you back to Beastboy and the rest of us."

"It didn't do much now did it," Terra told her bitterly. "Those weird creatures were more useful than she was."

"It wasn't her fault!" Starfire protested.

"Enough you two," Kurama cut in before the two girls started fighting. "That's not important right now. The important thing is to get Hiei and Raven back from wherever those things sent them." he looked at Terra. "Do you know of any way?"

The blond girl shook her head. "No," she replied. "and I'm not going to even attempt to help you out with that. They can stay where they were sent, especially Raven." the blond haired girl began to walk away.

"Terra!" Kurama called after her.

She looked over her shoulder and glared at them both. "Don't even try to change my mind, Kurama," she said before she disappeared into the gloom.

"Terra..." Starfire said her legs collapsing under her and forcing her to sit on the ground. "I thought for sure she'd be happy to see us if we ever saw each other again." she wiped away a tear. 'I guess I was wrong."

Kurama knelt down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Star," he said. "She'll realize her actions are foolish and come back to you guys."

"Do you mean that?" the alien girl asked.

He nodded.

"Oh thank you!" she said, hugging him and making him blush. "Thank you for understanding, friend Kurama!"

"You're welcome," he said gently pulling her loose and helping her up. "Now let's see if we can figure out a way to bring our friends back."

"It won't be that easy," a soft emotionless voice said behind them.

The two looked over their shoulders. A man wearing a mask stood behind them, his hand wrapped around Terra's throat.

"Who are you?" Kurama asked.

"I," the man said, looking Kurama over one time. "am Slade."

A/N

I have nothing else to say for now. My inspiration keeps on leaving me every time I try to update this fic. Sorry.