I want to thank Jurodan for pointing out some grammatical errors in my last chapter, and at the same time I want to apologize. I was a little too desperate to give you guys an update, and I did not proofread the finished product as carefully as I should have. I feel like I tried to pass off a rough draft, and it sickens me. A teacher once told me: "If you don't have time to do something right, when will you have time to do it over?"
Apparently, right now. I invite all of my readers to return to the last chapter, which I continued to revamp until I was pleased with my work. I hope you will be satisfied also. Now, on to business.
Well, here we are. A great journey is at last near its end. I want to thank all of you who reviewed, fueling my need to deliver something that will slake the thirst of Teen Titans fans everywhere. I also want to thank anyone who read this story without reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed it. I slowed down slightly while I completed my graduation, and even more as I have become involved in a serious relationship.
A special thanks to Jurodan, whose insight I always found valuable. Please visit his own personal take on Season 4, Raven's Destiny.
And thank you to Triforce90, my first ever reviewer.
Now, our time has come. Let us cross this threshold.
Ladies and Gentlemen, in the immortal words of Ozzy: "I'll see you on the other side…"
That's the problem with prophecies. They're never crystal clear.
"A prophecy, that misread, could have been."-Yoda
Jinx ran forward, her hand wrapped around the knife Raven had taken into the church. Any words or chants that could help her concentrate and use her powers were pushed out of her mind by one repetitive thought: She had to save Raven.
Slade turned his attention to Jinx, trying to determine what this stupid girl was attempting. His eyes widened with shock as they fell upon the knife. He had never seen the weapon before, but he knew what it was, nonetheless. Raising his free hand in her direction, Slade attempted to halt his would-be assailant.
Jinx barely had time to react as the floor beneath her ripped open, sending shards of metal and cement directly into her path. The debris slammed into her legs, forcing her to the ground. The jagged remnants of the floor cut through her stockings and into her thighs, letting the blood flow freely. She bit her lower lip, trying to fight back the urge to scream. The sorceress almost blacked out from the combination of exhaustion, stress, and pain. But she couldn't give up.
Slade was intending to finish off Raven before the eyes of her companion, but there was too much risk now. He had to deal with Jinx first. A serpent of fire emanated from Slade as his being began to glow. Raven found just enough breath to scream, her vulnerable body being fully exposed to his Hell-given power.
The fiery creation flew towards Jinx, just as she pulled her arm back and sent forth her own attack. Tears and sweat burned her eyes, but she still saw the knife as it went sailing through the air, traveled through the flames unharmed, and continued on course to the intended target. The blade buried itself into the shoulder that was supporting Raven, and she fell to the ground with a light thud.
The sound that came from Slade was unlike anything the two girls had ever heard before. If it had been a normal knife plunged into the flesh of a normal person, the wound probably would not have been so severe. But neither could be considered normal. Jinx looked on in horror, words failing her as the limb she had attacked turned to ash and disintegrated.
Now, the symbol on his fore head was not the only visible link Slade shared with his newfound archaic power. His arm was gone, replaced with a transparent claw comprised entirely of flame. The red light emanating from Slade doubled in intensity, and he screamed at Jinx with a voice that was not of this world. "YOU LITTLE WRETCH! YOU WILL BEG FOR THE SWEET RELEASE OF DEATH BEFORE I AM FINISHED WITH YOU!"
Raven heard little of this as she lay on the ground; hold her aching head in hands that bore the markings of demons. The exposure to Slade had been too much. She could almost hear the voice of Trigon himself, the words of the prophecy being repeated continuously in an inhuman language. The truth was being screamed at her from all directions, including within. If she died now, Slade would be unstoppable. If she died by the hand of her Father, the world would end.
If.
The prophecy said If.
Raven's eyes shot open as her heart seemed to leap into her throat. It was so simple. The priests were so overcome by the potential destruction she could cause; they had neglected the fact that it was not absolute. You don't use the word "If" unless there is doubt. In that one little word, Raven knew her destiny was in her own hands, which she subconsciously clenched into fists. First, the prophecy had almost caused her to commit suicide. Now, it had almost caused her to lose hope.
The witch's head began to spin as she was overcome with emotion. Her friends had seen something similar to this before, when she completely lost control. But then, she had been overcome with Rage. Now, it was a torment of emotions unlike anything she had ever before experienced. The joy she felt knowing her eternal soul may not have been doomed from birth. The hope that washed over her as she realized she didn't have to end this world she so dearly cared for. The pure hatred she felt for Slade.
Raven turned her attention to Jinx who was about to receive a vicious attack from their tormentor, and the final piece fell into place. She also had a friend who was willing to die for her. Suddenly, the damn broke.
Slade's strategy had been to force Raven to be engulfed by Rage, losing all control. It was not pure Rage she was being consumed by, however. It was something even more dangerous; far more powerful.
The Titan rose to her feet and continued this ascent until she was floating three feet above the ground. It was as if her actions were being controlled by some higher force. In a sense, they were.
Jinx closed her eyes and braced herself for the savage blow she was about to receive, but it never came. One eye slowly opened, and there was Slade, his raised phantom arm raised in the air, frozen in place. His attention was no longer focused on his imminent victim, though. Rather, he was staring at the present threat to his ungodly mission. Jinx followed his gaze, and her jaw dropped.
Raven hung suspended with her arms outstretched, long flowing hair and the tattered remnants of her cape billowing out around her. Energy radiated from her entire body, adding to the unearthly glow sent forth by the symbols adorning her flesh. The radiance of the glowing symbols was almost painful to look at, but something was different. For a second, Jinx thought the color of the tattoos had changed, but they were still the same shade of blood red she was accustomed to. It was the energy being channeled by Raven that was different. It was white.
"Leave her alone, Slade. Your fight is with me!"
Slade seemed to regain his composure, ridding the pain from his voice and filling it with a cold malice that would make skin crawl.
"That was before she took my arm. Still, if she means that much to you, I will let her be. I will let her watch you die. Then, she will bear witness to the coming darkness that you were so inadequate to prevent. The girl will not be killed. Instead, she will be submitted to horrors far worse than death."
Slade was playing on what he thought to be his trump card, fueling Raven's hate for him until she lashed out blindly without thinking of defense. The light radiating from the girl gained intensity, and he thought the plan was working. But then she spoke.
"If you think I'd allow that to happen, then have I got a really big surprise for-"
Raven was cut off as Slade suddenly through both arms forward, projecting twin streams of flame. She raised her right hand as if she was deflecting the attack, only to absorb it into her own field of energy. Slade's eyes widened in terror. This was a surprise.
"This ends NOW!"
Raven crossed her arms in front of her chest, forcing the shield around her to be contained within her hands. She spoke no incantations for this spell; she didn't need to. She was gaining strength from her soul, using a type of magic that far surpassed her usual forms of witchcraft. It seemed almost impossible that the light could get any brighter, yet it did. With one fluid motion, Raven flung her arms out and to the sides, while throwing out her chest. All of the power she had been channeling exploded forward like a missile.
Slade was engulfed in the blinding white light. If he had been screaming, it was impossible to tell. The energy began to swirl, faster and faster, obscuring his silhouette from view. Then, the strange cloud lifted off the ground, leaving Slade frozen in place. It compressed upon itself, burst out in all directions, and suddenly the city was thrown into daylight. There, above the rooftop, was an enormous white raven.
Jinx looked on as the ethereal bird threw back its head and let out an unearthly cry. Only, for the first time that evening, the sound was not evil in origin. Rather, it seemed to fill her with a warmth that made her completely forget the horror and pain the two girls were being threatened with.
Then, as suddenly as the incarnation had appeared, it flew strait down, slamming itself into Slade and out of existence. The stream of light continued with devastating force, yet Slade remained standing. Instead, he began to disintegrate. Like a satellite lost in reentry, pieces began to break off and burn up in a flash. Jinx had no idea what was going on. She was less than twenty feet away, yet she felt none of the heat that was destroying their opponent. The breeze that tossed her hair felt almost cool.
There was one final pulse, and what was left of Slade exploded, leaving nothing but dust. The floor in the middle of the epicenter was cracked and burned. The breeze died, and the city was plunged back into the shadow of night. All was still.
Jinx painfully climbed to her feet and surveyed the scorched crater where Slade had been standing seconds before.
"Damn." was the only word she could produce.
Finally, the hex princess snapped out of her trance and ran over to her friend. Raven was slumped down on her knees, staring at the birthmarks on her hands.
"Is it over?"
Raven glanced over at the area of roof that had, until recently, been occupied by her arch-nemesis.
"You mean Slade? Yeah. He's gone."
Without looking at the other girl, Raven went back to studying her glowing body.
Jinx was baffled by her companion's behavior.
"What's wrong with you? We won! We saved the freaking WORLD! And you heard what Slade said! "Spirit in the Sky", and all that stuff! Why aren't you jumping for joy?"
Of course, Raven jumping for joy was a long shot, but the response she got caused Jinx's heart to sink.
"Because it was Slade who said it. When was the last time he was truthful if it wouldn't benefit him? When has he not used lies to manipulate the will of others?"
Raven looked up at her partner.
"You just saw what I'm capable of. Black or white, I was born with that power. And it is impossible for me to escape from that power. " She buried her face in the hands that bore the mark of her Father. "Just like everything else I was born with."
Jinx didn't know what to say. After a little bit, she knelt down and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. She racked her mind, looking for anything that would make her comrade feel better. But there was nothing she could say. As if to enhance the miserable ambiance, Jinx felt a heavy drop of rain as it pelted her cheek. This soon became a light downpour.
"Fantastic." Jinx grumbled to herself.
Raven didn't notice her friend's complaint. Rather, something deep down began nagging at the back of her mind. She looked up in a frantic search for the red full moon, but it was gone. The sky was filled with thick, billowing clouds. The sky had completely changed within a matter of moments, and for a brief couple of seconds, Raven took this as a confirmation of her fears. But then, she became aware of the rain.
The cool water pelted her skin softly, soaking through her clothes and sending a chill down her spine. Something was different about the shower, something about the way it felt. There was a slight tingling sensation as it made contact; something vaguely familiar. She looked back down at herself and her jaw dropped.
The symbols were washing away. All over her arms and legs, the color of the tattoos began to run like wet paint as the drizzle cascaded over her. Somehow, the demonic dye was being drawn from her body. It made no sense. This couldn't possibly be happening. But the streaks of color proved a solid argument.
Raven felt herself becoming lightheaded; Jinx leapt forward and barely stopped her from knocking her head against the pavement.
"Raven? What's wrong? Are you okay? Raven, answer me!"
Raven heard her calling, but it sounded very distant. Her consciousness was consumed by the revelation that had just slapped her in the face. She knew now what was so strange about the rain. She knew what felt so familiar about it. It felt like the holy water in the church.
Blackness began to creep into the corners of her vision. She still couldn't hear Jinx's worried cries. The last thing she could remember was glancing at her purple cloak as it became soaked and heavy. It almost looked like those colors were running too.
Then, the darkness took her.
Raven's eyes crept open and the first thing to greet her was a very perturbed-looking Jinx. The sky was filled with pink and orange. It was almost morning.
"Raven? You okay?"
"I think so…what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Raven started shifting to her knees in an attempt to stand.
Jinx smirked. "Or an angel."
Raven was about to ask what the hell that meant when she glanced down at herself and froze.
The archaic symbols were gone, washed away by the evening's rain. But there was something more. It was as if the rain had cleansed her soul. Raven struggled to her feet and surveyed herself. Her skin seemed a little darker, but that was only from comparison. She was clothed completely in white.
She stood there for awhile, a look of dismay on her face. It had happened. She was free. Her soul, her destiny, everything. She was free. She abruptly stopped looking at herself with dismay and, with eyes clamped shut; Raven threw her fists up into the air.
"WOOO HOOO!"
Suddenly, her hair fanned out behind her and the light bulb above the rooftop doorway exploded. Raven clamped her hands over her mouth. Well, she was ALMOST free.
Jinx stared at her companion with disbelief. She had actually laughed. That was nothing compared to what would happen next.
"I guess I'm still gonna have to be careful, huh?" Raven asked meekly. Her next statement was more of an outburst.
"Oh, to HELL with it!" Raven ran forward and threw her arms around Jinx, clamping her in a bear hug and twirling around with her like a lopsided top, laughing throughout the whole affair. Jinx tried to shield her eyes as dozens of windows and lights in nearby office buildings simultaneously shattered. After a little bit, Raven finally released her from the bone-crushing embrace, her face blushing heavily.
"Sorry about that."
Jinx raised an eyebrow. "I take it the white is a good thing?"
"That's the way I'm going to look at it."
Jinx was about to say something else when she noticed the flashing red disk on the clasp of Raven's cloak. Raven followed her line of sight and quickly brought her hand up to the communicator.
"I'd forgotten I'd turned that off." She glanced at the tiny screen.
"They've been looking for us all night. Apparently, my firework show wasn't as bright as I thought."
"I'll take that as my cue to exit, stage right." Raven's eyes shot open after hearing those words.
"So what, that's it? You're just going to leave?"
"You didn't think I'd permanently switched sides, did you? I need to get back to the boys. They'll need me."
"Are you sure?" Raven was almost pleading with her.
"Are you kidding?" Jinx turned to her and place her hands on her hips.
"It's MAMMOTH AND GIZMO. They'd be lost without me."
"No, I mean, after everything we've just been through, everything you've done for me, we're just supposed to say "Goodbye" and call it quits? You saved my life."
Jinx raised her arms over her head and stretched.
"Twice, but who's counting? Besides, I don't remember saying anything about quitting." Jinx place her hands at the base of her spine and leaned backwards, trying to crack her back.
"Give me a call next time you need help saving the world." She turned and began to walk away. She stopped after three steps and looked back.
"Maybe I'll see you next time I decide to rob a bank. Just don't expect me to pull my punches."
"Same here." Raven smirked. "Goodbye, Jinx."
Jinx walked over to the ledge and turned her back to it.
"See you around, Angel." The sorceress spread her arms, took a step backward, and was gone. Raven shook her head amusingly. She had to admit, the girl had style.
Robin was the first one on the rooftop, followed closely by Starfire. Next was Cyborg, and Beastboy was, as to be expected, dead last.
There was Raven, sitting with her legs dangling over the side. Her white robes were flowing around her in the wind. She was looking off to the east.
Robin crept forward slowly.
"Raven, are you okay?"
"Never been better." She replied softly.
"Friend Raven, what have you done with your clothing?" this from Starfire.
Raven smirked. "I washed them."
"Raven, what are you doing up here?" asked Beastboy.
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked as she turned to him. "I'm watching the sunrise."
Everyone stared at their teammate in quiet dismay. Finally, Raven broke the silence with a heavy sigh.
"I really need a haircut."
THE END (Well, maybe not…)
Well, what did you think?
I made my deadline (Barely). If I had had it my way, I would have finished this weeks early, and then you would have had more time to process it before Cartoon Network delivered a second helping.
Thanks again for reading and reviewing and, who knows? Maybe I could whip up one more chapter for this story. (Hint, hint)
I have a few other stories in mind, but I don't know when I'll have time to work on them. Do me a favor and keep an eye out for me. I'll try to give you something good.