Gar watched Raven sleep for several hours. In that time, he reflected on how her attitude toward him had changed in the years they had been together. When they first met, she was sarcastic, shy, and at times, downright hostile. Over time though, she had become more tolerant of the changeling. Gar wondered if that was due to the fact that he had matured quite a bit in the five years they had been together, or if Raven herself was simply more tolerant. He decided it must be a bit of both. He smiled when Raven fidgeted slightly, mumbling a bit of nonsense. Around 11:30 pm, Gar gently shook Raven awake. She groggily sat up, and then looked at Gar.

"What time is-" Raven began, before her eyes widened in horror. She jumped out of bed and sprinted to the bathroom. Gar followed her, and saw her bent over the toilet. He ran over and held her hair up for her while she vomited. He gently rubbed her back, concern etched on his features, while he waited for her to finish. Finally, the vomiting subsided, and Raven spat in the toilet a few times before flushing.

"Umm… I don't feel so good." Raven said in her neutral tone. Gar couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of the comment, its delivery, and Raven's blank face as she said that. She raised an eyebrow, and Gar quickly said, "I'm not laughing at you… It's just you were cute when you said that. Raven blushed lightly but said, "Your joking comes at the worst times." Gar chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Yea hehe… joking…" He helped Raven back to her bed, and asked, "So, what was that?" Raven frowned and said, "I've been feeling more and more nauseous as my birthday approached, and it's reached its peak now." Gar nodded, and sat down with her. A few minutes more passed with no incident.

Suddenly, Raven clutched her stomach, letting out a pained grunt, and fell to the floor. "RAVEN!" Gar yelled as he saw her in such obvious agony. He looked around, wondering what to do as tears streamed down her face. He saw the clock now read 11:58 pm. Two more minutes till Raven's birthday…

"Gar." Raven said in a ragged voice. Gar looked toward her, ready to do whatever she asked. "Run." When he didn't, she then yelled, "NOW!" She pushed him out the window with her soul-self, and then collapsed back on the floor.

Gar would not so easily be denied however, and he flew back up in fly form so he wouldn't get caught. Once back on the window sill, Gar only saw Raven for a few moments before her room exploded in black and white light. Gar was blinded by the darkness, yet he could still make out Raven slowly rising from her fetal position. Red markings started appearing on Raven's body as Gar watched, distressed that he couldn't do anything to help. The darkness flowed out of the hole in the window. Gar watched it as it snaked its way out into the night. The void of Raven's powers was darker than the night, creating areas of pure darkness. Suddenly, it withdrew, absorbing back around Raven. She was now a silhouette of shadow. Gar hopped into her room, cautiously approaching.

Just as he was about to touch Raven, four red eyes snapped open and a force wave pushed Gar away. "This is really bad," Gar thought to himself as the darkness slowly absorbed into Raven's skin. When it was fully absorbed, Gar's mouth dropped in shock at what he saw.

What stood before him bore some similarities to Raven, and many more to the bird she was named after. It didn't look like she wore any clothes, but at the same time she didn't look naked either. Her skin was now blackened and shiny, like armor. Around her shoulders, on her arms and around her lower legs were sleek feathers, making her look like she had spines growing out. Her hands were clawed now, and she had cloven feet like her father. The similarities did not end there. Her mouth now had vampire-like fangs, and she now had four red eyes, which were currently locked on Gar in a furious glare. Her once-silky violet hair was now sleek feathers, and two small curved horns grew backward, following her hair. Most noticeable was her hooded cloak was now gone, replaced by a large pair of black feathered wings, which slowly unfurled and then closed, falling around Raven like a cape.

"R-Raven?" Gar stammered out. Her eyes widened slightly, and she looked at him differently.

"Gar… The Awakening is complete. I understand it all now."

A/N: REVIEW PLEASE! I HUNGER! So, seeing that I wanted to leave it on a cliffhanger, the super awesome La Vixen de Amor told me to just cut out the last two sentences. Simple fix, and now it works so much better! Thanks to my prior reviewers, in no particular order,

La Vixen de Amor: My newest reviewer! Also gave me help with the cliffhanger... and your review has prompted me to update!

Chico's Chica Magnifica: Glad you enjoyed my attempts at mild fluff and humor. Please keep reading... I need the life blood of your reviews!

Cuervos Bestia: I thank ye for giving me criticism, it helps improve my writing.

Wolfenstien: Two reviews from you! I am pleased... :D

Arroiuqlu Schiffer: Even though your name is just Ulquiorra backwards, I have a hard time writing it. Lol. thanks or your review.

Taken To Loneiness: Thanks for thinking my writing is good, I do hope you keep reading!

Mangopoptarts: Havent reviewed, but I like you, so yea.

Last but certainly not least, special thanks to CMK Jam-Sam. Fellow review Vampires UNITE! also ye be funny and your super upbeat attitude helped make me write fast.

And finally, I thank my brain for the idea, and I lament the fact that this chapter was short. If anyone wants more detail for Raven's new form, just ask, I explain more.

Love, peace, and chicken grease!