First allow me to say that if you are a fan of If I Call Her Beautiful, Something Might Explode and you are reading this… Good for you! You actually listened to me! Yeah, I gave up on the threatening. It wasn't getting me anywhere, so I'm just going to finish the story and be content with whatever praise (or even flames, but preferably praise) I may get. I have to remind you that this is not the end of the story, and there is another chapter after this. I feel kind of bad for leaving you with something of a cliffhanger last time, but it was necessary to the structure of the cycle. The title of this chapter, Morning Glory, is not only in keeping with the cycle theme but also just a bit of me being sarcastic. You know the Titans will win, but winning a battle is not always glorious.

Warnings: Death, some angst, lots of drama.

I do not own the Teen Titans.

Morning Glory

"So we have an evil Raven and feral Beast Boy, yet we have no idea what happened at the Seal to cause it. Fun," Cyborg said sarcastically. Robin glared at him. Starfire put a hand on the Titans' leader's shoulder. "Perhaps we should investigate."

"Not a good idea. All of Azarath will be in an uproar as soon as the sun rises, and not just because the Azar is dead." Tarisia joined the Titans, sitting down on the couch next to Cyborg. She looked like she had been crying. "Trigon has been released." The Titans sat in shock, though not nearly as much as at the sight of Raven two hours earlier. Tarisia looked down at her clenched fists. "I was with Fei- the Azar- when Aura came to kill her. She told me everything after…" The Azar's apprentice swallowed hard. "Raistlin killed Crow because he betrayed him, and Trigon killed Raistlin because he was weak. Aura is controlling Beast Boy with one of Trigon's Seeds. The longer he is under her control, the more like her he will become."

"How do we stop them?" Robin asked. Tarisia shook her head. "I don't know. It's very likely that they can't be stopped." Robin looked away. "We'll find a way." Tarisia held up a hand. "Wait. The library has many, many books that mention Trigon. One of them has to tell us how to defeat him." Robin stood. "Fine. You and I will go to the library. Starfire, Cyborg, I want you to talk to the priests and priestesses. Find out whatever you can."

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The library was deserted but for the two of them, and they'd wasted nearly an hour without results. Tarisia flipped through the eighteenth dusty tome, searching almost frantically. "Robin, I don't even know what I'm looking for!"

"Anything. A prophecy, most likely."

"Here. It talks about 'the shadow that haunts our land'- that must be Trigon…" Tarisia paled as she silently read the next passage.

"What does it say?" Robin asked. Tarisia bit her lip. "The handwriting is diffi-"

"What does it say, Tarisia?"

Tarisia took a deep breath. "Trigon can't be destroyed. He must be returned to his dimension and the Seal restored. The only way to do that is for the blood of the one whose blood opened the Seal to be spilled again."

Robin frowned. "How do we do that? Crow's dead."

"Yes, but his two younger brothers aren't, as far as I know. Silvern will do it, and it doesn't have to be enough to kill him. I can take care of that."

"What about Raven and Beast Boy?"

Tarisia didn't want to answer, but Robin's stare was stronger than her fear. "Trigon's hold on Rachel won't be broken even when the Seal is restored. As for Beast Boy…" Tarisia closed her eyes. "The Seeds are connected to Aura. The only way to save Beast Boy… is to kill her."

Robin stared at the Azarathian girl. "That can't be the only way." Tarisia met his gaze. "It is. For Azarath- no, the universe to live, Robin, the girl you call Raven must die." Robin turned away. "She's already dead." Tarisia looked away as well. Her gaze went to the library wall. "You will need a weapon." She lifted a sheathed sword from its hook. "I believe you may have heard of this sword. It came from Earth, and was brought here for safekeeping." She held out the sword. "Excalibur has a sharp blade, a heroic history, and no attachment to the English Crown." She winced. "Sorry. I know this isn't a time for humor; it just came out." Robin shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

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Tarisia knocked on the front door of the Blackbirds' large home. What would she say to whatever servant answered the door? How would she tell her uncle that his eldest son was dead and she needed to take the next oldest to the place where Crow had been killed? It was all too convenient that the door was opened by a fourteen year-old boy with shaggy white-blond hair and brown eyes. Tarisia blinked. "Silvern, what are you doing up?" The sun was just barely peeking up at the edge of the horizon by this time, but few Azarathians woke this early. Silvern's expression darkened. "Father was up all night, and I sat with him. Crow never came home."

Tarisia steeled herself. "He's not going to."

Silvern stared at his older cousin. "What do you mean? What happened?" As he asked, Silvern closed the front door behind him, joining Tarisia on the porch. She looked at him questioningly. "Father doesn't need to know just yet if you've got bad news; he's angry right now. If he's left alone he might fall asleep." Tarisia nodded. She then told Silvern everything. Crow's younger brother absorbed the information silently. "I want to help," he said when Tarisia was finished. She looked at him soberly. "You know that what we're going to do is very dangerous, and it's possible that both of us will be killed."

Silvern nodded. "I know, but isn't getting rid of Trigon and saving Azarath worth it?"

Tarisia couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, it's worth it."

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Robin's thoughts were in turmoil. On the one hand, he wanted to find Aura because it would mean the end of all of the horrible things that were happening to Azarath. On the other hand, he didn't want to find her because of what it meant he had to do. Beast Boy saved him the trouble by attacking. Even completely absorbed in his thoughts the Boy Wonder had sharp reflexes, so he threw the changeling off with ease. He then stared at his former friend in shock. Beast Boy now had four eyes, Trigon's signature trait. His skin also bore a slight reddish tint, strange in combination with the usual green. Beast Boy snarled and dove at Robin again.

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Tarisia stared up at the blood-stained Seal. So it was here that Crow had died. Here that Raistlin had-

"Rissy?"

Her younger cousin's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Tarisia shook her head to clear it. "Sorry. I just…"

"I know," Silvern said. "I thought of it too, but we have more important things to think about right now. What do we have to do?"

"Well, if I read the text correctly, your blood has to be put on the Seal."

Silvern paused. "This doesn't feel right, Rissy. It's too easy."

Tarisia looked at the fourteen year-old. "This is anything but easy, Sil. Where should I…" She held out her own dagger, the one she'd picked up after leaving Fei's room… was it really only a few hours ago? Lifetimes had passed since then. Silvern took the dagger. "I'll do it myself." He quickly cut his palm and pressed his hand to the Seal.

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It took Robin exactly twenty-two seconds to break both of Beast Boy's arms, his left leg, and knock him on the head hard enough for a concussion. It was only when her "pet" was on the ground unconscious that Aura decided to approach. "Bravo, Robin," she said, actually applauding him. "I always knew you were the only Titan with guts."

Robin refused to let her comment get to him. "What have you done since we last met, Aura?" he asked in the low, silky voice any villain knew to mean extreme trouble. Aura smirked. "Let's see, I visited the palace. You'd think that two hundred personal guards were overkill for a king, but they didn't really do this one much good." Robin took a deep breath. Aura laughed and moved closer. "What's the matter, Robin? Aren't you going to fight me?"

"Yeah, I am." Robin whipped around, unsheathing Excalibur. Aura raised an eyebrow. "Pretty fancy sword you got there. It won't do you any good." Her right index fingernail grew to roughly the same length as his sword. Robin took his stance. "Let's go."

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The Seal glowed, and both Silvern and Tarisia could feel the evil in their world diminishing.

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Robin and Aura were locked in combat, clashing and slashing as only expert sword-fighters can. Finally they both stepped back for a moment, panting.

"I didn't want to hurt you," Robin said quietly. Aura smirked. "Funny. All I want is to hurt you." She lunged forward. Robin's fast reflexes didn't let him down. Aura stopped short as Excalibur pierced her chest. Instantly the red skin turned pale, and the black hair and eyes returned to their proper violet. Robin immediately pulled the sword out of her body. Raven choked, and he caught her as she fell. Behind them Beast Boy's extra eyes vanished, though he remained unconscious. Robin cradled Raven, watching as her blood ran, taking her life with it. She stared up at him for a moment, the violet eyes wide in shock. But as they closed, there was a flicker of acceptance and understanding. Robin bowed his head, and there was no one to see the tears sliding down his cheeks as the sun slowly moved higher and higher into the sky.

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Tarisia lay in bed for a long time the next morning. She could so easily remember the days when she, Crow, and Raven- then Rachel- had gotten into such trouble at school. The three had been horrible pranksters, but always they'd laughed after they were punished. Raistlin had been there too, but he had never really been part of their little group. Now it was hard to accept that the other three were dead, and Tarisia was the only one left. This evening she would also become the Azar. When she had become Fei's apprentice, Tarisia had thought she wouldn't be the Azar until she was an old woman. Of course, she'd thought then that Rachel would always be her friend, and they would be the highest of the priestesses together. But Rachel had fled Azarath when they were thirteen. Always people were leaving Tarisia behind, and now her friends had done so in the worst way, for she could not possibly follow them this time. This time she was truly and permanently alone. For this Tarisia wept now, for she knew that it would not do for the people to see their new Azar cry.

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Beast Boy watched as two Azarathians loaded the clear-topped casket into the Rachel's cargo hold. His physical wounds were all healed, thanks to the remaining Azarathian priestesses. But his mental wounds… well. "And even in death she was so beautiful that they found they could not bury her. So they placed her in a glass coffin and stood watch over her, in the hopes that she would someday awaken," he murmured. Tarisia stepped closer. "What is that from? It sounds familiar, but I can't place it."

"Snow White. It's a fairy tale."

"Ah, yes. How appropriate. Rachel and I used to read…" Tarisia bit her lip. "I'm sorry." Beast Boy shook his head. "It's okay."

"No, it isn't." She sighed. "It may never be okay, but we must continue. Will you and the other Titans be at the ceremony this evening?"

"Yeah, we'll be there." Tarisia patted Beast Boy's shoulder and walked away, headed for the White Temple.

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"Long live the Azar!"

Tarisia Majere held up her hands, silencing her people's cheers. "The ascension of a new Azar has, in the past, been a joyous occasion. However, I cannot celebrate when four of the people I loved best are dead." No sound came from her audience.

"Our king is also dead, and tomorrow I will crown his successor. But I must be honest and admit that he is not among those I mourn the most. Fei was King Ward's youngest daughter and our Azar for eighteen years. From the time I became her apprentice she was both a mentor and a friend. A statue will be raised in her honor." Tarisia paused. She swallowed with difficulty, for each remembrance was harder than the last.

"Chromeros Blackbird was my cousin. We called him Crow. Only recently was he the heir to the throne. I knew him long before that. Crow was always confident, so sure that everything would go his way. That quality, unfortunately, is part of the many things that led to his death." She paused again.

"The two I speak of next are the most painful for me to remember, for different reasons. They were twins, and were born the children of Trigon. But they cannot be blamed for that. Raistlin Roth, in youth, was not always…good, or kind. He did have more difficulties than most, so I can forgive him for those years. It was Raistlin who killed my cousin and released his father upon Azarath. He was rewarded with death from Trigon's own hands. Once I did love Raistlin, and for all that he did, I would be lying if I said that I completely hated him now." The people began to whisper to each other, speculating on this apparent betrayal.

"There is no point," Tarisia continued clearly, and the whispering stopped, "in hating the dead. Next, and last to die, was my dearest, best friend. The Athar is always called Aura, and said to be ever reborn. The Aura I knew was unique. She disliked the role forced upon her and rebelled against it, including her insistence that her friends call her by her given name. Eventually she escaped the chains of her priestess-hood. On Earth a girl named Raven joined the Teen Titans, and a heroine was born. Raven returned to Azarath to repair the damaged seal that kept her father at bay. Through her brother's treachery Trigon was released. Raven was lost, and Aura in her most evil form emerged. With Trigon's Seeds and powers, Aura wreaked havoc across our city and personally murdered not only the Azar but also our King. It was discovered that the only way to stop this horror was for Aura to die. This task was undertaken and accomplished by Robin of the Teen Titans. We hail him as a hero." Tarisia bowed to Robin, who nodded. Both of them knew that killing Aura did not make him a hero, but the Azar had to at least partially cater to her audience. Tarisia returned to them now.

"My friend's real name was Rachel, given to her by her mother Arella the day she was born, before she was declared the Athar. An Azarathian starship has been given that name as well. In memory of the girl called Raven, I hereby decree that there will never be another Athar. Ever. This decree perhaps comes years too late, but I believe that somewhere Raven is smiling because of it." Tarisia wiped away an unbidden tear.

"Rather than an evening of celebration, this will be one of mourning. Mourning for those who are lost, and what they might have become. Tomorrow we shall return to tradition and celebrate the coronation of King Silvern, but for tonight I ask that you indulge a sentimental teenager. Thank you." Tarisia stepped away from the podium.

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Tarisia looked into the mirror on her dressing table. She looked the same as she had the day Rachel returned. But everything was so different now. She remembered how she felt four years ago, when Rachel and Raistlin had disappeared. She'd felt like they were leaving her behind, but she'd had Crow then. Now, all three of them were dead. Fei was also dead, and she, Tarisia Majere, was the Azar. Today she would oversee the crowning of Silvern Blackbird as King of Azarath. She had always liked Crow's younger brother, and though he was only fourteen, Silvern would help the people rebuild and try to pull their lives out of the ashes. The ashes Aura had created while under her father's control. But they would survive. It seemed to Tarisia that in the great history of Azarath, the deaths of three teenagers who had so much to live for would be deemed insignificant. One thing would come out of Aura's death, however. Never again would there be an Athar. Silvern had agreed to her decree, and the doors of the Black Temple were already locked, never again to be opened. She glanced out the window and saw the Rachel leaving, on its way to Earth with the Titans. It was finished, for them. Tarisia still had a long way to go.

---End Chapter Four---

Sadly, that is the last we will see of our darling Rissy. Sorry, Tarisia fans! Her story is over, but she got a lot of attention at the end of this chapter, didn't she? But the whole story isn't over yet, so don't get mad at me! The Titans still have to go home. All five of them. Keep an eye out for the next and final chapter, Daybreak! Review please!