Hey! I'm sorry I haven't had time to update sooner. I hope I'll be able to write over winter break, but I can't make any promises. Here's the next chapter! It's basically Raven and her brother's story. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans...WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO ME YOU CRUEL, CRUEL WORLD!...um, -cough- anyway...
Dedication: To Olivia, my skiing buddy! May we learn to Skipper Ski without getting stuck in the snow and have to have a ski patrol come and get us out. O.o
"I know who did this to me," Raven whispered so quietly that all the titans had to strain to hear her. "It was...my brother."
All the titans sat there, shocked at Raven's answer. None of them knew Raven had any family, besides her parents, let alone a brother.
"So...how did that happen?" Beast Boy asked, feeling utterly confused.
"Well, my brother was always the more "evil" one of us. We use to be great friends, but his love of evil, well, tore us apart."
"I'm so sorry, Friend Raven. I know what it feels to have a sibling that tries to do bad things. My sister, Blackfire, was also like that. But that doesn't mean that she's not my sister. It's just we dislike each other greatly or more like she dislikes me."
"Actually Starfire, it's a little bit more complicated than that. See if you remember, my father is a demon, so his evil corrupted my brother. "
"How was he corrupted? I mean, you turned out ok, didn't you?" Beast Boy asked feeling a bit nervous finding out that Raven had a brother.
"I really don't know. Nobody does, it's just he was more of the demon and I was more like my mother. They called him Darce, which means Dark One. Of course, he wasn't so "dark" when we were little. I guess, the monks of Azar just knew. He loved our father, even with all the evil things Trigon had done. Maybe the affects rubbed off on Darce." Raven said quietly.
Now Beast Boy was 100 percent confused. Raven had seemed to be back to her normal self. What was happening?
"I know this is kind of hard for everyone to handle." Raven paused for a moment to think before going on. "I know! I'll show you. It will give you a better picture of Darce."
"Wait! What are you talking about?" Robin asked standing up.
"I'll show you," Raven sat down and started to chant in her ancient language. The titans started to grow drowsy as she chanted. Suddenly a loud noise startled Beast Boy and he woke up.
Young Raven was sitting just outside the gate of Azar. She was meditating when a boy a little older with dark blue hair ran into her.
"Hey! Watch where you're….oh! It's just you, Darce."
"Raven, come quickly! Father's going to destroy another planet and I want to watch."
"No, Darce. I don't want to see. And mother wants us to help with dinner."
"Well I'm going to watch. I'm going to be a powerful demon like dad one day!"
"No your not! You can't be a demon! Demons are bad!"
"But father's not bad! He's great!"
"Shut up! You're such an idiot!"
Young Raven's loud shout shook the titans out of the trance. Beast Boy looked over at the two kids talking by the gates that stood outside a magnificent city.
"Hey! That girl looks like Raven!" He called over to the titans and pointed to Young Raven. The Titan ran over to where Young Raven and Darce were standing.
"Raven! Where are..." Robin stopped in mid-sentence as he tried to shake Young Raven's shoulder. His hand when right through her. "What's happening?" He asking turning back to the team.
"You're in a memory. My memory." They all turned around to see Raven walking towards them. Though, this Raven was wearing a brown cloak.
"Friend Raven! Thank goodness you're here! Why are we in your memory? Why are you wearing that cloak? Why..." Starfire burst out in a flood of questions while flying over to hug Raven. But Raven lifted her finger to her lips, motioning Starfire to be quiet, before pointing towards her younger self.
"Darce! Why are you acting this way? Father never interested you like this before!"
"Father is the most powerful person ever! He will rule the universe! And when he does, I will be right beside him!" Darce shouted before running away from Young Raven. The little empath dropped to the ground crying. He brother's action's scared her. She was worried about what was going to happen to them. Suddenly the world around then began to change, like the picture was melting. Starfire squealed and clung to Robin. After a few more seconds, another picture appeared before them. It was the same city, except now it was in runes.
"What happened to this place?" Beast Boy stepped forward towards the fallen city.
"Azar, left in ruins" Raven murmured, putting her hand on Beast Boys shoulder and pulling him away from the destroyed Azar. As they stepped back, two figures appeared. One was Raven and the other was Darce. The titans could hear their shouts.
"Look what you did, Darce! You destroyed our home, our family! You are horrible!"
"Little Raven. Little, Immature, Raven. I always was smarter than you. Don't you see? I'm not horrible, I'm the most powerful being ever! Just as I was meant to be! Father may be in hiding, but I am here and I will destroy anything that gets in my way." Darce's cold, cruel laughter ran out making the titan's flinch.
"Well, than you'll have to destroy me! I won't let you do this, Darce! I won't let you ruin everything!"
"Raven, why would you stand against me? Your own brother? Do you really think you can fight me and win? Why don't you just join me? Join your family in power! This is where you belong."
"I'll never join you, Darce. What you are doing is wrong!" Raven stood in front of her brother, not letting him get by her.
"Well then, Raven, you'll just have to suffer the consequences." Darce let out a bolt of blue power surrounding Raven. She began to scream, her body twisting a flailing, trying to get away from her brothers magic. Beast Boy let out a yell and ran towards Raven, but the other Raven (in the brown cloak) held in him.
"What are you doing?" Beast Boy yelled at her, trying to get away. "Why won't you let me help her?"
"There is nothing you can do." She answered softly, letting go of Beast Boy. He fell to the ground, and a small tear trailed down his cheek. It hurt him to see Raven tortured like this. He just couldn't stand it. He felt strong arms pull him off the ground and he turned around to see Raven looking at him. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and knowledge of how he felt. Beast Boy nodded, understanding what she wanted. She wanted him to know this was only a memory, it had already happened, but it would be over soon. A scream brought his attention back to the Raven in the memory. Her whole body grew black and a powerful magic from with in her seemed to burst. Darce was thrown back and his image shattered. Raven's body crumpled to the ground, the magic that surrounded her disappeared and the image blacked out. The shocked titans turned back to the other Raven.
"You thought Darce was gone. You thought you had killed him!" Robin said feeling amazed at what he had just seen. Raven nodded her head sadly.
"But you realized he's back. Man, that's so weird!" Cyborg said looking around. "And Raven, why are you wearing a brown cloak?" Raven smiled and beckoned for the titans to follow her. The group soon got to a huge, black iron, door. Raven lifter her hand and the gates swung open to reveal a dark portal.
"Friend Raven, do we really have to enter the portal that seems to lead into infinite darkness?" Starfire asked nervously inching towards Robin. Raven nodded her head and stepped closer towards the portal.
Suddenly, something clicked in Beast Boy's mind. This had happened to him before. The cloaks, the portals, the...weirdness! "Oh no! This can't be happening again. Cy, were back in..." But Raven covered Beast Boy's mouth before he had a chance to finish the sentence. Motioning to him to keep silent, she stepped into the portal. Starfire clung to Robin's arm as Raven disappeared.
"Must we follow her? Why can't we just wait for her to get back?" Starfire asked looking deeply frightened.
"I think Raven needs for us to follow her. She must need to show us something. Come on, let's go." The titan's then stepped into the dark portal.
What will be on the other side of the portal? What has become of Raven? Will Robin and Starfire ever kiss? Will Beast Boy ever confess he love for Raven? And why is Raven wearing a brown cloak and hardly talking? All of these will (hopefully) be answered in the next chapter! Yay! -throws confetti- I hope everyone liked this chapter. Please R&R! It was kind of rushed because I was exited to get it up. I'm sorry if it's a little confusing at parts. I'll probably include an easier to read, sum up of the whole Darce and Raven Fight in the next chapter for those who didn't understand what was going on. I might not be able to update very soon because of Christmas, but I will try! Happy Holidays everyone! And thanks to all of my reviewers! You guys are wonderful!
xxxRavenxxx