Buried
*~`5~*
Robin looks at Raven. "You said the monks may have buried that part of you away?"
Raven nods.
"Can't you absorb it? Like the way Jericho put your emoticlones back together when they all escaped?"
"I could try but only if that part of me is willing."
Robin approaches the little version of Raven. "Did you see monks after you were sent back?"
"They came into the room and started chanting something. Then everything went dark again. Until I woke up here. My father said he would send for me when it was time."
"Your father was defeated."
"I don't believe you."
Cyborg calls up a replay of his memory files on his arm display. "I can show you."
The younger version of Raven watches the screen. The looks up at the older version of herself. "That was her."
Robin glances up at Raven hoping this works. "She is you, an older version of you that grew up without remembering what happened on your birthday."
Raven approaches the younger version of herself. "I don't know exactly why the monks would have locked a part of me away, but it doesn't have to be that way anymore."
"You wouldn't be locked away here scared and alone, fearing something that has already happened and been stopped. You would realize you have a home and friends." Robin looks at the younger version of Raven. "You would be whole."
"Whole?" The younger version looks from Robin to her older self. Then around at this place. The birds are fun but other than that she doesn't like it here alone in this place. "No monks that make me sit around and meditate all day?"
Raven looks down at her younger self. "No monks."
"I would like to be whole." She watches as her older self holds out her hand. Warily she grasps hands with her older self.
Robin and Cyborg shield their eyes at the bright flash of light. When its over Raven kneels there before them. Like the younger version of herself that had been buried away her hair is long now. She looks up at Robin and Cyborg. "Thank you."
*~`'~*
Starfire and Beast Boy look up as Raven's meditation chant ends abruptly and there is a bright flash of light around Raven. As they look back they see that he hair is now long.
Raven opens her eyes as Robin and Cyborg exit the portal. She focuses on the bookshelf as she catches sight of the toy bird. The memory of her fifth birthday comes flooding back to her full force. She takes it all in. She was just one scared little girl who mistook a vision of her father for being dead and ending up in hell. A tear falls from her eye she feels hurt that the monks so callously buried away a part of her rather than trying to explain what really happened and that her mother just walked away and let them do it.
Robin spots the toy as he looks back. He picks it up and takes it over to Raven. "Are you OK?"
"I will be." She manages a weak smile through the pain that seizes her heart at the memory as she takes the toy hugging it close. She is comforted by the fact that she has such good friends who love her.
Final chapter. I'm not doing a sequel because I only feel I edited the story and this it isn't mine to concoct a sequel to despite my cousin raven lynn morrigan's refusal to post it in her own account.