Okay, I promised a quicker update, and here it is! Yay!
Ah, and I used to update like once a week… Those were the days… O.o
Still, we are very nearly there! Probably only about five more chapters after this, at the most…
Yay! And thankyou all for being so patient… Remember the Titans alone, in its entirety, is something close to 250,000 words, so you all deserve some kind of award for reading Asylum, Black Magic, this and still being here…
Thankyou to: Amara-chan (yes! I am alive! It was questionable for a while, I admit…); Guardian of Azarath (I have to say, considering how much you despise cliffhangers, it amazes me that you're still reading this… :D); Me (you think something will go wrong? Maybe, maybe not…); DragonPrincess1988 (there's some more Robin/Cyborg interaction in this chapter too!); LoopyLouise123 (bloody hell, just by doing the research for this fic I know I would get sick of Wicca pretty quickly…); Someone (why does it take so long if it's already written? I don't have an intelligent or plausible answer/excuse for that question, I'm afraid…); Quinn and His Quill (got your popcorn and cola ready, Quinny-Boy:D); dlsky (thanks for being so patient and waiting around!); Kitty-Katz-Katz (ha ha ha, it's just no fun if Robin doesn't have anything to panic about…); TheFallenAngel67 (oh, it's not really StarfirexRobin – its just that this fic is canon, so the RobinxRaven-ness goes away and the RobinxStarfire-ness lingers…); Narroch (I already bitched to you about the medical explanations, you freak, so, like, whatevs…); and Simmie (yay, so now you know all about Wicca… But it won't help with your A Levels…)!
You have all been very patient; and so, without further ado, let's kick that demon-parasite-baby's ass…
Do As You Will
"Please do not despair, Raven," Starfire pleaded, patting a cold flannel on her friend's forehead. "It is dark outside. Surely the star—"
"Why don't we have any epidurals?" Raven screamed, interrupting her.
"Epidurals?" Starfire was distraught at seeing the usually cool and calm empath in such pain and distress. "Raven, I do not understand what that word means. Perhaps if you were to explain it to me, I might be able to fetch it for you?"
"Drugs," Raven moaned. "Painkillers…"
"Epidurals are painkillers?"
"Uh-huh…" Raven drew a deep ragged breath and squeezed on Starfire's hand. "Major-league… ones… for child-birth…"
"Raven, I am—"
She was cut off again as Raven gave another stifled scream of pain; she winced at it. She hated to see her in such agony; it truly frightened her. Even Raven's self-healing powers could not numb the pain now that the contractions were so constant and extreme.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, nulled by her pain, she prayed to Azar that the star was out, and that Robin knew, and that he was ready to do the spell, and that he didn't make a mistake.
Seth's child seemed determined to be born – the agony was unbearable, but despite that, she wasn't giving it an easy time either, by keeping on her underwear and jeans, the latter buttoned and zipped. She had been walking up and down earlier with Starfire's help, but the pain was too much for that now.
All she could do was lie on her bed and scream and pray, squeezing Starfire's hand every time she felt a contraction. Starfire's superhuman strength enabled her to serve this duty without feeling very much pain, and Raven was very grateful for her hand.
Another wail of suffering echoed around the room – bouncing off Raven's various creepy Azarathian décor and ornaments – and then the door suddenly opened.
Beast Boy peeked around the edge of it, his green eyes wide at the sound of Raven's scream.
"Beast Boy!" Starfire got up and tried to approach him, but Raven wouldn't give up her hand, so instead she beckoned him over.
The little green shape-shifter scuttled over to the bed, suddenly looking very scared rather than excited.
"Star? You aren't attacking her, are you?"
Starfire whirled on him, her eyes flaming jade.
"I am doing no such thing!" She cried angrily. "Raven is in labour. The spell must be performed quickly, Beast Boy!"
"Labour?" Beast Boy repeated weakly; he glanced at Raven as the pregnant girl curled up, groaning deeply.
"The star is out, Beast Boy?" Starfire pressed, her eyes fading back to normal.
Beast Boy nodded.
"Robin's setting up downstairs. He sent me up to get Raven."
They both looked worriedly at Raven.
"Beast Boy, I am most doubtful that she can walk…"
Beast Boy pulled out his communicator and dialled Robin's. However, it was Cyborg who answered.
"B? Yo, what are you doing? Robin said to get down here now!" The half-robot snapped.
"Cy, it's Raven," Beast Boy said frantically. "She's in labour. Really bad, I mean. I don't think she can get up."
Cyborg swore under his breath and Beast Boy heard Robin ask something in the background.
"Tell Robin to come do the spell up here," Beast Boy said once he heard silence.
"Hang on…" Cyborg turned his mouth from the earpiece and Beast Boy heard him saying something incomprehensible to Robin, and then Robin's reply.
Then Cyborg was back.
"Robin just yelled at me that he's already cast the circle and can't move it."
"Why not?"
"Something about sacred space and evil vibes, I dunno what he was talking about…"
Robin said something else in the background, and Beast Boy strained to hear it.
"Okay, BB, sit tight," Cyborg said, talking over Robin. "Robin just told me to come up and get her."
"But Starfire could-"
Cyborg was gone, and so was the connection.
Beast Boy shrugged and flipped his comm. closed.
"Gotta wait for Cy…"
Starfire frowned worriedly, helping Raven to sit up.
"Beast Boy, do you think this spell is capable of destroying the child and saving Raven's life?"
Beast Boy shrugged hopelessly, his ears flat.
"I couldn't say, Star. It looks like pretty powerful stuff to me…"
"But Robin has never done any magic before…"
Beast Boy gave a miserable little shiver and said nothing. It was something that was on all of their minds, including Robin's own; he was no expert on magic at all. He had never done it before, save for the séance.
What if he did mess it up? Then the knife would kill Raven too. But if he didn't do it, then Raven would die in childbirth.
The only way for her to live was for him to perform it exactly right.
And they all knew – and did not deny – that there was a possibility that he wouldn't.
—
"It… must be done…" Raven groaned, clutching at Starfire's shoulder.
"But what if it goes wrong?" Beast Boy asked, his ears twitching. "What if he doesn't enchant the knife properly and it kills you, Raven?"
"We have… no other option…" Raven gasped. "If he doesn't… do the spell… I will die anyway…" She took a deep breath. "And if I am… to die today, I would rather… be killed by the knife and take Seth's… wretched bastard child with me… than to die in childbirth as Seth wants… so that he will be restored to life…"
"Do you really think Robin can do this, Raven?" Beast Boy asked softly.
"He has worked… very hard. I believe in him… I believe that he will… prevail…"
Prevail in what she did not say; but doubtless she meant that either way, he would destroy Seth Elliott's child.
Raven's door opened a little more and then Cyborg was in the room. He glanced at the stricken Raven, gave a cool little nod to Starfire – on seeing that she wasn't foaming at the mouth with jealousy – and then thumbed at the door to Beast Boy.
"You and Star go on down. I'll bring Raven now."
The shape-shifter and the Tamaranean girl left the room in silence, wincing in empathy at Raven's groans of pain as Cyborg picked her up.
It would all be over soon.
One way or another.
—
Standing at the window with his arms folded, Robin looked out at the night sky. There were a few stars out now, all twinkling like tiny diamonds.
He sighed heavily and held up his forearms to look at them – he was met with four runes and four pieces of ribbon on each, a 3 on each of his palms.
His heart was hammering in his ribcage and his stomach felt as though it had been tied into a string of knots. He closed his eyes and lowered his arms to his sides, taking another deep breath.
He didn't really know what he was doing. He was terrified and didn't want to do it. He would never forgive himself if he botched the spell and killed Raven…
But if he didn't try, he was sentencing her to death anyway.
And the situation had suddenly become a lot more urgent – Beast Boy had called down from Raven's room to report that she couldn't come down because she was in too much pain.
Because she was in labour.
The child would be born today, according to Jonathon – and it was twenty to seven now. That gave them just over five hours until midnight.
Not very much time at all – but hopefully long enough.
In the reflection of the window he saw the doors open and Beast Boy and Starfire enter, followed by Cyborg carrying Raven, who was curled up and crying with the pain she was in.
He allowed the fresh shudder of terror to rip its way right through him before he turned to them, his face set and serious. His cold gaze flickered to Starfire briefly – Beast Boy caught it and waved his hand.
"She's cool, Robbie," he said, his voice a little squeaky. "They've made up…"
Robin raised his eyebrows and said nothing on the subject. Instead, he turned his attention on Cyborg and pointed to the circle.
"Lie her down on the floor beyond the north of the circle," he instructed.
Cyborg blinked at the circle.
"Which is north?"
"The one with the plant at it."
"Should we maybe have some music or something?" Beast Boy asked as Cyborg complied.
"Like what?" Robin barbed.
Beast Boy shrugged nervously.
"Like maybe some scary New Age stuff, or… Cyborg's got that cool Motown album, And The Beat Goes On…"
"Motown?" Robin snapped. "Jesus, Beast Boy…"
Saying nothing more to the shot-down shape-shifter, Robin went to the couch and pulled off two cushions, then beckoned to Starfire and Beast Boy. Crossing to Raven as Cyborg laid her on the floor, still groaning, Robin knelt and put one pillow under her head and the other under the small of her back to support the weight of her swollen stomach.
Raven opened her eyes and looked up at him, biting her lip against a scream.
"Hey," he said softly. "How're you doing?"
She smiled weakly; then groaned.
"Not bad…" Another moan. "I could… use some… drugs, though…"
He smiled and squeezed her hand.
"You won't need them…"
Raven offered him another agonised smile on seeing his rune-adorned arms and the "3" on each hand.
"Thankyou…"
His own smile faded somewhat.
"For doing this, Raven?" He snorted. "I'm the one that got you into this mess. It's the least I can do…"
He recoiled a little as he saw one of those jerking little tics against the smooth skin of her swollen stomach, but she didn't seem to either notice or hear him and he stood up, thumbing at her to the other three.
"Cyborg and Beast Boy, I want you to hold her arms to stop her from squirming around."
They nodded and knelt next to her, holding her arms gently to keep her still as she writhed and groaned.
"Robin, you think maybe we should check how far dilated she is or loosen her jeans anything?" Cyborg asked, biting his bottom lip worriedly. "'Cause it looks like she's about to give birth, if you ask me…"
"And help it?" Robin spat, getting thoroughly irritated now. "No, leave her the way she is. And I'll tell you now, if she just happens to give birth to it halfway through the spell, I will personally push it back in and stick the knife through it!"
Robin turned away abruptly as Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged glances; Cyborg mouthed "Stressed out" and Beast Boy rolled his eyes.
Meanwhile, Robin came face-to-face with Starfire.
"Robin? Is there not something you might require me to do?" She asked, her voice near-pleading.
Robin again regarded her rather coldly and she looked away dejectedly.
"Turn out the lights when I've the lit the candles in the circle," he said finally, walking past her to the circle.
Starfire gave a little nod and obediently flew over to the lights, her hand on the switch ready to turn them off.
Robin stood for a moment outside the south of the circle, breathing deeply and calming himself down. Then he stepped into it and knelt before the red silk altar cloth, taking a gold Zippo lighter (with B.W engraved on it) from his belt. For a moment or two he studied the paper, reminding himself yet again, and then…
"The circle is about to be cast and the temple erected…"
His voice shook a little with nerves, but he spoke it clearly over Raven's groans. He flicked on the lighter and lit first the white feminine candle, then the black masculine one, and finally the red candle at the south of the circle. Looking over at Starfire, he gave a little nod and she turned out the lights, plunging the Operations Center into a subtle candle-lit darkness, infected with the sweet scent of cinnamon and sandalwood incense.
Starfire came over and knelt beside Cyborg, putting her fingers to Raven's forehead as the pregnant girl groaned softly.
"Go for it, Robbie," Beast Boy whispered so quietly no-one but Cyborg and Starfire heard.
Taking another breath, Robin began to speak again, lighting the east candle with a slightly-shaking hand;
"May the Watchtower of the East be blessed with light and air to illuminate this sacred temple and bring it life."
He moved on to the south candle and spoke again;
"May the Watchtower of the South be blessed with light and fire to illuminate this sacred temple and bring it warmth."
A flame flickered to life on the west candle;
"May the Watchtower of the West be blessed with light and water to illuminate this sacred temple and wash it clean."
And finally, a tiny flame was aglow on the north candle;
"May the Watchtower of the North be blessed with light and earth to illuminate this sacred temple and bring it strength."
Snapping the lighter shut and putting it away, Robin bowed his head and concentrated on centring himself. He winced as he heard another low, agonised moan from Raven; and then looked up at her, aghast to see that there was blood staining her white jeans between her legs and that the foul creature within her – that which was killing her – was really writhing within her womb as it struggled to push out of her.
Time was running out, indeed…
He dipped his head again and lifted the Blade of Azar, holding it loosely with both his hands resting on the altar cloth. The light from the candles glowed on his arms and seemed to make the runes and the ribbons radiate a magical aura of their own.
It gave him a little more confidence and he took a deep breath; he could do this.
What did they have to lose if he couldn't?
Only Raven…
Pushing the unwelcome avowal away, he again began to speak, his voice as confident as he could make it considering how scared he was;
"Alight the candles, let them burn,
And from the flames this charm we learn;
Elements I call, be healing and pure,
May my words protect for sure.
Fire, water, air and earth—
Prevent this most unholy birth.
Eohl, Daeg, Sigel and Wyrd—
Combine, I pray, in that magic third;
Sacred magic, ancient three,
With faith and blood I bind to thee—
And thrice around the circle's bound
Sink all evil to the ground;
For within the shadows, evils hides,
Savours poison; time it bides.
With this power I shall be strong,
Banish all that is corrupt and wrong.
This blade I bless and herefore say
It shall destroy this thing, send it away.
Frankincense, eight, Eohl and blue;
These charms lend to what I do—
I call on thee, and call you still;
Ancient magic, I pray… do as you will…"
As he spoke, his voice low and becoming more confident and less shaky, the runes on the four candles that Beast Boy and Cyborg had carved began to glow blue, as though tiny neon signs attached to the pale blue wax.
And as the words "Do as you will" left his lips, tiny blue beams shot from each of the glowing runes, quartering the circle – the centre of which being the Blade of Azar in Robin's hand.
As though in response, Raven gave a sharp cry of pain and Starfire gave a little gasp.
"Dude," Beast Boy whispered, prodding Cyborg and nodding at the knife.
Cyborg nodded in reply, speechless as the four runes began to fade from the candles as though being melted away; and then manifested themselves in a vertical line down the blade of the knife.
"It is working," Starfire murmured excitedly.
His senses tingling, Robin lifted the knife, took another quick look at his sheet of paper; and then tightened his grip on it and plunged it downwards, straight through the pentagon-shaped gap in the middle of the stone pentacle, piercing both the red silk cloth and the carpet underneath.
The flames on all of the candles in the circle suddenly glowed sapphire, casting all five Titans into a wash of eerie blue light; and the runes began to appear on each of the point of the pentacle too, only the topmost point staying plain to represent the nothingness of infinity.
Pulling the knife out again and putting it aside, and then taking up the length of black velvet ribbon, Robin threaded it through the top point of the black obsidian star and lifted it up. Picking up the glowing knife in the other hand, Robin stood up and silently left the circle.
Too focused now to feel guilty, he pushed Raven's legs apart and knelt between them; she was in so much pain she hardly noticed, groaning and crying.
There was a lot of blood on her now.
Ignoring it, Robin tied the black ribbon around her neck, laying the glowing pentacle on her collarbone. As soon as it touched her, the rune Eohl – that of protection – appeared on her forehead over the jewel at her ashma chakra.
And again, as though in response – although it was just a coincidence – Raven sat partway up and uttered a horrific sound that was halfway between a scream and a gasp.
The child within her thrashed wildly; as though it knew…
"Azar…" Raven groaned as Cyborg gently pushed her back down. "Please… h-help…"
"May X'hal too lend you her protection, Raven," Starfire murmured.
Raven gave life to another short, ragged scream, bringing up her knees and resting her feet flat on the floor.
"Robin, do it!" Cyborg cried.
Robin gave a grim little nod and held the knife in both hands above his head as though about to sacrifice her.
But shewould not die.
Only her child. Her wretched, evil, bastard child.
His child.
Without a sound, Robin brought the knife down with a speed and accuracy born of his prowess with the Bo staff.
The blade pierced her round abdomen and plunged all the way in, right up to the hilt.
Blood spattered up Robin's arms and front and face; again, as when he shot the Slade of that other time.
Starfire gasped audibly.
Raven's eyes snapped wide open; and for a moment or two she was very quiet, only staring at Robin with those wide violet eyes.
And then she screamed bloody murder.
The entire knife was enveloped in a blue light; and then slowly changed to purple, and then blood red.
Still Robin held it there, even though Raven thrashed around, and even though it was beginning to burn his hands.
Still holding her, Beast Boy uttered a disgusted little groan and looked away.
Because now, from Raven's wound – although it was plugged with the Blade of Azar – a viscous black liquid, resembling tar, was overflowing and dripping from deep within her.
Tears running down his face from the pain of the knife, Robin still held it; he could feel it searing and burning his skin, but couldn't let go.
Not yet.
The tar-like substance continued to bubble over and pour down the sides of her swollen belly as she screamed; and then a blue glow spread from the pentacle and completely enveloped her…
Her scream died; and with it, so did the light. It faded away to reveal Raven lying on her back, completely still and silent but for her breathing.
Her stomach was completely flat; although the knife was still inside her and the black sludge was all over and around her.
The knife was no longer red; although the runes still adorned the blade, which he saw he slowly pulled it back out of her. As soon as it was out of her, Raven – unconscious – uttered a tiny sigh and her body, rigid as a board, lifted a few centimetres from the carpet and began to float there.
Healing herself.
The glowing Eohl over her gem faded away, and so did the runes on the pentacle and the knife.
Despite being elated, Robin knew he couldn't celebrate quite yet; there was still that matter of closing the circle, which was very important even though the spell had been done and had worked.
Standing again, Robin quietly moved back to his workspace within the circle and set the pentacle – which he had taken from Raven's neck – and the Blade of Azar back down on the altar cloth. He knelt in silence for a moment or two, his dark head dipped low. After a moment;
"The temple will now be closed…"
Then he took up the silver candle snuff in his stinging hands and began to put out the candles, on which the carved runes were no more – the wax surfaces were simply smooth, as though nothing had ever been engraved there.
"May the Watchtower of the East, element of air, take for your use any powers that have not been used."
He placed the snuff over the south candle;
"May the Watchtower of the South, element of fire, take for your use any powers that have not been used."
Extinguished the west candle;
"May the Watchtower of the West, element of water, take for your use any powers that have not been used."
And finally, he put out the north candle;
"May the Watchtower of the North, element of earth, take for your use any powers that have not been used."
Taking a deep breath, he even smiled a little as he uttered the very last words of the spell;
"…So mote it be…"
He put out the red candle and finally the white and black ones.
And then there was darkness.
After a few moments, Starfire piped up;
"May I put the lights on now?"
"Yeah," Robin replied. "It's all done."
Starfire flew over and flipped on the lights as Robin stood up, looking at his hands; there were raw red burns across his palms.
They were agony.
But he smiled.
And then he let out a whoop of victory as though he had just scored the winning run at a baseball game.
"Robin, you have succeeded!" Starfire cried joyfully. "Raven has been saved!"
"Aw, you da man!" Cyborg cheered as Starfire gathered the four of them into a tight group hug.
"Now can we put on Motown?" Beast Boy asked, quite seriously.
Robin grinned.
"BB, you can do whatever the hell you want…"
Beast Boy punched the air as Starfire released them all, hugging Robin a little longer than she did everyone else.
"Robin, I am deeply sorry for the way I behaved this morning," she whispered in his ear, her voice a little desperate.
"I know…" Robin gave her a tight squeeze back and then released her, turning to look at Raven.
"Someone should really clean her up," he muttered.
"Hey, you're the one who made the mess," Beast Boy pointed out, pointing at the black sludge.
In more ways than one, Robin agreed.
But he held up his burnt hands, smirking.
"Sorry, BB, but I have problems of my own right now…"
Beast Boy looked put out and Cyborg uttered a weary groan, crouching to lift Raven up.
"I'll take her to her room and get a mop…"
"She will be alright?" Starfire asked as Cyborg left the Operations Center, muttering under his breath.
Robin nodded.
"Yeah, she's just healing herself. If the spell hadn't worked she'd be dead…"
He unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off, using it to wipe the blood from his face and arms.
"So the Teen Titans will exist to fight another day?" Beast Boy solicited as Robin crossed to the window to look out at the now star-filled sky, his shirt clutched in his hands; Starfire close at his heels.
"Of course…" Robin looked over his shoulder at the green changeling, folding up the bloody customised Ralph Lauren shirt. "And you know why?"
"Why?" Beast Boy asked, joining them.
Robin smirked.
"Because, Beast Boy, the beat goes on…"
He turned the smirk on Beast Boy as Starfire gave a little giggle.
Beast Boy grinned, not quite sure if he was in on the joke or if he was the joke.
Dressed in a white gown with a matching cloak, Raven lay fast asleep and content in his arms.
She was beautiful. Perfect.
And she wasn't pregnant.
Together they lay on the thick lush grass of the tiny island on which all this had started; on which they had made passionate, desperate, controlled love.
Looking up at the clear star-filled sky of Azarath, adorned by its twin moons, Metrion and Zinthos.
Or rather, had been, until Raven fell fast asleep with her head on his chest.
Robin lay on his back, one arm draped over her; a peach in his other hand, of which he had taken a bite.
"Hey!"
Jonathon Vaughan cheerfully appeared from nowhere and flopped down on the grass beside him.
Robin sat up and looked at him boredly.
"Is this it now? Are you ever gonna leave me alone, or do I have to call Ghostbusters?"
Jonathon seemed insulted.
"And after all I do for you…"
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah." Jonathon grinned. "Don't worry, I'm not going to haunt you for the rest of your life. I think I'll have more fun haunting Marcus…"
"What are you here for this time?"
"To congratulate you, of course!" Jonathon was surprised. "Hello? Remember that whole thing with the magic spell and saving Raven's life and everything?"
Robin smiled and gave a little shrug.
"C'mon, you know I had a lot of help… mostly from you."
"But you translated that spell. You perfected it and performed it and saved her. I didn't do any of that, and neither did Raven, and neither did your other friends. You did."
"Uh-huh. And I won't be doing it again in a hurry, believe me…"
Jonathon gave another shrug.
"Magic isn't for everyone."
"I guess I didn't take to the notion of it as easily and openly as Slade did," Robin replied bitterly.
Jonathon smiled wryly.
"Still mad at him?"
"Uh, Jonathon, he raped me. And not to mention the near-killing thing three times…"
Jonathon gave a little laugh.
"He'll get what's coming to him, don't you worry about that… and soon enough…"
"What?" Robin turned his head sharply to look at the dead senator.
"Don't ask, because I can't tell you," Jonathon chastised happily in a song-song voice.
Robin rolled his eyes in disgust.
"Jeez, you're like one of those preppy high school girls… You know, "I know something but I'm not telling you what it is!"…"
"I don't have to tell you. You'll know soon enough…"
"Joy."
Robin lay back again and took another bite of his peach.
"Don't you think this dream is really symbolic?" Jonathon asked after a while.
"I hadn't noticed."
"I'm surprised at you, Mr Junior Detective."
Robin shot him a filthy look and sat up again.
"Alright then, educate me…"
"Well, it's all symbolic of the journey of self-discovery you have undergone since Seth first appeared to Slade all those weeks back in Jump City Museum."
"Journey of self-discovery?" Robin quoted, smiling incredulously. "Oh please, Jonathon… Seth and Slade both tried to kill me, and I managed to stay alive, and save the other Titans and Raven to boot…"
"Robin, I hate to say it, but the very second Slade began to violate you in that asylum, you lost faith in yourself. Like most rape victims, you felt that you were to blame, you felt worthless and used. You began to lose interest in the team, you argued with your friends, you destroyed your room, you tried to be something – anything – that wasn't Robin…"
"How is that self-discovery?"
"Will you let me finish?" Jonathon snapped.
"Sorry."
"You quit being leader after Seth inflicted you with the demonic possession that gave you wings because again you felt worthless and useless. After everything in Azarath was fixed, the Teen Titans were killed on Slade's command. You were propelled forwards in time by Seth, who wanted to use you for a real prophecy – and again, he made you feel worthless. He called you a wretched mortal, said that you had never been anything but a puppet for his use…"
"And?"
"And now… you believe in yourself again. You have taken back your role as leader of the team…
Robin smiled again.
"Okay, perhaps… But how is this dream symbolic of that?"
"It is symbolic of everything you have conquered and achieved."
"Like…?"
"Well, that peach, for one thing."
"This peach?"
"That peach."
"How?"
"According to ancient Chinese lore, the peach is symbolic of immortality – in the sense of the never-ending wheel of life and death. Circle of life, you know? One person dies, and another person lives."
"Yeah, I saw The Lion King."
"And have you not learned that there is no end to anything? Has your study of Wicca not shown you that? People will live, people will die, lives will be forever changed. There will be good and bad, right and wrong, love and hatred… but there is no end."
"Uh-huh. What else?"
"Raven."
Robin looked down at her.
"Not pregnant. Which is a good thing."
Jonathon nodded.
"Dressed in white to symbolise purity. She has been well and truly saved."
"In real life, she's healing herself."
"That is what her sleeping state here represents. I must warn you, it may take a long while for her to awaken. Even with the protection spell in place, that knife wasn't very good for her…"
"I thought about that."
"Did you think about this?" Jonathon patted the ground of the island. "This is where you impregnated her. To be here now in a dream… It represents the archetypical hero's journey. This is where you set out from, in reality – everything only began to become complicated once Raven was impregnated. To return here now is like the hero returning home after victory."
Robin shook his head wearily.
"Jonathon, these are all very tenuous links…"
"This is a dream. You expect it to make sense?"
"It would be nice if, for once, something did…"
Jonathon frowned at him for a moment or two; the abruptly stood up and held out his hand to Robin.
"What?"
"Just come with me."
"What about-?"
"Just leave her there. She'll be fine."
Confused, Robin lay Raven gently aside and allowed Jonathon pull him up and lead him over to the lake, gently lapping at the edge of the tiny island. Pushing Robin out a little way, Jonathon followed him until they were both submerged to their knees.
"What are you doing?" Robin asked wildly.
"Be quiet," Jonathon replied snippily. "Just look at your reflection. What do you see?"
"I see me." Robin rolled his eyes. "Jonathon, what part of "I saw The Lion King" didn't you understand?"
"Oh, for Azar's sake, I don't expect an apparition of your parents or Batman to appear in the clouds to tell you to believe in yourself," Jonathon snapped. "Just look hard. What do you see? The image; what is the image you see?"
"I see… me."
"And who are you?"
"Robin?"
"Yes, you are Robin. You're a hero, the Boy Wonder, Batman's infamous partner, the leader of the Teen Titans… You might not realise it, but you're a symbol of good and virtue… You're clever, you're strong, but most importantly, you're determined to help people. That's what makes a real hero… You believed yourself weak and worthless because Slade abused you and because Seth used you; doubted your strength and ability to do what you do – what you have been taught to do. You should never think that – everybody has their weaknesses and faults. No man and no world can ever be perfect – and those who aspire to such a goal are only destroyed, as Seth was. Sometimes I think you'll find that it is the man who stumbles time and time again, but picks himself back and keeps running that race who will prevail in the end…"
Robin turned to face him, not having an answer for such a philosophical statement.
Jonathon took Robin's hands and pressed his palms together as though making him pray.
"Besides…" Jonathon took his own hands away and didn't finish.
Frowning, Robin opening his hands like a book… and was astounded as an entire stream of apparative shimmering bats flitted out as though he had been holding a butterfly captive in his hands; taking off high up into the sky, leaving a glittering trail of dust behind them.
He stared after them; and then turned his gaze on Jonathon.
The dead senator smiled.
"…You have a lot to live up to," he finally finished. "He taught you well. No matter what Slade has ever told you, believe me, he could not teach you better. He could only corrupt and destroy you…"
Robin looked up again at the last of the glimmering bats and at the stars and at the twin moons.
"It's unlike you to be so… profound, Jonathon," he murmured, smirking slightly.
Jonathon Vaughan grinned.
"Just telling it like it is…"
Ah ha ha ha ha ha…
Check out my lame spell. :D Well, the whole "May the Watchtower blahblahblah…" is all real, but the spell Robin recites was made up by me, which is why it's lame…
My god, Jonathon just won't stay dead…
Okay, well, that's the scary demon child dealt with – but the Titans still have an even scarier villain to face:
Nope, not Slade.
The press.
Oh, horrors…!