Chapter Ten: Binding.
A/N: this chapter is partially inspired by the song "Neverending Story" by Within Temptation. I was listening to it nonstop while I was writing this chapter and a little plot bunny got out of the song into this chapter.
As she and her father fell, downward through that bottomless abyss, a pit which seemed to have no end, they fought, him lashing out with his magic, seeking to control and possess her, to regain control of the world above. Each time, she countered his attack with her own magic, thwarting him time and time again. She could sense his frustration, as he had grossly underestimated her. She would have to move quickly, before he used his full force on her. In a lashing strike, for the first time, she attacked her father. A preemptive strike, for up till that moment, she had always ever just defended herself against him.
But her strike was countered, in desperation, she tried a feint to the left. A feint strong enough to be convincing that it was a strike. This too was countered. But she was committed to the move, and attempted the reposte. Unfortunately, her father saw it coming and countered that strike too. A flash of inspiration came to her as split seconds after the reposte was blocked, instead of withdrawing, she unexpectedly wrenched her position to the right. It was a gamble and she won, she struck a strong blow against him, momentarily stunning him.
But this was only temporary. She had to find a way to keep her father trapped somehow, here to ensure he would never get loose to the worlds again. It then occurred to her. A version of a dark holding spell that Malchior had taught her would be perfect. A dark spell, wrought of light. Something unique and contrasting that she knew her father could never hope to defeat.
In a way she had an advantage as she held both dark and light within her. Dark powers from her heritage, honed by Malchior and the powers of light fro her gentle mother, strengthened by her resolve to do good, and the monks of her home.
Malchior's and Ciaran's words came back to her: power is not good or bad, it just is, and to always remember, darkness is not a bad thing, it is the opposite of the light, an absence of the light, but not necessarily lacking in anything, as darkness was in itself a strength to be reckoned with. Darkness and light had to go hand in hand, one could not exiast withought the other, for they were opposites, and complementary to each other. But the most striking of all, Ciarans words to her the first time they had met. "With your talent, you have the power to devastate anything in your path- or create unimaginable beauty."
With a silent prayer of thanks to both Malchior and Ciaran, she then began. To weave a spell that would hold her father fast; and to keep her friends and lover safe, to help her older brother find peace. She wove, of the purest magick a pattern, interlocking with each other so perfectly it was impossible to tell where one ended and another began. Its lines, its forms, its boundaries, and its limitations, woven smoothly and fluently from the whispered words that Raven uttered beneath her breath.
It was a shape, forming in the emptiness of the space that surrounded them, enclosing her father forever. It was formed, a glittering intricate cage woven of light, of energy, of emotion, weaving around her father, the dust motes of power, gathering around like moths to a light, congregating, adding to the cage, acting as a glue to hold the cage together for eternity. She thanked Malchior and Ciaran, for even though they had brought such sorrow and anguish into her life, ultimately they had given her the keys to defeat her father and save all that she cared about and swore to protect. Nothing happened withought a purpose, and their role in her life, though negative, gifted her the keys to create something so positive. Everything had a reason, she realized in that moment, and nothing in life was ever in vain.
She had to maintain the upper hand at all cost, as she continued to hold the father in that
Glittering cage, crafted of power. The power that was made up of not only hers, for half of it was his, born as she was of his blood, but also of her true family, the ones that had stood by her, and were still standing by her. Even through something they could not understand.
She pushed herself even deeper, deeper into that vortex of nothingness; between her world and her father's lair of darkness and fire, far away from the world she lived in, far away from any world. She was as deep as she would go, as far away as she possibly could, withought destroying herself that she finally stopped, weary from that harrowing journey. But her task was not over yet. They were farther away, deeper that anyone, human or otherwise, could hope to venture, far beyond the space that the sphere of her fathers powers could reach.
It was there, that she finally stopped that journey, and stopped, building instead a cage, from the energy that she had encased him in. It was a cage of strength, built to last for eternity, but it was also a thing of beauty; made of intricate weaving of the energies that surrounded him. It was strength in beauty.
No one could ever exactly duplicate another's magickal signature, their energy. It was unique to the person. That was the beauty of magick, the true element that brought strength and power to it. Whoever the owner was, was what gave the energy its signature. Magick was composed of life, memories, a life lived.
Her father was death. That was what Raven used against him. She used the magicks within her that stemmed from life, her life, her life force, and the strength of the emotions that others had for her, emotions that he would never be able to understand, to comprehend, let alone duplicate or thwart.
For good or for ill she and her father were polar opposites. One wanting death and dominion, the other only wanting safety and life. One wanted dominion for one person, the other wanting safety for many. One was filled with hate, the other filled with love. They were opposites, and for that, each could not break the others magicks.
He would, never, for all eternity break the cage that she had crafted to hold him in. and she would never be able to free herself from the curse he had placed upon her at birth.
She had finally accomplished what she had set out to do so long ago. The main purpose of her existence, her presence in this city, was finished. But there was one other reason she was here, two actually, who waited just beyond the portal, waiting for her to return.
She had one final challenge ahead of her. She had to return to the place from whence she started; the old temple in the heart of the city. If she did not, she would share her father's fate.
As she started what would be the last and most arduous journey of her life, she silently forgave and blessed Malchior. For withought his gentle loving tutelage, albeit for his own gain, she would have never had the skills or the courage to defeat both Ciaran and Trigon.
Whatever he had eventually done to her, she forgave in the light of the gift he had ultimately given her.
She painstakingly began the long, wrenching journey back, never knowing if she would be able o make it back. She traveled as quickly and strongly through the nothingness as she knew how, but she did not have the strength. She had drained herself in the binding of her father, and she did not have enough in her reserves to make it back.
Her father knew this and his peals of glee shadowed her as she left his prison toward the portal. Before she had gotten far, her strength began to fail. She slowed, her lungs burned with the need for air, and her eyes stung and watered as she traveled toward that ever elusive goal, to return to the arms of her lover, to aplogise with her own lips to the one she had loved as a brother, her fathers laughter spurring her on long after she thought she would collapse. But it simply was not enough. She resigned herself to the fact that she would never return to her real family again. The letter she had written would simply have to do.
She then saw a light in front of her. It was a surprise as she knew she was still a long way from the top. Her hope was faltering as fast as her strength when suddenly, ghost like, the figure of Star materialized before her. Star was smiling, her trademark hundred-watt smile, and holding out her hand in the traditional gesture of assistance, her outstretched hand almost out of reach. With a last burst of energy, Raven brought herself to within reach. Their hands touched for just a split second, and then Star's fingers closed securely around hers, and pulled upward, with unnatural strength. The strength of her caring for her best friend. The momentum of that pull was just what Raven needed, boosting her toward her goal.
But that momentum, no matter how hard, was not enough. Raven could feel it grow less; weaken, as it began to fade. In her own weakened state, there was nothing she could do but ride the wave of that energy, and try to use what little remained of her energy to keep on moving upward.
Just as she felt the energy that Star that given her fade and die, she saw another misty figure above her. Another of her family was there to help her. A second later and she saw a flash of green and a mad Cheshire cat smile, a hand outstretched like Star's had been.. BB was there. And even though she had made out to hate him for his irritation, she still looked upon him as one would see an overly annoying little brother, perpetually in mischief. She reached his hand, though now she was weak with fatigue. As their hands met and grasped, BB changed into the form of an eagle, holding her hand gently in a talon, and began to fly upward, towing her along and finally assuming the shape of a great ape to fling her upward again when his strength was nearly up.
She was truly out of strength now, and she could do little more than ride passively the wave of momentum that BB had gifted her. When, right on cue, just as the momentum was fading, she saw another ghostly figure above her.
She then saw, jus tout of her reach a faint blue glow, and heard faintly the whirring that then she knew that Cyborg was there to help. She rode the last of the energy that BB had given her. It was just enough. She saw his face, so full of love and compassion for his little sister. She also saw acceptance that she may not make it, and admiration for what she had done. Cyborg, of all of them besides Robin, and Aqualad, had understood the most, what she had set herself, and the weight of her curse upon her.
With a heart wrenching pang of regret, she knew that she would never see Aqualad again, never gain confide in him. He knew of the hunt for Ciaran, but had been unable to accompany them, as it had been impossible for him, due to the nature of his powers. She had, though, on an impulse called him as they were leaving, to say good bye. And those would be the last words she would ever say to him.
She whispered to Cyborg as he took her hand, 'let Aqualad know of what happened here, and that I love him, so much.' She saw him nod, and then he had traveled a short way with her, and with an intensity that made her gasp,flung her on the last leg of her journey back to her world, her return to die. For she knew she would never survive th ascent, even with all the help and caring she had received.
She felt as if she had been traveling through this abyss for an eternity. It shocked even her that she had amnged to travel this far down to trap her father. But she knew, that the deeper she had gone, the safer her world and her friends and lover would be.
Then, like the vision of an angel, she saw the long awaited face of her brother and best friend. She saw Alex there above her, waiting for her. 'I am so sorry,' she whispered. 'thank you for your warning, and your help. For everything.' He smiled sweetly at her as he took her hand. And it seemed, for that last journey, that it was like old times again and they were carefree children in the gardens of the monastery again. He smiled as he had all those years ago. Withought reservation, withought the burdens that he had then placed upon himself in the years to come. For a while at least, they were children together gain.
He flew beside her, as they neared the light, and he took her hand, and gently led her out of the abyss, and into Robin's arms.
Dimly, she heard Alex speak in his smooth honeyed voice. 'My sweet Raven, your plea is finally done. May you be now at peace.' She felt his hand brush a tendril of hair away from her face, as she felt Robin stiffen around her. But she had not the strength to reassure them. It was with relief that she felt Alex move away.
'Love is a power that should never be underestimated. It and hate are the most powerful forces on earth. But it is stronger than hate, due to the depth of compassion, and will to sacrifice, for all of the ones that are loved. And to sacrifice for all those who are not even known. Hate and evil lie now trapped by goodness and love, by unselfishness. I have lived many years, but I have never seen a fairytale as complete as this. Enjoy it. Enjoy the freedom and safety she had bought for you.'
She was utterly spent. As she lay there, looking into her lover's eyes, she knew that her plea fir redemption was complete. She could see the on the edges of her vision, the first rays of an even brighter and glorious light, unlike any other that she had seen before. Ot was time to say her goodbyes. She was leaving for the Undying Lands.
With a final sweet smile, she died, peacefully, in her lovers arms.
A/N: so how did you like this sequence? This final battle was the hardest for me to write as I am terrible at action scenes. Please don't forget to review!