Our Longest Chapter Yet.

We'd just like to thank anyone and everyone who has faved, alerted or even read this story. You guys are really all the difference.

We're on our third chapter, and to say that getting this far was hard would be an understatement! But, we will try, and carry on with our heads held high, hoping you will enjoy it-our story.

We don't own Teen Titans. If we did, SRF would already be an animated character married to Beast Boy. *sorry Amz, couldn't help myself! :D

Chapter 3

Morning in the new dimension seemed odd. It was sunrise and the clouds were scattered artistically across the violet sky. It looked like a painting you see decorating a manor. Shades of peachy pinks, pale blues and glowing greens dabbed through the sky. The only thing that the image could be compared to would be an un-organised rainbow.

Raven and Slade sat on the log from the night before, staring awestruck at the sky. The fire had long gone out, but the sun substituted well as a new source that provided both light and heat.

Raven sighed in content. To say the least she felt almost rejuvenated, refreshed. Basically, with lack of better words: she felt ready for a new day. Slade could say he felt the same, even with sore muscles, he wasn't complaining.

"Erm... Slade?" Slade glanced at Raven, and she realised he looked distant.

"Yes, Raven?" He acknowledged her presence.

"How are we going to get food and water?"

Slade pondered over the question, mulling it over in his head. A human can go a week without food. It had only been one strenuous day, AND he was already starving.

"I don't know, but I'd say we just travel to the mountains. This dimension must be inhabited by others too. There might be a village there."

Raven looked perplexed. The way Slade had said it made it sound so logical, and she felt stupid. Still, she nodded approvingly. Right then, as if on cue, her stomach groaned and grumbled.

Slade chuckled light-heartedly while the embarrassed Raven stared at the floor.

"Let's just go, I think I have a way we can get there faster," Raven suggested.

"And what, if I may inquire, would that be?" Slade watched as Raven's magic engulfed the largest tree trunk she could. Clicking her fingers, it snapped in half. She dropped one unceremoniously and lifted the other a foot away from them.

"Get on and be quick," she commanded. "Gravity will pull us really hard once we're on, and I can't hold it that long unless you hurry up."

Slade gracefully leapt upon the trunk, balancing perfectly. "Why don't you engulf us with your powers?" he asked.

Raven sighed. As if it was that simple. "Well," she began to explain. "Every time I pick up something alive, I can... see everything. Their life, secrets, fears. Everything. And I don't really want to see yours, no matter what anyone else says. I doubt you'll want me to anyway."

She looked on into the far distance. "Now, I'll need complete concentration, so try not to distract me." He merely nodded and placed a hand upon Raven's back, steadying her as she too leapt upon the wavering trunk.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she chanted aloud.

The girl closed her eyes and pulled the trunk up slowly, ensuring the occupants wouldn't fall. After a few moments, it was already taking a toll on her stressed and busy mind. "Slade, it's too heavy, I can't do this!"

Raven grit her teeth, struggling to lift it higher. The tree trunk tilted dangerously forward and Raven felt herself dangling over the edge, a small footstep from a painful fall. Slade snatched Raven's arms and pulled them back, keeping her safely on the trunk. She sighed in relief.

"Focus, Raven," he instructed, keeping a teacher-like aura. It almost reminded her of Azar. Almost. "Don't let panic overtake you. Just follow my directions and keep a clear mind. Go forward, and we should reach it." Raven's shoulders slumped and she put her soul into it, focusing as Slade had told her to.

The trunk moved forward at a fairly even pace. Raven felt as though her mind would tear in half, just to say the extra weight was stressing her was a understatement. It soon became agony, the stress on her mind being unbearable.

She screamed in pain and the trunk swerved violently. Opening her eyes she watched as Slade leapt off gracefully. He gestured for her to follow but noticed something. Raven was unresponsive, truthfully though, she was trying to put her mind in order. The emotions in her head were yelling in pain, telling her what to do, speaking completely useless things. Control needed to be placed down.

The trunk was dropping towards Slade with Raven still stuck to it. At the final moment she seemed to recover: throwing herself at the floor. The last thing she did was throw the now useless trunk over the edge of the cliff, saving it from crashing on them. Sensing unconsciousness trying to claim her, she willingly gave in, and she found herself in a meditative sleep.

After landing on ground Slade heard the trunk crash at the bottom of the cliff they were on. He stood up and dusted off the remaining sand that must have drifted on during landing. Craning his head to look around, he noticed a lot of things.

They were on the top of the cliff they had aimed for, a 'temple' looking building behind them and Raven's body curled up on the floor. His eye lingered on her still form, and a sigh vented out through his mouth.

"My dear, I'll thank you now that you saved us. But you needn't have found yourself like this, unconscious. Take this as a thank you." Raven didn't reply, swallowed up by her restless dreams.

Slade hastily crouched beside her, examining her body for injuries. There was nothing serious; he found, just minor scrapes and bruises from the harsh ground. The only thing that stood out, but wasn't life threatening, was her head which was bleeding profusely. Still though, it could have been much worse.

Releasing another tired sigh, Slade reached into his grey pouch and retrieved a roll of sterile bandages. After learning the hard way, Wintergreen and him had both carried medical supplies in case necessary. He thanked his old friend now.

Wrapping a bandage carefully around her pale head, he tied a knot to keep it securely fastened. While studying her serene face he placed his toned arms under her knees and neck, and successfully slung Raven over his back. The scene resembled a sack over a tired mans shoulder, albeit the fact that it was a girl, not a sack.

Turning slowly, Slade calmly walked to the temple behind him. The sun reflected off of its gleaming roof, casting an eerie warm glow. It truly looked grand. But really Slade couldn't care less. They just needed adequate accommodations. At that moment though, a man well into his sixties stepped out of the temple, smiling kindly at him. He was shorter than Slade by about two heads and was balding. He was dressed in white robes with a golden outline. A priest.

"Welcome," he said "This is Fortuna au Regnum, which means Realm of Fate. Our precognitive leader, Faye, has predicted your arrivals. We mean no harm to you and merely wish to help you and your friend on your journey."

Slade gawked at him in disbelief. His one eye narrowed into a slit. "You really expect me to believe that?" he questioned with the priest not batting an eyelid.

"Yes. We are all outcasts, delivered by Fate to this dimension. I presume you also think you were brought here by mistake. It wasn't one, Fate brought you here, like others. This is a realm of Peace and should anyone new come, they will be welcomed and helped. Here is where my loyalties lie, like Fate told me. Your path shall become clear soon."

Slade still thought he was hearing a load of crap, but he went through with it. "Fate is a person, I presume?"

The man calmly counted to ten, hiding his annoyance. "Fate, is not a person. She is all around us, forever watching and determining our destiny. Hence her name." Slade merely nodded. The Priest turned and led him, still carrying a limp Raven, into the temple.

Inside it followed a simple and clean theme of yellow and white. An array of wooden benches and alters cloaked in red cloths were organised throughout the rooms.

The man strode nonchalantly into a large, plainly furnished space. It had pale blue walls with matching ceilings, and two beds both with green covers laying fairly close to each other. A desk was placed to the side, that held the keys to the room, with a wooden chair lying next to it.

Overall the area that Slade was inside kind of reminded him of a dumbed down hotel room, or a well-furnished motel.

"This is where you will be staying. As it's late, you will rest, and in the morning Fate will guide you to Faye. Food will be there too." Before the man could leave, he turned once more. "Through that door..."

He pointed to a small white arch in the place. Slade waited for some deep-meaningful secret to be laid out on his lap. The priest smiled, still pointing, "There is an enjoining en suite."

The Priest sauntered off and locked the door behind him, leaving an appreciated silence. Slade gently laid Raven in one of the beds and he himself lay in the other bed.

Raven's dream

"Friend Raven?" A high pitched voice, that duly sounded like Starfire pierced the silence.
"Raven, are you okay?" That one was definitely Robin, with a uncharacteristic quiver in his speech.
"Yo, Raven? Ya there?" Cyborg's recognisable boom echoed.
"Dude! Say something!" Beastboy.

It was her friends. She was home? She glanced around at all of them individually. "Sorry, guys. Is this real? Am I home?" All the titans looked at her strangely, confused. Robin walked up to her.

"Raven, what are you talking about? You're home, with friends." She shook her head and threw herself at Robin, hugging him. The other titans joined in a group hug, all of them smiling. It was a good moment: but good things never last.
Suddenly the Titans let go, angry looks plastered on their faces. "How could you?" Cyborg asked, walking away. The other titans followed suit.

"What did I do? Starfire, where are you going?"

Starfire looked back at her, disappointed. "You left us. For him." Raven reached her hand out to touch her but she disappeared.

She could feel herself spiralling downwards, refraining from screaming. Her eyes opened. She found herself planted in the Towers' Communications room. Raven looked on in horror. Down below and in front of her were the mangled bodies of her friends.

"No!" Raven screamed, bolting up from her bed. She looked around frantically, not noticing Slade. The unfamiliar surroundings scared her.

"Relax, Raven." She jumped, finally noticing Slade, who was by her left side.

"Slade!" she yelled. She flung herself at the door, before realising it was locked and instead clawing at the walls. "Let me out!" Raven gasped for air, hyperventilating.

Slade stared at her before pinning her to the wall. She immediately struggled, not managing to break from the constricting grip.

"Calm down," he ordered. "Take a deep breath and think. Think of what has happened. You took a nasty fall. Just recover your memories. I won't attack you. And, quiet. It's only three am."

Raven sunk to the floor and closed her eyes, her two hands holding her head. The memories flooded back. "Two days, no titans..." she sighed "Where am I? What happened? I was moving that tree then I'm here?" Slade sat down on the edge of a bed, still staring at Raven.

"We are in a temple within 'The Realm Of Fate'. I walked in, carrying you, and a priest told how Fate brought us here, like everyone else. We shall meet a precognitive person once they are awake and they will help us to leave. They told me Fate is leading our lives."

Raven just nodded. "Goodnight, then." Slade seemed to sleep again rather easily, while Raven laid thinking on the floor. Eventually she drifted off though.

When Raven woke in shock yet again she didn't expect for it to be Slade to be shaking her, rather roughly at that. "Wake up, Raven. We have to get ready. It's time to see Faye."

Well there you have it, brought to you by the brains of an English woman, and the laptop of a sizzling Aussie Sausage.

Review?

Speak soon,

SRF and QLF