Story Time ... ... ...
It was a little while after the defeat of the Brotherhood of Evil. Many of the Titans were still crashin at the tower. Some had left, but others wanted to stay, some on a more permanent basis. A few of these were immediately deemed Raven's responsibility. Not that she really minded. ...Except at bedtime.
"Want story! Want story! WANT STORY!"
"Timmy, don't you remember the last story I told you? It didn't go so well," Raven pinched the bridge of her nose, her white robe rustling.
"I don't know. It wasn't so bad," Melvin said thoughtfully. "It had a happy ending."
"Melvin...I don't know how to tell good stories...and I'd rather not give you nightmares with a really scary one."
"So tell them a fairy tale," came a voice from the door.
Beast Boy walked in. He had helped Raven on occasion with the kids since they came to stay at the tower, and hey had apidly grown almost as fond of him as they were of Raven. Only almost.
Raven smiled at Beast Boy, but then scowled. "I don't DO fairy tales, you know that."
"You never know until you try. How about I start one, and then you pick up where I leave off?"
Without waiting for her to answer, he began.
"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful dark princess with great power that she struggled to control. Her power was so great that, if she lost control, she feared harming those she cared about. To prevent this, she locked herself away, in the hopes that she would not bring harm to anyone. However, she was of pure heart, and her friends could not bear her self imposed imprisonment, so through great effort, they gently brought her out of seclusion and back to the world, to them. She soon found that the world held too much joy to hide from, and after all, what is life without a little risk."
Raven looked at him for a while. "You know, with a little embellishment, that's a fairy tae all on its own."
"Yeah, I guess so." He turned, and saw the kids were listening with rapt attention. "Time for you to pick it up, Rae."
Raven thought for a while, then decided how to continue.
"Then one day, her father came. He was a being of great power and hunger, and he spoke in her dreams. He demanded of her, 'GIVE ME THE WORLD.'" She said this last in a deep, scary voice. "She knew she was not strong enough to fight him, and eventually, he would win. However, she decided to try to enjoy what time she had left with her friends. But when the day came when he sought to rise, he discovered er friends knew, and had made preperations, to protect her from her father."
She gazed at Beast Boy for a time before continuing. "Amongst her friends, the dark princess had a light prince. He brought her great joy, though she often denied it. When her friends went to battle her father's forces, leaving her in safety, her pince took that moment to show her why he had done so much."
Without even thinking about it, she touched her lips. "With a single kiss, the prince confessed the emotions he had long kept hidden. The realization of this emotion stunned the princess, and she was nable o stop him from going to battle. After a time, as her father contined to demand she come to him, she realized why her prince had chosen NOW to tell her. He did not expect to survive the fight with her father's forces. He intended to die to save her."
Melvin teared up a little at hearing this. "W-what did she do?"
Raven looked down at her. "The only thing she could think of to do. She left the safety and went to her father. To save her beloved prince, she gave her father the world."
Melvin, Timmy, and Teether all gasped. "No..." Melvin said, eyes wide.
Beast Boy picked up the narrative for a time.
"The dark king now had the world, but all hope was not yet lost. The prince and his friends survived, and one of the dark king's lackeys sought to gain for himself. He betraed the dark king, and gave unto the prince the power to save the princess from the place of her imprisonment."
Raven continued.
"The prince journeyed into the heart of darkness, and there found his princess. Many words were spoken, as their love for each other was fully declared, and promises were made, that they would never leave each other's sides. As the prince carried her out of the darkness, her heart was filled with love and hope."
Melvin squeeled in glee. "Then they lived happily ever after, right?"
Timmy poked her. "How can they? The dark lord still has the world."
Raven smiled. "Very good, Timmy. There is still more to the story." She continued.
"They returned to the surface of the world, where their friends were still battling with her father. However, they were hard pressed, and would soon be defeated. When her father spotted the prince and princess. He sought to strike at them both, but the prince threw the princess to safety, and took the full force of the attack. Under the dark king's might, the prince was struck down."
Raven teared up a little.
"Fearing for his life, the princess leapt into battle. Gathering her power, she reclaimed the world, and prepared to cast her last spell. Pouring her very life into it, she slew her father."
Melvin was shocked. "But...if she did that...then did she...?"
Raven smiled at her. "Her father was a vengeful being. Had she just banished him, he may have found a way to return. Even if he didn', he would have found a way to reach through to kill her prince, knowing the pain it would cause her. She chose to die, so her prince would be safe."
Melvin couldn't speak, she was crying to hard. Timmy looked up. "Then what happened?"
Raven looked over at Beast Boy. "I don't know this next part. Think you could take it from here?"
Beast Boy smiled at her. "Sure, Rae."
"The prince held his dying beloved in his arms, not knowing what to do. He bewailed his grief. But the prince had a secret. A beast slumbered inside of him. A beast of great power, and terrible wisdom. He had feared this Beast inside, until learning it was truely a part of him, and shared all his thougt and feelings. The Beast spoke to him now, telling him of a way to save his beloved. Following its words, the prince took on the form of the Beast, and poured some of his life force into his hand. Then he watched and waited.
"Now you see, it takes more then just death for someone to die. There are creatures that exist between life and death, looking like small imps. They come when someone dies, sieze their soul, and take it to the afterlife. However, if one were to slay the imps in the act of collecting the soul, their power wold be broken on the person they were collecting, and that person could be raised.
"That is what the prince did. ing his life force, he struck down the death imps as they seized his beloved's soul, breaking Death's power on her. But it wasn't yet enough. Her flame of life had gone out. It had to be rekindled. So taken he life energy he had used into his mouth, the prince gave his love his breath of life. And the miracle occured. Her eyes opened."
Raven was staring at Beast Boy. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Realizing he had stopped talking and the kids had turned back to her, she continued the story.
"Their love for each other had conquered adversity, had conquered their father, had conquered death itself. Gazing lovingly into his eyes, she gave him that single, loving kiss, that is every heroes greatest reward. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her home."
Melvin bounced a little with glee. "And then they lived happily ever after, right?"
"Not yet, Melvin. There's more to the story," Beast Boy said with a chuckle.
Melvin let out a yawn. "B-but I'm too tired to hear it now, and I want to know how it ends."
Raven smiled at her. "But how could you? The story hasn't ended yet."
Melvin looked up at Raven. "Oh. That's all right, then." With another yawn, se curled up to sleep.
Getting up, Raven and Beast Boy walked out of the room. Turning back as she turned out the light, Raven said, "Godnight, children." And with that, she closed the door.
Beast Boy smiled at her as she turned to him. "You'll make a great mother some day, Rae."
She smiled at he compliment, then looked him right in the eye. "How much of your life energy did you burn off to cast the spell?"
"Huh?"
"The one you used to bring me back."
"Oh. That spell. ...two years."
"You burned off two years of your life? For me?"
"I was ready to give it all up. Living for any amount of time without you wouldn't have been worth it."
She stared at him for a time, then embraced him fiercely. "I don't deserve you."
He hugged her back. "Raven, you deserve every little bit of happiness you can get. And it's an endless blessing in my life that I'm the one who can give you that happiness."
They held each other like that for a while, and then, with a brief kiss, they returned to the common room, and the night watch shift.
It was a little while after the defeat of the Brotherhood of Evil. Many of the Titans were still crashin at the tower. Some had left, but others wanted to stay, some on a more permanent basis. A few of these were immediately deemed Raven's responsibility. Not that she really minded. ...Except at bedtime.
"Want story! Want story! WANT STORY!"
"Timmy, don't you remember the last story I told you? It didn't go so well," Raven pinched the bridge of her nose, her white robe rustling.
"I don't know. It wasn't so bad," Melvin said thoughtfully. "It had a happy ending."
"Melvin...I don't know how to tell good stories...and I'd rather not give you nightmares with a really scary one."
"So tell them a fairy tale," came a voice from the door.
Beast Boy walked in. He had helped Raven on occasion with the kids since they came to stay at the tower, and hey had apidly grown almost as fond of him as they were of Raven. Only almost.
Raven smiled at Beast Boy, but then scowled. "I don't DO fairy tales, you know that."
"You never know until you try. How about I start one, and then you pick up where I leave off?"
Without waiting for her to answer, he began.
"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful dark princess with great power that she struggled to control. Her power was so great that, if she lost control, she feared harming those she cared about. To prevent this, she locked herself away, in the hopes that she would not bring harm to anyone. However, she was of pure heart, and her friends could not bear her self imposed imprisonment, so through great effort, they gently brought her out of seclusion and back to the world, to them. She soon found that the world held too much joy to hide from, and after all, what is life without a little risk."
Raven looked at him for a while. "You know, with a little embellishment, that's a fairy tae all on its own."
"Yeah, I guess so." He turned, and saw the kids were listening with rapt attention. "Time for you to pick it up, Rae."
Raven thought for a while, then decided how to continue.
"Then one day, her father came. He was a being of great power and hunger, and he spoke in her dreams. He demanded of her, 'GIVE ME THE WORLD.'" She said this last in a deep, scary voice. "She knew she was not strong enough to fight him, and eventually, he would win. However, she decided to try to enjoy what time she had left with her friends. But when the day came when he sought to rise, he discovered er friends knew, and had made preperations, to protect her from her father."
She gazed at Beast Boy for a time before continuing. "Amongst her friends, the dark princess had a light prince. He brought her great joy, though she often denied it. When her friends went to battle her father's forces, leaving her in safety, her pince took that moment to show her why he had done so much."
Without even thinking about it, she touched her lips. "With a single kiss, the prince confessed the emotions he had long kept hidden. The realization of this emotion stunned the princess, and she was nable o stop him from going to battle. After a time, as her father contined to demand she come to him, she realized why her prince had chosen NOW to tell her. He did not expect to survive the fight with her father's forces. He intended to die to save her."
Melvin teared up a little at hearing this. "W-what did she do?"
Raven looked down at her. "The only thing she could think of to do. She left the safety and went to her father. To save her beloved prince, she gave her father the world."
Melvin, Timmy, and Teether all gasped. "No..." Melvin said, eyes wide.
Beast Boy picked up the narrative for a time.
"The dark king now had the world, but all hope was not yet lost. The prince and his friends survived, and one of the dark king's lackeys sought to gain for himself. He betraed the dark king, and gave unto the prince the power to save the princess from the place of her imprisonment."
Raven continued.
"The prince journeyed into the heart of darkness, and there found his princess. Many words were spoken, as their love for each other was fully declared, and promises were made, that they would never leave each other's sides. As the prince carried her out of the darkness, her heart was filled with love and hope."
Melvin squeeled in glee. "Then they lived happily ever after, right?"
Timmy poked her. "How can they? The dark lord still has the world."
Raven smiled. "Very good, Timmy. There is still more to the story." She continued.
"They returned to the surface of the world, where their friends were still battling with her father. However, they were hard pressed, and would soon be defeated. When her father spotted the prince and princess. He sought to strike at them both, but the prince threw the princess to safety, and took the full force of the attack. Under the dark king's might, the prince was struck down."
Raven teared up a little.
"Fearing for his life, the princess leapt into battle. Gathering her power, she reclaimed the world, and prepared to cast her last spell. Pouring her very life into it, she slew her father."
Melvin was shocked. "But...if she did that...then did she...?"
Raven smiled at her. "Her father was a vengeful being. Had she just banished him, he may have found a way to return. Even if he didn', he would have found a way to reach through to kill her prince, knowing the pain it would cause her. She chose to die, so her prince would be safe."
Melvin couldn't speak, she was crying to hard. Timmy looked up. "Then what happened?"
Raven looked over at Beast Boy. "I don't know this next part. Think you could take it from here?"
Beast Boy smiled at her. "Sure, Rae."
"The prince held his dying beloved in his arms, not knowing what to do. He bewailed his grief. But the prince had a secret. A beast slumbered inside of him. A beast of great power, and terrible wisdom. He had feared this Beast inside, until learning it was truely a part of him, and shared all his thougt and feelings. The Beast spoke to him now, telling him of a way to save his beloved. Following its words, the prince took on the form of the Beast, and poured some of his life force into his hand. Then he watched and waited.
"Now you see, it takes more then just death for someone to die. There are creatures that exist between life and death, looking like small imps. They come when someone dies, sieze their soul, and take it to the afterlife. However, if one were to slay the imps in the act of collecting the soul, their power wold be broken on the person they were collecting, and that person could be raised.
"That is what the prince did. ing his life force, he struck down the death imps as they seized his beloved's soul, breaking Death's power on her. But it wasn't yet enough. Her flame of life had gone out. It had to be rekindled. So taken he life energy he had used into his mouth, the prince gave his love his breath of life. And the miracle occured. Her eyes opened."
Raven was staring at Beast Boy. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Realizing he had stopped talking and the kids had turned back to her, she continued the story.
"Their love for each other had conquered adversity, had conquered their father, had conquered death itself. Gazing lovingly into his eyes, she gave him that single, loving kiss, that is every heroes greatest reward. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her home."
Melvin bounced a little with glee. "And then they lived happily ever after, right?"
"Not yet, Melvin. There's more to the story," Beast Boy said with a chuckle.
Melvin let out a yawn. "B-but I'm too tired to hear it now, and I want to know how it ends."
Raven smiled at her. "But how could you? The story hasn't ended yet."
Melvin looked up at Raven. "Oh. That's all right, then." With another yawn, se curled up to sleep.
Getting up, Raven and Beast Boy walked out of the room. Turning back as she turned out the light, Raven said, "Godnight, children." And with that, she closed the door.
Beast Boy smiled at her as she turned to him. "You'll make a great mother some day, Rae."
She smiled at he compliment, then looked him right in the eye. "How much of your life energy did you burn off to cast the spell?"
"Huh?"
"The one you used to bring me back."
"Oh. That spell. ...two years."
"You burned off two years of your life? For me?"
"I was ready to give it all up. Living for any amount of time without you wouldn't have been worth it."
She stared at him for a time, then embraced him fiercely. "I don't deserve you."
He hugged her back. "Raven, you deserve every little bit of happiness you can get. And it's an endless blessing in my life that I'm the one who can give you that happiness."
They held each other like that for a while, and then, with a brief kiss, they returned to the common room, and the night watch shift.