Wiping away the slime and grime of the match, Raven sauntered back to her dark room. She had put in the time, and now she should have no interruptions from a certain green boy.
The game had been disgusting, immature, and completely chaotic. Simply being within ten feet of the two boys flinging an oozing ball meant anyone and everything would be soaked. Starfire and Robin only had a fraction of what she was now covered in.
Stomping into the bathroom, she whisked her cloak away and twisted the knobs of the massive shower forcefully- almost too much, for she felt the metal pipe groan behind the wall.
After at least an hour of intense scrubbing and washing, she stepped out squeaky clean, the memories of the previous hours slipping into apathy. She breathed out a relaxed sigh and quickly sprinted across the hall, lest anyone catch her in the inappropriate attire of a towel.
If Beast Boy saw her…she'd never hear the end of it.
Her toes pressed nicely into the soft carpeting, trying to avoid the obscenely cold tile. A final leap and she was back to the safety of her bedroom.
Although the game had been traumatizing, it did not dissuade her from the fascinating star within her psyche. Every sharp whistle blown, every splatter of filth endured, yet she still saw it hanging in her mind's eye, taunting her to the core.
Why hadn't she seen it before? Who was behind the bizarre emotion? Could she really invade the brain of another? These questions had to be answered. She hadn't felt so much purpose in months, and she may have hated to admit it, but the lack of challenging crime or catastrophe was getting the best of her calm nerves as well.
Just one look and then I'll never do it again. What's the worst that can happen?
Changing in a flurry to her usual blue cloak and black leotard, she practically jumped onto her plush bed not even bothering to light all the candles or flick the used towel into the bin.
"Azeroth Metrion Zinthos," she hummed impatiently, her knee twitching up and down quickly. "Azeroth Metrion Zinthos."
Without any kind of satisfying lift, she was dragged up into her black universe.
"Finally," she spat to herself, her massive blues already scouring the night.
Swimming like an Olympian, she passed colored star after colored star. Her comfortable rock was still floating gently next to the exaggerated moon, and the twinkling of brilliant orbs swirled about her. But the one sparkle she truly wanted to see wasn't there amidst its brothers and sisters.
Where is it?
Paddling her way into a well sized group, she took a handful of stars into her hand and peered intently at their contents.
Nothing.
Her frustration was peaking, and she took a swipe at all the aggravatingly close sparks. Sighing, her disappointment began outweighing her anger.
This was going to be a discovery; something huge would have come of it. Perhaps it was a notorious villain on the rise, and she would be the first to encounter him. Or maybe some alien was calling for help, and they would have a fantastical mission.
Maybe it would have been another lost…
Before her sad thought could be completed, a light caught her eye. Hanging off in the apparent distance, a lonely, grinding star was oozing its way along.
The adrenaline and butterflies soared in her core and bones and, not fast enough, she shot off.
I knew it would be here!
Her fingers curled about the copper-colored twinkle immediately, and she felt a wave of relief shock through her. This strange feeling surprised her. Why relief? Obviously, the thing was working a strong spell upon her, was it so wise to interfere with it?
Her temptation said yes, and that was good enough for her.
Her palm closed around it and she shut her eyes, focusing her entirety to its low gravitational pull. It actually wasn't so hard, the little thing sucked her in immediately.
A pang of anxiety greeted her, but it was too late to coward out. Destinies were being rewired, and there was only one path to Oz; however, no yellow brick road or smiling group of little people welcomed her.
She may have access to the deep crevices of her own mind, but that didn't mean she was the only one with a separate universe. Every mind told a different story, and one could generally figure out a true personality from the atmosphere and surroundings.
This particular one was rather intimidating. Not unlike her own, it wasn't a peaceful valley or meadow, but a shadowy, freezing dimension. Three tunnels, only three tunnels marked the terrain. Swirling black engulfed her, and it felt like she was going to drown in spiritual tar. Each path was characterized by a faint symbol upon the burgundy, old brick arch.
Squinting at the bizarre markings, she realized they were the different phases of the moon, and that was certainly comforting to the gothic girl. The left passage had a crescent carved onto the shadowy stone, the middle one was equally split, and the right had a beaming full.
All were peculiar, but she merely decided to take her chances with the center tunnel. Drudging through the thick landscape, she took a step into the hole and was instantly yanked through.
Most minds were blunt, and it was easy judging a character, yet the one she was stuck in was complex and increasingly sinister. The more time she spent here, the more anxious she was becoming. What if she couldn't find her way back?
Stifling the gray cloak, she lifted her chin as she faced the second level.
Fortunately, it was a simple, black plain. Nothing, seemingly, complicated or riddled- no tunnels or ferries to pick; however, it was increasingly becoming more apparent that she was desperately alone. Pitch black, and without a soul in sight, her fears bubbled in her stomach until she gulped and squashed them down once more.
Lifting a brow, she supposed this strange place was a dead end. She must have picked the incorrect passage.
Crossing her arms, disappointment sung in her muscles and mind once more.
All that…for nothing, she thought sourly, breathing out a sudden huff.
The sound of her exhalation ringed throughout.
"Creepy," she commented to herself.
As if the vibration of the sound hadn't sent enough shivers down her spine, laughter soon joined. Her feet seemed to bury within the ground, frozen to its very roots, she didn't move.
One thing was for certain, the mind was that of a male. His short, throaty chuckle was evilly familiar, and his voice seemed to shake the very foundations of the universe.
Her mind told her to question and bark out her fears, face this terror head on, but her body would not compute, it remained still, unwavering, and paranoid. The strings of nerves tightened to snapping point, stretched until she imagined images and noises in the void.
All became quiet once more, but a presence was felt tugging at her senses.
"Did I scare you?"