Confessions

Disclaimer-I own nothing, only Dawn and other OC's

Italics- telepathic communication

Dawn's POV

When I blacked out I expected to be surrounded by darkness and eerie silence, but to my surprise I got the exact opposite.

I opened my eyes after a few seconds, but quickly snapped them shut when a harsh light blinded me. I squinted until I adjusted to the light and could keep my eyes open without hurting myself. Once my eyes finally adjusted I noticed that I'm looking up at a clear bright blue sky.

I slowly sat up and quickly canvassed the area around me.

As I looked around I realized that I'm sitting on a nice warm beach connected to a beautiful clear blue ocean with waves gently lapping against the sand and rocks.

Directly behind me is a massive, lush, green forest with small animals freely running around on the forest ground. What I found quite odd however was that the forest and the ocean were the only two things I could see. There are no people, no cars, no roads, no buildings, no nothing.

I'm completely and utterly alone.

"Where am I?" I thought as I stood up and brushed the sand off of my pants.

"Hopefully I'm not dead because it's going suck to spend an eternity in solitary confinement," I muttered to myself.

"You're not dead Dawn, you're merely dreaming" a familiar angelic voice said answering my internal question.

I turned on my heels to see Priscilla floating by the forest's edge.

"Priscilla? What are you doing here?" I asked as she gracefully glided over to me and away from the forest.

"I've come to help and warn you now that you've finally uncovered a portion of your true power. You've just taken the first step in your journey, but take heed my dear this is only the beginning. You've only scratched the surface on the amount of power you possess and soon you'll learn to control all of it, but time is short. Your enemies grow stronger with every passing day and I fear they're planning to strike sooner than I anticipated. You must be ready when they make their move," she said while gently placing her hands on my shoulders.

She stopped floating and placed her small bare feet firmly on the ground so she could look directly into my blue eyes with her blue and purple mixed ones.

"Our time together is short, your friend will soon try to awaken you, but I must tell you something before I go. I'm giving you a crucial piece of advice and you must always remember it," she paused to make sure I'm giving her my undivided attention.

Once she was satisfied that I was listening she continued.

"I know you've probably heard this a million times during your training but this rule has never been more important than it is in this moment. I have seen small glimpses of the future and as your friend and guide I'm preparing you as best I can for what is to come. No matter what happens or what people do always be careful whom you trust. The people who seem to be your enemy might just turn out to be your greatest ally and your closest friends might just turn out to be your greatest enemies. Remember this Dawn, never forget this rule."

I nodded telling her I understood and she smiled before patting my shoulder.

"Good; oh and before I forget I have someone I want you to meet."

She whistled and after a second of silence I heard a rustling noise from the forest. She stepped to the side so I could have a clear view of the forest once again.

Some of the bushes rustled and moved as something came towards us from deep within the trees. From the movement of the bushes I could infer that whatever is moving towards us is BIG.

A few seconds later the movement was right at the edge of the forest and I tensed up apprehensively anticipating what was about to appear. To my surprise a huge black wolf silently crept out of the forest; and when I say huge I mean HUGE. It's about three times the size of an average wolf and probably three times as powerful.

Priscilla spoke to me as she watched the wolf emerge from the forest.

"This is your animal guardian, her name is Zaphira." (Pronounced Za-fear-a)

Zaphira slowly walked up until she stood right in front of me.

Her fur is a shiny pitch black and her eyes are a beautiful dark grey. Her eyes appear to be so full of love and cheerfulness while at the same time full of such ferociousness and power like she's ready to protect at a moments notice.

However, the hardest thing for me to wrap my head around is her ferocious size. When standing on all fours she's basically as tall as me although just a little bit taller.

Noticing my slight discomfort she quickly laid down on the ground so her head only reached my waist. She barked softly and nudged her head into my hand. I smiled and rubbed her fur making her swish her tail in pleasure.

"Zaphira huh" I said as I bent down to sit next to her and smiled "You're lucky I have a big weakness for wolves, even if they are freakishly huge."

She yipped happily and brought her face into my stomach. I wrapped my arms around her head and gave her a hug.

"Oh I can tell we're going to make an awesome team."

Priscilla smiled showing off her glittering teeth.

"I'm glad you two have connected so well. Zaphira will be returning with you when you wake up to help you along your journey.

When you return to the real world you two will be able to communicate telepathically along with having the ability to sense each others presence."

"Sweet" I grinned as I stood from the floor.

Priscilla sighed before pulling me close and giving me a reassuring hug.

"I wish I could tell you more, but we don't have enough time. But we shall meet again dear one; sooner than you think," she whispered in my ear before her image flickered and her body dissolved in the wind.

"Wait Priscilla I still don't understand what I have to do" I yelled, but she was already gone.

"Just follow your heart," Priscilla's voice whispered in the wind before everything went silent once again.

I stood there dumfounded staring out at the ocean thinking about how I obtained this power. I don't think my mom possessed a power this powerful because if she did she would've used it when our family was attacked, and I'm pretty sure my dad didn't have any powers at all. So is it passed down from my grandparents or is it some type of weird every one-hundredth generation thing.

As I thought about the lineage of my powers I heard a faint voice calling my name. I turned to see who called me, but the only one around was Zaphira.

"Dawn!" the voice said louder this time.

I whipped around trying to find where the voice is coming from.

"Dawn wake up, wake up NOW!" I heard Wally yell as I returned to the real world.

My eyes snapped open as I gasped loudly and sat up.

"Dawn!" Wally yelled before tackling me in a hug.

"KF…can't…breath" I choked out as his arms wrapped around me like pythons.

"Oh sorry" he apologized and quickly released me so I could breath again.

"How are you feeling?" he asked while placing a hand on my shoulder.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack when you passed out and didn't wake up" he confessed.

"I'm fine," I answered.

"Good. Soooooooo what was with the creepy glowing possessed Shade show we just had" Wally asked getting straight to the point while also being dramatic by waving his hands around like a crazy person.

I looked away and stared at the ground.

"I don't know KF, but lets hope I never have to use it again. To feel that much anger, that much thirst for revenge, I never want to feel that again," I whispered as I looked up into his eyes.

"I was prepared to kill someone KF, KILL! Even if it was a criminal as evil as Klarion it's still not right. This power might be strong, but if the cost of using it is loosing myself and my principles in the process then it's not worth it," I said shivering at the thought of me almost committing murder.

I looked around the roof searching for any sign of Zaphira, but no one was around other than Wally.

"Where's Zaphira?" I thought suddenly getting nervous that something went wrong on the other end.

"What's wrong?" Wally asked seeing the panicked look on my face.

Before I could answer him a bright blue light appeared on the roof blinding us both. We put our hands over our eyes to protect them from the light. When the light dimmed we put our hands down and the first thing I saw was Zaphira proudly standing on the roof where the light used to be.

Wally tensed and stood up getting ready to attack, but I quickly grabbed his arm preventing him from doing so "no Wally its ok, she's a friend."

Wally stared at me like I'd suddenly gone crazy.

"Wally meet Zaphira, my animal guardian" I introduced as Zaphira walked over.

I stepped around Wally and walked over to Zaphira.

"Hey girl" I greeted as I rubbed her head.

"Hello Dawn" an unfamiliar yet soothing voice responded in my head.

"Zaphira?" I asked.

"It is I dear one, we can now communicate telepathically."

"Again I say this is awesome!" I grinned before turning back to Wally.

"Come on Wally she doesn't bite" I giggled at his apprehensiveness.

"Oh really well considering the fact that it's a giant black WOLF Dawn I'm pretty sure she bites" he rebuttled while hesitantly taking a few steps forward.

"Go on" I prompted before pushing him forward.

"If I get my arm bitten off I'm blaming you and your paying for all of my hospital bills. And if I die I'm going to haunt you forever" he said while slowly reaching out his hand.

I snorted, "Yeah like that will ever happen. You'll move your arm if she opened her mouth more than a centimeter, let alone wide enough to actually bite you. Now stop being such a wuss."

He glared at me playfully and muttered, "I'm not a wuss" before turning back to Zaphira.

"May I?" he asked while hovering his hand above her head.

She nodded and bent her head so he could pet her.

Wally smiled and patted her on the head.

"Well I guess you're not as bad as I thought," he said to Zaphira.

She yipped and swished her tail. Wally chuckled and turned to me.

"As much as I wanna know how you managed to get the big bad wolf as your personal pet, right now we need to meet up with the rest of the team and return to the mountain" he said.

"What happened to Klarion?" I finally asked noticing the annoying witch boys absence.

"After you passed out I put on the helmet of fate, turned into Doctor Fate, and kicked his scrawny butt all the way back to Antarctica" Wally boasted.

I gave him a satisfied smirk "good at least he got a good beating, we'll catch him another time."

Wally told me all about Nelson and how he stayed behind with Doctor Fate in the helmet and persuaded Nabu to release Wally until a proper host could be found. Wally is going to guard the helmet until then, just as Nelson had requested. He finished his story right as we meet up with the rest of the team.

"Hey guys, how did everything go on your end," I asked as we all met by the bioship.

"We had a little trouble, but with Doctor Fate's help we were able to defeat Abra Kadabra and Fate teleported him to prison" Aqualad said.

"Uh guys is it just me or does everyone else notice the huge black wolf standing behind Wally and Dawn" Artemis asked while slowly lifting her crossbow in Zaphira's direction just in case she wasn't on our side.

I stepped in front of Zaphira so they wouldn't attack before I explained

"You can put that away Artemis this is Zaphira my animal guardian, she's a friendly."

"Where did she come from?" Aqualad asked.

"I'll explain later. It's a long story and I'd prefer to tell you all after a good nights sleep," I told the group.

"Well I don't think there'll be enough room for her in the bioship right now. I'll be able to change the design to fit her later, but that's going to take time and concentration; and since I'm really tired at the moment I won't be able to fully concentrate on modifying the bioship" Megan explained.

"That's ok M'gann you guys can go on ahead in the bioship, I'll ride on Zaphira. She just told me she can carry me back since she has heightened strength and speed" I stated as Zaphira kneeled down so I could climb on her back.

"Wait what do you mean she told you? She didn't speak" Wally asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We can speak telepathically," I answered.

"Are you sure about this Dawn" Aqualad asked, "I don't like the idea of leaving you behind."

"Don't worry Kaldur we'll be right behind you. Now I don't know about you guys, but I could sure use a nap right about now, and I bet Batman is freaking out since we haven't returned yet" I said with a yawn proving my exhaustion.

"Yeah we better get back to base" Megan agreed as the rest of the team walked into the bioship and flew away.

I patted Zaphira's side and telepathically told her I was ready to go before she took off as fast as a speeding bullet.

When we finally arrived at the mountain later on that night we were greeted by a seething Batman and a grinning Robin.

"Where have you 6 been? You should've been back hours ago, it's nearly two in the morning" Batman growled as the team exited the ship.

And then he saw Zaphira.

He expertly pulled out a batarang from his belt and held it in-between his fingers underneath his cape so Zaphira wouldn't know he's armed. The only other person in the room who noticed Batman's movement other than myself was Robin who also tensed up in apprehension.

"What is a wolf doing on base and why is Shade riding it?" Batman asked in a clipped tone.

If I wasn't around him everyday and known the difference between his angry and worried tone I would've been a little frightened, but unlike everyone else I knew the difference and could tell that he's more worried than angry.

"Ok seriously people what is this, attack Zaphira day? I mean I know she's a wolf and all, but not all wolves are bad" I huffed while crossing my arms.

"Shade she's a HUGE black wolf who is basically as big as Superboy. Its kind of instinctual to be ready to attack it" Robin said matter of factly.

"Whatever Robin" I grumbled, rolling my eyes before continuing.

"Anyways this is my animal guardian Zaphira."

"Since when do you have an animal guardian" Robin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"As of about 2 hours ago" I answered nonchalantly.

I hopped off of Zaphira's back and walked over to where everyone else is standing. Batman stared at Zaphira as she walked behind me and he tightened his grip on his batarang.

"And let me guess, you expect us to keep her" Batman said even though he already knows the answer.

"Wouldn't have brought her here if I didn't" I stated standing my ground.

"If she can't stay at the cave than she can stay here at the mountain with Superboy and Megan until we make a place for her at the cave. There's plenty of room."

I clasped my hands behind my back and gave him my best puppy-dog face hoping it'll help convince him. The puppy dog face usually works on Bruce, but it doesn't always work on Batman.

"I think it'd be cool to have a huge watch dog-"

A low growl erupted from Zaphira's throat before Robin could finish that sentence. She obviously doesn't like being called a dog.

"I am a wolf not a house pet," she growled in my head, highly annoyed by Robin's slip up.

Robin seemed to understand what she was trying to convey through her growl.

"Sorry watch wolf around" he corrected before patting Zaphira on the back.

"She could be useful on missions," I added.

"Agreed" Aqualad stated speaking for the team.

Batman looked down the line at all of us before turning back to Zaphira.

"Where did she come from" he asked me directly.

"Now that's a good question, but it's a long story. I'll have to tell you later during debriefing" I declared while nervously rubbing the back of my neck.

After a few seconds of staring Batman sighed and returned the batarang to his belt before slowly raising his hand towards Zaphira. He placed his hand on her head and rubbed her soft black fur.

If I didn't know him as well as I did I would've missed the microscopic smile that flashed across his face for a half a second.

"She can stay. She could come in handy around Gotham and assisting the team, but she must be trained in standard fighting procedures before I allow her on missions" he relented as he returned his hand to beneath the black hole that is his cape.

"Yes!" I yelled with exuberance and rushed over to Zaphira to wrap her up in a hug.

"Now, back to what I was saying before. Why were you all gone so long?" Batman suddenly asked getting back to the point.

I stiffened and patted Zaphira's fur for comfort.

Unbeknownst to me Batman noticed this and looked at the rest of the team suspiciously.

"We went to the tower of fate to help Nelson…" I trailed off as my mind wandered back to the fight that resulted in Nelson's death and entrapment inside the helmet.

Wally walked up behind me and slung an arm around me shoulder offering me silent support as he glanced up at Batman.

"We've had a rough night," he admitted barely above a whisper.

Batman glanced around the group and noticed our somber expressions before softening his tone.

"What happened?" he asked.

The 6 of us looked at each other silently asking who wanted to be the one to break the news. Everyone turned to me expectantly since I know him the best and seeing their expressions I knew I had to be the bearer of bad news.

I sucked in a deep breath and calmed my nerves before saying "we lost Nelson."

I barely spoke above a whisper but it's so quiet that everyone heard me loud and clear as if I'd yelled it.

Batman stiffened and clenched his fists while Robin's grin and joyfulness instantly disappeared and his shoulders visibly sagged.

"How, what happened?" he asked softly.

Nelson was as much a member of my family as he was Robin's so I knew this is hard on him as well. Nelson is also a good friend of Bruce's.

I looked Robin in the eyes showing him and Bruce all the anger I felt.

"Klarion happened" I hissed as if the words were poison on my tongue.

Zaphira growled lowly upon hearing the anger and pain in my voice. I coursed my hand through her fur to calm her down.

"Unfortunately he got away, but not before-" Wally quickly stopped himself and turned to me.

We haven't told anyone what happened on the roof yet and he didn't want to tell the others about my power overload unless I approved first.

I shook my head telling him not to tell anyone, but just barely so the others wouldn't notice.

"Not before we were able to rough him up a bit and send him running home crying for his mommy" I quickly finished for KF.

Batman glanced back and forth between Wally and I knowing we were hiding something and immediately wanted to know what it was.

"I see...and is that all or is there something else you want to tell me?" he asked while narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms.

"Nope that's everything. Now if it's ok with you I'd like to go to the cave and get some rest," I said softly before stepping away from the group.

"Come on Zaphira" I ordered telepathically as we walked to the zeta beams.

I didn't wait for Batman or Robin to catch up before teleporting to the cave. I walked out of the zeta beam with Zaphira following close behind. We walked over to the sitting area by the computer and Zaphira laid down on the floor. I sat on the floor as well and leaned against her side. She's soft and comfy thus making her the perfect sitting support.

We sat in silence for about 5 seconds before a small sob escaped my lips. Zaphira whimpered and put her head in my lap. I patted her on the head and rubbed her fur distracting myself from my emotions.

I quickly pushed down my sorrow so I wouldn't start crying again; I've done enough of that. Plus Nelson wouldn't want me to cry, he would've wanted me to smile and remember all the good times we had together.

I smiled as I reminisced on all the fun times we had together.

I remember him taking me flying when I first arrived in Gotham and didn't know how to control my powers. The two of us pulling pranks on certain members of the Justice League and then blaming it on other members so we wouldn't get in trouble.

However, my favorite memory is when Bruce, Dick, Nelson, Alfred, Sue, and I all went to the amusement park for a fun day when Dick and I had no school.

I sighed and put my head in my hands soaking in the peace and quiet while it lasted, which was about 5 extra minutes before Batman and Robin teleported to the cave.

Batman immediately walked over and crouched down to my level before gently placing a finger under my chin and lifting it up so I was looking at him. His cowl is pulled down so I can see his eyes, which are filled with concern and sadness.

"I'm sorry Dawn. I know you and Nelson were close and I know this must be very hard on you especially after having to watch him pass," he said but this time he actually put some emotion behind it since he's no longer in front of the team as the emotionless Batman.

"It's ok Bruce I'll be fine," I reassured him.

"Just don't block out your emotions like last time ok, even Batman has to mourn family at some point," he advised softly before sitting in his chair by the computer across from me.

Once Bruce was out-of-the-way Robin ran over and pulled me into a hug.

This is what I love most about our friendship. We don't need to say anything in order to understand what we both need. We don't need to say a single word to each other, all we have to do is hug it out and show that we're here if the other needs anything.

I returned the hug and he rubbed my hair as a gesture of comfort.

After our long embrace we released and he stared into my eyes.

"You good" he whispered.

"I am now, thanks," I said softly.

"No problem" he said while giving me a small smile.

He sat next to me on the floor leaning against Zaphira just like me as the three of us sat in silence and individually mourned Nelson's loss.

After a couple of minutes I was the one who finally broke the overbearing silence by calling Bruce's name.

"Yes" he answered.

I took a deep breath before starting to explain.

"I lied, I didn't tell you everything about the mission. I was going to wait until tomorrow to tell you, but I really need to get this off my chest" I quickly blurted wanting to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Bruce swiveled his chair around to face me and nodded before waiting on me to continue.

"During the original fight Klarion, Nelson, Wally, and I were separated from the rest of the group. The four of us teleported to the roof of the tower while everyone else stayed behind. This is where Nelson died; he got hit by one of Klarion's energy blasts. However, he managed to muster up enough strength to put a barrier around Wally and I to protect us long enough for him to say his last words."

I paused and regained my composure before continuing.

"He told me that I possessed powers that I couldn't even begin to imagine. At first I didn't understand what he was talking about but then…" I hesitated as my mind drifted to remembering the feeling of not being in complete control of my own body and actions.

"Until what" Robin pushed gently.

"Until I heard that annoying little brat yelling at us about wanting the helmet after he'd just killed Nelson, ranting on and on like nothing had happened. I don't know why but for some reason his voice pushed me over the edge and I just snapped. I let my anger consume me and... well it's hard to explain," I sighed.

"Try your best" Bruce encouraged.

"I… I think it'd be easier if I just showed you" I offered as I walked over to the computer.

I typed on the keyboard and hacked into the tower's security cameras.

Once I was in the system I found the video I wanted and pulled it up. I then turned around to face Bruce and Dick.

"Keep in mind I basically had no control over my actions when this occurred" I warned before starting the video.

As the video played I glanced back and forth between watching the video and interpreting their expressions.

Bruce attentively watched the video taking in every detail while keeping his face expressionless so I couldn't determine what he's thinking. Robin, on the other hand, just looked at the screen eyes wide with shock.

I was also surprised by the video. Internally I knew what I'd done, but watching it from someone else's point of view gave me a whole new perspective. Now I understand why Wally seemed so freaked out when I woke up.

Hell I'm freaked out by what I did.

When the video finally ended I turned the computer off and patiently waited for someone to say something.

"Is this the first time you've experienced this" Bruce asked going into full detective mode.

"Well yes and no" I answered and he raised an eyebrow.

"Care to elaborate" he asked.

"When my house was raided I think I felt this power stirring inside of me wanting to surface, but at the time I was nowhere near ready to harness such power so I subconsciously suppressed it. But I have experienced the case where I get so overcome by emotions of grief and anger that my powers go into overdrive. That's what happened with the soldiers that killed my family. My elemental powers got a short upgrade from my emotions and went crazy powerful."

I winced at the memory but continued.

"However that incident was no where near on the same level as the power I used today. This is on a completely different scale entirely. I've never experienced something this powerful before."

Bruce nodded and thought about everything he learned filing it into the back of his mind for future reference.

"And what about Zaphira, how does she fit into all of this. I saw her appear from the light in the video but how and why," Robin asked.

"Good question, when I blacked out after using my powers I met Priscilla again and she introduced me to Zaphira," I explained as I sat down in my earlier spot on the floor.

"Again?" Bruce questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh right sorry I didn't tell you about that. When we had the sleep over at the mountain I had a…nightmare of sorts. I dreamt about my family's murder and when I first discovered and used my powers. At first I thought it was just the normal nightmare I periodically get around the time of their anniversary, but then my dream shifted. I met this woman named Priscilla, the spirit of the crystal, and before you ask I don't know what she means by that exactly, but I do have a theory. In my dream I had a flashback to what seems like a childhood memory, but what doesn't make any sense is that I don't remember this event ever happening. I was playing in the backyard of my old house alone when I found this crystal sticking out of the ground. When I touched it the crystal glowed and shattered into a million pieces before disappearing into the ground as if it was never there. That could be the crystal Priscilla's talking about, but I don't have it nor do I know where it is since it shattered, so I don't know what any of this has to do with me.

The one question I've asked myself about a million times is if this dream was even a real past memory or just something I dreamt up. If it is a memory then I can't remember anything else about that day except for what my dream told me.

Anyways this time when we talked, just like the first time, she warned me about this dangerous enemy that's forming and how I need to be ready when they come. She said I have to learn to control my powers and that time is short so I have to work fast. The first time I saw her I thought she was just some random person I dreamt up after watching too much TV; but now I'm not so sure.

If she's only a figment of my imagination then what she says in my dreams shouldn't be true, which means Zaphira shouldn't be here right now, but obviously she is.

And she was right about my powers so obviously she knows things about me that I don't even know about myself. She said that I've uncovered a portion of my true power but only scratched the surface of what I'm capable of. This leads me to believe that I have more powers than we originally thought.

Now you asked me how I got Zaphira. Right before Wally woke me up Priscilla introduced me to Zaphira and told me that she's my animal guardian. We can speak telepathically and I bet if Megan added her into our telepathic link she'd be able to communicate with the rest of the team as well. Or maybe she can project her own link between more people if she really wanted to. I guess we'll have to figure that out later on, but that's everything I know."

I sucked in a huge gust of air after my explanation.

Bruce remained silent as he took in and processed all the new info.

"You said she mentioned something about an enemy; do you know who she's referring to" Robin asked but I shook my head.

"No she didn't specify who they were just that they're plotting against me and that I need to be prepared. But for some reason I have a feeling that it has something to do with this mysterious new group running around Gotham. I know it's a stretch but I just have this nagging gut feeling that's telling me they're involved somehow.

I mean think about it. They didn't appear until after I had my dream about Priscilla and the crystal and her warning me that my enemies are scheming. From what we know about them they're experts and have been planning this for years, so why now? What happened to make them finally step out of the shadows and take action?"

"I guess we'll just have to figure that out later. So Zaphira's basically here to protect you since you've discovered your new powers and your enemies are coming after you" Robin asked making sure he understood everything correctly.

"Yep" I said popping the P.

Bruce intercrossed his hands and placed his elbows on his knees while leaning his chin down so it was touching his folded hands.

"Well this sure has been an eventful day. I'm glad you told us Dawn, but I think it's time we all got some shuteye. I already talked to Sue so you'll be spending the night at the manor since it's so late" he said as he stood from his chair.

"Ok Bruce" I answered while flying over to wrap him up in a hug.

"You know besides the fact that you lost control of your powers the way you kicked Klarion's ass was majorly epic. And who knows maybe one day you'll learn to control it and be able to call upon it on will. Plus on top of all that we got an awesome wolf as a new member of the team" Robin grinned as we walked up the steps towards the exit.

I smiled and let out a small laugh, leave it to Dick to flip even my worst days into a joke and make me laugh even when I feel like crying.

Zaphira couldn't fit through the grandfather clock entrance of the cave so I used my powers to create a tunnel next to it big enough for her to walk through. When she was out the tunnel I put the rocks back in place and sealed off the tunnel.

"We'll have to build a new entrance for Zaphira so she can leave the cave without you being around" Bruce stated.

"Sounds good," I said as Alfred walked up.

He glanced at Zaphira and raised an eyebrow but remained calm.

"If I may Master Bruce what is a wolf doing inside the house."

"Alfred this is Zaphira she'll be staying with us from now on" I told him.

Alfred glanced at Zaphira.

"Well then, it looks like I need to start buying extra meat for our new family member. And tomorrow morning you're giving her a bath Mistress Dawn. I will do many things, but I refuse to clean up wolf fur from the furniture every day" he affirmed before pulling out a steak from the fridge and putting it on a mat in the corner of the room.

Zaphira happily walked over to her steak and ate it in 3 bits. She looked back at Alfred expectantly as if waiting for more.

Alfred smiled "I have a couple more in the back, wait here."

He walked off into the kitchen and came back with three extra steaks.

Zaphira quickly gobbled them up and once she finished Alfred picked up the mat and folded it in his hands.

"Well thanks Alfred, now I'm pretty sure Zaphira likes you the best," I said pretending to be jealous.

"As she should, I am the most charming person in this house after all" he responded before walking off.

I chucked and walked up the stairs with Dick and Zaphira while Bruce walked off to talk to Alfred, probably to fill him in on what happened today.

"Goodnight Dick" I said as I walked towards my room.

I was reaching for the door handle when Dick gently grabbed my arm.

"Dawn are you ok, and I mean really ok. I want a truthful answer and not just something you'd tell Bruce to get him off your back" he asked.

I looked him in the eyes and sighed. I can never hide anything from him for very long.

"If I'm being truthful no, I'm not all right. Nelson died on my watch Robin, mine. That makes me partially responsible for his death. Maybe if I'd done something different or fought harder Nelson would still be with us today. And while I'm being totally honest I'm scared Rob. I don't want these powers, I didn't ask for them. You saw what I did back at the tower, what if it happens again. What if next time one of you guys gets hurt or you upset me and I accidentally end up hurting someone or worse" I ranted while looking down at the polished wood.

Robin lifted his hands to my cheeks and lifted my head forcing me to look at him.

"You listen to me ok, what happened today was not your fault. Nelson's death is not your fault; it's Klarion's. You did what you could and that's all that matters. And as for your powers, I know you Dawn and you'd never hurt anyone like that. If these powers do resurface again I'll be there to help you with them. I wont let you do anything you'll regret ok. I've always got your back and that's never going to change. You know if you need anything, and I mean anything, you can tell me. Even if it is in the middle of the night I'm here for you," he said sincerely.

I stayed silent for about a minute before wrapping my arms around his neck.

"You're the best friend a girl could ever have Rob."

"Same goes for you Dawn. Now I know you've been holding your emotions back all night, but it's just us now. You don't have to hold them back any longer so let it out" he said soothingly.

His words struck home and I instantly felt a tear trail down my face. One by one they fell and as I cried Robin never released our hug and comforted me throughout the entire thing. At some point a few tears escaped his eyes but he held most of them back staying strong for me. I've been the strong one for him multiple times so this time it's his turn to be strong for me. Once I finished crying I gave him one last squeeze before letting go.

"Thanks Rob" I whispered softly.

He lifted his hand and stroked his thumb across my cheek wiping away a remaining tear.

"Like I said Dawn anytime you need me I'm there, no matter what" he said with a genuine smile.

"You starting to feel the aster yet" he asked as a small grin formed on his face.

I smiled and returned back to my old self "definitely starting to feel the aster."

"Good, well we should both get some sleep, it's been a long day and we have to give Zaphira a bath in the morning then build her a new entrance to the cave" he yawned.

"We?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"If you really thought I was going to let you do all that stuff by yourself then you're crazier than I thought" Robin chuckled before I lightly hit him on the arm.

"I'm not crazy," I defended.

He shrugged and grinned, "could've fooled me."

He ran into his room before I could attack him again.

"Goodnight Dawn" he said as he closed his door.

I laughed "Night Rob."

I walked into my room, changed into my purple PJ's, and jumped into bed. Zaphira hopped up as well and curled up beside me. I snuggled against her and used her as my pillow. The minute I closed my eyes I was out like a light.

Chapter 15 everyone. As I was writing this chapter I thought about Wolf from the show, who is awesome by the way, and thought it'd be cool to give Dawn an animal friend/protector and thus Zaphira was born.

She's basically as big as Wolf and looks just like him, except she has black fur and is a girl. I added in a little Dawn and Robin moment at the end and Alfred made an appearance being the greatest butler in the universe.

Please review! Advice and suggestions are appreciated.