Eric- It's the same with how Zatanna described her magic usage in the show. Since energy has to be used to cast a spell, it would make sense it would come from the caster. Which I think is why every magic user meditates so often and works to find ways to use less energy for their spells. And the gem question will be answered here and clarified later on.
Natilie- I think you'll like the ending to this chap, girl.
5.
Unknown Location
Unknown Date
Unknown Time
Looking closely at the gem on her forehead, Raven used her fingernail in an attempt to pry it up. It was pointless as it was a part of her skin and seemed permanent.
"A Chakra," whispered Raven. With her eyes locked on her new accessory, the Gothic girl swallowed a lump in her throat as she recalled what she had read about the small gem, a Chakra.
"Raven?" Cissie asked. "You okay?"
"Uh, yeah. I'm, I'm just fine."
"Well, what is it?" Kyle asked.
Not wanting to explain everything, Raven sought to change the subject quickly. "I'll explain later. But right now, I have to show you this."
Moving back to the table, Raven moved a stand of hair behind her ear as she flipped through the book lying among several others. "The woman who was here with me showed me this about Trigon. It says how he is unstoppable-"
"Well that's just great!" Kyle said while throwing his arms in the air. "So we can't beat him!"
"If you would let me finish," Raven said with an annoyed snap to her words. "The book states Trigon is unstoppable once he regains his power after entering a realm. Crossing realms takes a great amount of power and requires several sacrifices. The book indicates apart from the sacrifices he needs, he also must claim the herald he spawned with a woman of that realm. I was born of an Earth woman who came here, my home, Azarath."
"This is your home," Garfield said. "What happened to it?"
"Trigon. He destroyed my home and mother. He then intended to use me as a herald for is arrival, but failed. This is a healing realm. A body and mind will begin healing the moment they enter here. It's why I created a portal from Earth. I just never thought it would be like this."
The four teens exchanged glances for a moment before Terra looked back at Raven. "Sooooooo, how exactly was he supposed to succeed?"
"In short, he needed an offspring who will sacrifice themselves to allow his arrival. Before we left Jump City, Brother Blood stabbed me, gaining some of my blood after I infused the dagger of his with my power by accident. It's what he needed to begin the final process. He then gave into a common mortal flaw, greed."
"So what does that mean?" Cissie asked. Was he supposed to use you to bring Trigon out?"
"Yes. He needed my blood and soul added to the dagger. He would then use it to infuse me with the souls he had collected to bring my father across the threshold into our realm. He instead used it on himself, most likely believing he would gain god-like powers above his own. He thought wrong and died from Trigon's arrival."
"So without your soul," Kyle began, "he's incomplete? Or waiting for the rest of his powers?"
"Something like that." Turning the page, Raven flipped the book around for the others to see a sketching of the demon god, Trigon. "Trigon possesses a realm's people to take control. He has them fight until he has fully entered a realm or has the need for entertainment. He also stops time upon his arrival, like he has permanently done here, and uses soulless people he has claimed to fight those who resist him until he permanently takes control."
"That's why we fought the others," Terra said. "He's controlling them, the freak."
"And that means we can save them, anyone Brother Blood had stabbed with his dagger or anyone Trigon has killed."
With a hopeful expression, Garfield looked up and moved over to Raven's side. "If he kills someone directly, they're not dead?"
"No," Raven answered. "Not until he absorbs their soul. And most likely, he'll use those in the League and teams as soldiers to guard him until he has regained his complete powers."
"Sis, Conner," Garfield whispered. "How do we get them back?"
"They got M'gann and Conner?" Raven asked.
With a nod, Garfield answered, "They died to give us time to get out. I saw them lying on the ground hugging each other."
"I'm sorry," she quietly said.
"So am I."
"Okay, so, how do we kill this thing?" Cissie broke in. "Cause I want our city and planet back."
"That's the hard part," Raven told her. "Trigon is a demon god, he's omnipotent and can tell what we're going to do before know what we're going to do. But there's a counter spell if I can find it." She then quickly flipped trough one of the nearby books.
"We have to be quick about this. I'm the only one he's unable to track or read due to lineage. The spell I can cast will make it to where he will not know where we are or what we'll be up to once we go back."
"Go back?" Terra asked. "Did I hear correctly? It sounded like our Raven had a slight touch of vengefulness in her voice."
"Sounds like someone's started to consider her lost friends as a family," Kyle added.
"And wants payback," Cissie said. "What can we do?"
Finding what she needed, Raven marked the page and slammed the book shut. "Be ready to fight. My so called father will not take another family or world from me again."
(-)
Above the temple, the woman from earlier watched as the group of teens exited the front entrance. Leading the way was the one she heard referred to as Kyle, bright and green. Behind him was the girl they called Cissie, bow in hand and quiver loaded with arrows. Making her way down the stairs, the second blonde girl named Terra ran after the first two. She did not have the opportunity to find out what she could do, but it had to be amazing considering the other's abilities.
Skittering out next, a green cheetah chased after the three and turned momentarily to check if Raven was following. A moment later, the pale skinned girl flew into view with her cloak and a few books in her arms.
"Daughter," the woman whispered.
As if she could hear her, the teen girl landed and looked back toward where the woman was. Staring up at the roof of the temple, she saw only broken pillars, decorative statues, and carvings that have seen better days.
"Raven, come on!" Garfield yelled from a distance away. "We gotta go!"
Sweeping her gaze across the roof one last time, Raven moved a strand of hair behind an ear then flew off with the group. Emerging from behind a destroyed carved section of wall, the woman took off her hood and watched her daughter fly off to where they arrived the previous day. The small gem on her forehead was now gone with no trace of one ever being there to begin with. A small smile brought up the corner of her mouth from feeling her daughter's emotions among her small band of friends, especially when the green skinned boy was close to her.
"Become the light you were born to be, my daughter. I will always love you." A large black shadow formed underneath the woman where she sank into it.
(-)
Gathered in a circle around Raven where the group first entered Azerath, the four teens stood at attention while the purple clad girl opened her book. Removing the marker, she moved her finger down the page until she found the spell she was looking for.
"Before I do this, I need you to remember, part of my majicks will be infused with you to prevent Trigon from knowing what you're thinking or where you're at. If there's anyone left, they can not know about what we have planned."
"And what is the plan?" Cissie asked.
"We need to keep Trigon distracted," Garfield told her. "Keep his attention away from me and Raven as we go for him."
"I can stop this and send him back to his realm," Raven told the group. "I just have to get to him and focus my powers on reversing the majicks keeping him on Earth. I just hope we're not too late."
"And what if we are?" Terra asked.
"...We just can't be."
Raising her hand, Raven began to speak an incantation with her eyes glowing a bright white. Her hair floated upwards as a white smoke flowed from the book and snaked around her. As she continued to mutter the words from the text, four separate trails of smoke fell to the floor and weaved towards each of the teens. As it climbed up their bodies, Raven clinched her fist while muttering the last of the spell and recited her mantra.
"Azerth Metreon Zenthos." opening her hand, she let out a black and purple sphere, which divided into four separate rays of light.
Striking the four teens in the chest, the light surrounded them with a white aura as their eyes turned white. Small amounts of white smoke flowed upwards from the ground in a twisted vortex around each one until it was absorbed into their mouths and eyes.
Lowering her hand, Raven watched as her friend's stiff bodies relaxed and they came too. Patting themselves, each looked around and made sure they were okay. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary or out of place except for a slight chill spreading through their beings.
"So, is that it?" Garfield asked. "We can fight that thing?"
"Trigon can be beaten," Raven told him. "At least now, we'll have a chance to fight back. He won't be able to keep track of us, but he can see us. So it would be imperative if we find cover and attack from different directions once we get back. And if anyone's left, they can't know what we have planned. He'll be able to read their minds."
"So we're acting on our own now?" Kyle asked.
"Essentially, yeah."
"No adult supervision," Cissie said.
"We work on our own, or do we listen to Robin and the others?" Terra asked.
"We don't tell them anything," Garfield ordered. "They can't know what we need to do. We have to leave them in the dark. So when we go back there, we work as a team without them. If they follow, let them, but we need to get Raven to Trigon by any means necessary."
"So that's the plan," Cissie said' "divide and conquer."
"So get ready'" Raven told them. "Once I open the portal back to Earth, I can zero in on where the others are and we can join them. But we have to move fast."
"We go back in ten," Garfield instructed. "Make sure you have everything ready before Raven reopens the portal.
As the group broke apart to go over their gear, Raven separated herself from the others. Not wanting to say anything, she looked over the object she used to mark the place in her book with. Opening it, she saw it was a letter some years old with visible cracks in the folds and slightly faded ink. Turning it over, as it was upside down, she saw the name mentioned by the woman from earlier.
Daughter,
I hope this letter reaches you when you need it most. There are so many things I wish to tell you, so many things I wish to teach you. I wish I could be there to see you grow and be there for you through the happy times, comfort you through the hard times, and tell you I love you every day. Please understand, giving you up, sending you away was the hardest thing I had to do. It killed me knowing I would never again hold you in my arms or speak to you, but it was something I had to do. I hope you can forgive me and know it was through an act of love that I sent you away, but I never abandoned you. I watched you grow, practice and hone your abilities, and became incredibly proud of what you have become. I was the one leaving the tomes for you, taking pride that you found them and studied the spells within, however; there is one thing I wish for you to know.
No one should ever be alone. I understand why you push people away, but there are times you shouldn't. Find friends to bring into your life. Live. Find someone who will make you wake everyday with a smile on your face. I have seen you turn away from others and it hurts me to see how you think you can not be apart of the lives of others. Bring your light to the world. Show them all what you can do and embrace those around you. If I can not be there for you, let others do so, and do the same for them. Do not be afraid to show your emotions. Embrace them. And always remember, I love you.
Your loving mother,
Angela Roth
Sniffling, Raven wiped under her eyes as she stared at the last three words her mother had written her. With her chest feeling tight, she looked back at where the dilapidated temple sat and wished she could see her one last time as well wished she had gotten the name of the mystery woman who had helped her and told her about Azerath and finding a way to send Trigon back to where he came.
"Hey, Raven?" Garfield asked as he carefully made his way to her. "Cissie and the others are ready when you are. So as soon as you make the portal, we'll go back."
Folding the paper and slipping it in her uniform, the purple haired girl had her cloak and books float into the air and follow behind her. Joining the others where they first arrived, Raven and Garfield saw a bit of nervousness in each teen. All were ready despite it and found themselves with a surplus amount of energy.
Raising her hand, Raven chanted her spell once again and opened the vortex used for transporting them to Azerath. With the doorway open, the teens stepped closer to it and stepped in it one by one.
"The portal will take us back to where our friends may be," Raven told them. "I have it to were we'll appear where the largest group of them are gathered. So there shouldn't be any problems."
"See you on the other side," Kyle said as he flew into the air and entered first.
"Hopefully he means the other side of the portal and not the other side of life." Hopping onto the railing, Terra leapt after her partner.
"(Sigh) I have absolutely nothing to contribute to this list of ridiculous sayings." With her bow resting around her torso, Cissie pulled her hair back before entering the portal.
Moving last, Garfield took a few steps forward when Raven called his name. Turning, the green skinned boy watched as she came up to him. The words her mother wrote her lingered in her mind. If it was her mother's wish, she would attempt to go though it despite the way she had become with others through the years out of fear of what might happen to them.
"I, I just wanted to say thanks," Raven hesitantly said. "Thanks for, you know, being there for me. I, I never had anyone do that before."
"You don't have to thank me," Garfield told her. "Like I told you, it's what we do. But thank you for being my friend. And I'm sorry for the, the uh, puppy stuff."
"Yeah, well..."
Rubbing her fingertips together, and popping her knuckles, Raven felt her heartbeat increase. She looked anywhere else but Garfield, and bit her bottom lip. It was fast, catching the green teen off guard and more than surprising him.
Before Garfield knew what was happening, Raven placed her hands on his chest, stood on her tip toes, and quickly closed in to deliver a peck on his lips. The action was so unexpected, Garfield's eyes grew wide and his tail stood straight upwards. Closing his eyes, the green teen fell into the kiss with her and felt himself relax from being nervous only a moment ago.
Separating, Raven opened her eyes and looked up at Garfield. Both blushed heavily at what just happened. Simultaneously, both teens giggled and became very self conscious, Garfield looking down while biting his lips, and Raven sweeping a lock of hair behind an ear.
"Um, uh, he-yeah, I, that, uh," Garfield stuttered.
"Yeah, th, that was, um." Looking up at Garfield, Raven saw he was still blushing as much as she was. Realizing it was taking longer for them to step through to join the others, the Gothic girl shook her head and flashed a set of red eyes. "And if you tell anyone I did that, I will destroy you."
Letting her red eyes fade back to normal, Raven looked at Garfield with wide eyes and gave a small snicker. She then quickly had her things follow her into the portal as she flew into it. Garfield, however; still had a twitterpated look about him and was on cloud nine. If e had to admit, he liked seeing her smile and act tough after what she just did. It was cute.
"Hyuh, hyuh, she, she likes me."
Snapping out of it, for a little while of course, Garfield morphed into a hawk and flew in after her. The moment he did so, the portal closed and was like nothing had ever happened there to begin with.
Walking to the edge of the roofed pillars, the woman, Raven's mother stared at where her daughter had disappeared. With a heavy heart, she smiled, feeling what her daughter felt the moment she kissed the boy and happy to have held her one last time. It still pained her to see her go and unable to join her, least she rapidly age and die outside of Azerath. Still, she managed to give her one last gift, the Chakra that once adorned her head. Unable to completely focus her majicks with it, Angela would be reduced to the most basics of her powers, but now, her daughter had the strength necessary to end the reign of Trigon from her realm.
"My love goes with you, Rachel. May everyone see the light you are."
Having the shadow cover her, Angela disappeared from her position on the roof and teleported, using her soul self, back to the temple. Floating to the ground from a black hole formed by her ability, Angela Roth remove her hood from her head and looked up at the statue. She took a few quiet steps forward, coming to a stop in front of the large, carved form. It was a close likeness of her when she was younger, before her daughter was born. Sighing, she reached out and lightly touched the statue. Its cold feeling only made her regret giving Raven away, as if reflecting the way she felt ever since she last held her. But knowing what she was born for, knowing her daughter was the first one capable to end Trigon's reign, made her heart fill with pride.