Categories > Cartoons > Teen Titans > To the End of the World . . . and After

Settling In

by DrT 0 reviews

Raven finds her refuge on the new Earth.

Category: Teen Titans - Rating: PG - Genres: Drama - Characters: Raven - Warnings: [!] - Published: 2016-06-20 - 3280 words - Complete

1Insightful
To the End of the World . . . and After
A Teen Titans fic, by DrT

*
Chapter X – Settling In

Raven finds her refuge on the new Earth.


London, June 28, 1920

The Seeker glared at his cup of tea while ignoring the rest of the patrons of an A.B.C.*, set in a working class neighborhood. Germany had been a total washout, and by the time he had made his way to London, the Alien had been gone for a week. Where she had gone was unknown; if she had left any clues, he had been mostly unable to find them. True, he had discovered she had again exchanged some jewels, mostly rubies, at three different dealers, but that was all he could find, other than the mid-market hotel she had stayed in. What else, if anything, she had done or where she had gone, there was no clue.

And he had to find the Alien – he was one of the few people on the planet who not only believed demons were real, but who had had encounters with more than one. Somehow, the Alien felt a bit like a demon to him, but also very different. That alone made certain he did not give up the chase, once he had any clue as to the trail.

He had some ideas about gaining some money, which would enable him to rejoin the search. He could only hope something would happen that would give him a lead – hopefully something which would not cause any problems to others. If not, he was stuck in London trying to earn enough money so that he could track the Alien down without having any more down time.

*

Bodh Gaya, India, August 1, 1920

Raven sighed as the train pulled into the station. After spending a week in Germany and Switzerland trading gems for platinum, she had travelled to India and spent four weeks doing all of what little sightseeing she had always wanted to do there. Bodh Gaya, the place of the Buddha’s Enlightenment, was both the last place in India she wished to see and the first place where she thought she might settle down for her wait.

It was a bit dangerous for her to do this. Three of this world’s small number of P-1s lived near Bodh Gaya, but Raven hoped they, or their followers, might have things to teach her.

Raven exited the train, carrying only a small carpet bag with her. She sighed to herself again when she saw a group of Buddhist monks in various colored robes look towards her – three were S-3s and the rest S-2s. She knew she had not only been spotted, she had been expected.

One of the older monks, an S-3 wearing red robes, approached her and made a ritual gesture. Raven set her bag on the platform and returned it. “The Master foresaw your appearance,” he stated in Sanskrit. “You are welcome here.”

Raven internally winced, knowing that while she could read Sanskrit, she didn’t have the greatest grasp on speaking it. She wondered why this language was chosen – obviously, whoever the ‘master’ was expected her to be a knowledgeable scholar. If nothing else, her accent would be terrible. Still, she answered in the same language as best she could, “I thank your Master for sending you in welcome.” Seeing she needed to say more, she added, “I have travelled far, and know not where I am going.”

The monk took in her clothes, still very American. “The Master said you had indeed come very far, but that we should accommodate you as one from the West. That is one of the choices he has had us prepare for you. May one of the others collect your other possessions?”

“While I indeed have far too many possessions, I have all I need with me.” Granted, that included a huge amount hidden away in shrunken trunks (not shrunken in the same way as those she had prepared for her friends, and which could be opened at any time), which, along with other things, were tucked into a few pocket dimensions Raven could access even in this universe, but she felt no need in telling them that.

The monk bowed and moved back towards the group. Raven picked up her bag and followed.


Raven was led through the streets to a modest building compound about halfway to the Great Temple. While nearly all of the people on the streets had been Indian, plus a few from other parts of Asia, most of the people going in and out of the front buildings of this compound were European. Raven was led into the complex to one of the smaller buildings, obviously one of the dozen or so private residences which lined three of the four sides of the courtyard.

“This is for your use. Would you look through it to see if it is acceptable for the moment?”

“Of course. I shall be just a few moments.”

The monk blinked at that; he had expected she would take whatever accommodation was offered, unless she demanded something simpler.

Raven returned to the entrance in less than five minutes. The building had at least a rudimentary connection to electricity and a western bathroom (although no hot water). Those were the only two real requirements Raven had, although she was glad it was also very clean and well-maintained. “The size is of course very generous, and all else is very acceptable,” Raven told him, having left her carpet bag on the floor inside, not that anyone else would be able to see it.

“Then the Master would like you to join him for tea.”


The Master of this group, the first P-1 Raven had actually come close to in this world, was also wearing a red Tibetan robe, although more than half of his followers wore the saffron of Indian Buddhists. About a quarter wore red, and the rest wore robes showing they had come from other parts of Asia.

As the two sat, the Master stated in Sanskrit, “I am Sonam.” He then went on, “I have been told that you understand this language, but have not quite mastered it. Is this correct?”

“It is, Master Sonam. I read it somewhat fluently, but have never had the opportunity to speak it.”

The old man nodded. “Although I find it difficult to accept, I believe you have come not just from the extremes of this world but from another, arriving some five months ago?” This he had concluded after thinking about the event and consulting a few others since then.

“I admit it should not surprise me that my arrival was noticeable to some,” Raven admitted.

“To some, but not to too many,” the Master agreed. He then stayed silent, sipping his tea so that Raven could speak.

“I am called ‘Raven,’” she stated, and then repeated the name in English. “I do not know of your gifts, only your power. Have you travelled the astral planes?”

“That is one of my gifts,” the Master stated.

“Have you encountered worlds similar to this one, or only the mystical ones?”

“I have only travelled to a few of the mystical planes, but I have heard of others who have seen other versions of the world, if that is what you mean.”

“It is, as I am from one. I was forced to come here when my parallel world was lost.”

“I confess I don’t not know which is the more astonishing; that you were able to physically travel to our world, or that an entire world was lost.”

“The connections between the realities are indeed formidable. It may be possible for me to go back to my home dimension, but there are only five such opportunities over the next twelve years.”

“But you said your world was lost,” the Master pointed out.

“In that reality, there are many stars which have planets with various beings, some who at least look human and many who do not, including some unlike any being you might have imagined.” Images of some of the more non-human Green Lanterns she had seen in her final months, not to mention the ‘fiancé’ Blackfire had tried to set Starfire up with, flitted through her mind. “Many more than this reality apparently has, at least. There, humanity had taken the first steps to the stars, but some of the others had visited Earth. A small number of people were evacuated to a few of those other planets, and fewer still were able to transfer to a different dimension other than there or here.” She gave the Master a small smile. “Most of the latter came from traditions which you follow, at least in general terms.”

“And the others who travelled with those of my ‘traditions’?”

“Do you know of the Dreamwalkers of Australia?”

“I have met a few on the astral planes,” he acknowledged. “So, the disaster which claimed your home was foreseen?”

“An attack from yet another dimension,” Raven acknowledged. “Had they succeeded in taking the Earth, they would have used it as a base to swarm and over a few million years take over the entire dimension. They had apparently done so to several other dimensions.”

“So, your Earth had to be destroyed to save your universe?”

Raven nodded. “It was forced back over the dimensional bridge.”

“I see you are comfortably seated as we are, which most Westerners are not. Please, tell me more.”

Raven poured herself another cup of tea, and did so.


At the end of Raven’s summary, the very shaken Master stood and left the room for a moment. Returning, he said, “I have called for another pot of tea.” Giving Raven a twisted smile, he spoke for first time in very heavily accepted English. “I understand for first time why westerners drink whiskey and brandy.”

The Master meditated until the tea arrived, and then, after refilling their cups, asked, “So, you are not fully human?”

“I test out as human in almost every way, but my heritage is reflected in my true appearance.” Raven’s skin turned ashy gray while her hair and eyes also regained their normal color, and she willed her holo-ring off.

The Master was glad Raven was partially disguising herself; with her natural appearance many in India would think her divine in some way. “I sensed your power before, but now I also understand you were somehow muting it.”

Instantly, the perceptible power lessened. “I need to be careful; there is a fairly powerful mystic who was tracking me before. Hopefully he did not pick up on that.”

The Master nodded. “I believe I know of him. He is very powerful, but somewhat confused; a westerner of no training. By his values, he tries to bring order and peace. He is not a bad man, but a bit . . . forceful.” He looked at Raven more directly. “What can we help you with?”

“If you permit me to stay, the house could be a good place for me. I can easily assume all the costs.”

“We do not own it; you could buy it or lease it.” He smiled, sensing her relief at being accepted. “Yes, you should stay. And beyond shelter?”

“I could use much more training in astral projection to other planes. Beyond that, I am unsure of what you can train me in . . . or what I may teach in return.”

“We shall find ways to learn from each other,” the Master replied. “Yet I understood you can journey physically to what to us are astral planes?”

“Some astral planes are more closely associated with particular dimensions than others, so the ones most easily accessible to this one will almost certainly be different than the ones I was trained to access. Some of them are purely astral, and no doubt some I would prefer never to visit. In any event, the more training I have in unfamiliar aspects of such travelling, the more likely I am to be successful in returning. And, should I fail to return, the deeper meditations I will also need to learn will aid me in dealing with that reality.”

The Master allowed himself a slight but warm smile. “I understand now. You yearn to return not just to return to the familiar, but to return to those you were close to?”

Raven merely held up her left hand, the jewel catching the light. “I have friends who are my family; and there is one to whom I am pledged.”

“Perhaps I have things to teach you, and I shall do so. Although you are young and inexperienced, you are powerful and have had training which is, if you will forgive the term, alien to us, but which none the less may be beneficial. While you are not fully of our belief, I believe ours are compatible.”

Raven nodded. “I also believe that. I seek to learn and to understand, and am willing to share what I know.”

“We shall learn together what we can,” the Master agreed.

*

Back in Raven’s previous dimensions, the refugees from Earth were slowly settling in. The peoples who had taken over Azarath had the least difficult time. True, they had new physical surroundings, but their actual lifestyles changed the least. Except for trade goods, they had lived very little differently than their ancestors. While a large minority of them would have welcomed access to those trade goods – sugar, refined metals, and such – they could all easily do without.

Back in the home universe, all the Amazons and Atlanteans were relocated to the same planet. It was tens of millions of years older than Earth, but had never had any sentient species evolve upon it. It currently had two large continents each about the size (but not the shape) of Africa, and 57 very large islands, ranging from slightly larger than Greenland to about a third that size (that is, about the size of the second and third largest islands on Earth, New Guinea and Borneo). The Atlanteans settled in the smaller ocean between the two continents, which also had far fewer of the large islands. The Amazons settled in on one of the smaller huge islands in the larger ocean. That island was of course many times larger than Paradise Island had been.

This last fact had led to the decision even before the move to slowly grow the population of the Amazons. The technology needed was taken in the move, along with a large sperm bank, pre-selected to assure the conception of females only as close to completely as possible. Over the next millennium, the Amazon population would more than triple, which still made it have a very low population concentration compared to what Paradise Island had had.

The outer system of this solar system consisted of three gas giants, all about the size of Saturn. One of the moons had long had extensive mining facilities, partially abandoned several millennia previously except for some intermittent automatic exploration. This was now reopened to a degree, as two people took possession – Bruce Wayne, along with his elderly valet. Diana still had her invisible jet, capable of reaching that moon. When their orbits matched most closely, she could make the flight in less than 8 hours. When her new planet and the mining moon were in opposition, it would take closer to 10 days, should she wish to make the journey then. Many worried that the now former Batman was in the grips of depression, but although as emotionally hurt as any of the other survivors, he was not technically depressed. Like all of Earth’s geniuses, he had adjustments to make to the higher technologies available, but like most of the others, he was able to contribute new ideas to the benefit of the galactic community. He just preferred to do so largely on his own.

Diana would initially spend about a third of her time with Bruce. As the years went by, first Alfred died and of course Bruce was always aging where Diana did not. She would bear him a daughter early on, and Bruce Wayne was, in his final years, allowed to spend them on the new Paradise Island, the only man allowed to do so.

Superman was allowed to relocate the bottled city of Kandor to a planet similar to the one the Amazons had been moved to – an older planet where sentient life had never evolved. In this instance, the sun had mixed characteristics of Krypton’s sun and Earth’s. Therefore, while not as powerful as Superman had been on Earth, the natives had power enough, with the aid of the galactic standard technology, to defend the system.

As for the general surviving population and about half of the metas and most of those they had sponsored, they had been divided up into fairly equal groups and distributed across different planets where they had the best chance to blend in and assimilate over time. The vast majority would do so with various degrees of success. A few were never able to fully make the adjustments, and just over three dozen would commit suicide over the first ten years. Fortunately, no one turned to crime or struggled outside their new political realities to try and have illegal influence, although that would not always be true of their descendants. Overall, in less than three generations the Earth people from those new settlements could be proud of what they had added to their new communities.

About two hundred people simply withdrew from their new reality in some manner, much as Bruce had done. The Doom Patrol might have been resettled on an alien planet, but they never tried to assimilate. Fortunately for them, Mento had been able to convert a part of his fortune into rare metals, and so they were able to afford their self-imposed isolation. The remaining metas and a few of their people tried to fit into the new situation in different ways. Many, like Nightwing, Starfire, and Bumblebee, joined the various galactic alternatives to the Justice League and similar groups. Others, like Cyborg and Changeling, joined in other ways.

Earth’s humanity was broken and more than merely decimated. Still, the remnants would survive, and they had brought the best of their cultures (as well as a fair amount of the mediocre) with them. The best would be added to the common galactic culture, and while the human genome would be diluted as it merged with others’ it was compatible with, that too was added to the mix of galactic culture.

Because of the out-flux of humanity, almost immediately the Green Lantern Corps’ presence was more than doubled in the galaxy as many humans (especially metas) joined, while the other peace and police organizations were strengthened as well. After training, that influx was able to calm down the rivalries remaining in the galaxy. There was still plenty of trouble, but for many centuries, it would be primarily confined to individual planets trying to work out their own problems.

Over time, various seers were able to report that the Clatorian/Trigon war was going on uninterrupted, occupying both sides. That would sum up the situation far beyond the life spans of all but those closest to ‘immortal.’ But in the nearer time, in the period just after the destruction of the Earth, a few hearts yearned for the return of the one missing, and a few dozen made certain that the powers that affected them all did not forget her.

*
The A.B.C.=the second largest chain of British tea rooms in the first half of the twentieth century.
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