Categories > Cartoons > Teen Titans > To the End of the World . . . and After
The Day After Trigon
2 reviewsWith Trigon defeated, Raven needs to review her links with her father, and with the other Titans
3Ambiance
To the End of the World . . . and After
A Teen Titans fic, by DrT
Chapter I – the Day After Trigon
*
I do not own any form of Teen Titans, other than possessing the DVDs. This story is based off of the animated ‘Teen Titans’ series, not any other format.
*
Trigon tried to end the world and failed, but others will succeed.
*
Chapter I—351 days before the end of the world
The world had not ended today.
That fact still shocked Raven as she looked out over the darkening skies of Jump City, all alone in the main room of Titan’s Tower. The rest of her teammates, exhausted, had retired to their rooms early after celebrating.
The world had not ended. Prophecy had been fulfilled, but the world had not ended.
Her entire life had been leading up to this day. She had fought against this day occurring, and yet it had – it just not ended as had been predicted. Or had that presumed ending simply been everyone’s assumption?
Most people never stop to think about what meaning their life had, or might have, and most of those who do either dismiss the question or spend their entire lives seeking an answer. Raven had always known the answer, but now, thankfully, that meaning had suddenly become meaningless, and she was trying to understand what that might mean for her in the short run.
She knew finding a deeper meaning might take her the rest of her life.
She rather relished the prospect of exploring the possibilities now . . . except for perhaps one small subset. After all, for the short term, Raven had come up with several possibilities, some of which were disturbing. And, as much as she would prefer to face them all alone, she knew she needed some help, just to be on the safe side.
Raven turned from the window and went to prepare things so that she could seek the one person she could rely on for the help she needed.
*
Twenty minutes later, her preparations made, Raven phased quietly into her friend’s room. She paused, and watched her friend for a few moments. ‘She looks so innocent,’ Raven thought, but she knew she would have to disturb Starfire. Raven deliberately made a bit of noise as she came closer, making certain Starfire, despite having her head hanging off the bed as usual, would catch sight of her when she awoke.
Raven had not closed half the distance before Starfire was sitting up on the bed, eyes ablaze and a star bolt ready in her hand. “Halt! Or be . . . Raven?” Starfire asked, confused and concerned.
“I am really sorry to disturb you,” Raven said as gently as she could. “I know how tired you are. However, I need your help.”
“How may I be of assistance?” Starfire asked, a bit warily, but as usual eager to help. The energy mostly, but not completely, faded from her hand.
“I need you to come with me,” Raven stated. “No questions now, but I promise I will answer any questions you have when we arrive. I’ve left a message for Robin, just in case we are back after he wakes up in the morning.”
“This is not the sleepover,” Starfire pointed out. “Considering our previous day, I am . . . concerned.”
‘Which is why that star bolt hasn’t died away completely,’ Raven noted. Starfire was loving and kind, but she was usually wary of the unexpected. “As am I Starfire,” Raven replied. “Please? I need your help.”
Starfire merely nodded, and finally let the star bolt fully die in her hand as she stood. She slipped off her nightgown and put on her lightly armored uniform over the underwear she had been sleeping in and then her long boots. “May I inquire as to our destination?”
“I’ll phase us there,” Raven replied.
Starfire stood. “Then I am ready.”
Raven nodded, and the two teens disappeared from Titan’s Tower.
*
Starfire looked around, and nodded slightly when she saw the Tower off in the distance. “This is where I had to abandon Silkie.”
“It is, although we should move around to the sea side of the island,” Raven agreed. As they moved, Raven simply said, “You must wonder why we’re here.”
“I am so wondering,” Starfire agreed. “I can understand that, after the events of the day, you would have trouble gaining the sleep, but that does not explain why we are here.”
“Do you believe you have a mission in life? Or a purpose?”
Starfire blinked. “A specific mission? Perhaps I once thought so, when I was seen as the heir to the throne.”
“I was created for one thing; to bring Trigon into this universe. That’s why I was made, and why I have at least some of the powers that I have. I have fulfilled that prophecy, I hope. Now what?”
Starfire pondered that for a moment, and then nodded, while pointing out, “I can see why this would be perplexing, but that does not explain why we are here, or even why you believe you must answer that question tonight.”
“True,” Raven agreed. “Right after you all left to go to bed early, I looked into myself, and I saw something was different, or maybe several things about parts of me. What it or they may be, I am not fully sure and I don’t know what it might mean. I need to delve deep into myself, and see. The search shouldn’t cause any outward effects, but it might.”
“And so might damage the Tower,” Starfire added.
“Exactly. You are powerful enough not to be easily hurt, and to fly away if necessary. And. . . .”
“Why do you stop?”
“You’re from a warrior culture. Do your warriors ever have to go on a mission to save others or accomplish something very important where there is no chance they can come back?”
Starfire wrinkled her nose. “The suicide mission? It is dishonorable to ask a specific warrior to undertake such a mission, but yes, sometimes necessary to ask for such volunteers.”
“My father was not honorable,” Raven pointed out. “It’s possible that either he can try again through me in some way, or, if he cannot . . . well, then in a sense fulfilling the prophecy might have been a one-way mission.”
“You mean, if you are no longer of possible use to the Trigon . . . you . . . you might. . . ?”
“I might die, if not tonight, then soon. So, you can understand why I need to search through my powers and links, to see if there are still any such links to him, and if there are, if I can finally cut them. I couldn’t before. And, if they are not already cut and I can cut them, well. . . .”
“You might not be able to predict the effect?”
“Perhaps . . . or perhaps I shall cut the link despite the outcome.”
“I understand what you do, and why you would do so,” Starfire said sympathetically. “You believe, if you are forced to again give the Trigon access, we might not succeed the second time.”
“It’s not worth the risk, especially since I doubt if I could know if it would be, well, fatal to cut it before I do. And, if it isn’t fatal, it may still diminish or even destroy my powers.” Raven’s mouth twisted. “I wouldn’t want to be stuck out here.”
“Then I will be here for you,” Starfire pledged. She face softened. “And I would not wish for my good friend to face this alone.”
“Thank you,” Raven replied. “I’m glad I am not . . . that you’ll be here.”
“What must you do?”
“To all appearances, I will only have to meditate very deeply. This could take several hours, so don’t feel you need to stay awake.”
Starfire straightened. She would not allow her friend to face this without a comrade nearby. “You have taught me the meditation. I shall stay on this ledge while you go over to that one. If your powers flare, I should not easily be affected, but if there is any change in you, I shall be by your side.”
“Thank you.”
*
It was not easy for Starfire to meditate, as Raven was somewhat restless. Not that a casual observer would have noticed that; but Starfire knew her friend. The slight motions, the occasional jerks of breath or grunts of pain, inaudible to most human ears, gave away the internal struggles.
After several hours, Raven seemed to quiet and enter deeper meditations, and Starfire did as well.
Suddenly, Starfire’s eyes flew open and she looked at Raven closely. As they had both floated in mediation, they had each rotated slightly and they could no longer directly see the other’s face, so that at first glance Raven still seemed deep in her meditative trance, but Starfire knew something had changed. She floated over towards her, and saw tears running down Raven’s cheeks.
“Raven?” Starfire asked quietly.
To her shock, Starfire suddenly found herself with an armful of silently crying Raven. Clasping her closely, Starfire floated upwards, concerned for her friend but exulted she was being allowed to comfort her.
The pair embraced from some minutes, as Raven cried herself out. Finally, Raven’s tears halted and Starfire floated them back to the ground and let go. “Raven?”
“I’ll be back in a moment, Starfire.” Raven floated behind a pile of rocks, and Starfire flushed at the sounds of Raven clearing her nostrils and then relieving herself.
Raven joined Starfire at the edge of the ledge, staring out to sea. “You were . . . successful?” Starfire asked, hesitatingly.
“I believe I was,” Raven agreed. “And those were mostly tears of relief.”
“You will not be doing the . . . dying soon?” Starfire asked, hope in her voice.
“If so, it will be from the usual hazards of what we do, not because of having fulfilled the Prophecy.”
“Glorious!”
“Indeed,” Raven agreed. “Of much greater importance, my father’s link to my rage is gone. My powers are still there, and still controlled by my emotions, but it should be easier to show them slightly if I continue my meditations. And if I do lose my control, there is no danger of any demonic qualities manifesting themselves.” Seeing Starfire’ s puzzled look, Raven added, “Like what I did to Doctor Light the first time we fought him, or even like what happened when we saw that stupid movie.”
“Ah, that is excellent!”
“It is,” Raven agreed.
After a moment of silence, Starfire asked, “Are all your connections to the Trigon severed?”
Raven shook her head. “Not entirely. I could summon him, but he can no longer force me to do so, like he did yesterday. His messengers can no longer affect me – someone like Slade could not mark me, or use Father’s powers to even directly injure me.”
“Directly?”
“Well, they could drop a car on me – I would still be injured or killed by the car, but not by the power directing it.”
“That is true,” Starfire had to agree.
“It really is over,” Raven said softly. “I’ve lived my whole life in fear of yesterday. My entire existence was defined by what happened yesterday. We nearly lost, but we didn’t.” Raven smiled tiredly.
“It is still several hours before the sunrise,” Starfire stated. “We should rest. Should we do so here, or should I guide us back to the Tower?” Seeing Raven hesitate, Starfire shrugged and removed her bustiere.
Raven blinked.
“It is a mild night, and you thought to bring blankets. I shall rest here, and you shall rest atop of me. I shall hold you, sister of my heart, and you shall fall asleep to the sound of my heart.” Starfire smiled. “I believe my armor would make an uncomfortable headrest.”
Raven was too exhausted, emotionally and spiritually even more than physically, to argue. She let Starfire gather her into an embrace, laid her head between her breasts, and, indeed taking comfort from the sound of Starfire’s strong heartbeat as well as the hug holding her there, she quickly fell asleep. Starfire, equally physically exhausted but still beyond happy to be finally actually physically comforting a dear friend as she had always wanted to, soon followed into a dreamless slumber.
*
Starfire awoke at dawn, the sun’s energy revitalizing her. Raven quickly stirred as well. “You slept well, dear friend?”
Starfire could feel Raven’s smile against her nipple. “I certainly recommend you as a comfortable sleeping surface and companion, at least to those who aren’t restless sleepers.”
Starfire returned the smile and floated them into a comfortable position, then reaching for her top armor and dressing herself, saying, “Be certain to mention these commendations to Robin.”
“I will, but I doubt he’ll believe me.”
Seeing Raven hesitate slightly, Starfire asked, “Is there a difficulty?”
“What does ‘sister of the heart’ mean?”
“It means what it says it means – after all, siblings are made as well as born. You mean more to me than my sister ever did. Try as I have, she has rejected all family feeling. You show your affections in small ways, but you are clear in those affections to those who pay attention. I have come to understand that you do not agree, and even why you may never agree, but you are a very loving and lovable person.”
Raven blushed.
Starfire held Raven’s chin in her left hand and made her look into her eyes. “There is even a pledge, which has great meaning, if you wish to agree that you reciprocate.”
“I . . . there was a similar pledge on Azarath. Few life partners were, well, sexually active. Most were companions of the heart. The pledge I mentioned was not the same as those who were life companions took, but it was similar. They mostly came to Azarath without any other family, and this was a way of creating family structures.”
“I love you, dearest friend Raven, but not as a life partner,” Starfire said simply.
“And I love you, sister of my heart Starfire, but not as a life partner,” Raven replied, even though her voice barely inflected.
“Ah . . . hands must touch skin,” Starfire stated hesitatingly with a gesture. “I would pledge with you, Raven of Azarath.” She partially removed her top so that Raven would understand what would be required.
“If any photos of this show up in tabloids, you’ll regret this,” Raven grumbled and she undid her leotard. “And I am no longer just Raven from Azarath. I have found my place, my home, and so have you. And I would pledge family with thee, Starfire of the Titans.”
Starfire thought this through and realized the formal if archaic use for what it was. She finished removing her top and placed Raven’s right hand over her heart while doing the same and then holding Raven’s left hand with hers. “I, Starfire of the Titans, pledge with my heart, my life, and my honor, to hold Raven of the Titans as my true sister.”
“I, Raven of the Titans, pledge with my heart, my life, and my honor, to hold Starfire of the Titans as my true sister.”
“And now your version?” Starfire asked.
“We can get dressed first,” Raven said drily, quickly doing just that. When they were dressed, Raven took Starfire by the hands. “For this, we need to go inside the mind of one of us.” In a blink, the two were standing on a rock in the middle of a star field.
“This is your mindscape?” Starfire asked. She had heard of it, of course.
“It is.” She looked into Starfire’s eyes. “Starfire of the Titans, I have seen thy mind; I have seen thy heart; I have seen thy soul. I desire to be family with thee. I would pledge myself to thee as family. If thou doth also deem me adequate, wouldst thou be family to me?”
“Raven of the Titans, I deem you most adequate, for I have seen your mind, which is excellent. I have seen your hidden heart, which is most kind. I have seen your soul, which is now cleansed. I pledge myself to you as family, if you would indeed have me.”
“Sister.” Raven went up on her toes and kissed Starfire gently. There was a flash of light, and two were back on the islet.
“Sister,” Starfire agreed.
*
When the two got back to Titan’s Tower, it was not quite 7:15. Robin was the only Titan in the kitchen area, the two other boys apparently still in their rooms.
“Is everything alright?” Robin asked.
“Everything is most glorious!”
“Raven?”
“At the moment, life is most satisfactory,” Raven replied. “As I mentioned in my note, I needed to search and access my powers, as well as any remaining links to Trigon. I will write it up for you, but essentially he can no longer influence me. I cannot be used to open a portal for him, at least not without my full consent. If someone is used like Slade was to try and force that influence on me, I will not be susceptible.”
“Is that what happened yesterday?” Robin asked.
“You mean when I left the ‘safe room’? Yes, in a sense. I did what I did because I realized that you would soon be subdued if not killed, and the Tower invaded. Although the flame demons could not access me there, Slade would then eventually work past the safe guards and force me to comply. By taking the actions I did, I was able to gift you with the power of resistance to Trigon’s basic power. He had to act against you more directly. I wasn’t sure if you could do anything, but I thought it better than you being killed for no good reason.”
Raven started to make herself tea. “Had Slade found and touched a resisting me, he would have reactivated all the glyphs paced upon me rather than just most of them and I would have been a mindless automaton. By acting partially out of free will, I kept some control, and I also figured that while Trigon was likely to break any deal with Slade no matter what, by my acting as I did it guaranteed it. I saw no reason for Slade to benefit. It all turned out much better than I had any right to hope for.”
“It did,” Robin agreed. He looked apologetic. “You know, well. . . .”
“You’ll have to post a report to the League,” Raven agreed, although it was obvious she didn’t care for that. “I understand.”
“Anything else?”
“I would like to look it over before you send it, so we can discuss any points either of us feel necessary,” Raven stated.
“Of course.”
“Then, for the record but not necessarily for the Justice League, I think you should know that Starfire and I have discussed ourselves, and have decided to change our relationship.”
“What?”
“Yes, I am most pleased!” Starfire squealed happily.
Robin was looking at the ecstatic Starfire, who was smiling back. Raven gave her sister a wink; Starfire often missed nuances, but she knew Raven was planning something.
“Yes, Robin,” Raven continued, despite hearing the main door sliding open. “We declared our love for each other.” Raven floated over to Starfire, hoping she would play along. “We placed our hands on our bare breasts, over our hearts, and pledged ourselves to each other forever.” She picked up Starfire’s hand and placed it (more discreetly than it had been on the island) over her upper chest and placed her hand on Starfire’s.
Starfire, overjoyed at Raven’s display of affection (and well-aware that Raven was teasing Robin, not that she would ever admit that), floated off the floor as well. She moved and gently took Raven into her arms for a hug.
Raven kissed Starfire on the cheek and again said, “I love you, Starfire.” The pair had deliberately drifted out of the kitchen area and into the main room, near the sofa. “Robin, I hope we have your blessing.”
Starfire could see the stunned looks on the boys’ faces; Cyborg and Beast Boy still in the main doorway. She rotated Raven in her arms so that both of them could see the boys’ looks. “I hope you are all as overjoyed as we! For I love you as well . . . dearest sister.”
Cyborg worked it out first. “Sister?”
“Of course,” Raven said. “We have adopted each other as a sister, according to the rites of both Tamaran and Azarath. If we were to return to either, it would be legal.” She looked back and forth at the other boys, who were still trying to figure things out, and then said, even more deadpan than usual, “Why, what did you three think we meant?”
“Aw, man! You got us!” Cyborg stated. “You two! We’ll have to keep an eye on you two!”
“I do not understand,” Starfire said. Only Raven could tell she was teasing the boys. “What else could we have meant? Robin, could you please explain?”
Robin flushed, especially as Beast Boy was now giggling like a maniac. “Err, we thought you two were declaring, well, a different type of relationship.”
“Different?”
“Life partners,” Raven prompted, letting Robin off the hook a bit.
Starfire decided to play with Robin a bit more. “That is not unknown on my planet of origin, but while I believe Raven is attractive and would make a fine life partner, that is not where my interests lie . . . at this time.”
“You would make an excellent life partner as well, Starfire,” Raven agreed. “I never thought of you in those terms, but if you are left without such a partner for much longer, we might have to reconsider our options.”
“Agreed. We shall revisit this in a year.”
Raven could tell Starfire was now teasing her as much as she was Robin. That feeling grew stronger, and Starfire said, “Do you not have something more to tell the boys?”
It was now Raven who blushed. “Very well, my sister.” She forced herself to look up. “As you know, to control my powers, I needed, and will still need, very tight emotional control. While I cannot be forced to access my demonic side, which is now mostly gone, I still cannot express myself as you might wish I could. However, even if I still cannot overtly act on my deepest feelings, I can now at least state them without repercussions.” Starfire released Raven, and she floated over to Robin. “Robin, you are an excellent leader and an even better friend. You inspire me to do better,” she stated. Although there was even less inflection in her voice than usual, all could tell that was from the need for Raven to control how deeply she felt. “Thank you for inviting me onto the team, for helping me, for coming for me yesterday, and for not judging me.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I love you.”
Raven picked up an apple and then floated around to the doorway, where Cyborg and Beast Boy were still standing, stunned. Beast Boy also looked a bit frightened. “You all know how uncertain I have been, especially about being accepted. Cyborg, it took both you and Robin to coax me onto the team. While Starfire is my sister, teaching me to be feminine while staying true to myself, you are my big brother. Thank you for looking out for me, and for caring so much. I love you.” She floated higher and kissed his cheek.
Raven turned and looked down at Beast Boy, who smiled back uncertainly. “Beast Boy, you are an annoying, childish, nosy, messy, pain-in-the-butt, who cannot tell a joke to save your life.” Beast Boy’s ears dropped. “You are also loyal, and while you aren’t funny in the sense you try too hard to be, your good humor and good nature give this too serious team some balance. I am proud to be your teammate and your friend, and I love you.” She bent down and kissed his forehead.
Raven straightened up and held up her apple and summoned her cup of tea. “Breakfast,” she said simply as the tea slowly floated over. “I am going to go shower and then write up that report. Barring a call, we leave for pizza at 11:30. My treat. Starfire, bring Silkie. Your normal Raven will return after her morning meditation.” Raven floated out of the room followed by her tea, leaving a smiling Starfire, bemused and slightly befuddled Robin and Cyborg, and a very confused Beast Boy.
A Teen Titans fic, by DrT
Chapter I – the Day After Trigon
*
I do not own any form of Teen Titans, other than possessing the DVDs. This story is based off of the animated ‘Teen Titans’ series, not any other format.
*
Trigon tried to end the world and failed, but others will succeed.
*
Chapter I—351 days before the end of the world
The world had not ended today.
That fact still shocked Raven as she looked out over the darkening skies of Jump City, all alone in the main room of Titan’s Tower. The rest of her teammates, exhausted, had retired to their rooms early after celebrating.
The world had not ended. Prophecy had been fulfilled, but the world had not ended.
Her entire life had been leading up to this day. She had fought against this day occurring, and yet it had – it just not ended as had been predicted. Or had that presumed ending simply been everyone’s assumption?
Most people never stop to think about what meaning their life had, or might have, and most of those who do either dismiss the question or spend their entire lives seeking an answer. Raven had always known the answer, but now, thankfully, that meaning had suddenly become meaningless, and she was trying to understand what that might mean for her in the short run.
She knew finding a deeper meaning might take her the rest of her life.
She rather relished the prospect of exploring the possibilities now . . . except for perhaps one small subset. After all, for the short term, Raven had come up with several possibilities, some of which were disturbing. And, as much as she would prefer to face them all alone, she knew she needed some help, just to be on the safe side.
Raven turned from the window and went to prepare things so that she could seek the one person she could rely on for the help she needed.
*
Twenty minutes later, her preparations made, Raven phased quietly into her friend’s room. She paused, and watched her friend for a few moments. ‘She looks so innocent,’ Raven thought, but she knew she would have to disturb Starfire. Raven deliberately made a bit of noise as she came closer, making certain Starfire, despite having her head hanging off the bed as usual, would catch sight of her when she awoke.
Raven had not closed half the distance before Starfire was sitting up on the bed, eyes ablaze and a star bolt ready in her hand. “Halt! Or be . . . Raven?” Starfire asked, confused and concerned.
“I am really sorry to disturb you,” Raven said as gently as she could. “I know how tired you are. However, I need your help.”
“How may I be of assistance?” Starfire asked, a bit warily, but as usual eager to help. The energy mostly, but not completely, faded from her hand.
“I need you to come with me,” Raven stated. “No questions now, but I promise I will answer any questions you have when we arrive. I’ve left a message for Robin, just in case we are back after he wakes up in the morning.”
“This is not the sleepover,” Starfire pointed out. “Considering our previous day, I am . . . concerned.”
‘Which is why that star bolt hasn’t died away completely,’ Raven noted. Starfire was loving and kind, but she was usually wary of the unexpected. “As am I Starfire,” Raven replied. “Please? I need your help.”
Starfire merely nodded, and finally let the star bolt fully die in her hand as she stood. She slipped off her nightgown and put on her lightly armored uniform over the underwear she had been sleeping in and then her long boots. “May I inquire as to our destination?”
“I’ll phase us there,” Raven replied.
Starfire stood. “Then I am ready.”
Raven nodded, and the two teens disappeared from Titan’s Tower.
*
Starfire looked around, and nodded slightly when she saw the Tower off in the distance. “This is where I had to abandon Silkie.”
“It is, although we should move around to the sea side of the island,” Raven agreed. As they moved, Raven simply said, “You must wonder why we’re here.”
“I am so wondering,” Starfire agreed. “I can understand that, after the events of the day, you would have trouble gaining the sleep, but that does not explain why we are here.”
“Do you believe you have a mission in life? Or a purpose?”
Starfire blinked. “A specific mission? Perhaps I once thought so, when I was seen as the heir to the throne.”
“I was created for one thing; to bring Trigon into this universe. That’s why I was made, and why I have at least some of the powers that I have. I have fulfilled that prophecy, I hope. Now what?”
Starfire pondered that for a moment, and then nodded, while pointing out, “I can see why this would be perplexing, but that does not explain why we are here, or even why you believe you must answer that question tonight.”
“True,” Raven agreed. “Right after you all left to go to bed early, I looked into myself, and I saw something was different, or maybe several things about parts of me. What it or they may be, I am not fully sure and I don’t know what it might mean. I need to delve deep into myself, and see. The search shouldn’t cause any outward effects, but it might.”
“And so might damage the Tower,” Starfire added.
“Exactly. You are powerful enough not to be easily hurt, and to fly away if necessary. And. . . .”
“Why do you stop?”
“You’re from a warrior culture. Do your warriors ever have to go on a mission to save others or accomplish something very important where there is no chance they can come back?”
Starfire wrinkled her nose. “The suicide mission? It is dishonorable to ask a specific warrior to undertake such a mission, but yes, sometimes necessary to ask for such volunteers.”
“My father was not honorable,” Raven pointed out. “It’s possible that either he can try again through me in some way, or, if he cannot . . . well, then in a sense fulfilling the prophecy might have been a one-way mission.”
“You mean, if you are no longer of possible use to the Trigon . . . you . . . you might. . . ?”
“I might die, if not tonight, then soon. So, you can understand why I need to search through my powers and links, to see if there are still any such links to him, and if there are, if I can finally cut them. I couldn’t before. And, if they are not already cut and I can cut them, well. . . .”
“You might not be able to predict the effect?”
“Perhaps . . . or perhaps I shall cut the link despite the outcome.”
“I understand what you do, and why you would do so,” Starfire said sympathetically. “You believe, if you are forced to again give the Trigon access, we might not succeed the second time.”
“It’s not worth the risk, especially since I doubt if I could know if it would be, well, fatal to cut it before I do. And, if it isn’t fatal, it may still diminish or even destroy my powers.” Raven’s mouth twisted. “I wouldn’t want to be stuck out here.”
“Then I will be here for you,” Starfire pledged. She face softened. “And I would not wish for my good friend to face this alone.”
“Thank you,” Raven replied. “I’m glad I am not . . . that you’ll be here.”
“What must you do?”
“To all appearances, I will only have to meditate very deeply. This could take several hours, so don’t feel you need to stay awake.”
Starfire straightened. She would not allow her friend to face this without a comrade nearby. “You have taught me the meditation. I shall stay on this ledge while you go over to that one. If your powers flare, I should not easily be affected, but if there is any change in you, I shall be by your side.”
“Thank you.”
*
It was not easy for Starfire to meditate, as Raven was somewhat restless. Not that a casual observer would have noticed that; but Starfire knew her friend. The slight motions, the occasional jerks of breath or grunts of pain, inaudible to most human ears, gave away the internal struggles.
After several hours, Raven seemed to quiet and enter deeper meditations, and Starfire did as well.
Suddenly, Starfire’s eyes flew open and she looked at Raven closely. As they had both floated in mediation, they had each rotated slightly and they could no longer directly see the other’s face, so that at first glance Raven still seemed deep in her meditative trance, but Starfire knew something had changed. She floated over towards her, and saw tears running down Raven’s cheeks.
“Raven?” Starfire asked quietly.
To her shock, Starfire suddenly found herself with an armful of silently crying Raven. Clasping her closely, Starfire floated upwards, concerned for her friend but exulted she was being allowed to comfort her.
The pair embraced from some minutes, as Raven cried herself out. Finally, Raven’s tears halted and Starfire floated them back to the ground and let go. “Raven?”
“I’ll be back in a moment, Starfire.” Raven floated behind a pile of rocks, and Starfire flushed at the sounds of Raven clearing her nostrils and then relieving herself.
Raven joined Starfire at the edge of the ledge, staring out to sea. “You were . . . successful?” Starfire asked, hesitatingly.
“I believe I was,” Raven agreed. “And those were mostly tears of relief.”
“You will not be doing the . . . dying soon?” Starfire asked, hope in her voice.
“If so, it will be from the usual hazards of what we do, not because of having fulfilled the Prophecy.”
“Glorious!”
“Indeed,” Raven agreed. “Of much greater importance, my father’s link to my rage is gone. My powers are still there, and still controlled by my emotions, but it should be easier to show them slightly if I continue my meditations. And if I do lose my control, there is no danger of any demonic qualities manifesting themselves.” Seeing Starfire’ s puzzled look, Raven added, “Like what I did to Doctor Light the first time we fought him, or even like what happened when we saw that stupid movie.”
“Ah, that is excellent!”
“It is,” Raven agreed.
After a moment of silence, Starfire asked, “Are all your connections to the Trigon severed?”
Raven shook her head. “Not entirely. I could summon him, but he can no longer force me to do so, like he did yesterday. His messengers can no longer affect me – someone like Slade could not mark me, or use Father’s powers to even directly injure me.”
“Directly?”
“Well, they could drop a car on me – I would still be injured or killed by the car, but not by the power directing it.”
“That is true,” Starfire had to agree.
“It really is over,” Raven said softly. “I’ve lived my whole life in fear of yesterday. My entire existence was defined by what happened yesterday. We nearly lost, but we didn’t.” Raven smiled tiredly.
“It is still several hours before the sunrise,” Starfire stated. “We should rest. Should we do so here, or should I guide us back to the Tower?” Seeing Raven hesitate, Starfire shrugged and removed her bustiere.
Raven blinked.
“It is a mild night, and you thought to bring blankets. I shall rest here, and you shall rest atop of me. I shall hold you, sister of my heart, and you shall fall asleep to the sound of my heart.” Starfire smiled. “I believe my armor would make an uncomfortable headrest.”
Raven was too exhausted, emotionally and spiritually even more than physically, to argue. She let Starfire gather her into an embrace, laid her head between her breasts, and, indeed taking comfort from the sound of Starfire’s strong heartbeat as well as the hug holding her there, she quickly fell asleep. Starfire, equally physically exhausted but still beyond happy to be finally actually physically comforting a dear friend as she had always wanted to, soon followed into a dreamless slumber.
*
Starfire awoke at dawn, the sun’s energy revitalizing her. Raven quickly stirred as well. “You slept well, dear friend?”
Starfire could feel Raven’s smile against her nipple. “I certainly recommend you as a comfortable sleeping surface and companion, at least to those who aren’t restless sleepers.”
Starfire returned the smile and floated them into a comfortable position, then reaching for her top armor and dressing herself, saying, “Be certain to mention these commendations to Robin.”
“I will, but I doubt he’ll believe me.”
Seeing Raven hesitate slightly, Starfire asked, “Is there a difficulty?”
“What does ‘sister of the heart’ mean?”
“It means what it says it means – after all, siblings are made as well as born. You mean more to me than my sister ever did. Try as I have, she has rejected all family feeling. You show your affections in small ways, but you are clear in those affections to those who pay attention. I have come to understand that you do not agree, and even why you may never agree, but you are a very loving and lovable person.”
Raven blushed.
Starfire held Raven’s chin in her left hand and made her look into her eyes. “There is even a pledge, which has great meaning, if you wish to agree that you reciprocate.”
“I . . . there was a similar pledge on Azarath. Few life partners were, well, sexually active. Most were companions of the heart. The pledge I mentioned was not the same as those who were life companions took, but it was similar. They mostly came to Azarath without any other family, and this was a way of creating family structures.”
“I love you, dearest friend Raven, but not as a life partner,” Starfire said simply.
“And I love you, sister of my heart Starfire, but not as a life partner,” Raven replied, even though her voice barely inflected.
“Ah . . . hands must touch skin,” Starfire stated hesitatingly with a gesture. “I would pledge with you, Raven of Azarath.” She partially removed her top so that Raven would understand what would be required.
“If any photos of this show up in tabloids, you’ll regret this,” Raven grumbled and she undid her leotard. “And I am no longer just Raven from Azarath. I have found my place, my home, and so have you. And I would pledge family with thee, Starfire of the Titans.”
Starfire thought this through and realized the formal if archaic use for what it was. She finished removing her top and placed Raven’s right hand over her heart while doing the same and then holding Raven’s left hand with hers. “I, Starfire of the Titans, pledge with my heart, my life, and my honor, to hold Raven of the Titans as my true sister.”
“I, Raven of the Titans, pledge with my heart, my life, and my honor, to hold Starfire of the Titans as my true sister.”
“And now your version?” Starfire asked.
“We can get dressed first,” Raven said drily, quickly doing just that. When they were dressed, Raven took Starfire by the hands. “For this, we need to go inside the mind of one of us.” In a blink, the two were standing on a rock in the middle of a star field.
“This is your mindscape?” Starfire asked. She had heard of it, of course.
“It is.” She looked into Starfire’s eyes. “Starfire of the Titans, I have seen thy mind; I have seen thy heart; I have seen thy soul. I desire to be family with thee. I would pledge myself to thee as family. If thou doth also deem me adequate, wouldst thou be family to me?”
“Raven of the Titans, I deem you most adequate, for I have seen your mind, which is excellent. I have seen your hidden heart, which is most kind. I have seen your soul, which is now cleansed. I pledge myself to you as family, if you would indeed have me.”
“Sister.” Raven went up on her toes and kissed Starfire gently. There was a flash of light, and two were back on the islet.
“Sister,” Starfire agreed.
*
When the two got back to Titan’s Tower, it was not quite 7:15. Robin was the only Titan in the kitchen area, the two other boys apparently still in their rooms.
“Is everything alright?” Robin asked.
“Everything is most glorious!”
“Raven?”
“At the moment, life is most satisfactory,” Raven replied. “As I mentioned in my note, I needed to search and access my powers, as well as any remaining links to Trigon. I will write it up for you, but essentially he can no longer influence me. I cannot be used to open a portal for him, at least not without my full consent. If someone is used like Slade was to try and force that influence on me, I will not be susceptible.”
“Is that what happened yesterday?” Robin asked.
“You mean when I left the ‘safe room’? Yes, in a sense. I did what I did because I realized that you would soon be subdued if not killed, and the Tower invaded. Although the flame demons could not access me there, Slade would then eventually work past the safe guards and force me to comply. By taking the actions I did, I was able to gift you with the power of resistance to Trigon’s basic power. He had to act against you more directly. I wasn’t sure if you could do anything, but I thought it better than you being killed for no good reason.”
Raven started to make herself tea. “Had Slade found and touched a resisting me, he would have reactivated all the glyphs paced upon me rather than just most of them and I would have been a mindless automaton. By acting partially out of free will, I kept some control, and I also figured that while Trigon was likely to break any deal with Slade no matter what, by my acting as I did it guaranteed it. I saw no reason for Slade to benefit. It all turned out much better than I had any right to hope for.”
“It did,” Robin agreed. He looked apologetic. “You know, well. . . .”
“You’ll have to post a report to the League,” Raven agreed, although it was obvious she didn’t care for that. “I understand.”
“Anything else?”
“I would like to look it over before you send it, so we can discuss any points either of us feel necessary,” Raven stated.
“Of course.”
“Then, for the record but not necessarily for the Justice League, I think you should know that Starfire and I have discussed ourselves, and have decided to change our relationship.”
“What?”
“Yes, I am most pleased!” Starfire squealed happily.
Robin was looking at the ecstatic Starfire, who was smiling back. Raven gave her sister a wink; Starfire often missed nuances, but she knew Raven was planning something.
“Yes, Robin,” Raven continued, despite hearing the main door sliding open. “We declared our love for each other.” Raven floated over to Starfire, hoping she would play along. “We placed our hands on our bare breasts, over our hearts, and pledged ourselves to each other forever.” She picked up Starfire’s hand and placed it (more discreetly than it had been on the island) over her upper chest and placed her hand on Starfire’s.
Starfire, overjoyed at Raven’s display of affection (and well-aware that Raven was teasing Robin, not that she would ever admit that), floated off the floor as well. She moved and gently took Raven into her arms for a hug.
Raven kissed Starfire on the cheek and again said, “I love you, Starfire.” The pair had deliberately drifted out of the kitchen area and into the main room, near the sofa. “Robin, I hope we have your blessing.”
Starfire could see the stunned looks on the boys’ faces; Cyborg and Beast Boy still in the main doorway. She rotated Raven in her arms so that both of them could see the boys’ looks. “I hope you are all as overjoyed as we! For I love you as well . . . dearest sister.”
Cyborg worked it out first. “Sister?”
“Of course,” Raven said. “We have adopted each other as a sister, according to the rites of both Tamaran and Azarath. If we were to return to either, it would be legal.” She looked back and forth at the other boys, who were still trying to figure things out, and then said, even more deadpan than usual, “Why, what did you three think we meant?”
“Aw, man! You got us!” Cyborg stated. “You two! We’ll have to keep an eye on you two!”
“I do not understand,” Starfire said. Only Raven could tell she was teasing the boys. “What else could we have meant? Robin, could you please explain?”
Robin flushed, especially as Beast Boy was now giggling like a maniac. “Err, we thought you two were declaring, well, a different type of relationship.”
“Different?”
“Life partners,” Raven prompted, letting Robin off the hook a bit.
Starfire decided to play with Robin a bit more. “That is not unknown on my planet of origin, but while I believe Raven is attractive and would make a fine life partner, that is not where my interests lie . . . at this time.”
“You would make an excellent life partner as well, Starfire,” Raven agreed. “I never thought of you in those terms, but if you are left without such a partner for much longer, we might have to reconsider our options.”
“Agreed. We shall revisit this in a year.”
Raven could tell Starfire was now teasing her as much as she was Robin. That feeling grew stronger, and Starfire said, “Do you not have something more to tell the boys?”
It was now Raven who blushed. “Very well, my sister.” She forced herself to look up. “As you know, to control my powers, I needed, and will still need, very tight emotional control. While I cannot be forced to access my demonic side, which is now mostly gone, I still cannot express myself as you might wish I could. However, even if I still cannot overtly act on my deepest feelings, I can now at least state them without repercussions.” Starfire released Raven, and she floated over to Robin. “Robin, you are an excellent leader and an even better friend. You inspire me to do better,” she stated. Although there was even less inflection in her voice than usual, all could tell that was from the need for Raven to control how deeply she felt. “Thank you for inviting me onto the team, for helping me, for coming for me yesterday, and for not judging me.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I love you.”
Raven picked up an apple and then floated around to the doorway, where Cyborg and Beast Boy were still standing, stunned. Beast Boy also looked a bit frightened. “You all know how uncertain I have been, especially about being accepted. Cyborg, it took both you and Robin to coax me onto the team. While Starfire is my sister, teaching me to be feminine while staying true to myself, you are my big brother. Thank you for looking out for me, and for caring so much. I love you.” She floated higher and kissed his cheek.
Raven turned and looked down at Beast Boy, who smiled back uncertainly. “Beast Boy, you are an annoying, childish, nosy, messy, pain-in-the-butt, who cannot tell a joke to save your life.” Beast Boy’s ears dropped. “You are also loyal, and while you aren’t funny in the sense you try too hard to be, your good humor and good nature give this too serious team some balance. I am proud to be your teammate and your friend, and I love you.” She bent down and kissed his forehead.
Raven straightened up and held up her apple and summoned her cup of tea. “Breakfast,” she said simply as the tea slowly floated over. “I am going to go shower and then write up that report. Barring a call, we leave for pizza at 11:30. My treat. Starfire, bring Silkie. Your normal Raven will return after her morning meditation.” Raven floated out of the room followed by her tea, leaving a smiling Starfire, bemused and slightly befuddled Robin and Cyborg, and a very confused Beast Boy.
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