The Third Quadrant
Chapter 1: Three demons and a goddess
She looked so frail. Sunk on her knees in the middle of her dark room, her cape swirling around her like a thin protective shield. From what was it protecting her? What was she hiding from? Her hood was drawn up over her head, covering her silken violet locks damp with sweat. Was she trying not to cry? He would never know. They were so different, so distant it made him hurt. They were supposed to be friends. No, they were friends. Perhaps not as close as he would have liked, but still friends. And he'd be there for her. When she was ready. The green titan moved from the doorway, stealing a final glance at her before retiring.
She hadn't known he was watching her. She'd been too deep in concentration. It was like this every night. She would slip into her room after dinner, just in time to collapse on her floor and be spirited away to her mind. She was loosing control. Slowly, but surely. Trigon was creeping across her mindscape like a silent death. Leaving her emotions lying in brambles, their flesh torn. He was taking them one by one. She had to give him a little more control each night in order to recover them. When would he finally consume her entire being? When would he take his final prize? Never. He couldn't. Not for four more months. But in three it would be over. And she'd win.
There were four planets that marked the edges of the universe in the spirit realm. Three created by demons, one by a goddess. Azerath, created by Hevernix the demon who became Hades. Azerath had converted to peace when Hevernix left to rule the underworld as Hades. Raven had been born on Azerath. It was a good planet for the most part, still a tiny shadow of darkness hovered over it. That was Raven's fault. She'd unleashed a very minor taste of her true demonic powers on Azerath the day she'd been born. Before she'd learned to control herself, subdue her reckless feelings. That darkness had stayed and tarnished the peaceful Azerath and had been the reason she fled to earth. It was how she had escaped the guilt.
Azerath ruled the first quadrant of the spirit realm and Metrion ruled the second. Metrion had come to dominate the ancient Alderon previously head of quadrant two. Metrion was a warring planet created by Intherol the demon whom was betrothed to Raven. Before she killed him. In fact, Intherol had named Metrion after her as it was the translation of her name in his dialect. Metrion remained a terrifying planet to encounter. Then of course there was---. Raven's train of thought broke and her eyes flickered open. The third royal planet. The one she would banish Trigon to. The uninhabited planet in the uninhabited quadrant three that she would banish Trigon to in three months. The one created by her mother, the goddess of light, for the sole purpose of freeing her of Trigon was… gone.
Gone from her memory. Completely and utterly gone. She dashed from her room, her violet eyes ablaze with unmistakable fear. Things in the hallway began to vibrate dangerously with black light and she fell to the floor clutching her head. Trigon's laughter rumbled through her mind. She had to remember. She'd gone through everything. When her control had begun to slip she'd set in movement the spells that would send the four planets into perfect alignment and allow her to banish Trigon once and for all. The only problem was… if she didn't succeed she would die at Trigon's hand. And now, the third planet, the one that would give her full access to her powers if added to her mantra, was gone. She'd never said the full mantra because of its danger. She would have to risk that danger when she banished Trigon. Bun now she couldn't. Azerath, Metrion--- nothing. She shook her head and again tried to remember.
Still nothing. Nothing at all. Just Azerath of Quadrant one, Metrion of Quadrant two and Zynthos of Quadrant four. No Quadrant three. Vases and other such objects in the halls began to shatter and the light bulb above her exploded, sending shards of glass flying around her, cutting at her pale skin.
"No!" she yelled. Trigon's sinister laughter cradled her. What had he done? She felt a sense of such incredible foreboding it made her want to scream.
Beast Boy darted out into the hall when he heard Raven yell. His eyes went wide as he saw her, blood trickling down her arms from where the glass had cut her and things exploding left and right. "Raven!" he called, running up to her and taking her into his arms. "Raven, can you hear me?!" His pleas reached the ears of the other titans and they woke from their slumber. Cyborg darted out and cursed when he saw what was going on. Robin and Starfire appeared not moments later from the Boy Wonder's room, trying desperately to finish pulling on their clothes and reach Raven and Beast Boy at the same time. Beast Boy continued to call Raven and finally she responded.
Raven's eyes darted open and closed again and Beast Boy could hear her muttering her chant and regaining control. Things stopped exploding and she finally looked up at her friend's frightened faces. Their imploring stares prompted her to speak. She took a deep breath. "If I don't remember the name of that planet soon… I have four months to live," Raven's usual monotone quavered and Beast Boy instinctively pulled the girl close.
"Friend… I do not understand…" Starfire peeped.
"Off hand, Star, neither do I," Raven said bitterly. Memories were not supposed to just vanish. Unless you had a demon living in your head, evidently.
Drifting songs,
Remember a dream.
Upon the frosty air
It dwelt.
A mellow chord,
Forgotten loves.
Surface as delicate rose thorns.
High and sweet,
A mournful truth,
Blemishes so white a dove.
Perfect in the tarnish,
A lovely imperfection.
Author's Notes: Well there's chappie one. WingsofaRaven, sorry it took so long. I'm guessing chappie two might take some time because school is starting up again but please don't give up on this story. I swear I'll get it done…eventually. BTW did you guys like the poem at the end of the chappie? I wrote a whole bunch to go along with the story, one at the end of each chappie, but if you guys don't like them just give me a review and I get a few, I'll stop the poems. Anyways, Thanks for reading, now review.