Ch. 1: Raven's raven

It's been five months since Gar was kidnapped. Five months, and nobody has heard anything about him. Robin and Starfire are chasing down a few suspects, and Cyborg is doing his own searching while I try to find a way to get Gar back with magic. I checked the clock. Midnight. Another dreary midnight. I've been up for three days now searching. I am weak and weary, yet I continue to read these volumes of forgotten lore. The long days blur into long nights, and I start to fall asleep when I hear something tapping at my bedroom door. "Who could that be?" I wondered. Just Star or one of the others. Only this and nothing more.

On this bleak December night, I continue my work. My mind is exhausted and my bed looks so comfortable. But everyone is working so hard to find Gar. I need to do my part as well. The candles burned lower, casting strange shadows everywhere. Like ghosts, flittering in the darkness of my room. Gar once said my room was creepy… at times like this, I must admit he has a point. I just want all this to be over. These books don't help ease my loneliness or sorrow… Sorrow?!? For the lost Beast Boy?!?! I am more tired than I thought.

The rustling of my purple curtains gave wing to my darker imagination. And so I got myself worked up, wondering at who was outside my door, seeing as the others were supposed to be gone, and no one spoke even after so long a wait… It was unusual, and the darkness coupled with my lack of sleep did nothing to alleviate the eeriness. To calm myself, I kept repeating that it is just one of the others- only this, and nothing more.

In time, I decided to check on the door. Hesitating no longer, I said, "Sorry about the wait. The work has gotten to me and I was taking a nap, and you knocked so softly." Here I opened wide the door. Darkness there, and nothing more.

I stared into that darkness outside my room for a long time. It was a strange dark, deeper than normal, and thus I let myself dream dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. The silence of the hallway remained, and the unusual darkness did not reveal any hints as to its cause. I whispered one word, hopefully, fearfully, "Garfield?" I whispered this and the darkness echoed back his name. Merely this and nothing more.

I turned back into my room after closing and locking the door, trying to allay my fears. Suddenly, I heard a louder tapping that made me jump. "Something is at my window?" I cautiously stepped towards the dark window, my heart hammering in my chest. "Tis the wind and nothing more!"

The tapping, however, continued, and grew more urgent. I cast my soul-self on the latch, and quickly threw open the window. With many a flirt and flutter, in stepped a dark green raven, acting as though he owned the place. Without even acknowledging me, Gar flew over to a small statue of Athena I had put above my bedroom door. He just went and sat, and nothing more.

I smiled a quick, elusive smile. The one Gar constantly tried to get me to show him by way of lame jokes. The smile came from the fact that for once, Gar was acting oddly serious, and because it's him, it was funny how he acted like a well trained soldier. In the back of my mind, I was also ecstatic that he was back, but I would never reveal that to anyone, least of all him. I wouldn't like if he made fun of me for how I felt. "Garfield, why so serious? You act like you've been through Hell and back." At that, he turned and looked at me with one black eye. I knew at that moment that this green Raven could not be Gar. There was a cold, calculating wisdom in that eye that screamed of ancient and sinister magic. "Y-You're not Gar… Who are you?" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

I froze. It spoke with Gar's voice. I searched his mind and it proved to me that this was Gar, much warped by his ordeal. His answer made no sense though. What could he mean by saying Nevermore? I just wished for Gar to be back to himself.

But he just sat looking lonely on the statue of Athena. The only word he spoke was 'Nevermore' and he spoke as though the word contained his very soul. But after that he stayed quiet, he didn't move at all in fact, acting as still as his statue perch. I muttered to myself, "I guess I've lost other friends before. And tomorrow he will leave me, and my hopes will fly with him." I tried to be quiet, but Gar apparently heard me, for he responded with "Nevermore."

That startled me out of my thoughts. "Gar, why do you keep repeating that? As though you learned it from some unhappy master while you were gone."

Despite his unusual behavior, Gar's presence was enough to make me continue smiling. He always managed to lift my spirits before, even if he was annoying when I first met him. I guess I just needed to get used to his… exuberance, is all. I went closer to where he perched and levitated myself in front of him, crossing my legs in my meditation pose. I sat there, thinking up all the reasons behind Gar's sudden reappearance, and what he meant in croaking, "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing to Gar what I thought of his return. He watched me intently with dark eyes that burned into my soul as I sat thinking of his predicament and so much more. I leaned my head back, imagining resting on a cushion with velvet lining and a soft lamp in the background. I thought on Gar's first girlfriend. Terra. At the thought, jealousy and hate surged through me. She was always evil. Good thing she will bother us 'Nevermore.'

The air seemed to grow denser at that moment as my anger spiked. It was unusual… Almost as though my father was trying to gain control again... "Wretch," I cried. "Has Trigon sent you here? Has he done something to you?" in my mind I hoped I could forget all the bad… Trigon, Slade, and Terra. Maybe there was something I could take to forget. "If only I had some nepenthe to bring me Lethian peace*.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"So now you play the part of a prophet, Gar? These tricks are evil, but a prophet still if bird or devil, whether demons sent you, or you managed to escape." He shuffled a bit, and looked around the room before fixing me in his glare again. "Well Gar, you return to a haunted home." I thought to play a game with him, since he seemed content in his single word answer. "Tell me, O great prophet. Is there help for me out there?" I gestured toward the window, indicating the outside world. Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Far from making me feel better, his cryptic answer made my anger spike and sorrow surge. "Gar? I… is there…" This was strange for me. But he was acting so unusual, I had to ask. I summoned my courage and put forth the question, "Is there love for me out there?" He looked at me strangely, and for a moment, the dark eyes flashed into Gar's happy ones. But a strange ripple of Shadow overcame him. With a strange cackle, he answered, "Nevermore."

My heart hurt. He laughed at me. Laughed when I was trying to be more open. Sadness flooded me, but then rage consumed all. "BE THAT WORD OUR SIGN OF PARTING, BIRD OR FIEND!" I shrieked, upstarting. "Go back to whatever Hell you were for five months! Leave no green plume as a token of that lie your soul has spoken! Leave me to my loneliness then! Get off that statue and get out of my room!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

I was so used to him obeying when I was angry that his act of rebellion just set off my rage. Without thinking, I unleashed my soul-self at him, ready to take him to the eight level of hell. However, when my soul touched him, a black shadow erupted out of him, and went to stand by my window. "GAR!" I ran over to his finally human form, and checked to make sure he was ok. I couldn't bear to look at the creature by the window. Gar looked up and finally spoke other words. "Raven…?" He jumped up and glared at the creature. "Who are you?" he demanded. The creature rustled, and four smoldering eyes turned to him. "I am SHADOW, and my dwelling is near the resting place of the Eighth Devil. His defeat by the Gem spawned me, and The Raven has broken my hold in this world. I retreat now to the border of Helusion and the foul Charonian Canal. DO NOT FOLLOW." With that the shadow of Trigon dissipated into the night, and with him, the thousand voices of Azarath that were lost to Trigon's evil.

"Gar... What happened?" I greedily drank in his image. I didn't want him gone. He sighed wearily and asked if he could sit. I indicated toward my bed and he dropped heavily I went to sit next to him. "Well, remember five years ago, when you killed Trigon? Well… a part of him survived, the part of him that was from Azarath. Along with the thousands he killed when he conquered your home. They formed together to create that Shadow. Well, I kinda went back to poke around, and when I did, that thing captured me and tortured me for five months, hoping to keep me fully in its control. Its plan was to use me to cause your anger to surface enough for it to take you over and resurrect Trigon. Unfortunately, the strange mix of demon and Azarath souls made its body incompatible with your soul. So when you attacked me, it destroyed its hold… So, thanks!" He gave me a big grin. I looked down at the floor. Five years ago… five years was a long time, and in that time, Gar grew taller, and he even got into weightlifting, and thus got more muscle mass. He was far from a meathead, but he was toned. His hair was also longer, and he discovered the joy of personal hygiene. I had grown as well, though I wasn't as tall as Gar. I filled out my outfits more, though I still managed to stay fairly trim. I occasionally caught Gar stealing quick glances at me, which made me smile inwardly. I let my hair grow out longer, as Gar once mentioned that I had really nice hair, and it was a bit of a shame it was so short. It now trailed down to my mid back in thick waves of blackness. "Hey Rae, you ok?" Gar asked quietly. I thought for a moment. "When I asked you if I will find love, did you mean what you said?" Gar smiled thoughtfully at me. "Well, I was under the influence of Shadow… Why don't you ask me again?" I frowned, a little annoyed, but I decided to play along. "Ok Gar, will I ever find love?" He shook his head. "You have to ask it exactly like you did last time!" I grimaced and thought a moment. "Ok… Is there love for me out there?" He looked at me, his face deadly serious. "Nevermore." I jerked away from him, hurt. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. "What? How could you…"I looked down, not wanting him to see me tear up. I felt his hand gently turn my face towards him. Before I could tell him to let go and leave me alone, he said, "Why would you look for love out there, when I have all this love for you in here?" His answer left me stunned. His smile was so handsome… I leaned in and gave him a kiss, which he returned with a tight hug. I held him there, tears dripping from my eyes. All the months of missing him just poured out, mingling with my new happiness of finally having him all to myself. We held each other for a long time we finally curled up to sleep. "Gar?" I asked. He shifted to look me in the eye. "Yes, my black rose?" I blushed at the compliment. In the dark, he couldn't see it though. "I don't ever want to be alone again…"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

A/N: Ok, I dont own the teen titans, blah blah blah... if I did, I would bring back the show for a few more seasons... and I would have a more Beast Boy and Raven centered thing going. DUH. Haha. Anyway, Havent written in a long time, hope this is good. Idea is from the poem, The Raven By mr. Poe. The ending is a bit... fluffy. Which is weird for me. I inadvertently ended up writing a BB/Rae fanfic. Lol

*Nepenthe and Lethian Peace refer to a drug or drink that causes forgetfulness, and the peace that the river Lethe offers, respectively. if anything else needs clarification, just ask.

BTW. I REALLY HATE ROBIN+ RAVEN, AND TERRA + BEASTBOY! IT SHOULD ONLY BE RAVEN AND BEASTBOY, ROBIN AND STARFIRE!!!!! Glad I got that out of my system. HATE!!!!!!!!