Part 100: New Dawn

Trigon sat at his makeshift throne, looking at his new 'kingdom'. He was just about to send his minions to space when his 4 eyes caught sight of something…5 somethings…5 little something.

Trigon sneered, "Peh, Zodiac Knights…Pathetic." All 5 Zodiac Knights were flying directly at him. If he didn't know better, Trigon would've thought these whelps were coming for a fight.

Shadow touched down on the island with Draco, Pluto, Venus and Copycat following after. Pluto whistled, "Woah, he's a huge bitch!"

Shadow commanded, "ATTACK!" Draco and Pluto flew up and fired fireballs and lightning bolts at Trigon, but the Demon Lord just raised the palm of his hand and blasted back with his own fireball. Pluto and Draco dodged out of the way and continued their assault, firing upon Trigon. Copycat and Venus flew up as well. Venus looked at Copycat and nodded. The Knight of Cats activated her powers to duplicate Starfire's starbolts and began blasting while Venus blasted with her plasma rays. Shadow fired with his own shadow energy blasts. "GIVE HIM EVERYTHING YOU GOT GUYS!" Shadow shouted.

Draco flew straight at Trigon and dodged the demon's eyebeams before smashing his fist right between Trigon's eyes. Trigon howled in pain from the immense impact.

Copycat then zoomed around, landing slash wounds upon the demon's massive body. "This is for Slade-sama!" She slashed him across the chest. Trigon howled and made a grab for her, but only met empty air as she avoided his swipe.

Shadow manipulated Trigon's shadow and created a giant shadow duplicate of Trigon to fight the Demon Lord. Trigon actually rose up from his 'throne' and began wrestling with the shadow.

Venus and Pluto, like sister and brother, pummeled him with plasma balls and zapped him with electrical bolts. Trigon grew annoyed and with a howl, he swung his massive red arms out and threw the Knights to the ground.

Though angered, Trigon was still able to make some sense, "I see that I have overestimated you all." He was insulting them, Shadow realized. Trigon continued, "The band of Knights who defeated me several millennia ago were more powerful than you shall ever be. You are all merely small annoyances. However, I am bored and I am in need for some entertainment."

"We're not going to dance like puppets for you tall, red and UGLY!" Copycat snarled. Draco nodded with agreement.

"We're taking you down…and OUT!" Pluto shouted.

Trigon's eyes glowed and Shadow knew something wasn't right. Looking down, he gasped. The Mark of Scath was glowing under their feet. Trigon merely said, "How can you expect yourselves to defeat me, when you can't even defeat yourselves?"

Venus looked at him. "What is that supposed to-" but she was unable to finish the question as she suddenly began screaming in pain. The others were in pain and screamed as well. A red aura surrounded them as something was coming out of their bodies. Another flash of pain and the Knights fell to their knees.

Copycat asked no one in particular, "What just happened…?" When she looked up, her eyes widened under her red eye pieces, "Masaka…" The other Knights were shocked as well.

Standing opposite them…were themselves…evil doppelgangers in black and white, like in an old silent movie, but with glowing red eyes. In place of the symbols of their Zodiacs was the Mark of Scath.

Trigon commanded his Scath Knights, "Torment them."

The Evil Shadow pointed at the Knights, "DESTROY THEM!" the Scath Knights roared and charged.

"COUNTER ATTACK!" Shadow commanded as the Knights charged at their doppelgangers.

Back in the catacombs, the Titans were watching this via a viewing portal Ekelo had conjured up. Jinx was seeing the Knights fighting themselves…their inner darkness.

Ekelo muttered, "Not good."

Robin shouted, "We have to go help!"

"No!" Ekelo yelled. "Shadow told us to stay here until he gives the signal!"

"Screw the signal!" Jinx cried.

Raven was watching the battle…feeling scared…for Shadow.

Draco got blasted by a red fireball and smashed into the side of the building. The Evil Draco was beginning to mock and taunt him, "Protect people?" He laughed. "How the hell can you protect people when you can't even protect yourself?" Draco roared and flew at his inner demon and began throwing punches. Evil Draco just blocked and dodged. "It's no use. I can see what move you make before you even make it. A nice touch, the Power of Pisces, isn't it?' the evil Dragon Knight ducked under a roundhouse kick. "The power of your friend, Tazuka, who you failed to protect." Draco froze and the Evil Draco delivered a vicious uppercut.

Pluto and Venus were forced back to back as they faced off against the mirror images of their inner darkness. Venus couldn't believe that she had any darkness. Apparently, she was wrong. The Dark siblings taunted in unison, "You both failed, failed your father, failed your mother…failed everyone…" Evil Pluto and Evil Venus blasted the real Pluto and Venus with electrical bolts and plasma blasts. Pluto and Venus drew their swords and fought their doubles. Pluto and Venus began clashing swords with their dark selves.

Pluto was being taunted, "Your friends would be safer if you never existed. Your inventions never work! You're a failure!" Pluto barked and threw a punch laced with electricity.

Venus was being taunted as well, "You're a fool! Joey deceived you. He had fun playing with your heart! He never even liked you!" Venus cried and thrust with her sword.

Copycat was being mocked as well, but Copycat ignored her evil copy…until she said, "You try to prove yourself. Why? Because you're not good enough, you'll never be good enough! Your brother would always be better than you and you will always be second best, the runt of the litter!" Copycat snarled and lashed out with her whip, only for her double to retaliate with a heel kick to her chin.

Shadow was facing an even worst ordeal by his double. His evil double kept bringing up Misha's death and the secrets Shadow had kept, "You don't trust anyone. You lie and keep secrets. You're afraid of not being trusted. You're afraid to be…alone…like when Misha died…You let her die…"

Shadow hissed, "NO!" Shadow swung his staff but it was met with the Evil Shadow's staff. Their energies clashed and threw them back into buildings.

Ekelo knew what Trigon was doing. He was trying to break the Knights by using their inner demons against them. A clever tactic, psychological warfare was very effective in battles such as this.

The Titans looked worried. They were going to help, no matter what Ekelo said. Lance just looked on quietly and so did Pandora.

Lance could not take it, "I'm going to help!" Ekelo just leered at the Crusader as he flew out of the catacombs. Pandora followed after him.

There was an explosion and Draco lay in a smoking crater. He heard Yaminekoryu's voice telling him to get up. ((Get up, Aibout…get up…)) Draco groaned and pushed himself up on his hands and knees. The evil Draco was standing over him.

"Why bother getting up? Trigon will win anyway and your Jinx will be all mine to play with…" the Evil Draco said. Draco growled and flew up to punch the Evil Knight in the face and…kick him in the balls.

Copycat was downtown and crashed on top of a car. Her evil double was still verbally abusing her, "Why don't you go home to your mama and papa…? Oh wait, Copycat doesn't have a papa…" Copycat snarled and ran at her opponent.

Venus and Pluto were starting to grow exhausted. Their inner demons' words were doing more damage than their swords. It was like their spirits were being chipped away…bit by painful bit.

Shadow wasn't having a good time either. Being reminded of his inhumanity and Misha's death…filled him with regret. He was just about to throw in the towel…But he had to remember the promise he made to Raven. He picked himself up and balanced upon his staff, his shoulders heaving. He looked up and glared at the evil inside him. He hissed, "You wanna see evil? I'll show you evil!"

Robin couldn't take it anymore. He turned to the Titans and they silently agreed. Ekelo couldn't stop them even if he tried. So, the Titans left to assist their Knights and friends.

Raven watched them all leave. Why would they risk their lives, even now? The world was over…it was all over…she just didn't understand what they stood to gain, even now…

"Why…?" she asked softly, but was noticed by Ekelo.

Draco was down in the dumps, literally. Draco was lying in garbage as he had been blasted into the dump by his 'evil twin'. The Evil Draco floated over him. He mocked, "Lying in garbage, just where you belong…"

Draco got up and retorted, "At least I'm not ugly!" he fired a freeze ray but the evil Draco countered with a fire blast. The blasts pushed against one another.

"You can't win…I'm better than you…I AM YOU!" Evil Draco pushed. Draco pushed back. "You're weak without your friends…weak and alone…I don't know what Jinx sees in you!" he laughed but his laughter ceased when he felt a blast of pink magic. He looked up ahead and saw a head of familiar pink hair. Jinx!

"I'm coming!" Jinx shouted, firing her hex blasts at the doppelganger. Draco smiled and pushed back with his freeze ray.

Draco shouted, "I AM NEVER ALONE!" Jinx's hex magic and Draco's freeze ray mixed together and froze the evil double solid. The pink hex magic had been involved, so the doppelganger began to crack and break…but Draco had other plans. He drew a card and slid it into his gauntlet.

"Final Vent." He leapt up and aimed a flying kick at the huge popsicle as Dragonzer blasted him in that direction, "DRAGON COMBUSTION KICK!" shattering the evil Draco to itty-bitty pieces. Jinx and Draco then hugged and then he said, "I thought I told you to stay put."

"I did," she purred, "But I couldn't let my baby get hurt." She kissed him on the faceplate.

Venus and Pluto had lost their swords and all hope of winning. They were on the ground as their evil doubles wanted nothing more that to drive their swords through them.

"Bye, bye," Evil Pluto said.

"It was nice knowing you…Not!" Evil Venus finished.

They were about to strike when a purple energy blast sent the Evil Pluto flying. In Evil Venus' case, a gold and black blur tackled her away.

Pluto exclaimed, "BLACKFIRE!"

Venus was also shocked, "SCIZZORS!" Joey, in his Scizzors armor, had come to help.

"We found these," Scizzors said, handing Venus and Pluto their swords back.

"Thanks," Pluto told him. Venus was silent, but nodded thanks anyway. Their evil doubles were starting to get up, but this time Pluto and Venus were going to finish them off. They slid their cards into their card readers.

"Final Vent!" Pluto flew up and his cape spun around him like a drill. Venus' Whitewing flew behind Evil Venus and blew her away…straight towards a Naginata holding Venus.

"DEADLY IMMORTAL'S DRILL!" Pluto plowed into his darker half.

"MISTY SLASH!" Venus slashed her inner darkness to ribbons

The attacks finished the evil clones off.

Copycat was getting beaten up…by herself; how ironic. Her armor was damaged and she had slash marks on her arms, legs and helmet…also some slash marks on his chest. She never thought she was ever THIS bad, but apparently she was wrong.

Evil Copycat had her claws out and ready to slash Copycat's head clean off. With a vicious snarl, she swung her claws to slice Copycat's head off.

It never came.

"END OF THE WORLD!" The Evil half of Copycat got blasted to bits by a lot of heavy ammunition. Copycat only knew one trigger happy idiot and was glad to see him. She also saw a familiar figure in blue and white…Aqua…Rose…ARMS and Aqua went to help her back to her feet.

"You okay, Kat?" Aqua asked.

"Just a little sore…but I'll live…" Copycat moaned in pain. She then asked, "How did you know to come?"

"That's because I called them," Slade appeared out of the shadows, holding the poleaxe she had swiped from the guard in the dungeons. Copycat was glad to see her 'family'.

Slade twirled the axe around in his hand, "Time to pay a visit to my old 'boss'."

Trigon smiled and evil grin, watching the Knights fight their evil selves. So what if they were victorious? He was a Demon Lord.

Leaving Terrorsan's rule was the best decision he ever made in his unholy life. He had that which Terrorsan and Lucifer had only dreamed of; the enslavement of the Earth.

No one would tell him otherwise…except for a fallen angel.

"You won't succeed you know," said an arrogant voice with a slightly Spanish except. Looking down, Trigon saw a well dressed gentleman with a long coat. He had rugged good looks and stylish black hair. He looked like in his mid-thirties. He was also smoking a cigarette. He would seem out of place in this post-Apocalyptic nightmare world, but his wings gave him off…His obsidian black wings.

This was no normal fallen angel…he was not as powerful as Lucifer, the Morning Star, but he was still quite powerful in his own right.

He was Lord Antonio…Founder and Leader of the Death Knights.

Trigon looked down upon this puny creature. "What?" he demanded.

"You won't succeed. The Zodiac Knights and the Crusader will stop you," Antonio blew a circle of smoke from his mouth. "Besides, Lucifer has already deemed the Earth as his domain…You're just walking on thin ice, Trigon."

Trigon laughed. "You are joking! Those mortals and Crusaders can do nothing to stop me! The world and universe is mine! Lucifer has lost! I have conquered and lived his dream. He has lost! Not even Terrorsan can stop me now!"

Antonio blew a puff of smoke from his mouth and shook his head. He dropped his cigarette and stepped on it. "Be warned Trigon the Terrible…your end will be brought upon by your own spawn…and your arrogance will be the start of your downfall…" With that, Antonio wrapped his wings around himself and vanished.

Unaware to Trigon…Antonio's prediction would eventually come true.

Shadowcobra was on his hands and knees. He had been fighting his inner demon and lost. Across from him, Evil Shadowcobra was just finishing his tirade before finishing him off, "You let all your friends down…It would be better if you didn't exist." He was armed with a jagged black sword. He began walking towards Shadow and stopped when he was standing over him. "Goodbye…" Shadow only waited for the inevitable.

It never came.

A sonic energy beam, exploding birdarangs, a green energy blast, and a large boulder smashed, rammed and blew up on the dark doppelganger. Shadow turned his head and to his amazement…Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Terra. Beast Boy morphed into a rhino and rammed straight into the Scath Knight before resuming human form and helping Shadow to stand.

"You okay dude?" Beast Boy asked in concern.

"Yes," Shadow nodded. "I am."

"Oh, the kiddie league has arrived," the Evil Shadowcobra cackled.

"You will pay for hurting our friend," Starfire hands glowed with charged starbolts.

"You're going down and so is your master," Cyborg's cannon was aimed at him.

Robin also had a retort, "Because, he's facing the Titans."

Shadow saw the hope in their eyes. He also knew this was his fight. Drawing a card, he slid it into his staff. "Final Vent." Evil Shadow's eyes widened when he turned around. Standing behind him, with a swirling vortex in its belly, was none other than Genocide.

He was done for.

"DARKHOLE CRASH!" Shadowcobra leapt up and delivered a drill kick that smashed the Evil Shadowcobra into the vortex to be crushed to oblivion. Shadow landed and stood proudly. He then said, "Let's show Trigon that it wasn't a good idea to mess with the Teen Titans." Drawing a new card, he slid it into his staff. "EVOLUTION!"

Draco slid a card into his Dragauntlet. "EVOLUTION!"

Pluto slid a card into his sword. "EVOLUTION!"

Libra watched from his domain…and smiled.

Trigon's demise…was nigh.

Lance and Pandora began their assault on Trigon. Trigon had just moved into the city, once he realized that the Titans were now more of a threat than pests and nuisances. With a roar, he fired his eyebeams at the Crusader and Crimson Sorceress.

The Titans moved in. Draco was in his Emperor Mode armor and Pluto appeared in his Cyber Mode armor. Finally, Shadowcobra showed up in his Vampangel Mode armor. Copycat also arrived at the scene, with Slade and Team Tartarus.

"TEAM TARTARUS, TAKE EM TO HELL!"

"TITANS GO!"

"ZODIAC TITANS, CHARGE!"

Blackfire and Starfire blasted at Trigon while flying around to avoid his ferocious swipes. Beast Boy was in the air, with Terra on boulder. The geomancer threw LARGE concrete boulders at Trigon. With her powers, she also threw lava globs at him. Though unaffected, he got annoyed. Beast Boy morphed in mid-air into a tiger and landed on Trigon's face. He clawed and slashed at his skin, exciting a roar from the demon lord before morphing into a fly to avoid the eye blasts.

Draco drew out his Emperor Dragon Blade and Jinx hexed it. He raised it over his head and leapt up, slashing Trigon across the chest. The hex magic added some extra damage to the slash. Trigon roared. To irritate him further, Draco blasted sand in Trigon's eyes.

Cyborg blasted with both his cannons, Pluto providing extra power by fueling Cyborg's power cell with his electricity.

Shadow threw both his hands out and fired, not just a dark energy blast, but a white one too. He was using both his powers of darkness and light. Trigon was going down.

Slade threw the axe with careful precision and sliced off one of Trigon's antlers, clean right off. "For the record, I am nobody's servant."

ARMS was blasting with his launcher and cannons while Aqua fired blue energy beams. Scizzors and Venus used their attacks as well, throwing sharp shurikens and plasma blasts at the demon.

Lance flew down and slashed at Trigon's skin, making a very clean and deep cut in the demon's arm. Pandora decided to use an elemental spell, "FREEZA!" and ice formed all over Trigon's arm, freezing it solid. Draco flew up and with all his strength and smashed the demon's arm off. Trigon let out a loud roar and scream of pained anguish.

Raven looked shocked and amazed, "I don't believe it…They're hurting him…"

Ekelo smiled to her and said, "You want to go and see?" He extended his hand. She took it and they disappeared in a wave of shadows.

Trigon was growing tired and annoyed by these pests. With a burst of his dark power, he blasted and sent them crashing, smashing and falling into the ground, building and anything nearby.

Raven appeared with Ekelo and saw all the Titans, Team Tartarus, Lance and Pandora sprawled all over the ground. She saw Shadow, bleeding and with his wings broken. His armor had shattered off. "No…" Raven ran to him. "Shadow, get up…"

"Raven…?" he groaned, "What are you doing here? You should be someplace safe."

"For all you've done for me and what you are doing…I am not leaving you," she leaned down and kissed him on his Mark of Sin.

Trigon growled, "How touching," and fired a blast from his eyes.

"NO!" Raven screamed and for some unknown reason…a force field erected around her, deflecting the blast. Trigon looked at her with shock. Raven stood up, pissed as hell, no pun intended. "You won't destroy this world…" her body glowed white…a holy light, "LIKE AZARATH!" when she exploded with light, she changed…she was restored into her original teenage body, but clad in white and her hair was longer.

"Raven…?" Shadow looked at her, shocked.

Trigon sneered, "How do you expect to defeat your powerful father?"

Raven's hands crackled with white energy, "You may have created me…but you were never my father." She blasted him, "Fathers are kind." She blasted again, forcing him to stumble back. "Fathers protect and raise and love their children." Another blast erupted from her hands and into Trigon. "The monks of Azarath protected me…my friends raised me…" Her eyes turned to Shadow, "And Shadow loved me." Shadow blushed and he knew it was true. He chanted the spell and broke the seal…revealing his Arch Vampangel form.

Raven rose up until she was up to level with Trigon and so did Shadow. Shadow's wings spread out behind himself and Raven. He was targeting Trigon and nullifying the demon's power. Their friends and allies stood up as well and gave Raven their strength, even Slade. Shadowcobra then put his hands on Raven's shoulders, combining his energy with hers.

Raven and Shadowcobra shouted out, their body radiating pure and raw power, "AZARATH, METRION, ZINTHOS!"

Raven's soul self erupted from her body in the form of a giant white bird that swept over Trigon. Trigon roared as the energy tore into his body, destroying him and erasing him from existence…FOREVER…

There was a blinding flash of light.

It was over.

Shadow hung the Red-X suit in the vault and sighed before closing the door. Now, it was time for him to face the music.

Raven was on the roof of the Tower, watching the sunset. Shadow went up to see her and had changed back into his SB uniform. He was wary of her mood, presently. She was still dressed in white (which strangely suited her) but she had been genuinely upset when she found out about his identity as Red-X. She had hugged and kissed him after she defeated her father, but still slapped him about the whole 'Red-X situation' as well as the fact that he had originally been assigned by Yoshido to kill her to avoid Trigon's arrival. The others had been understanding; Robin was a little pensive, and Shadow was allowed to keep the suit, granted that he had modified it greatly. They still had trouble with his past with Yoshido, but he was defended by both Draco and Pluto.

He approached Raven slowly and began asking, "How are you feeling?"

She didn't turn to face him, "I'm fine." Usually, when a woman said 'Fine' she didn't really mean it. Shadow sighed and then, against better judgment, asked again.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am." She may not have been showing it, but his presence and questions were slowly agitating her.

"Please Raven, don't lie to me!" he pleaded. This got to Raven. She turned around and glared.

"So, it's okay for you to lie and not okay for me to lie?" she asked rhetorically. He didn't answer. She then continued, "I'm just sick and tired of you always lying and keeping secrets from me!"

"All people have secrets," Shadow retorted.

Raven continued, "They do, but at least they trust others enough to tell them. Why couldn't you trust me?" she said in a hurt tone. "Why, Ichijyo?"

Shadow sighed, and turned away from her. Seeing her eyes like this would just make this more difficult. He answered, "It's because…It's because I didn't want to lose you."

"Lose me?" what had he meant.

"Yes, and to protect you," he clarified, "Raven, there are things about me that you shouldn't have known about. I was the one sent to kill you, remember that I told you that?"

"Yes, you did. What changed, besides getting the suit, I mean?"

Shadow sighed and turned to look at her, "I fell in love," he admitted, "with you." She blushed. "From the day I saw you, I knew I couldn't do what I had been commanded to do. I wanted to leave, but that wasn't a strong enough excuse. That was why I pretended to be Red-X that time so I could be closer to you, even when fighting. I pretended to flirt with Starfire, but my attention was all for you."

Raven blushed at his confession.

"I then knew what my true path was; a hero."

"All because of me?" Raven questioned.

"All because of you," he went to embrace her, but she stepped away.

"I want to believe you trust you," she paused, "But…"

"But you can't," he finished her sentence for her, "Because I lied and was secretive."

"I've been a hypocrite. I keep secrets too, from my friends and you. But, I just feel…betrayed. You could've told me."

"I did."

"You thought you didn't have to face my wrath since you thought Trigon was going to kill you."

"No I didn't." Raven glared. "Okay…maybe a little part of me did."

"It's just…can you…can you please tell me everything about you, secrets and all? That way, they'll be OUR secrets," she suggested.

"Even the embarrassing ones?" he asked.

"Those too."

"Thought so."

"Well, it's either that or continue keeping secrets and lying."

He was silent.

She continued, "You do want this…our relationship to work, don't you?"

"I do…it's just that I'm scared," he shut his eyes.

"Scared?" she asked, "Why?"

"Because…because there's a lot of things about me you may not like."

Raven studied his expressions, "But if we need to learn to trust each other, those boundaries have to be broken."

"I understand."

Raven scrutinized him. He seemed genuine, but she had to test it first, "Okay, first question: What was the most embarrassing moment of your life?"

Shadow's eyes widened. Was this a test of trust and should he answer truthfully. He could block her out of his mind, but doing so would be cheating. He left his mind open to her invasion and answered, "When I was a child, I climbed up a tree in the back of my house and cried non stop until my father helped me down. I was only 6 years old then."

Raven began to giggle. That was embarrassing…but not enough. She asked another question, "Have you wet your bed before?"

Now THAT was something he didn't want to answer. He blushed, "Yes…when I was 7." Raven exploded with laughter as Shadow frowned and sulked. "I'm so glad you find it funny."

"Oh, it is," she stopped laughing. "Tell me something else."

"You look beautiful in white," he told her, "But then again, you look beautiful in anything you wear." Raven blushed at this comment and pulled up her hood. Shadow smirked; he had his revenge. He approached her and pulled her hood down, "We shall have none of that." He stroked his hand through her long violet tresses, "Beautiful…why don't you keep it this way?"

"Long hair just gets in the way," she told him.

"Aww…" he whined, "But you look simply beautiful, dressed in white and with long hair. Besides, the other girls have long hair and it doesn't bother them."

"It does me," she said childishly.

"Isn't that's what the hood is for?" he countered. Raven bit her bottom lip. He got her there. She could always tuck her hair under the hood during missions so that it wouldn't get in the way, and besides, Starfire had said that it was beautiful, though she had said it since it was easier to braid long hair compared to her once short hair. But still… "And…it looks simply lovely, why ruin it?"

He was flirting with her, like he usually did. She had nearly forgotten why she was mad at him in the first place. Oh well, telling her his most embarrassing moments was perfect payback and she could hang this over him and use it as blackmail, if he got out of line of course. Well, his hands were on her shoulders and she slipped into his embrace, slowly. "Do you love me?" she asked. It was trivial and silly question since she already knew the answer, but she wanted him to say it…it felt good that way.

"I love you…dearly my darling dear, my sweet little blackbird, with all my heart and soul. I would go to the ends of the Earth to be with you and I shall follow you to eternity and oblivion," he answered her. That was true. He had gone to rescue her after she had opened the portal and ended the world in hopes of saving her and the world. Though she had been reduced to a little girl, he still did his best to protect her, risking his life in the process. His original duty, according to Yoshido, may have been to kill her, but he had decided to protect her…and protect her he did and shall.

His hands slipped from her shoulders and then his arms wrapped around her, his chin rested on her head. She closed her eyes; he was so warm and she felt safe within his arms. The sun set over the horizon, casting a shadow and a halo of light. The two looked to each other and drew closer, their lips meeting in a kiss as they tightened the embrace.

She pulled away, looking at his eyes and asked, "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" he asked back.

"How do you remain to have so much hope, even when all the odds are against you?" she asked him more clearly.

"I just do," he shrugged, "However, believe it or not, you're the most hopeful person I have ever met."

"Me?"

"Yes, you," he elaborated, "From the day you were born, you were told that you would do unspeakable things. However, you broke away from that all and fought for good with your powers. You became a hero. You didn't let your destiny become your master. Timshel, my dear."

"Timshel?"

"It's an old Hebrew word, it means 'thou mayest'. It means to fulfill your own destiny, despite your legacy or your origins."

She understood and nodded in agreement. They both kissed again, before watching the sun set together.

Tomorrow the sun would rise again and thus A New Dawn will begin.

"Let's go back downstairs…there a celebration in your honor and cake waiting for you," Shadow told her. Free at last to feel, Raven smiled.

(Meanwhile, in Slade's Mansion…)

Kat walked into Slade's study and his back was facing her. She asked, "You wish to see me, Slade-sama?"

"Katherine," he said calmly as he turned around, his mask on. "From your actions so far as my apprentice, I have seen you've excelled far beyond my expectations. But…"

"But?" she prodded. She didn't like this.

"I am a little disappointed that you came to my rescue. I half expected you to leave me to die and then assume control on your own. I thought I taught you better than that."

"You did, Slade-sama…but…" Kat wasn't sure of what to say.

"Yes, Katherine?" he asked her, slowly approaching her.

"This may sound disgustingly sappy, but you're the closest thing I have to a real father," she paused, head down, "I already lost one father…and I wasn't ready to lose another one. I still have a lot to learn." She finished, "Also, I don't think I can handle your kids on my own." That last part was intended as a joke.

"Come here, Katherine," he told her and she did. He led her over to the large globe in his study and placed a hand on her shoulder. "In many ways, as you see me as your father, I also see you as my daughter. Truth be told, I see a little bit of myself in you: you're vicious, deceitful, manipulative, treacherous and above all ambitious." He spun the globe around. "When I am gone, everything I have will be yours for you to do as you desire. All I ask is that you do not disappoint me."

"I won't, Slade-sama…"

"As long as you are loyal to me, the World shall be yours."

THE END?

Shadow: Raven?

Raven: Yes?

Shadow: (Produces ring) Will you marry me?

Raven: (Eyes wide) …

Well folks, that's the end of volume 2. Tune in for the upcoming volume 3, entitled "LOST PARADISE".

I'd like to thank those who have reviewed as well as Dr. Evans for helping me with this fic. This 2nd volume would not have been possible without all your help.

Reviewers to thank: Meiriona. Icefox35, bob the builder mafia man, 12345, Ant Crown, cat of the shadows, Shadow Element 13, Hotshot45, Count Le Madphantom, Angel, krow, Ryan L. Spradling, and Sonic 1. Most of all, Thanks Devan for your ideas, contributions and characters