So remember how I said I'd update ASAP? Heh, well, I apologize for my inherent tardiness. I'm just having problems finding inspiration for this fic. I mean, it's a great thought and all, but I'll be happy when it's done. I just have so much going on right now that this has kind of taken a back seat. I will finish, for those of us who haven't read the manifesto on my profile, but it could take a while. I'm sorry in advance for any short hiatuses that this story takes.

I own nothing, but that will change as soon as I take over the world :D

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Raven's dress trailed behind her as she floated up the staircase, the train whispering against the steps behind her. It was early, but Elder Gutknecht, she knew, would be awake, as the dead never slept.

That was not necessarily the case with Robin.

The poor guy had relaxed in her chair shortly after apologizing, and had been unable to keep his tired eyes open once he was comfortable. He rested now, and Raven had taken this opportunity to ask her wizened old friend for some advice.

She pushed open the door with her powers before announcing her presence.

"Elder Gutknecht? It's Raven. Are you here?"

His answer came from a massive stack of books.

"Raven, child! Come over here and give an old skeleton some help."

She stepped quickly to his side and lifted the books that he specified, smiling gently as he pulled one out of the very bottom of the stack. With a shaky breath, he blew the dust off of the cover, making Raven cough delicately into her hand. Chuckling, he placed the book on his desk before turning to face her.

"Now Raven. Something tells me that there's a reason behind this visit."

Raven put on her best emotionless mask, "Can't I just stop in to see an old friend?"

His loud guffaws made her nearly nonexistent smile grow, and his belly-laughs finally calmed to a kind chortle.

"Raven, you never come to just 'see an old friend.' Even if it's just to help around the library, there's always something that you want when you come up here."

His statement brought her thoughts back to the sleeping man in her living room and she immediately sobered. Elder Gutknecht noticed this and placed a brittle hand upon her shoulder.

"What is it that you need, child?"

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Robin was warm and... decidedly comfortable. He tried to tell himself to fall back into the soft darkness of sleep, but a small part of him decided to feel logical, and forced his heavy eyelids open. The first thing he noticed through his sleepy haze was that he was completely and utterly alone. Raven was nowhere to be seen. He sat up slowly and, pushing off the blankets he didn't remember getting, and stepped away from the comfortable chair, stretching his lithe body as he did.

The cool air in the room chilled him, and he briefly considered crawling back under the blankets and going back to sleep, but he soon squashed the thought. His first priority was finding Raven. Concentrating, he tapped into their bond, trying to determine her location. Her lavender aura pulled him out into the streets, weaving him around the undead vendors and pedestrians, before tugging him up a winding staircase.

Hearing a familiar voice, Robin made sure that his steps were as silent as possible. Quietly, so as not to draw attention to himself, he slid behind the open door, peering into the room.

A bent skeleton was searching through a huge tome, pausing occasionally to blow dust off of the pages. Behind him stood Raven, who peered over the short skeleton's shoulder at the pages. Her pale face was pinched in confusion, and her lips were pushed into an adorable pout. Robin had no idea how long he stood there watching, but it couldn't have taken very long for the pair to find what they had been looking for.

"Ah ha!" crowed the grizzled corpse, pointing at the book with a bony finger, "There's the spell."

Raven's eyes lit up, and she ran her finger down the page, a smile gracing her delicate lips. "Are you sure this will work, Elder Gutknecht?"

The skeleton, whose name was apparently Elder Gutknecht, nodded emphatically, turning to smile warmly at the empath behind him. "With this spell, your life will be returned to you."

Robin's heart pounded in excitement and giddiness ran through his veins. Raven would be alive again? Then they could go back to the surface!

They could be together again.

Robin had just pulled himself together and prepared to announce his presence when Raven's eyes grew wide.

"Elder Gutknecht?" She asked slowly, "I don't remember hearing about this... particular ingredient."

The old skeleton grimaced and Robin flung himself back behind the door, fervently hoping that he hadn't been discovered. From his spot behind the wooden obstacle, he could hear Elder Gutknecht sigh.

"Raven, if you want to live again, sacrifices must be made."

Through their bond, Robin could feel her outrage. He cringed against the door and listened, as curious as he was cautious.

"But a human sacrifice? Elder Gutknecht, I don't think I could do that."

Robin's eyes widened beneath his mask. A human sacrifice? What was that crazy old geezer thinking? Raven would never do something so tactless and stupid!

A chuckle from within the room made Robin's blood boil, and he clenched his fists to keep himself from barging in and ruining their conversation. Something told him that Raven would rather he didn't know about this little incident.

"Little Raven, you didn't read very carefully, did you?" chortled Elder Gutknecht.

Raven's voice exuded sarcasm, "Not really, no. It was hard for me to get past the part about the human sacrifice."

"This spell," the Elder explained, "was designed for people like you; corpses who were taken from the land of the living by someone else's hands. This human sacrifice is not just of any human...

"Your murderer needs to take your place."

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Raven's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open. She stepped in front of the spell book once more, running her finger down the page as she read.

A sprig of Baby's Breath

Two liquid ounces of Hyacinth Nectar

One human heart, no longer than ten minutes out of the body.

*Note: The heart you retrieve must belong to the murderer of the spell caster. If it is not, then the caster and the owner of the heart will be sent to despair in limbo for all eternity.

"So this is saying..." Raven trailed off.

"If you want to return to the land of the living as a resident, you must first remove the heart from your killer." Elder Gutknecht supplied, setting a marker on the page and closing the giant book. "That is the only way."

Raven reluctantly nodded her head before walking swiftly to the door. She paused before closing it however, and peeked inside the room.

"Thank you for your help, Elder Gutknecht."

His smile was soft when he replied, "Anything for you, dear Raven. Please, consider all options when planning your course of action. This is one decision that should not be made lightly."

Raven bowed her head respectfully and shut the door, shrouding herself in darkness.

"So Robin, what do you think I should do?"

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Oh damn.

"Raven!" The Boy Wonder whirled around to see Raven's face, and it did not look happy. "How did you know I was here?"

A single dark brow lifted, and her voice was exceedingly dry.

"Gee, Robin. I wonder."

He stared blankly at her sarcastic visage, still quite surprised at his discovery. Only when she lightly tapped a forefinger to her temple with a huff did he realize;

She was an empath.

And he was an idiot.

"Oh... right..."

Raven heaved an irritated sigh at stalked down the stairs, forcing Robin to avoid stepping on the train of her dress. He followed suit, and the two made their way to the floor below.

About halfway down, Raven turned her gaze to his masked eyes. "You still haven't answered my question." His confusion was obvious, so she cut him some slack, "What do you think I should do?"

His eyes widened behind photo-optic lenses, and he questioned softly, "Rae, are you sure that you want my opinion? I mean, this is your decision, and if I give you advice... I'm not exactly sure that you'll like what I have to say."

His answer seemed to intrigue her and she stopped moving completely as he descended the last three stairs. "Why not, Robin?"

He closed his eyes and sighed, "Raven, I know that this seems kind of... vindictive. And I'm fully aware of the fact that just saying this makes me the single most selfish man in the world, but..." He turned around and grasped her hands, his grip soft and gentle. "I don't want to loose you again."

She tried to pull her hands out of his grasp, but he held firm, not allowing her the satisfaction of escape. At the failed attempt, she looked incredulously down her nose at him. "So you'd rather I take a human life? Robin, that's unlike you."

The teenage boy in question felt his jaw clench, and determination colored his words.

"Quite frankly, after murdering you, he deserves it."

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! FINALLY DONE WRITING THIS CHAPTER! Only two or three more to go, folks! Sorry again about the long-awaited update, but hey. I've got a life. A life that involves a very hungry stomach that I wish I could feed right now, but can't. Due to the unhealthy amount of NOTHING in this house. Maybe we have some trail mix...

-Magic