Chapter 2 - Visions

Chapter 2: Visions

It started to seem as though her dreams had been taken over by the ghastly nightmarish visions. The dancing flames of a fiery Hell of the dreadful nightmares gone wrong appeared to want to take over her life eternally, both night and day.

She awoke from it again, the very really imagery of it still fresh on her mind, even though the dream itself was indeed over.

Her breathing was labored, a cold sweat accompanying it, accumulating in droplets on her face. She really didn’t want to go back into that state of slumber, but the exhaustion was too overwhelming to bear, and before she knew it, she was again fast asleep.

But instead of imagery of dancing flames, intense heat, and those glowing red eyes that had haunted her through most of her existence, another visual was set to play in her little dream world, and it was instead rather pleasant.

This new vision was a face, a face she was not familiar with, but didn’t feel at all uncomfortable with its presence.

Surrounded in an aura of blue white light was the face of a boy—or rather—a man who held unforeseen youth to his essence. His eyes were blue, hair an earthy shade with just some hints of red in it.

The image was not at all a scary one, instead a rather gracious relief from the nightmares she’d experienced in recent weeks.

Instead of yet another episode of screaming in terror that night, as had been of the past, she remained asleep until the break of morning light.

Thus began the revelation unbeknownst to the one know as Raven at that time.

RRRRRRRRRRR

Stalking, hiding in deep dark corners in the deepest shadows---these were tactics one known as Billie had grown well used to after rumors of demonic unrest had reached the surface world and the world of good magic.

She was hiding in a dark side cavern in the dark Underworld, listening in hopes of overhearing a conversation that might confirm these rumors, providing clues and evidence to the rumored unrest itself.

Not much had filtered through to her hearing—any talk of uprisings, unification under a new leader, or anything else even remotely useful to her.

Instead the usual droning of future targets and rivalries filled the air, making her think that the trip she made down there had been a waste.

Just as she was about to depart a few unexpected presences made themselves present, apparently caught up in a conversation among themselves.

“It’s an interesting thought that there’s someone who claims he’s to be the next Source by some form of chosen destiny,” one demon carried on, a big burly fellow with a hairless scalp and a touch of facial hair to his chin, forming a beard.

“I don’t think it’s all that possible, considering the Source was vanquished some years back,” another argued, a fellow of smaller stature then his fellow demon. “The guy’s probably just as nutty as the rest.”

“You’re probably right,” the first replied in agreement. A grin formed on his face. “Would you be up for some challenging fun?”

“”What are you thinking?” the second asked.

“Playing lucky charms,” the first grinned viciously. “Followed with a witch hunt.”

“I’ll take you up on that offer,” the second one replied, sharing the same expression as his fellow demon.

Both shimmered, leaving Billie once again alone.

“This is an interesting turn of events,” she observed quietly. “One that is interesting enough to delve deeper into.” She looked around for a moment, listening for any possible intrusions. “But I’ll tell the sisters more about it what I heard first,” she continued aloud when she felt it was safe enough. “They have a right to know if something’s up, after all.”

CCCCCCCCCCCCCC

A bright new day in one city by a bay—

Several nights of dreaming of horrific visions that tried to force themselves into her unconscious while she slept were instead replaced with another.

The same vision—the face—forced out the horrors that so wanted to destroy her sanity, the nightmares of her worst fears being kept from destroying her as a whole as well.

That made each day from that point more pleasant, another day not filled with the horrors of before. The horrendous visions of dancing flames and all associated with them almost seemed to cease with this new presence in her mind.

The face was not one she recognized, but was one she wanted to know more about. For some reason the face brought her some peace, and she happily accepted that.

She found there were no more abrupt awakenings in the night, no more screaming in the night or during the day from what she saw, and she gladly accepted that as well.

—And so were her friends for that matter.

The days of torment of the mind of one known as Raven had come to an end, the troubles it had caused seeming to cease.

But the visions had only been the beginning, and the real trouble was yet to come.

RRRRRRRRRRRRR

He played the part of an angel, and he did it well.

Although he played the part well; highly praised by those known as the Elders, had good associations with other whitelighters, and was respected by those who knew him; he held things from all those who knew him as the guardian angel often referred to as a whitelighter.

He was instead rather a fallen angel; his past wouldn’t allow him to be the full pacifist he was supposedly thought of as being.

Angels were supposed to be purely good, but he wasn’t completely.

Kane had a dark side, and he was very afraid to reveal it.

The ancient texts he had discovered had been shown to the Elders, and he was instructed by one to dig further for clues.

Artie, a fellow whitelighter and friend, helped Kane in his search for answers, as well as lending him a hand as a great source for useful magical information.

He was discussing the text with Artie, showing frustration while trying to understand the meaning of the texts itself.

“I don’t get any of what’s written in this thing,” Kane put his face in his hands in frustration. “’The triad that represents all that’s good’? ‘Power of another realm that played the gem for evil’? Why do these things have to be so cryptic?”

“No clue man,” Artie told him. “I’m just glad the scholars of today actually have a sense of humor. The one of the past were just so—droll, especially after the Charmed Ones thing. They changed a lot of views for the good, in my opinion. They sure did wake up those old fogies.”

“Yeah,” Kane replied, sighing.

“Is something up man?” Artie looked at his friend. “You’ve seemed a bit—I don’t know, distant, even with the whole deal with this prophecy stuff that you’ve been working on lately—“

“I’ve been having dreams—and visions,” Kane replied, cutting his train of spoken thought short. “About a girl.”

“Oh—what girl?” Artie asked with immense curiosity. “You don’t often daydream about anything—or anyone—that just happens to be feminine.”

“I try not to,” Kane protested. “With so many restrictions I wasn’t ever really allowed to. Besides, I have too much on my mind, and too much to do, to even think about it.”

“Who’s the girl then?” Artie pressed. “A fellow whitelighter? Is she a charge maybe—or possibly a witch? Just waiting for the answer is killing me.”

“Killing you?” Kane questioned incredulously. “You know that’s not really possible.”

“You take things too literally sometimes,” Artie told him. “So—the answer…?”

“I don’t know her,” Kane admitted. “I’ve never met her, yet—wherever I go, she’s on my mind.”

“What does she look like?” Artie asked him “A beautiful fallen angel perhaps? With fair skin and hair the hue of honey?”

“That’s your idea of a dream girl, not mine,” Kane reminded him. “I really don’t take to blonds like you do. Besides, she doesn’t really fit that description all that much.”

Oh?” Artie raised an eyebrow. “What does this ‘dream girl’ look like then?”

“Different,” Kane replied. “Very pale, with hair a shade of amethyst that’s shorter in length, and eyes of the same hue. Kind of exotic, come to think of it.”

“Must be a girl you concocted from a wild imagination,” Artie told his friend. “Because—as far as I know—girls with purple hair don’t actually exist. At least, with it being a natural color anyways.”

“Whatever you say,” Kane conceded on the discussion. He then noted, “I just know I didn’t make her up.”

“Why’s that?” Artie inquired curiously, leaning his head in his hands on the table before him.

“I don’t have the imagination to make her up, that’s why,” Kane informed him. “And the image keeps forcing itself on my mind like it’s supposed to be there or something.”

“Maybe you should go seek council on this from a higher source,” Artie suggested. “Maybe there’s an Elder who can actually help you out or something.” He grinned. “Maybe—if it’s so bad that the visions of this girl keep you from doing your job, they might be able to erase the image of the mystery girl from your memory.”

“I guess I could go talk to one of them for answers,” Kane replied. “I just hope that it doesn’t come to the point where I’d have to have it erased from my memory.”

“Why’s that?” Artie continued to press for information. “Is she a looker, a bodacious babe? You did say she was exotic, after all.”

“Artie,” Kane looked to his friend a bit disapprovingly. “When I say exotic I don’t mean some girl from a centerfold with absurd beyond belief proportions, or anything purely sensual for that matter. She just has this unearthly air to her that I can’t really pinpoint.”

“Unearthly—in what way?” Artie asked

“ She just seems…I don’t know, a bit unreal,” Kane replied. “Like a girl that shouldn’t exist, and yet—she does, and I’m starting to not mind the visions of her all that much.”

“You definitely need to seek advice from the Elders,” Artie told him, smirking.

“And why would that be?” Kane looked at him particularly.

“Because,” Artie’s grin broadened. “I’ve known you forever, and for you to admit to enjoying daydreams of exotic girls it’s like you’re not you. And that a good reason to send you off to the Elders to get your head checked, if you get what I mean.”

“If you think I should, I’ll talk to them,” Kane told him. “Even if I am not all that fond of talking with them.”

“I hear you, man,” Artie told him. He made face. “I got to go.”

“For what?” Kane inquired.

“Charge is a calling,” Artie told him. “The way they’re calling it better be an emergency.” His expression soured. “If I don’t go check it out now, it’ll get to be too much for my nerves to handle.”

“Go then,” Kane said. “I’ll be back here eventually. Once I get through with my Elder chat, I’m coming back here for a while to relax.”

“See you later then,” Artie said just before he made his exit by orb.

“Yeah, see you later,” Kane muttered after Artie had departed, the blue-white orbs of light fading to nothingness. “After I get done with my chat I’m taking a long vacation.”

He took a seat in a recliner by a bay window overlooking the ocean just out past it. The setting sun in the far distant horizon shed it dying ray upon the waters, brilliant hues of gold, amber, and deep plum of the sunset itself reflecting in the waters as well.

The shoreline they were off of wasn’t too far from a port city. Just outside of it, to be exact. The ocean in view was the Pacific, the coastline in the vicinity of a stretch in the state of California with a city known worldwide for it’s great suspension bridge.

The suspension bridge being the great Golden Gate to be exact, in the world-renowned city that is known as San Francisco.

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

“What have you come to ask?” an Elder he’d known as Danielle, asked him. “Have you managed to uncover the meaning in those scrolls you have discovered?” Kane took note of the air of authority that seemed to emanate from her, the honey blond hair giving extra to the effect. Although she appeared to be just of thirty, Kane knew too well that she wasn’t. She was the one who he felt most comfortable confiding in for various reasons, many unknown to anyone else.

“I haven’t found anything—well, anything that could be deemed useful anyways,” Kane replied. “I’ve kind of been occupied with some weird dream—or possibly visions—lately.”

“About a girl?” she asked him. “One that you find fascinating but do not recognize?” He looked at her with shock from what she had just said.

“Yes, but how…?” he stammered.

“Because, Kane,” Danielle began to reply. “She is set to be your next charge.”

“W-what??” He stammered again, this rime in an exclamatory fashion. “Charge? Why would I have dream-like visions of a charge? Also, The girl doesn’t seem real, so how would—“

“She is real,” she told him. “I am not sure of the reason why you dreamt of this charge in particular, or if there is a purpose behind it. I do know that you have dreamt of her and that she’s been assigned to you. It does appear that she will need you, by which remains uncertain at this time.”

“Who is she then, and what do I need to know about her?” he asked. “I don’t want to pop in—unannounced—only to scare her witless.”

“She is a most unusual case,” Danielle started telling him. “She is not really what we usually associate as being a witch, as witch might not be what she truly is.”

“If not a witch exactly, what then?” he asked her. “Another half whitelighter like Paige was? Whitelighter to be that’s lost her way perhaps?”

“To be precise, she did not originate from here,” Danielle said.

“Huh?? What do you mean she didn’t originate here??” Kane exclaimed. “Do you mean to tell me she’s a displaced spirit/being that just recently became rooted in this reality, or perhaps she’s a demon?”

“Again, neither,” she restated her first reply. “ She is of another realm, brought here by unknown circumstances. Her past is not fully known, but it is known that it is meant to be you who were set to protect and guide her through an undetermined danger to her.”

“Does she even know about magic—witches, whitelighters, Elders—all that good stuff?” he asked.

“That remains uncertain,” she told him. “ We do, however, know that she displays several gifts—powers, of such being: telekinesis, levitation, teleportation, premonition.”

“Who is she?” he asked. “And where can she be found?”

“Her name is Raven,” Danielle told him. “From what our sources have found, she is located in a coastal city of California known as Jump City. Be careful what you say to her at first, since we have as of yet not determined the extent of her knowledge of our kind.”

“Interesting,” he said. “That’s not far from where I reside.”

“One more thing I feel I should mention,” Danielle said to him. “There have been reports—rumors for the most part—that there has been some unrest in the Underworld recently, hints of which are suggesting the rising of a new Source. Nothing has been confirmed completely yet, but be on watch for anything that could give substance to these rumors.”

“Who provided the most credible info?” he asked her.

“Billie, the young witch who has had many associations with the Charmed Ones gave us what she has overheard while spying out the Underworld, this which she overheard from a conversation between two demons,” Danielle told him. “She then reported it back to us, and we made note to inform all others of what she discovered. If any are to find something of use, they are to report it back to us one way or another. We want to keep on top of it, no matter the size.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. Just as he was about to leave—“Uh, one more thing.”

“Yes, Kane?”

“When should I make contact—make my first appearance to this girl, Raven?” he asked her.

“There is no hurry, but don’t wait too long. You will eventually have to meet her for destiny’s sake.”

“Destiny??” He exclaimed. “What destiny?”

“One you will figure out in time,” her reply was cryptic, her warm smile a bit mysterious.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” He looked at her peculiarly.

“You should probably go check with your charges,” it appeared she was avoiding his question. “You probably have a charge waiting for you.”

“Yeah,” he said, deciding not to push further for answers she wasn’t going to give him. “I’ll get going. But before I check in with any charges, I’m taking a short sabbatical.”

“What do you mean with sabbatical?” Danielle asked him.

“A short break, a breather,” he told her. “And maybe some time set aside for only studying that old set of scrolls some more.”

“Good luck,” she said. “We—I hope that you are successful in finding the answers hidden in those texts.”

“Yeah, me too,” he replied, sighing. “I’m heading now. If I find anything, I’ll report back with it.”

“Farewell then, for now,” Danielle said to him.

“Bye Danielle,” he replied, orbing out in an aura of blue-white orbs of light.

After he had left she sighed, letting a thought run through her mind, and then she too went on with her tasks.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Although the dreams that had been a pleasant release from the torrent of nightmares of the previous week were nice to say the least, questions about those very dream visions had started to present themselves on her consciousness.

For one, who was the attractive boy-man she kept seeing in those dream visions? Two, what was the significance behind it?

Also—how could she even talk to her friends about the dreams without getting peculiar looks and comments in return?

After all, she was not really known for having any dreams that were even border lining erotic fantasies. Twisted, dark dreams, yes, but daydreaming about cute guys…they’d think she had lost it for sure.

“Any news on disturbances in the city?” she overheard Cyborg say while she half concentrated on her book while sitting on the sectional in the common room. “Like what Slade’s been up to lately?”

“Not much for in the city,” Robin replied. “The city has been rather peaceful. On the topic of Slade though—“

“Yeah man?” Cyborg said.

“I got reports that some unusual activity that has been mostly associated with Slade has been happening outside the city.”

“What kind of activity?” Cyborg asked.

“Very unusual ones,” Robin replied. “A lot of which could be linked to the supernatural.”

“He got those powers again?” Cyborg smacked his forehead. “I really don’t want to deal with Slade supercharged like that again.”

“He didn’t get them back,” Robin assured the half robot. “At least—not the ones he had when he was first resurrected.”

“What supernatural-powers thing are we talking about then?” Cyborg asked.

“The details are still sketchy,” Robin replied. “But from what I’ve been able to piece together it sounds like he’s picked up some very dark powers, and he’s working on something big. What that something is though, I don’t know. I don’t even know where to start to look for the answers.”

“Sounds like the usual Slade,” Cyborg replied. “ I’ll keep an eye out for any leaks on what he’s up to, and I’ll notify Bee as well so she can keep a lookout for him in case she comes upon anything. After all, what Slade’s up to affects us all.”

“I’m going to get to researching the matter,” Robin said. “Report to Bumblebee when you can, as well as to others this might concern.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Cyborg said, heading towards the computer console to do just that. Robin left the room to work on his own tasks.

Raven was about to speak up on the issue when Beast Boy decided to enter the room, apparently looking for her.

“Hey Rae?” Beast Boy spoke to her. “You’ve got a visitor asking to see you in the hallway.”

“Who is it?” Raven asked. “I’m not expecting anyone, and I can’t think of anyone it could be.”

“I don’t know this guy,” Beast Boy replied. “He says his name is Kane. Do you know him?”

“No, that name’s not familiar to me,” Raven said.

“Do you want me to show him in, or show him the way out?” Beast Boy asked her.

“I might as well see what this Kane wants,” Raven said, putting her book aside and getting up on her feet. “I don’t need people thinking I’m rude by not answering house calls.”

“I’ll go get him then,” Beast Boy said, leaving the room for a time. He returned minutes later with someone following behind him.

She gasped as the visitor came into view.

It can’t be, Raven thought, eyes wide with apparent shock and disbelief. How—She couldn’t help but stare.

It was him—the guy from her dream visions, but that couldn’t be possible. Yet he was there, and the reality was too overwhelming

Everything went black. She collapsed, crumpling to the floor as she fell into unconsciousness.

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