This story contains the poem The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titan's or The Raven. That totally belongs to Edgar Allen Poe.
Quiet time
Starfire smiled as she opened the door to the living area and was nearly knocked to her feet by the sudden blast of noise that escaped from the room. She looked into the room and saw Beast Boy and Cyborg where once again fighting over the controller for the game station, yelling at each loudly. Robin was quietly sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper and sipping his coffee and blasting his stereo as loud as humanly possible. The only silence was from Raven who was sitting as far away as possible from Beast Boy, Cyborg and Robin, her face was buried in the pages of her book. Starfire sighed as she entered the room and closed the door behind her.
"Friend Raven?" asked Starfire quietly as she walked up towards the reading empath. Raven shuddered angrily at her voice and lowered her book.
"What Starfire?" replied Raven coldly as she looked at the red headed alien, her face was void of emotion but her eyes burned with a quiet rage.
"I was just wondering what you where reading" smiled Starfire nervously as she looked at the furious Raven.
"It's a book containing poems by Edgar Allen Poe" replied Raven as she resumed her reading, only to disturbed once again by a cough from Starfire, "Now what?" asked Raven as she slammed her book shut and looked at Starfire, she felt her anger bubbling up inside of her but managed to keep it under control.
"I was merely going to ask that you read me a poem from your book" smiled Starfire. Raven was shocked into silence, never before had anybody asked her to read them poetry, the thought of someone actually taking an interest in her made her smile.
"Uhh ok Star take a sit" smiled Raven as she opened her book and skimmed through the pages looking for a suitable poem. Starfire smiled with joy as she grabbed a cushion and placed it in front of Raven. She continued to smile as she sat down and rested her head in her hands.
"What poem shall you read to me?" asked the overjoyed Starfire as she looked at Raven look through her book and eventually stop.
"Ok Starfire this poem is called The Raven" Raven replied softly as she made herself comfortable and took a deep breath. Starfire could barely contain her happiness as Raven began reading.
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore -
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
'Tis some visiter,' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door -
Only this and nothing more.'
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore. And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
'Tis some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is and nothing more.'
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
'Sir,' said I, 'or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door;
Darkness there and nothing more.
Raven stopped reading as she looked up and saw Robin sitting beside her smiling.
"Why did you stop?" smiled Robin as she looked at her. Raven just smiled.
I didn't know you liked poems" smiled Raven as she looekd at him. Robin couldn't help but smile.
"Well now you do, please continue" smiled robin as he made himself comfortable and looked at Raven. She just smiled and resumed reading the poem.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, 'Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word 'Lenore!'
Merely this and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
'Surely,' said I, 'surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!'
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
'Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, 'art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the Raven...
"DUDE'S!" yelled Beast Boy as he landed beside Raven, making everyone scream as they felt their hearts leap out of their chests.
"BEAST BOY!" grolwed Starfire, Robin and Raven in unison as they all glared furiously at the green changeling.
"What is everyone up to?" asked Beast Boy as he hid behind a cushion.
"We where listening to friend Raven read the poem The Raven" replied Starfire coldly as she folded her arms and looked away from Beast Boy.
"Cool mind if I join you?" smiled Beast Boy s he vainly attempted to make a mends.
"You may as long as you be quiet" Raven replied as she fixed her cloak and looked at him. Beast Boy smiled as he zipped his lips shut and sat down beside Robin.
"Now where was I?" Raven asked herself as she tried to remember where she had left off. Beast Boy was about to reply until Robin, Raven and Starfire all glared at him again, making him once again zip his lips and smile sheepishly.
"You where at 'Quoth the Raven'" smiled Starfire as she turned and looked at Raven again.
Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore.'
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as 'Nevermore.'
But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered 'Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said 'Nevermore.'
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
'Doubtless,' said I, 'what it utters is its only stock and store
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never - nevermore.' But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking 'Nevermore.'This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp - light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp - light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Raven was once again interrupted as Cyborg sat down next to his friends and quietly tried to make himself comfortable. Robin shifted over and handed his friend a large pillow.
"Sorry didn't mean to interrupt" smiled Cyborg quietly as he noticed that Raven staring at him.
"It's ok" smiled Raven as she cast her glance back to her book and continued the poem.
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot - falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
'Wretch,' I cried, 'thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!'
Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore.' 'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil! prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by Horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore.'
'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.'
Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore.
''Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked, upstarting -
'Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore.'
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp - light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!
"Wondrous" cheered Starfire as she stood up, "I shall now make us all some dinner" she smiled as she floated over to the kitchen.
"Dude that was so cool" smiled Beast Boy as he stood and found himself muttering some of the poem to himself, "Quoth the Raven 'nevermore', that bird was so cool" he said as he sat down on the couch and picked up his controller.
"Raven that was great" smiled Cyborg as he stood up and walked back over to the TV and the Game station, "BB wanna game?" he asked as he looked at the green shape shifter.
"Wanna hand?" smiled Robin as he held his hand down at Raven. Raven just smiled as she allowed him to help her stand back up.
"So did you enjoy the poem?" asked Raven as she closed her book and looked at Robin.
"Yeah, plus it was nice to just have everyone to be quiet for a change" he replied before he walked to the kitchen and helped Starfire make dinner.
"Yes it was" Raven smiled to herself as she put her book down and looked at her friends. She was about to close her eyes and enjoy the silence until Beast Boy and Cyborg erupted into another fight over the ownership of the Game station controller, "Pity it didn't last" she sighed as she walked over to the kitchen table and sat down, waiting for dinner to be served.
Well I hope you liked that, cause I really liked writing it. Blame The Simpsons, i saw this halloween special and got inspired.