Traitors and Teachers

Chapter 15

"Hello, Raven," she turned, becoming aware of her surroundings as she looked for the source of the female voice. She saw The Shepardess sitting on a bench, looking up at her through a pair of sunglasses. A pair of joggers went past, going down the path in the park. Ducks quacked in the distance near a lake and other birds flew overhead through the trees. Raven wasn't sure why she was in a park, but the Shepardess stood and beckoned for Raven to follow.

"This is a dream..." Raven said slowly for clarification.

"Yes. I figured you might have some questions for me," the purple haired girl looked over at the blond, suspicious at someone willing to answer questions.

"Are you really in my mind?" Raven asked skeptically.

"Good first question! Yes, I am. No, I won't answer all your questions. Yes, I am here to do more than answer some questions. I'll get to that later. Any other questions?" the blond said sweetly, smiling as they walked along the dirt path. It was spring time in the dream, cherry trees were in bloom, and petals sprinkled the ground in pink and white.

"Alright..." Raven said, trying to think of what questions she wanted to ask first. "Who do you think I should train with?"

"Well that depends on what you mean by training. I think I should train you with your emotions and powers. As for hand to hand, well, that depends on who you want to train with," she shrugged as she explained, being clear at first and going back to being vague.

"Is that why you made me go into that pimp's mind? For training?" Raven voiced her thoughts, watching the expressions on the other girl's face.

"Yup. Not very pleasant, but it's the only way to do it," The Shepardess admitted, blue eyes going to the path in front of them.

"So what exactly are you-" the free answer time was up as Raven was cut off.

"The reason I came into your dream tonight is because you were going to lose control again, and I came to warn you-" this time it was the Shepardess who got cut off.

"I was going to lose control? Why? How do I get control back?" Raven's interjection was ignored.

"-warn you that it might be unwise to stay here. It could become very difficult for you to keep a check on your emotions here," realizing the Shepardess wasn't paying any mind to what she had said, Raven took in the information and tried again.

"Why? What would upset my emotions here?"

"If you want to gain control you need to learn how to handle your emotions and how to harness them, not try to suppress them into nothing and destroy your emotions," the Shepardess went back to Raven's prior questions, answering them in the order they were presented as Raven continued to voice more.

"Is that why you are training me?"

"Look into the minds of those who are close to you, you'll figure out why staying might be problematic," a thought suddenly occurred to Raven, and that idea manifested in the dream as an image in the lake they were walking past. Raven stopped and looked into the water, the Shepardess looking as well at the picture of Rave.

"Are you talking about my teammates or Rave?" Raven asked quietly, worried of the Shepardess' reaction to Raven's feelings. But the Shepardess was the one who continually brought them together, why would she encourage it and then condone it?

"Raven," at the sound of her name she looked at the other girl who stared at her with a serious gaze. "You have kept yourself distant from everyone your entire life. It took months before you trusted and opened up to your friends. And even then you keep up so many walls because of your powers and emotions." Raven couldn't help but glance away, knowing full well what she was being told was true.