Demons (Damirae)

Chapter Ninety-Six

Standing besides him, Zatanna held a hand out in front of Damian and said, " thgis ruoy raelc". He saw the reapers three, stopping in their tracks, watching the demoness from behind empty hoods. Talia. They wanted Talia.

Raven held out her hands, both of them glowing purple, and walked to Talia. The reapers three followed her actions. She placed both hands on the Al Ghul's back, in a comforting gesture, and closed her eyes. Searching deep within herself, Raven found her core pool of empathic strength. In that, she fumbled around, trying to find something bright and clear. It came to her like a switched in lightbulb, brighter and clearer than she'd dared hoped for. Raven tugged that forwards and pushed it from that emotional pool to her hands. And focused all her efforts on getting that to Talia's centre, her soul. The happiness and stability- the sheer positivity that lay in her heart, Raven shared with Talia, blazing through her maddening sadness.

All the smiles and embraces and laughter and homely feelings, everything that brought peace and joy, she projected on to Talia.

"There now,", she soothed, as Talia's tears ceased, "it's going to be fine."

I'm doing so, Raven felt something else leave, a dark and dreary thing that had stained Talia's heart for so long. The demoness defiantly looked at the reapers three, proclaiming, "You have no business here. Can't you see?"

Everyone else, minus the five of them, was beyond confused. Most chalked it up to some weird kind of demons thing going on. Though an audible, "Heh?", came from one Timothy Drake.

Raven had succeeded. The reapers three slinked away, sinking in to the shadows until their presences no longer stained the air. The demoness released a breath shed been holding, stepping back from Damian's mother. Talia looked up, her eyelashes clinging to one-another. When she looked at Raven, no cold spite lay in her eyes (that had been eradicated from her heart).

She frowned, then wiped the damp from under her right eye with a single finger. For what certainly seemed the first time in forever, (if any of you start... I will cut a bitch) Talia smiled in genuine gratitude. "I don't know what you've done, but thank you."

Watching reservedly, Damian didn't know what to make of it. That look...he'd never seen it in his mother's eyes. He had an inkling that told him he'd be indebted to Raven from now on...for what, he knew not yet. Others in the room began to leave- heading back to the Manor and their various separate destinations- but Damian payed that no mind.

And then all was still, for everyone had left, bar Raven, her brother, his father and his mother. Talia's eyes traced over the contours of her daughter's motionless face, the stillness of her chest. Not with guilt, but with grief. No one spoke- no one knew what to say.

Until Talia did.

She called for her son, "Damian,", and walked over to him. He didn't look up. She held both her hands in his, "Damian my child,", he met her eyes, "forgive me." Talia closed him in her arms, he was unresponsive, then he lifted his and hugged her back. She buried her face in her son's neck, her muffled words drawing tears from his eyes for the too-many-th time that day. "Forgive me, please...forgive me my child...please..."

Pins stuck in his throat, making forcing the words out harder than holding back a sob, "Never trust a hug,", he pulled away, holding her hands like a semi-drowned man clinging to a chunk of driftwood, "it's just another way of hiding your face.", Damian smiled that sad, sad smile of his.

Talia leaned forwards and kissed his forehead, no longer needing to crouch down to reach him.

"You don't need to ask, there's nothing to forgive."

"But there is,", she insisted, "too much, so much-"

"It's finished.", Damian wiped the tears from his mother's cheeks. "That chapter is finished."

***

There was no fancy funeral, no tear-drawing eulogy, no procession. Sahara Al Ghul was buried with the peace she should have lived by. Her grave was dug by those she loved, her body buried by those who loved her, her flowers laid by the one whose love came too late. They'd buried her as soon as possible, and that was that.

Bruce asked no questions of his son, nor did his son give any answers. It was enough, their silent understanding. One day, in the future, Damian would be compelled to come to his father and explain it all in an emotional night. That was a long time away. He would have to explain why his mother had to leave too, where she'd decided to go, on a whim after Sahara was resting forevermore below the Earth. The truth is, Damian didn't know where she'd gone- he hoped it was some place good, some place where Talia's mind could unfurl and contemplate the good and the bad of this world and her part in it. Damian knew he would see his mother again, reborn in a new light with eyes of love and a heart ready to embrace him.

He had retired to his room for the rest of the day, content in thinking about nothing. It had reached well past midnight. There was a knock on the door. Raven came in. She saw him there, lying with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. And so she joined him, both next to one another, saying nothing, staring at nothing.

Eventually, as it always does, sleep welcomed them with open arms, and the sandman decided that dreams were not fit for than night.

A.N:

Ooof. And another sad chapter to hit you in the feels again, author:1 readers:0. I'm kidding darlings.

This is another early update, it felt right to stop here, even if this chapter was quite short. I think the length worked well for this one.

So...I guess I've officially rehabilitated Talia Al Ghul...yay..? I'm really curious as to how you lot feel about this one, I know it's taken an emotional toll on me.

Thank you!

-Bats