Requiem
AN: (Sniff sniff) It's so sad!!! I can't believe they did that to Terra! Well, it is the magical world of super hero cartoons, and there's probably a slim chance that they might consider possibly bringing her back, but I doubt it. Anyone know how I can contact the creators and yell at them to bring her back? She was my favorite! I can't believe that there are people who hate her out there; it thoroughly confuses me!
This is my first Teen Titans fic, actually, so reviews are much appriciated! I know I picked a very biased topic, but it's what I like, so if you have a problem with it, I'm sorry!
If you can't tell, I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, this wouldn't have happened! I'm so sad right now! It doesn't help that I have depression, does it? My poor, sweet Terra! This is for you!
It was a beautiful day at Titans Tower. The sun shone overhead, lightly touched by a few puffy clouds that had flown in from unknown places. The water was calm and serene; not even a ripple could be seen on the surface, and tiny waves brushed against the shoreline.
Upon entering the tower, a few of the usual day's noises could be heard. The TV was blaring, someone was cooking something, and there appeared to be a slight bit of training going on in one of the smaller rooms.
However, one Titan still remained in bed, although the morning was well beginning to wane on into the afternoon. He lay sleeping, mumbling softly to himself. Suddenly, he began to toss and turn, and then sat up with a start, now wide awake.
Beast Boy caught his breath and put a hand to his forehead. He had been having the same nightmare for days now.
It would begin with him and his friends inside of the tower. They were all happy and getting along just fine. Suddenly, a shadowy person would walk up to all of them, but for a while, he still felt good, even better than he had before. Just then, the room would go dark, and the figure would disappear. The other four Titans suddenly fell into unknown places, and from the darkness, he saw one eye staring at him. As he tried to speak, there would be a huge explosion, almost like a volcanic eruption, and then all he could see was stone.
He shook his head, trying to put away the images that had just passed through his mind and dragged himself out of bed. He walked slowly into the main room of the tower and almost mindlessly went to the fridge.
Cyborg was busy making something on the counter, using one of the tools on his arm since Beast Boy had broken the eggbeater the other day when the conversation had taken a turn for the worse while he was making dinner. Raven was sitting on the couch, reading one of her books, and Robin was a few cushions away watching TV, having just apparently come from training in his room. Starfire was turning a strange looking rod over and over, giggling as she did, and the others thought it best not to ask.
Beast Boy grabbed a container of soy milk and pulled out a glass. He started to pour it when suddenly, Robin said, "It's strange how quiet things have been."
"Yeah," Cyborg replied, finishing mixing what ever it was. "What's going on? You think somebody's planning another huge attack?"
"I don't know," Robin answered, starting to channel surf, "but we shouldn't let this time off get to our heads. We need to be prepared for any possible attack."
By this point, Beast Boy had finished pouring his drink and sat down at the table, staring at the glass. For some reason, even though he knew he was hungry and needed something, he just didn't feel much like eating or drinking anything. Actually, he hadn't for quite a while, now.
"Well, at least we do not have to worry about..." Starfire began, but suddenly slapped her hand over her mouth as Robin, Raven, and Cyborg gave her warning looks. Beast Boy was still staring at his milk, so they turned back to what they were doing with a sigh.
Over the course of the last two weeks, the other Titans had noticed that Beast Boy was not really acting much like himself. He didn't seem to be getting enough sleep, and would rarely eat or drink anything. Not to mention the fact that if one of them said what had come to be known as the "S" and "T" words, he would completely quit whatever he was doing and go to his room. This is what had led to the terrible fate of the eggbeater, as well as three glasses, two plates, and the battery cover on the remote control.
"Hey, BB, are you just gonna stare at that stuff, or are you gonna drink it?" Cyborg asked, giving him a strange look.
"Oh, yeah, right," he replied unenthusiastically. Although the other Titans really hadn't confronted him about his problem, they tried their best to at least keep him going. Frankly, Beast Boy hadn't been his usual upbeat and desperately trying to be funny self since that last big battle.
He picked up the cup, stared at it for a few moments more, and finally took a small sip out of it. "I'm finished," he muttered, leaving the glass on the table and walking out of the room.
The others watched him as he scuffed away. "Is Beast Boy going to be all right?" Starfire asked, putting down whatever she had been looking at.
"I'm not sure," Robin answered, still looking at the door he left through. "I really thought he would have gotten past this by now."
"It's because he won't accept how he feels," Raven replied, turning a page in her book. "He needs to tell himself that he's grieving, otherwise he'll never get over this."
"But what can we do to help him?" Cyborg said sitting down on the couch. "We don't wanna be too hard on the poor guy."
"Well, maybe that's what he needs," Raven stated. "If he keeps going like he is, he's going to waste away."
"I do not want Beast Boy to crumble apart!" Starfire exclaimed. "We must discover the source of his sadness and make him stop feeling that way!"
"Um, we know what the source is, Star," Robin said, looking at her questioningly.
"We do?" she replied, looking confused.
The others sighed. This was going to take some explaining.
Beast Boy went back into his room and sat down on his bed. "What's wrong with me?" he thought. "Why don't I have any energy or focus?" He flopped onto his back and closed his eyes, thinking that maybe a nap would help him, although he'd been feeling this way for the last two weeks.
He breathed slowly and tried to drift off, but the moment his thoughts became hazy, the pictures started running through his head again. This time, however, the other Titans seemed to be ignoring him completely, although he still felt as though he was having a good time. Just then, the person would walk in again, but this time the shadows were gone. It was a beautiful girl with long blonde hair and huge blue eyes that he could just melt into...
Beast Boy sat up, holding his head and breathing heavily. "I can't take these dreams anymore," he murmured, getting up and heading back into the main room with the others.
However, the second he opened the door, he immediately saw the other four standing in a row directly in front of him.
"Did I... forget to label my bacon again?" he asked, trying to figure out what the stern looks on their faces meant.
"Uh, no," Robin replied. "We've been... worried about you Beast Boy. You haven't been yourself for a while now."
"Yeah," Cyborg continued, stepping toward him. "What's botherin' you?"
"Nothing's bothering me..." Beast boy answered, taking a step backwards and bumping the now closed door. "Come guys, I'm fine..."
"But you have not been your usual energetic self," Starfire commented. "There is obviously something that is troubling you."
"We're your friends, Beast Boy," Robin added. "We're here to help."
"I'm all right!" he exclaimed, starting to feel very irritated by their annoying behavior. "Just leave me alone for a little bit!"
"We've been leaving you alone for two weeks and you haven't gotten any better," Raven said forcefully. "You have a problem Beast Boy, and you need to talk about it."
"I... don't know what you're talking about!"
"Yes you do," Robin replied. "We know why you're upset. But you need to tell us about it, otherwise you'll never get any better."
"We don't like seeing ya waste away like this, pal," Cyborg said, looking at him with concern.
"The passage of moments will eventually lead to the mending of any lacerations of the flesh," Starfire commented. Everyone gave her a strange look as she smiled nervously.
"Uh, I think what Starfire's trying to say is that time heals all wounds, Beast Boy," Robin said, still giving her an odd look.
"But it won't get any better if you don't admit to it," Raven continued, seeming very stern. "It isn't safe to hide emotions like this. Remember what happened that time I wouldn't admit that I was scared? This is just the same thing, except you're not admitting that you're sad and the way it's affecting you is that you can't feel anything because you won't even let yourself feel what's hurting you the most."
"There's nothing wrong with me!!!" Beast Boy cried, opening the door and starting to storm out of the room.
"So it's okay if I say 'Slade,' then," Raven muttered, glaring at him.
Beast Boy stopped walking and hung his head. He stood there for a moment, not moving at all. "Just leave me alone!" he finally said, running off into the tower.
The others watched him, looking both concerned and upset. "Don't you think that was a little harsh, Raven?" Robin finally asked.
She shrugged. "It's what he needed; trust me."
Beast Boy kept running through the tower. He wasn't sure where he had run to exactly, but wherever it was, he was glad the others weren't there. "They don't understand anything," he muttered, looking around at the hallway he was standing in. "Where am I, anyway?"
He stared at the surrounding area. Titan's Tower more or less looked the same everywhere, and since he really hadn't been thinking as he went, he wasn't sure which spot this was. He went toward the nearest door and opened it, just to help him remember where he was.
Beast Boy poked his head into the room, and suddenly gasped. "Oh no..." he murmured as he kept looking around, although due to some strange force, he couldn't move anything else. He had subconsciously been avoiding this part of the tower, but something had led him there at this time.
He slowly walked into it, not really knowing why he went. The walls and carpet were different shades of red and brown, a small bed was in the back, and there was a couch in the middle and a large window on the right side. Beast Boy kept on staring. A voice inside of his head was screaming at him to leave, but he found himself still walking forward.
He went to the bed and saw a small shine come from under the covers. Beast Boy involuntarily moved his arm and pulled back the sheets. In front of him lay a silver, heart shaped box. Something inside of him started hurting, and yet he bent down and picked it up.
He opened the lid, his eyes starting to feel wetter than usual. In the bottom lay a few pictures and a small decorative hair comb. "I'd completely forgotten that I put those in there, just in case she decided to... come... back..."
It was as though his nightmare came to him as he stood, but now everything was perfectly clear. She was running from the scorpion; they went to the tower; they had that first fateful battle; she left, but then she came back; that night that was so completely perfect until he showed up; the battles; the eruption; and that terrible statue...
Beast Boy dropped to his knees, the box laying on the floor in front of him. The tears that he had been trying as hard as he could to hold back without realizing it had finally started to flow.
"Why?" he sobbed, putting his hands to his eyes. "Why did this have to happen to her? Why?! She never wanted to hurt anyone! She just wanted control, that was all! All she needed was a home and friends, not this! And all I needed..."
His voice trailed away as a few pained sobs left his throat. His hands lowered and his fingers lightly brushed over the floor. A few places in the carpet were now becoming moist from the falling tears.
"I loved her," he murmured, as he suddenly had the sensation of a great weight being lifted off of him. "This isn't what she deserved! It isn't what I wanted to happen! And..."
He raised one of his fingers to brush a tear off of his cheek, "...all I want right now is to have her with me again. Just one more time..."
His voice faded again as he dissolved into a fit of heavy sobbing, coming as naturally as the fall of rain.
Later that day, Beast Boy sat on the shoreline of Titans Tower, the same place where they had sat that night when he had first met her. He picked up one of the small, round pebbles that littered the beach and sighed. "I'm sorry," he thought as he turned the stone around in his hand. "If I had just listened to you that day and hadn't let what he said get to me, you'd still..."
He sighed again and tried to skip the rock across the waves. As usual, it immediately sank upon it's contact with the water. He picked up another stone and tried again, but it once again fell into the watery depths. He finally grabbed a third, and, completely frustrated with everything in the world, chucked it into the water.
However, instead of sinking like a pebble normally would when thrown like that, it bounced off the surface of the water and skipped across it for several feet before finally landing softly in the waves, creating one, perfectly circular ripple. Beast Boy watched the entire path of the rock in shock, and continued to follow the single halo of water with his eyes until it hit the shoreline just below his feet and vanished.
He leaned back and looked into the clear blue heavens and smiled.
"Thanks, Terra."