"Friends!" cried Starfire, her emerald eyes alight with excitement. She zipped around the room, clutching something in her seemingly delicate hands. They all tried to get a look at what it was; what made Starfire so excited?
"Today is the very first day of the most glorious month of December!" she said, holding up a simple calendar. The date marked by a number 1 had a large, bright green 'x' on it, and above the calendar was a picture of a snowman.
The Teen Titans all raised their eyebrows at this statement. Raven didn't even bother to pay any attention to the hyperactive alien girl, choosing to simply return to her meditation. However, she found herself instead analyzing the others' reactions.
Beast Boy cocked his head to the side, scratching his scalp and ruffling up his already untidy green hair. Robin just gave Starfire a quizzical look; Cyborg did much the same. Only Cyrilla had a reaction that was of any interest to the empath. Her fists became clenched, her light sapphire eyes widened, and Raven could sense panic and fear pulsing through her. She resolved to question what was wrong with the girl later.
Starfire's head drooped a little, her eyes narrowed in disappointment of her friends' reactions. "But… December is the month of that thing called snow, and making of the man of the snow, and that day of celebration called Christmas. I thought perhaps we could all get presents for one another."
"I don't think so, Star," said Robin curtly, although his face was slightly apologetic. "We're too busy fighting crime to be wasting our time with holidays."
"Aww, seriously dude?" whined Beast Boy, pouting slightly. His tapered ears flattened slightly. "Why not?"
Robin was about to answer, when his mouth was suddenly frozen by ice. Beast Boy's, Cyborg's, and Starfire's mouths were frozen as well, and Raven felt the chilling substance creep over her own. Cyrilla glared at all of them, hissing, "How can you even celebrate December? It's a horrible month!"
Raven let a small, controlled bit of emotion slip through her defenses, shattering the ice on her mouth with a bit of crackling black energy. "That's unusual, coming from you," she commented in a dull voice. "You'd think that someone with your powers would be in their prime during winter months."
A pained expression came onto her face, and she fled from the room. Raven sensed the panic emanating from her, but wasn't sure of what to do about it. Shrugging inwardly, she teleported to her haven in order to meditate more easily.
"NO!" she screamed, watching in horror as the white beam struck Latem in the heart. He collapsed, his silvery hair matted and dirty from all the running. Cyrilla sank to her knees. He had been the only one left of the Elementals. First they lost Marla, her fiery friend, then came Syrus, who liked to call himself, 'the tornado master'; the third victim was Zindo, the hyper boy who's hair was always crackling with electricity. Now, her closest friend Latem had been the next victim to lose his memories and powers; she was the last of the Elementals.
They tried to run after Marla had been hit, despite their grief over her. They just wanted to stay together, but their enemies had been merciless in their pursuit. She remembered one day while they ran, when she felt hopeless and fearful… Latem had been the one to give her determination again.
Now he wouldn't even remember doing so.
The fight was beginning to gather a crowd. People in the city were staring between her and the masked man with that accursed weapon of his, their eyes slightly widened. Cyrilla stood tall, a leader at heart, and she wasn't about to run now. Now, she had nothing to lose.
The gun instantly became cased in ice. She concentrated, and it broke up, but she knew that would do her little good; the hunter had plenty more. She chose to attack him directly now, though she knew it would be absolutely useless; whoever he worked for had given him a force that worked against her icy blows. Still, sharp points of the cold element flew at him, seemingly from nowhere. They bounced off harmlessly.
He simply walked forward and punched her in the gut.
"Oof!" She was thrown backward, and tasted blood in her mouth. She vision swam slightly, and as it came into focus, she saw the point of a gun.
She closed her eyes. All the agony she felt would be gone soon…
Suddenly, there was a loud clang. She opened her eyes again to see a red blur collide with the weapon, and she wondered where that had come from. She whirled to see six unusual teenagers standing behind her.
The foremost, who was dressed in bright colors and wore a mask that obscured his eyes, stepped forward, glaring at her adversary. "I don't know who you are or what you want with her, but I suggest you leave. Now."
She thought she could hear a hollow laugh from the mask. This person didn't even feel any remorse? The realization angered her. The loss of her only friends angered her.
She raised a hand, palm facing him. She sensed what her ice was doing as he suddenly began to convulse. It sickened her to have to do this, but she wasn't about to let him take away her identity.
"You will pay," she snarled, getting to her feet while he shook. His right hand stiffened, and she threw her arm to the side. He was lifted off his feet and smashed into the side of the building. The monster didn't move again.
She turned about to where the teens stood, their eyes wide. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at them. "What?"
"How did you do that?" asked one girl, with long blond hair.
"I froze his blood," replied Cyrilla curtly. "Since it was now ice, I could control his body." She ignored the shocked looks on their faces; she got that a lot.
"What's your name?" asked the boy with the mask again.
"You first," she replied. She wasn't used to giving out information about her for free; it usually put her and the Elementals in danger.
Her statement seemed to anger him, but the red haired girl beside him was all too happy to share. "Hello, friend!" she exclaimed, running forward and grasping Cyrilla's hand. "I am Starfire, and I can shoot bolts of the stars. I am guessing that you control ice, yes?"
"That's for me to know," Cyrilla said, but she felt herself smiling inside at Starfire's enthusiasm.
"Oh, oh, oh!" yelled the small, impish green boy. He grinned, quickly phased to become a tiger and back, and waved at her. "I'm Beast Boy. I shape shift, as you can see."
"Show off," muttered the cloaked girl. Seeing Cyrilla's attention on her, she said curtly. "My name is Raven." That appeared to be about all she was going to say. Cyrilla took in the fact that her blue cloak covered her face, though amethyst eyes glowed out.
"Cyborg," said the big guy, who appeared to be half machine. He held up a hand, a small smile on his face.
"My name's Robin," said the traffic light. "I'm the leader of this group, the Teen Titans. We're crime fighters, and we protect Jump City. We'll have to ask you some questions about what happened just now."
Cyrilla narrowed her eyes slightly, but said nothing, instead turning her attention to the blond girl who had spoken before. The girl fidgeted uncomfortably under her gaze. "I'm Terra," she said. "I control earth."
Cyrilla held back a gasp. Another elemental! She had 'adopted' quite a few into her group, but she had never met an earth controller. The closest had been Latem, who controlled metal. Terra had blond hair and sapphire eyes. That was odd; normally, an elemental's appearance somewhat gave away the element under their control, hence the fact that Cyrilla had snow white hair and blue eyes that were lighter than the sky.
"Fine," she said, turning back to Robin. "I'll answer your questions, unless I feel that they're too personal." She pivoted as she said this, watching while Latem was carried away by paramedics. It was safer for him if she let him go- much as it pained her to do so.
Cyrilla stood in her room. The curtains were thrown open, the sun streamed in- illuminating every single '21' written on the wall. The lines making up that number were jagged, as though written in frustration. The room was at a temperature of 51 degrees Fahrenheit, but she barely noticed; the cold comforted her at that moment.
How could she not have remembered? Had she become so caught up in living with the Titans that she forgot about her own troubles? It was December. She absolutely hated December; it was written all over her room.
Apart from the rips on the walls, it was neat and organized. She had opted not to decorate, in case she had to leave suddenly. She was used to travelling like a nomad, and didn't really understand why people would want to settle in one place for a long period of time.
Yet here she was, one of the Teen Titans. It had been about three quarters of a year that she'd been with this group; was it all about to end, just because of her?
"We gave you your own room, and you're destroying it." It wasn't a question, and it was spoken in a familiar monotone. Cyrilla didn't bother to turn around, still pondering how she had forgotten. The damage to the walls had only been inflicted recently, as a way to remind herself.
"It's called interior decorating," she muttered. Raven walked in further, noticing that the number that showed up everything had been cut using ice; fragments still lined the deep ruts.
"Why are you so afraid of December?" she asked. "Or should I say, the winter solstice."
"That's… something I'd rather not talk about." She didn't question how Raven knew that it was specifically the winter solstice that terrified her; the violet haired empath was smart enough to figure it out. Raven's blank gaze was focused on her, and she found herself shifting uncomfortably.
"Well," she began hesitantly, "It went something like this…"
The little girl bounced ahead, looking up at the scientists dressed in their white coats. Her round blue eyes stared wide at Dr. Temora, who noticed the stare.
"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice still just a tiny squeak. Dr. Temora couldn't help but admire the intelligence in the voice; Subject 48B was less than a year old, and already capable of proper speech. Despite child's innocent demeanor, however, she knew that 48B was incredibly dangerous. Hence their destination.
"Just a place," she responded, her voice cold. She saw the girl cringe at this, and felt a twinge of pity. She wasn't supposed to get close to the subjects, but something about this one drew her.
They came up to a room, with two huge metal doors. They slid open slowly, and the other two scientists surrounding 48B shoved her into the room. Dr. Temora saw a flash of fear on the little girl's face as the doors closed once again.
48B- that was currently the only name she had for herself- watched in terror as the doors closed behind her. Whenever the whitecoats chose not to tell her something, it usually turned out to be painful, or something that made her feel very sad.
At once, she took in her surroundings. The walls were plain and uniform all the way around, made of some kind of gray metal. She bit her lip, as she realized the source of her discomfort: the heat. It was oppressive, stifling, and she didn't like it.
At all.
"Let me out," she whispered, fearing that the warmth would choke her words; to her surprise, it didn't. It came out sounding normal… but how could something that made her so claustrophobic not impair her speech.
"Let me out," she said again, this time more insistently. She REALLY did not like it in here…
She repeated the same phrase over and over again, progressively getting louder until screams of desperation consumed her throat. Pounding on the door, sobs issued from her mouth, and she looked directly at one of the security cameras on the wall. A last scream issued from her, until she slumped, defeated.
"I want out," she whimpered. Her eyes began glowing blue…
Raven listened to Cyrilla's tale with horrified fascination. She'd never known that the ice girl had that kind of power trapped inside her. It reminded her of her own predicament with Trigon not so long ago. She found herself empathizing with her, though she didn't let it show on her face.
"So that's how elementals unleash their ultimate power?" she asked in her deadened voice.
Cyrilla looked almost embarrassed. "No," she said quietly. "That's a curse only I have to bear. Unleashing our full power is distinctively different, and it is only possible if we have absolute control."
Raven's curiosity got the best of her. "Have you ever done it?"
"Once," replied the ice girl, her eyes going misty again. "Against Terra."
Cyrilla yelled in pain as Terra thrust a boulder into her abdomen. The blonde's taunts fell on deaf ears, however, and Cyrilla simply froze the next few rocks Terra sent her way, quickly shooting them back at her adversary.
Terra, unable to overpower Cyrilla's hold on the ice-encased stones, cried out as they smashed against her, throwing her into side of the building. She stood up again slowly, breathing hard, a mask of contorted fury on her face. There were scrapes all over her apprentice suit.
"You know what, Cyrilla?" she snarled. "I always hated you the most. The girl who pretended to be in so much anguish because she lost her friends… the girl who always had such perfect control over her powers, right from the day we met."
Cyrilla's eyebrows rose. "That's what this is about?" she asked, sounding confused. "Envy over my control? I don't know why you'd be so jealous. I've trained ever since I could first walk. I haven't lost control in almost eight years. You didn't have that kind of instruction, Terra. There wasn't anyone to help you…"
"There is now!" shouted Terra, her eyes glowing yellow in her rage. "Slade helped me. He saved me from myself."
"You're deluding yourself, Terra," warned Cyrilla. "He'll turn on you. He doesn't care about you. Just wait and see. I once thought that the scientists who raised me cared about me, but I was dead wrong."
The alleyway was deserted, and Cyrilla knew that no help was coming. Her friends, the other Titans, were preoccupied with the three villains rampaging. They couldn't come, so she would just have to aid herself.
Was she in control enough to do this without unleashing a devastating accident instead? She fervently hoped so.
Terra took several steps back as Cyrilla's irises- not the entire eye- began to glow brightly. A strange symbol, the color as her eyes, appeared on her forehead, and her short white hair lengthened until it fell to her waist. Cyrilla stared down her enemy calmly, and knew that she wasn't going to cause an accident. She had achieved total domination over her ice powers.
When she next spoke, her voice sounded years older, and much more mature. "You are a danger to those who are innocent, Terra, and must be stopped." The air became visibly colder, and ice formed beneath Cyrilla's feet, spreading until it covered the alley. Terra yelled in fright and tried to hit Cyrilla with several pillars of rock; however, the ice began creeping up her legs. Desperate, Terra began bashing rocks against it.
"It's pointless," said Cyrilla. "I can control the density of my ice. It's harder than diamond now." She skated forward, an icicle forming in her hands. She prepared to stab it into the blonde girl's throat…
And just couldn't do it.
Terra became desperate, and managed by some miracle to trigger an earthquake. Cyrilla stumbled, and was hit by a pillar of rock which sent her flying. The symbol on her forehead disappeared, and the glow left her eyes. Her voice became normal once more, but there was sadness laced in it.
"I'm sorry that of all people, this had to happen to you," she said quietly. Her eyes hardened. "But mark my words, Terra: this is not over."
Terra threw her arms down, and a massive rock pile rained down on Cyrilla. Terra turned away, trying to get those determined blue eyes out of her head. She felt her hatred for the ice girl intensify. Coldly, she stated, "It might as well be."
Laurent scowled at his therapist. She'd tried so many times to invoke their memories, but she knew nothing. Only seemingly random occurrences could produce the headaches that accompanied the strange visions of their forgotten pasts.
It seemed odd to him that the four of them went to the same school, on the outskirts of Jump City. All about the same age, all with odd appearances, and all with amnesia.
To his right sat the boy called Syrus- at least, that was what he claimed his name to be. Syrus had been lucky enough to remember his real name during one of his flashbacks. They had all had to make up names for now. Syrus had blond hair and dark gray eyes, and was mostly a quiet kind of person. As far as Laurent knew, he didn't really hang out with anyone- much like himself.
The other two were very close, but had no other friends. Lena and Carter were just as unusual as the rest of them. Lena had flaming orange hair and crimson eyes, while Carter's hair was jet black. His eyes were gold.
As for Laurent himself, his hair was almost silver, and his eyes matched. He noticed that many girls in school giggled at the sight of him, but he never dated. He couldn't help but feel like he shouldn't date anyone, though he had no clue as to why.
"Now, all four of you concentrate…" said the therapist in her sugar coated voice. They closed their eyes, but that was all they did. They all knew the routine, as well as its constant failure.
"Feel anything?"
Simultaneously, they all shook their heads. Laurent, checking the time, abruptly got up and left. This was a waste, but they always came back, hoping against hope for a break through.
Hours later, he didn't know why he decided to go to the mall. Watching television had caused another vision, and they often frustrated him with their haziness. This had been no different, and he found that he just had to get out.
This time was a bit different; the vision was a lot clearer than before. He'd stood next to someone in shadow, his arms around them, and whispering comfortingly to them. All the while, in the background, he thought he heard sobbing.
"Thank you so much, friend, for coming to the mall of shopping!" squealed an overly cheerful voice. He raised an eyebrow at the odd use of speech, and listened as another female voice replied, "No problem, Starfire. I'm not usually into shopping, but you make it fun."
Starfire? He whirled around to see two of the members of the famed Teen Titans striding through the mall, with the red haired girl happily clutching bags of merchandise. That must've been Starfire, rumored to be an alien from outer space. Beside her was the slightly shorter Cyrilla, grinning at the enthusiasm of her friend. Several locks of short, snow white hair hung down on either side of her face, but the rest was up in a ponytail. Her crystal blue eyes sparkled with amusement as Starfire marched beside her.
Both were dressed in casual clothing, with Starfire wearing a short skirt and a tank top; boys all around were practically drooling at the sight. Cyrilla simply wore jeans and a short sleeved blue t-shirt. Her hands were in her pockets, and she made no effort to hold herself up high and walk proudly like Starfire did.
He had seen plenty of pictures of them, but never before in real life.
The lightning bolt of pain was unexpected; more images than he had ever seen popped up before his eyes, and he hissed. His life suddenly began piecing itself together, and something broke through the surface of his mind.
It was a name, his name. Latem.
As he thought it, he raised his head, everything coming back now. Cyrilla's head angled slightly, and her eyes met his.
The look they shared was full of recognition and longing. Her piercing stare shattered the fog that had clouded his mind before. Suddenly afraid of what she would think of him for failing her, he turned and ran.
Cyrilla gasped and fell to one knee, pain suddenly lancing through her chest. She'd seen those impenetrable steel-colored eyes, and they brought back things she'd rather forget.
"Friend Cyrilla!" cried Starfire, kneeling beside her. "What is wrong?"
"Nothing," the ice girl replied softly. As quickly as he'd been there, Latem had vanished. "I was seeing things."
"You guys have to leave me here," she told them.
"What?" gasped Marla, her red eyes wide. "But why? You're our friend, you took us in- you taught us!"
Cyrilla closed her eyes. What Marla said was true- they were the very first friends she'd had, apart from Dr. Temora. It pained her to abandon them so suddenly, but maybe, with them far away, they'd be safe from what was to come.
"The scientists told me that I'm a time bomb," she whispered, and Marla and Zindo leaned in to pay attention. "On the winter solstice, my power erupts out of me. They said that as I get older, it'll intensify. According to them, I could freeze the entire world."
"But they lied to you about everything else," said Zindo. "Why not this?"
"Because I've seen it first hand," replied Cyrilla, "And they've barely been able to contain me. I just can't hold it in- it explodes out of me from nowhere. If you get away, there's a chance you'll survive this."
"But we're elementals too," said Marla. "We swore to it, remember? We're staying, and with our combined powers, we can help you stop it. I know we can; all we have to do is find a few more elementals to help us, and I know that we can do it."
Touched by their determination, Cyrilla agreed to try. So that when the final group- Zindo, Marla, Syrus, and Latem- was assembled, they prevented the catastrophe.
If only barely.
The Teen Titans were different.
Not even Raven's power could contain her this time.
Latem quickly dialed Syrus's number, tapping his foot impatiently while waiting for him to pick. When a bored "hello" finally sounded, he nearly exploded. However, he managed to keep himself calm.
"It's… Laurent," he said, forcing himself to use what he now knew to be his fake name.
"Oh." A pause, then, "What do you want?"
"Listen, I remember everything, and… we used to be friends."
There was silence for a moment. "I'm not sure I believe that, but… what's your name?"
"It's Latem."
"Latem…ow!" yelled Syrus from the other end. For a moment, all he could hear was groaning, and then panting.
"Right," moaned the other boy. "The metal kid… I remember you now, but no one else."
Latem wondered if other names would work on Syrus as well. "Marla," he uttered. "Zindo."
More pained yells, as Syrus presumably encountered more visions of his past. He was probably glaring at the phone right then, as Latem said, "Cyrilla."
To his disappointment, Syrus didn't respond in the same way as before. "Cyrilla? You mean the Teen Titan? What's she got to do with this?"
"Everything. Could you meet me in the park? I'll see if Marla and Zindo- or Lena and Carter, if you prefer that- could come too. We have a lot to discuss."
Latem hung up. There was one more person that needed to be there, but he knew that she wouldn't come.
They would have to find her.
"Slow," came the robotic monotone above her.
The three year old seethed. Slow? That just wasn't possible; it had been her fastest run yet! How dare they call her slow.
Her frustration seeped into her willpower, and the already destroyed robots were suddenly skewered with icy stalagmites. Her breathing was heavy, and her muscles ached. She'd repeated the course almost ten times that day, and they still claimed her to be slow.
It was a word she always said with distaste.
They dismissed her, and she began to trudge off to the sanitation room. A grip on her arm made her pause, and she looked up into the stern face of Dr. Temora. "You have studies next," she said curtly, and 48B cursed her luck inwardly. However, Dr. Temora leaned down and whispered something else.
"I'm taking you to the surface for your birthday."
There was a leap of excitement in her heart. All she had ever known was the underground laboratory where she lived, where the people in white coats constantly observed her every move. Now the only doctor who showed her any kindness was offering to take her to a place that she had only ever imagined.
It was difficult to escape the bunker, what with all the security the paranoid scientists had put up. Still, 48B had lived here for three years; she'd memorized all the cameras, as well as all the blind spots.
They went to what 48B had learned from her vocabulary was called a town. It was small but was bustling with people, and cars drove about. She ran a hand in fascination over one of the shiny vehicles parked outside an ice cream shop. The surface was smooth, and warmed by the sun.
The sun. It shone proud and majestically overhead, burning an imprint into her eyes. Her wonder at the great sphere far outweighed the pain she felt when she looked at it. Many people gave her odd looks, which she quickly attributed to her skin color; it was far paler than any of theirs. Her white hair attracted many looks as well.
"What element can he control?" asked 48B, pointing out another boy with brown hair, who was playing with several other children. She could scarcely believe her eyes; those children were allowed to have fun together? She was never allowed to see the other subjects in the lab.
"He… can't control an element, 48B," said Dr. Temora hesitantly. To the public eye, the two of them looked like mother and daughter, rather than observer and subject.
"Why not?"
"There are very few people like you, 48B," replied Dr. Temora. "Most can't do what you do. You're special. These people have lives that are different from yours."
48B looked over at where the young boy she had pointed out was. She felt a pang, and for the first time, desired a little bit more from life.
The waves lapped lazily at the shore, receding and leaping forward at a steady rhythm. Cyrilla stood on the shore of the island that was home of Titan's Tower, lost in thought. The stars shone above her, cold and deadly as herself.
She lowered down to a crouching position, hugging herself tightly as she did so. Now she understood, completely understood, why it was so hard to lose the people you loved.
It was because there would always be something inside her that wanted them back. Much as she fervently wished that Latem had been real flesh and blood today, she knew that it wasn't possible. Still, the look he had given her… she winced as the dull ache in her stomach increased. It was like… it was like…
It was like he knew her. Like he remembered.
Wishful thinking, she reprimanded herself. His memories had been erased, and there was absolutely no way he could get them back. Even as she thought it, Marla's words came back to her.
"We're elementals too. We swore to it, remember?"
Could that one little pact they'd made be strong enough for them to gain back their memories? Just as Cyrilla began to find that trickle of hope again, another memory came crashing in.
"It wasn't her," said Beast Boy grimly. "I just have to move on with my life."
She knew what Beast Boy had went through. When he thought he'd seen Terra, he'd tried so hard to bring her back. But in the end, it just broke his heart even more. Still, the girl's actions were suspicious, and Terra's statue wasn't there anymore.
A gasp escaped Cyrilla. Why didn't she think of this before? Terra was an elemental, and a powerful one at that. There was just the slightest chance that she could help her with her current dilemma. Maybe she wouldn't have to leave the Titans, and lose her friends for a second time. After death, her spirit would be a part of the earth, and only elementals would be able to see it. It would have to be a place important to the person lost, however, but Cyrilla wasn't worried about that. She knew where Terra would most likely be.
The cave didn't take all that long to get too, and Cyrilla surfed through the air on an ice board she'd quickly formed. The breeze was crisp and refreshing, and wore away some of the worries that plagued her. She loved what she called ice boarding, and never got tired of it.
It was dark and damp, reminding her of how desolate she felt right then. It wasn't long before she stood in front of Terra's statue, now returned after the Titans had discovered that it had merely been stolen. The fact seemed to crush Beast Boy even more, but he kept going somehow.
"Hey Terra," murmured Cyrilla, looking sadly into the blank eyes of one of her closest friends. "I don't suppose you can help me."
"Dunno. What seems to be the problem?"
Cyrilla whirled around to see a see-through Terra standing behind her, grinning and leaning casually against the wall of the cave. The symbol of earth was on her forehead, but her powers must not have been in existence in death. Nothing rumbled, no rocks suddenly tumbled to the ground. She felt her own symbol- ice- burn into her forehead, leaving a cold imprint that allowed her to stay in contact with the spirit before her.
"How are you?" asked Cyrilla, concerned that her friend might not be content with being bound to the earth.
"Dandy, actually," said Terra; there was no sarcasm in her voice. "It feels great to be able to just go wherever there's earth, without even really using any energy. I visit Titans Tower a lot, but I can't go in. No rock in there, you know?"
Cyrilla relaxed. The blonde sounded completely calm and at peace with herself. Terra was fine, and she always would be with the earth around.
"You miss us though, right?" she asked hesitantly. She hoped that Terra didn't still harbor the feelings of hatred she'd had while being Slade's apprentice.
"Of course I do!" exclaimed Terra. "In fact, I wish you'd come talk to me before. Tell me what's going on, all that stuff. I know vague facts… like the fact that Cyborg became acquainted with those Titans East, some freaky demon dude tried to destroy the world… he made the earth burn, and I could barely think through the pain… and then there was your giant fight with the Brotherhood of Evil, which you won. Congrats on that, by the way."
"Well, I don't know if we have time to go through all the details, but I can give you an accurate summary," offered Cyrilla. The next thirty minutes were spent filling Terra in on all that she had missed while she walked the earth. The girl had gasped at all the right parts, laughed sometimes, and was over all an attentive listener. Her eyes widened hugely when she revealed that Trigon was Raven's father.
"And she beat that monster?" asked Terra, whistling. "My respect for her just rose about tenfold." She seemed a little more cautious with the conversation now. "Speaking of which… how's Beast Boy been holding up? I watched that whole thing with my weirdo look-alike that goes to high school. Ha! Like I'd ever be caught dead in high school…" She sighed and put her face in her hands. "You don't know what it's like; I so wanted to be able to call out to him, tell him I was right there and that she wasn't me… but I couldn't." She put her face in her hands. "You just don't know."
"I do," said Cyrilla firmly. A flash of pain showed in her eyes. "I… thought I saw an old friend today. Wishful thinking, I guess, but it still felt like my heart was being ripped out. Oh, and Beast Boy's doing well."
"Oh yeah!" said Terra, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "When you half-collapsed at the mall." Seeing Cyrilla's quizzical look, she added, "I follow you guys when you leave the tower a lot. It's nice just to be able to see old friends. I would go into the tower, but like I said… no earth. Anywho, you said you needed help?"
"Yes." Terra looked a little apprehensive at Cyrilla's no-nonsense tone of voice. She unfolded her arms and studied Cyrilla properly: her skin wasn't as pale as it used to be, and her eyes didn't have quite the same hard edge that once glinted there. Her hair hadn't changed; half in a ponytail, half hanging down the sides of her face.
"The winter solstice is coming," said Cyrilla. "My power will be unleashed in an uncontrolled manner, and present a danger to the entire world. I know you haven't spent your entire death in Jump City, Terra. You know things, you've traveled. Is there anything- anything at all- that I can do to stop this?"
Terra sighed, and for the first time looked a lot older than she really was. Cyrilla saw a light in her eyes that hadn't been there when she was alive: the light of age and wisdom, even though Terra looked exactly the same as she did when she died. She wondered what Terra had learned from being able to go wherever there was earth.
"I'm sorry, Cyrilla," she replied gently, pity in her expression. "But I don't think there's anything you can do. Even if the Elementals were still with you, I'm not sure that they'd be able to stop you. The person most likely is Raven, but not even she matches your power on the solstice."
"There's nothing," said Cyrilla flatly. "Why? Why am I the one to be cursed like this? At least when Raven almost destroyed the world, she only had to do it once! I have to go through this period every year!"
Terra closed her eyes; her voice even sounded older as she said, "I don't have all the answers, Cyrilla. My advice is this: live your life to the fullest until the time comes. Do what you can to make everyone you know happy, before it's too late. Settle any old grudges, that sort of thing. It'll make letting go easier for you."
She didn't have a choice; the best thing to do was follow what Terra said. She did feel a little more free from speaking to her old friend, and resolved to have these talks more often. Terra was lucky to have an earth affinity; for those who were bound to fire, electricity, and her own element, ice, it was much harder to communicate with elementals still alive.
It would be easy to talk to Syrus, she realized. Wait, no; that was wrong. She couldn't think of her friend as dead. He wasn't dead, he was just… lost. Just like Zindo, Marla, and Latem.
"I should probably get going," said Cyrilla.
"All right; I hope to see you soon. Oh, and is there any chance you could deliver a message?"
Sweat, a great pain in her side, and tears that blurred her vision. Those were the three sensations 48B felt as she sprinted away from the underground laboratory, having finally made her escape with the help of Dr. Temora.
There had been a consequence… she felt sickened as she once again saw blood spouting from the person who had been like the mother she'd never known. An explosion sounded behind her, and she whirled around to see that the bunker had been blown to bits. Vaguely, the thirteen year old remembered Dr. Temora saying that she'd planted some sort of explosive device. All that was left of 'home' was rubble and fire that leapt and dance about, frolicking like the children she was envious of for having a normal life.
Unable to resist the pull of seeing the hateful place in flames, she slowly started walking back to the site. A huge crater now fill the plain where the lab existed. She could barely recognize the many rooms in the place, but was just able to label everything.
Suddenly, a burning sensation on her forehead made her cry out. In her studies about elementals, they'd told her that this could happen, but it rarely did. She tried to picture the ancient ice symbol on her forehead, and just couldn't. It was too alien a sight to be real.
The sensation itself was strange as well… not quite painful, more cold than hot. She guessed that the temperature had to do with her element. Suddenly, a young woman appeared out of thin air, with beautiful auburn hair that fell to her knees. Her eyes were a deep golden brown, and the symbol for fire burned crimson into her forehead.
48B felt a twinge of recognition within her. She was unsure at first, but as she took in certain features, she realized who it was.
"Mother?" she whispered, in awe. How could she be speaking with her mother? Where did she come from?
"Does this mean you're alive?" she asked, hope rising within her. Maybe she did have somewhere she could go.
"No; I'm sorry," murmured the woman. There was a lot of sadness in her eyes. "Your father and I were killed after they took you from us. My element was fire, and since there's fire here… I can speak with you. But I don't have much time, as it is weakening fast."
"Was father an elemental?"
"No, he was a regular human being. Though he was far from normal," she added with a fond smile.
"Where… where did you live?" asked 48B, trying not to let tears slip from her eyes. She hadn't cried in such a long time, and she wasn't about to start now.
"Northern Europe."
48B could see the embers flickering and dying, and her mother was fading. She had time for just one more question.
"What's your name," she whispered. "And what did you name me?"
"Wanda," replied her mother, giving her one last bittersweet look. "And you were Cyrilla."
"WHAT?" shouted Beast Boy, looking outraged. "Why didn't you tell me- I mean, us- you could talk to Terra?"
He phased from a bird, to a cheetah, to a lizard and back in the space of a second. Raven looked angry for a moment, but Cyrilla didn't think that it had to do with the same thing Beast Boy was angry at. Starfire looked both fascinated and afraid at the same time, while Cyborg and Robin just stared at her, critical looks on their faces.
"To be honest, Beast Boy, I'd forgotten myself. I only just remembered earlier. Anyways, Terra had a message for all of you."
"Robin," she said, and she could tell that he was carefully observing her behind that mask. "Terra wants you to keep up the good work, and to say congrats on kicking Slade's butt when he showed up again recently. She also says that even leaders need to relax a little, and that you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Oh, and she says she knew all along about you and Star."
Both Robin and Starfire blushed at this comment.
"Cyborg," she said to him, and he looked up at her. "She told me to tell you that she admires the T-car, and advises that you never let Beast Boy drive it." Everyone laughed at this advice, and even Raven cracked a smile. Cyrilla realized that they hung onto her every word. They really did miss her… "Plus, she said that if someone really cares about you, they won't judge you by how you look."
Cyrilla actually thought she saw a tear fall, but didn't make any note of it aloud.
"Starfire, Terra says to never stop being yourself for a moment. She's proud of how much you've matured since she first met you, and she greatly respects your decision on Tamaran. She says don't ever let anyone tell you how to act."
"I am most humbled by this message," murmured Starfire.
"Raven," she said, and Raven didn't look at all pleased to hear that Terra had a message. "Terra had a simple message for you, but she said that it meant a lot. Follow your heart. She's accepted your feelings."
The empath's eyes widened in shock, and in a lightbulb exploded overhead. Starfire let out a shriek, while Raven quickly floated up through the ceiling. Cyrilla didn't wonder why Raven had left so abruptly; she could only imagine how confusing Terra's words would be for her.
"Beast Boy, Terra's really proud of you for moving on." Cyrilla's voice was now quieter than it had been before. All of the Titans were focused on Beast Boy's reaction to her words. "She says that you don't have to feel guilty about it. She'll always love you, but she's accepted the change. You know what I'm talking about. Oh, and she also says that anytime you want to talk to her, just go somewhere with earth. She'll hear you." Smirking slightly, she leaned in, and whispered, "Go get her."
Beast Boy blinked stupidly for a few moments. "Who?" Comprehension dawned on his face, and he ran out of the room.
The other Teen Titans were smiling slightly. They all knew where he was headed.
They don't know; they will never know, how much it means to me. To be able to actually have people I can be myself around. The others didn't know, either. He didn't know.
I miss him so much. Why can't I just go back to when we were a travelling band of heroes, fighting crime and living out our lives? Now he's not gone, but he's not here. There were all those times when my past caught up with me. There was only one thing that helped.
Now my past is catching up again, and all I want is to be in his arms again, and hear him whispering to me.
I will find him. They will remember.
My fate has not been decided, just as Raven's wasn't either.
One way or another, it isn't over.
Author's note: Wow. I didn't expect this to be so long… but Cyrilla's turning out to be more complex than I thought. She's quickly turning into one of my favorite OCs.
A brief history: she grew up in a laboratory in Canada, where she was taught to control her ice powers to perfection. At thirteen she escaped, and soon met up with Marla and Zindo, who she took under her wing. She met Syrus next, and Latem last, teaching them all to use their powers. They formed the group, the Elementals, but their species is of the same name.
Please review, and tell me if you want a sequel or not!