"Raven?"
Beast Boy poked his head into the dark room. He had gotten used to going in without permission but it never failed to give him the creeps, because every time he'd gone in here, it hadn't always led to a pleasant event. Mirrors, he had to be especially careful of those. Was it because he had smashed just about all the mirrors in the funhouse once? But they hadn't liked him before either.
"Raven?" Beast Boy called again, cocking his head from side to side.
Everyone knew that she had a special way of catching you unawares, now that so many people had grown accustomed to freely walking into her room, and he wasn't looking forward to it. Finding people in her room absolutely annoyed Raven, big-time. So did playing pranks on her and rambling off jokes, but hey, he was used to it.
Besides, today there was a specific, serious reason he'd come in. Tomorrow was Raven's birthday. Hopefully it would be more fun and less "end of the world" than last year's, and Beast Boy was going to decorate her room. That would really tick her off. But first, of course, she couldn't know about it until after it was done and therefore couldn't be in her room. If Raven had been, Beast Boy would've informed her of the chickens Starfire had recently brought home. When she ignored him, he would add that Star told them all of the girls' complete infatuation of the birds and that of course her dear friend Raven would take one as a "beloved pet". Then she'd be out of the room for a good long while. All part of the plan. Maybe that's where she was right now.
Well, wherever she was, Beast Boy was safe for the moment. He inspected a set of wooden masks, their dismal expressions sending chills up his spine (he'd probably make it smile), and he stayed far away from the hand mirror on top of a dresser. Where to start decorating? Looking to his right, he realized he'd never really been in the front corner's area before, and what he saw shocked him.
It was a girl, but not just any girl.
She brushed a few specks of dirt from her dusty brown gloves; her boots were also slightly caked with mud. Her legs were skinny, skinnier than Beast Boy's with bright yellow shorts shorter than Starfire's skirt. That and her belly shirt at least looked newer than the other things; it was long-sleeved, and black with a "T" emblem in the center surrounded by a circle. He wondered if it stood for "Teen" or "Titans" or something else he was hoping for. The shirt displayed her thin, slender stomach—something Raven would never do—which was way too lean to be healthy. She tossed her hair to the side a couple times, her long, golden hair that gleamed in the light. Where had that come from? But best of all, her glittering blue eyes were smiling at him. He hardly dared to breathe.
'Terra?"
She grinned and reached out her hand, which she used to pull Beast Boy closer as he eagerly grabbed it. "You wanna hit the bumper cars?"
He turned around a minute to find the fair surrounding him, its rides whirring, people happily buzzing and zipping around, the deep, beautiful night sky with trillions of shimmering stars above. He felt his heart jump up in his throat and his eyes beginning to swim with tears at how it seemed so similar to that one day. That one, fateful day which was known to him as the best day of his life…and the worst. But maybe he could change it. There was only one way to find out.
Beast Boy took Terra's hands in his. "How about the Ferris wheel?"
She smiled and took hold of his arm. "I thought you'd never ask."
They boarded the carriage hand in hand, just like before, and they were still on number three. He had wanted that one the first time on the Ferris wheel because that was the number Robin and Starfire had ridden on. Although, considering that both dates had been interrupted—one by Slade and the other by a Centari police drone—maybe it wasn't the best choice for romance.
Soon, Beast Boy would make his promise that he'd always be her friend, and this time he'd keep it. All she had to do was ask. But Terra didn't. She simply stared through the tiny holes in the compartment, a smile still faintly etched in her face. He looked the other way, his face suddenly hot and completely at a loss for words.
"Beast Boy?"
He stifled a gasp when his nose practically touched hers as he looked back to her. Their faces both tinged a dull pink, and though Beast Boy scooted two millimeters back, Terra didn't recoil. If anything, she moved a little closer.
"I wanted you to know that this has been the best day of my entire life, and there's no one I'd rather have spent it with than you."
Even closer now. Beast Boy reached out a hand to caress her cheek, and they both smiled in a dazed, slow-motion, dreamy sort of way.
"Terra, I'll always be your friend, no matter what."
Eyes fluttering closed; they leaned in for the kiss, the one he had never gotten, the one that could change everything.
But he still never got it.
"I'm not the girl you want me to be."
Beast Boy had immediately flipped open his eyes because it was undoubtedly Terra's voice. She was still in front of him though, now looking confused, her large, blue eyes asking, why did you stop? Almost accusingly.
On the other side of the seats, Beast Boy searched the shadows for Slade. But he found another girl.
Her posture was stiff, legs tucked together, hands folded in her lap, and though her back was straight, her head was hunched over. This caused her blonde hair to fall over her face. Her blue skirt was unusually short for a school uniform. The white short-sleeved dress shirt followed with a black tie made her seem more mature, or maybe just strict. Her feet, hidden in shiny, black shoes or boots—somewhere in between them—with little silver buckles, clicked against each other in a nervous, irregular beat. She lifted her head, and Beast Boy saw the same blue eyes, but not the same. The Terra next to him had sapphires that showed her love and friendship towards him. These eyes were a grayish blue without shine who regarded him suspiciously, unfamiliarly, and as a stranger.
But it was Terra. Another Terra.
The girl he loved, the one he desperately missed, took his face in her hands, letting their eyes meet again. She was concerned for him, but seemed oblivious to the fact that another person was on the ride with them. Not to mention that that person was herself.
"I don't understand. You don't want me?"
"No, Terra, I mean, of course I do! It's just…" He glanced from her to the other girl and rubbed his temples forlornly. "I'm so confused…"
Suddenly, the carriage gave a violent shudder, which continued into a series of tremors. The Ferris wheel was going down! The Terras both screamed and Beast Boy rushed to the window. High above, he saw…Terra, hands outstretched, glowing yellow, floating on a hovering rock. She was identical to the one sitting with him. He watched a green bird dart away from the falling structure—himself—and Slade on the top carriage, his single visible eye wide.
Both he and Beast Boy yelled, "Terra! No!"
If the Ferris wheel hadn't been in the process of collapsing on top of him, Beast Boy would've seen Slade swiftly dive off and escape into the black abyss beyond. But he couldn't figure out how he could save the two girls trapped inside with him, and let alone himself, in the five seconds he figured he had. And he didn't. He made the quick decision to shut out all the perplexing problems and transformed into a turtle, safe inside his shell.
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Beast Boy remained within the comforting darkness for a long time, as long as he needed to calm himself down. He finally convinced himself that it was all a wild dream, and when he returned to human form, he'd be back in bed, probably finding something rotten in his midnight tofu snack. It had to be a dream, of course, nothing else explained this madness. But he did not find himself underneath his covers. Instead, he was beneath a bunch of rocks. He pushed the rubble off himself, coughing at the cloud of dust it created. So much for being a dream.
"Beast Boy!"
Terra came dashing towards him. Her hair was messy as if she hadn't gotten the chance to brush it for a while, and her gloves showed signs of wearing down with small holes in them. The goggles, still slung around her neck, jostled as she ran, the glass shattered. She was wearing a gray t-shirt with black at the shoulders area and blue jean shorts, the edges frayed and ripped. Face torn in worry and shame, she helped Beast Boy up.
"I'm sorry! I'm just so stupid." She put her hands against her head as if it hurt.
"Terra, it's okay. You…" He stopped himself. He had been about to say "You can't control your powers yet. So what?" but decided he'd rather not.
He turned his attention back to the Ferris wheel ruins. Beast Boy remembered with a start that he hadn't been alone when the ride was destroyed and began pulling tons of rock out of the pile.
"Help me! There were people with me; they could still be alive!" Though he didn't know what he'd do with three Terras.
Terra nodded, and reached to put her goggles on, but realized that they were broken. Lip trembling, she took a deep breath and her eyes dissolved into a bright yellow as she lifted her arms. All the stones flew up, but they started spinning in a whirlwind. Terra stared helplessly and tears began slipping down her face.
"I can't lose control, I can't lose control…" she repeated to herself over and over, but the tears rand own faster, her voice started cracking, and the rocks ripped through the sky in a thunderous funnel around her.
Beast Boy made his way to her, regardless of what scratched or hit him, and swept her into his arms. He stroked the side of her head soothingly, running his fingers through her hair while careful not to get it tangled in any knots.
"It's okay," he whispered, "I'm here now."
She had one more sob; then hugged him back. "I just want to go home," she choked.
Poor Terra, he thought bitterly, wondering if she had ever had a real home. He guessed he probably didn't want to know unless he wanted to start crying too.
"I'll take you there, I promise."
How many more promises was he going to break?
The rocks, having lost Terra's grip on them, had crashed to the ground. Leaving Terra safely on the sidelines, Beast Boy had searched for the other girls despite how unlikely the possibility of finding them in one piece was. So it was no surprise when he couldn't uncover anything. For all he knew, everything was one, huge hallucination. Definitely the tofu. Tired from the work of heaving debris, he sighed heavily and turned to Terra. He tried to smile and lent his hand.
"Let's go home."
At least nothing abnormal had happened as they walked to the tower. It was slow travel, but Beast Boy wouldn't even consider asking Terra to fly them there. She clung to his arm, eyes darting about nervously, and he gave her hand a quick squeeze to try and calm her down. He was having trouble deciphering his feeling for Terra.
Did he love her? Did she love him? He thought it had been that way for a long time, but there were so many different sides to her. This girl…he felt sorry for her. The one at the fair he had truly wanted to be with, to hold, and to, well, kiss. He shuddered as he remembered the Terra under the influence of Slade. She was a traitor, a double-crosser, and she hated him. But perhaps that was how she felt about him, and all she really was was just a lost soul all alone in the world. And there was the last one, the girl who didn't even know him. How could he possibly have a relationship with her? The only thing left to figure out was which girl Terra really was. Who was Terra? A little, confused child with no place to go? The girl Beast Boy had dreamed of, waited for, and missed? Or was she the black-hearted witch that Slade had maybe saved him from?
All of them.
After their long trek, the two had finally reached Titans Tower.
"Okay, Terra, we're safe now. You'll be all right, everything will be fine." He added, "I promise."
He started to push in the access code when something smashed into his back. Terra's linked arm was ripped apart from his, and her shrill scream echoed painfully in his ears.
No!
"Terra!"
But she was gone as he spun around. In her place was yet another girl. This girl wore silver armor, making her chest and hips appear much wider. Her arms and legs were bound tightly in white cloth. Beast Boy didn't even know what to call the twin accessories on her head. They looked like they could've been barrettes, but they obviously didn't do their job well, because a sheet of stringy hair fell over her right eye. An orange, serpentine "s" was attached to her chest piece. The look in her eye was one of recklessness and murder.
Terra. Once again.
She laughed wickedly and thrust a flurry of spiked pebbles at Beast Boy. He flipped to the side, but yelped as flaming lava spurted from the ground beneath him. They weren't in front of the tower anymore, but underground. The lava's luminosity flickered of the orange stain-glass windows, though Beast Boy had no clue as to why such a thing would be put so deep beneath the surface. The place shook and more magma erupted from even farther below, as if hell itself were pushing its way up. Beast Boy wouldn't have been surprised if this was hell itself. The girl he loved was going to kill him. He cried out as Terra leapt upon him, seizing his wrists and trying to pin him down.
"You really thought I loved you, didn't you?" she sneered. "All I wanted to do was humiliate you. Betray you. Terminate you."
"Liar!" Beast Boy shouted with a strong effort to throw her off him, but unsuccessful. He could feel rock hardening over his feet and continued frantically struggling.
"For once, I'm telling you the truth. You should've listened to your old, wicked friend Raven after all, though I don't blame you. From the moment you laid eyes on me, I knew I had you wrapped around my finger, like the sorry excuse for a human you are. Oh, wait, you're not a human. I forgot," she said sarcastically.
His vision almost blurred from tears, but he pushed them back. The Terra he knew and loved would never say such a mean thing. In fact, she wouldn't be mocking him, joining Slade, or practically murdering him either. The rock had sealed up to his waist. He tried to transform, but for some reason, it wasn't working.
Come on! Gorilla, dinosaur, elephant: whatever!
Terra stood up to admire her work. Only Beast Boy's face was free from the stone tomb. She smiled deviously and retrieved a rock from elsewhere in the cavern, shaping it until it became a sharp sword, intended to skewer him.
And he knew it.
"Why, Terra?" he asked softly.
The lava was spilling everywhere now.
Her eye glowed the death signal yellow.
"Because I felt like it."
And everything went black.
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She killed me, Beast Boy thought blankly. Terra killed me.
…Then why am I still alive?
He sat up, looking down at himself. He was okay, still in one piece and as green as ever. However, his surroundings consisted merely of an endless black void. Empty, he supposed. But then something in the distance came into focus.
Terra.
Of course.
But it was a different one again. She was solid stone, and a plaque stood by her feet.
Terra: A Teen Titan, a true friend.
Beast Boy had put it there himself, and for a good reason.
Because he believed in Terra.
Or he had.
"Oh, Terra…" He reached up and wrapped his hand around her lifeless, stone one. Or perhaps she was still alive and was watching him from behind her self-imposed prison. Hating him or aching to be with him? He half expected the cold fingers to curl around his, for the statue to come to life. This was still a dream, wasn't it?
"Beast Boy…"
A flutter of whispers scurried about the room, in and out of his ears, but he already knew who it came from. The words continued to repeat themselves through the girls' mouths didn't move. It was all of the Terras. Beast Boy gasped as the one had had forgotten he was holding crumbled to dust. He backed away from the crowd of blue eyes staring him down. His name was still hissing through the air, and he never knew that one word—his own name for crying out loud!—could hurt so much. He sank to his knees, hands covering his ears in a vain effort to drown out the noise. The whispering only got louder.
It was time to wake up.
I have to get out of here, Beast Boy told himself through gritted teeth.
Too many thoughts, too many memories were flooding through him. It was too agonizing to bear.
Terra.
She was one girl with one life, just like everyone else. But she was so different.
No more trust.
No more chances.
No more mercy.
Was it he or Terra that should be speaking these words?
Beast Boy looked up. He thought he'd heard something, well, something besides the constant cries of his name. The Terra that he thought he loved and maybe still did was beckoning to him. She held up a silver, heart-shaped box: the gift he had given to her on their first—and last—date. The lid started to open, and Terra smiled welcomingly.
The way out.
This was how he ended this horrible nightmare! He almost laughed out loud and stood to start sprinting. Terra grinned wider, a warm light seeming to glow from within. Beast Boy smiled back, despite the fact that everything seemed to be moving in slow-motion. It was still in slow-motion when he saw something awful: horribly, absolutely awful. A crack in the box. Soon, it wasn't just a tiny crack but the whole ceramic container that Beast Boy had hand-crafted himself had split as if somebody had crushed it in an iron fist. Slade probably wouldn't have minded, but it didn't matter.
Beast Boy began to holler, "NO!"
But the shards were already separated, and they clattered to the floor like twinkling rain drops. All the Terras vanished, other than the remains of the stone statue, and the torturous whispering had ceased.
Beas Boy fell to the floor, devastated. There was no way to escape; it was all over. He clawed at the shattered pieces hopelessly and started sobbing. It was pitiful, but there was no one to see him.
It must've been at least forever until he managed to stop and pull himself together.
"Beast Boy! Beast Boy!"
"Leave me alone!" he shrieked, but he realized it wasn't Terra's voice. "Raven? Starfire?" He listened a little longer. "Robin?"
He got to his feet and ran about the nothingness, but true to its state of matter, there was nothing to be found.
"Guys, help me! Help! I'm stuck, I'm trapped!...And I'm all alone…"
"Beast Boy…"
"No!" It was Terra again. This time her tone was soft and gentle but he didn't care. He refused to see her.
"Beast Boy, I'm here to help you. You called, right?"
"I don't believe you."
"Then why did you put this plaque here?"
Beaten at his own game, he slowly turned to face her and almost choked. It was Terra, of course, but it was a new, never-seen-before, perhaps non-existent Terra. She was floating above her broken grave, donned in a pale white gown, the elegant, translucent sleeves drifting in the air. Beautiful sky blue wings sprouted from her back: delicately flapping angel's wings.Her golden hair sparkled in the light that radiated from her and it was held out of her eyes by a glittering, silver butterfly clip.
"Who are you?"
Obviously it was Terra, and he felt stupid asking, but they both knew what he meant. She smiled and twirled a lock of hair around her finger.
"Ever heard of A Christmas Carol?" She stooped down off her "perch" and glided to the scattered glass remnants.
"Yeah." Who hadn't? But apparently he was missing the point because she raised her eyebrows expectantly at him. He thought a little more, trying to guess her connection to it. "With the three spirits: past, present, and future."
"You could call me the spirit…" Beast Boy's face lit up as the broken pieces began to shine a gold aura and assembled in the air, like puzzle pieces. "…of Terra yet to come."
The box looked new as ever in all its gleaming glory and she offered it to him. As the lid opened again, a brilliant white light began to fill up the whole room. It enveloped Beas Boy, coating him in what felt like a sticky, sweet layer of…light, he guessed. Terra smiled again and kissed his forehead.
"Thank you, Terra."
It became too intense to see anything, but he glimpsed her grin one last time.
"You were the best friend I ever had."
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"I think he's awake."
"Terra…?" Beast Boy mumbled as he struggled to lift his heavy eyelids.
He yelped as his ribcage was suddenly crushed in a bone-breaking hug. "Oh, my friend! I feared you would never awaken!" Starfire cried joyously.
He rubbed his aching arms as she let go, noticing that Robin and Raven also looked a little sore.
"So, what's going on?"
Raven came forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "I thought we had lost you," she whispered. "When the box broke, I thought you were gone forever."
His face went from green to red, but he patted her back reassuringly until she too pulled apart.
"There's no time to waste," Robin snapped, though he had politely waited for their embrace to finish. "We need to rescue Cyborg!"
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"I guess I didn't really need rescuing, at least, compared to your adventures," Cyborg admitted as Beast Boy finished his story.
"Can we please get out of my room? Make waffles or something?" Raven demanded, because she didn't beg.
"Of course! Let us engorge the midnight snack!"
"Whatever you do, do NOT look back," Raven warned, holding up a "caution" finger.
They all nodded, eager to attack some grub. Starfire took Robin's hand and led them out the door, followed by Cyborg. Despite what Raven said, Beast Boy cast a glance in the forbidden direction.
Terra was just in the middle of folding her miraculous blue-feathered wings behind her. She flashed him a dazzling smile, her whole body shining in an unknown light and waved. He grinned back, but Raven snatched his arm up sharply; then she smiled, a little embarrassed at the awkwardness. They walked out of the room hand in hand, and Beast Boy winked at Terra as he closed the door with one final click.
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Yay, chapter one is over! Was that long or was it just me? Don't worry, everything will make sense by the end of the story. I hope you liked it, but I think I used the word "maybe" too much, and Beast Boy kept getting called out. Oh, and I used "cry/cried" a lot too. Anyway, it was really fun to write and I'm working on part two! Enjoy.