THIS MOMENT

Song: This Moment-Disturbed

Inspired by and derived from the story "Birthday Reflections" by BlueTitan, .

Chapter 10: Love Hate Relationship

….

As beastboy and the emotion creeped up behind the jagged wall, they caught a glimpse of Rage. She expressed relief that Rage was distracted and so they could stay out of sight till they reached the other side. Beastboy had disappeared. He'd creeped up to go towards Rage. He approached her altar where she was chained, from the left. Seeing this her heart caught in her throat. But she was too paralyzed by fear to do anything, but she wanted to also see what he was doing. She called out to him softly. He heard, but he went further still.

As he was climbing upto where she was chained. He looked up to catch a glimpse of the giant and menacing statue of Trigon looming far above him. For a moment he could've sworn that one of the eyes of the statue glinted, almost as if it was trying to look at him without moving (similar to how GORT's eyes move to scan his surroundings and track objects in the 2008 remake of the 'The Day The Earth Stood Still'). This caused him to miss his footing and in doing so, he kicked a stone. As it rattled across the floor, he hoped that Rage wouldn't hear him.

No such luck.

Seeing this the emotion's heart stopped. Having an entity made of pure negative emotion is no laughing matter (although it would be for Happy).

Beastboy stops trying to hide himself, and he approaches Rage.

"Uh, Hi"

Rage looked fierce with her four red eyes literally on fire. Her teeth gritted with such force that you would think that she could break her own jaws just by snapping.

Rage just looks at him, but doesn't say anything. She's stopped growling and screaming and hurting herself.

And her fire has reduced in intensity a bit. It's no longer a flamethrower but a crackling fire.

"I know what it's like to be chained like an animal. But maybe if you behaved more, Raven wouldn't have to treat you like this" he says, as he approaches her more gingerly.

Rage just slowly tracks him, and loosens her arms to her sides, as he gently moves his hand to touch her face.

Rage's head swiftly moves and bites hard down on Beastboy's hand. His bones don't crack, but her sharp teeth easily reach the bone, that's far stronger than any human bite.

Inspite of the excruciating pain, beastboy manages to smile at her. And she freezes into place as his other hand softly caresses her cheek. Having never felt softness like this, the gesture makes her stop biting and instead she proceeds to gently lick his hand, like a puppy who's just realized that it did something wrong.

"DON'T THINK MUCH OF THIS. I LOATHE ALL, I DESPISE ALL" Rage says curtly.

(Rage's voice sounds like a menacing version of 'Death' from 'Terry Pratchett's The Hogfather'.)

Beast boy is taken aback by her voice.

"BUT MOST OF ALL WHAT I HATE IS, IS THAT I CAN'T HATE YOU" She continues.

"I-" But before beastboy can reply, the giant statue of Trigon springs to life. As it moves, the very ground beneath them shakes. The emotion behind the wall jumps out and runs towards Beastboy and Rage. The statue is heading for Beastboy. "It's now or never to destroy Raven completely, and now she's brought her loverboy straight to me. Ha ha ha ha!"

He reaches down to grab beastboy, as Rage shouts, "UNBIND ME!"

Beastboy transforms into Tyrannosaur and breaks the chains holding Rage to her post.

Rage looks towards the other emotion and says, "LOVE, I NEED YOU TO JOIN WITH ME!"

Beastboy just looks at love and mouths "love?" Love just shrugs as she runs towards Rage. And they fuse. In the meantime, all the other emotions, knowledge, happy, brave, timid, lust and fear run towards portals to Rage's realm. It's now or never if they wish to destroy Trigon's influence in Raven's mind.

Trigon reaches to grab Tyranno-Beastboy. But then Beastboy morphs into a Spinosaur and towers over Trigon. For the first time in his life, Trigon has to look up to someone.

Beastboy snaps at Trigon's head and has his head within his jaws, beastboy realizes his mistake just in time and pushes trigon away, as he dodges Trigon's death beam by morphing into a fly. All the other Raven's run towards the LOVE-RAGE hybrid and fuse with her to form white Raven.

Meanwhile in the real world, Raven freezes while trying to capture the robbers in the bank. As she falls unconscious and turns white for some reason, to everyone's astonishment. The robbers take this opportunity to shoot Raven in the leg, but Cyborg jumps to her rescue and the bullet bounces off of his armour.

White Raven starts to fight Trigon as 'This Moment' starts to play.

It's quite the titanic fight. Death beams and Raven's white power beams flashing across and hitting each other.

One of Raven's powerful strikes almost hits Trigon, but when he blocks it, it's too late to fully stop it, and his elbow hits himself and creates a small break in himself. He grabs Raven by the throat and starts absorbing her power, as she tries to break away, Beastboy flies into the gap and reaches Trigon's centre and transforms into a Spinosaur and destroys Trigon, as Raven throws off Trigon's now severed arms, which were on her neck. She defuses and all the other emotions come apart.

(The song ends)

Rage collapses from fatigue and falls down to the ground crying from relief as Trigon's malicious influence leaves her. Happy, love and all the other emotions go to hug her tightly. There don't seem to be any difference between any of the emotions. It's just a bunch of old friends together again, 'cept they all look like Raven.

Beastboy runs in and joins the big hug.

In the real world, Raven wakes up in the Titan tower.

"Raven, are you okay, friend?" says Starfire.

"You gave us quite a scare today, Raven", Robin adds.

"Now that you're awake, help us find beastboy so that I can pummel some sense in him" Cyborg says smacking his fist into his hand.

"I'll get up, I'll get him" Raven says.

Then she starts to have tears in her eyes and feels a tightness in her chest. But she starts to smile and laugh so hard, it's almost like she's Beastboy. And then she starts to cry as she laughs. As they all come in to hug her.

"Friend, what makes you laugh and cry at the same time?" Starfire whispers in her ear.

"Oh Starfire" Raven gives her a kiss on the lips.

"Isn't this a sign of affection on your planet as well?"

"Yes, it's very common between people"

"Everyone, I'm free of Trigon's influence"

"What?!" Everyone says.

Cyborg's jaw falls to the floor, as he reaches up to grab it and reattach it.

"How?"

"Beastboy"

"I'll go get him"

Raven prances off into the distance, leaving all of them gawking at her with their mouths open, with Cyborg reaching down to pick up his jaw again.

Raven enters her room, and is not cognizant of its grimness. And picks up her 'nevermore' mirror.

In her mind, the emotions together bring beastboy to the exit of Raven's mind. The forbidden door.

"This is it Beastboy" they say in unison.

It's a little creepy. All the Ravens give beastboy a kiss and hug at the sametime.

The door opens and beastboy is pulled out by the vortex and materializes infront of everybody.

"Uh.. hey guys!" Beastboy waves at them.

They wave back with their mouths open, as they reach down to pick up their jaws. 'Cept Cyborg's because he's already experienced this.

"So, beastboy went into my mind, and with the other mes' he destroyed Trigon for good. I had sent him in as my gift for his birthday to really tell him how I feel, I had no idea that he had a return gift". She says as she leans in to hug him.

Everyone's still staring.

"Raven's happy?!"'
"Raven's telling jokes?!"

"Raven's hugging beastboy?!"

"I'm going to do a scan on this imposter!"

Raven laughs and says, "Cyborg! It's me!"

"Prove it"

In Cyborg's mind, a voice says, "I sent Robin's picture to all the places you wanted it too"

Immediately Cyborg's face lights up and he hugs Raven real hard, "That's our Raven"

…..

After Robin's humiliation at the hands of the Titans East, all the male villains and the female villains who he locked up and Cyborg. Beastboy and Raven walk out of the conference room together while holding hands.