Chapter Four

The three girls had developed a system. Each time they encountered one of the wall illusions, Starfire would grab Happy's hand before she passed through the wall. Happy would grip Sad's hand and follow, half of her body in the maze and half on the other side, while Sad anchored herself as firmly as she could in the maze. None of the secret rooms had proven helpful yet, but they instinctively knew that they had to explore every possibility.

Sad watched the other two girls disappear through yet another wall, her hand held tightly in Happy's. She planted her feet and waited patiently for Happy to signal that they were ready to be pulled back through.

It wasn't long before she felt the familiar tug, and she leaned back, bracing herself in readiness. She started to pull, but a stronger tug from Happy jerked her clean off her feet. Next she knew she was tumbling to the ground on what was certainly the other side of the wall.

"No!" she cried, "Happy, what did you do? We'll never get out, now! I can't believe-"

"Stop, you doofus," Happy interrupted excitedly, "look! We've found the exit."

Sad quieted immediately. She looked around her for the first time, noticing that the walls of the maze were gone. Instead, they were back on the familiar rocky terrain suspended in a starry sky that was so prevalent in most of Raven's mind. A little further down the path Starfire was flying in ecstatic circles, clapping her hands and squealing triumphantly.

"Friends, we are victorious!" she cried, "It is glorious!" She swooped down and caught both Sad and Happy up in an enthusiastic hug. Happy giggled and returned the hug eagerly, even Sad cracked a smile.

"We may just make it after all," Sad voiced aloud.

"Silly, of course we will. We're, like, invincible now!"

Starfire disentangled herself and darted back up the path. "Come, friends!" she called, "we must hurry. Raven still needs us!" She waited to see that they were following, then turned and zoomed away, anxious to reach their destination.

Happy and Sad scrambled to catch up to her, Happy still giggling madly.


Robin almost missed the screaming. Almost.

As he and Reasonable climbed higher and higher the bouts of shrieking had gradually faded completely. The higher elevations had brought their own perils, however. Now Robin was straining his still ringing ears, listening for sounds of underground disturbance. A localized rumbling, they had discovered, was a precursor to a lethal eruption of flames. Robin was sporting a nasty burn on his elbow, and the entire right side of Reasonable's cloak had been charred irreparably. With such pressing motivation they had learned quickly how to predict the flame geysers.

There! It was starting again. The earth rumbled to their right and with a practiced motion Robin grasped Reasonable's wrist and swung them both out of harm's way.

"Thank you, Richard," Reasonable panted as they edged further from the blast.

"Any time."

Robin had proven to have almost a sixth sense for the eruptions. That and his cat-like reflexes had kept both Reasonable and himself out of the worst of the danger.

Reasonable, still rubbing her wrist, waited solemnly while Robin listened for further warnings. After a moment he nodded and the two trekked onward. Still listening warily, Robin glanced over at Reasonable with a measuring look.

"Look, what's with the Richard thing, anyway?"

Reasonable slowed and turned to face Robin, her eyebrows furrowed as she considered. "I think … it's a gesture of friendship."

"Friendship?" Robin was surprised into laughter, "But all of my friends call me Robin."

"Yes, Robin may be what you're called, but Richard is who you are."

"What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"You may eventually change your identity … something about Nightwing, I think?" at this Robin grinned and shrugged, "But you will always remain Richard. I call you that because I choose to see beyond the mask you wear and acknowledge the one who makes Robin what he is. Anyone could wear your costume and claim to be Robin, but there's only one Richard."

"Huh." Robin returned his attention to the treacherous trail before them without another word, but he found himself admitting that somewhere deep within he was pleased.

A shadow fell over them, and Robin looked up to find the sun blocked by a mass of rock. "Looks like we've got another hill to climb," he commented unnecessarily, pointing out the black rise to Reasonable. They were both weary of hiking, but Robin had already rejected their other options. Under no circumstances was he willing to turn back and they certainly couldn't rest here.

Reasonable groaned quietly, but she didn't falter. Robin was impressed. 'She may be all brains, no brawn, but she's a plucky little thing.' Reasonable caught his eye and attempted a smile. "I can make it," she said, "don't worry about me."

"I wasn't," Robin protested, "you're doing great."

As they neared the hill it quickly became apparent to Robin that it wasn't a hill at all but a black, forbidding cliff face. It soared straight up into the sky and from this distance the rock face appeared completely smooth, almost polished. "Great," he muttered, "How do we climb that?"

To his astonishment, Reasonable began to smile. "We must have reached the border," she said, "finally."

The ground shifted suddenly under their feet and Robin dove out of the way, taking Reasonable with him, just as a jet of steam and fire shot out of the very spot they had been standing. They waited where they had fallen, silently watching the geyser of flames as it burnt itself out.

Robin reached down to help Reasonable up from where she had tumbled and waited patiently while she brushed herself off. "That was … close," she ventured quietly.

"Yeah, I think I felt my eyebrows singe," he remarked with a rueful smile. "Good thing we're almost out of here." He remained tense, alert for any further sign of eruption, but they covered the last few hundred yards to the cliff face without further interruption.

"Okay," Robin began, "here's the thing: I'm gonna try to use my grappling hook but if the top of the cliff is out of range I'll make my way up alone, then I can figure out how to pull you up behind—" Reasonable was shaking her head in disagreement, smiling serenely.

"There's no need for that. I can easily make my way up the cliff."

"I don't think so," Robin answered flatly. "You're already tired, and you don't have your abilities to help you out. If it helps, I wouldn't have let Raven try it in that condition, either."

"No, Richard," she said firmly, "you don't understand."

Robin grunted irritably, but quirked an eyebrow in a silent request for explanation.

"This part will seem a bit strange," Reasonable began as she approached the base of the cliff. "Just remember that in Raven's mind, reality is how you perceive it."

"Um, okay."

"Just … do what I do," Reasonable advised. With no further instruction she stepped up to the wall, tilted backward, and began to walk straight up.

"What the—?" Robin managed. "Uh, Reasonable. I can't do that."

"Yes, you can," she called over her shoulder. "Just try it. Trust me."

Robin shrugged and approached the wall, planting one foot firmly on the cliff face. He hesitated only a moment, then drew his other foot up to join the first. The sensation was strange, suddenly his entire perspective shifted to accommodate him. Behind him, the ground they had just covered towered endlessly into the sky; ahead of him, the cliff face stretched out smoothly.

Robin was amazed. He could see the top of the cliff from here, their goal was easily within reach. He jogged toward Reasonable, slowing to keep pace with her when he reached her side. "This is amazing," he told her, "I had no idea. How else can we use this to our advantage?"

Reasonable pondered this. "I hadn't considered it," she admitted, "I'm not used to viewing Raven's mind strategically."

"Maybe not," Robin told her firmly, "but we need to start."

They were mere yards from the edge of the cliff when the world shifted. Robin pitched forward against the cliff face, hands scrabbling desperately for a handhold. Beside him, Reasonable started to slide backward as gravity fought to pull her toward the foot of the cliff. He reached out and caught her wrist just as his other hand found purchase.

Stunned, they hung for a moment, neither willing to risk disturbing their tenuous hold. "What happened?" Robin questioned weakly when he had recovered his voice.

"I don't know," Reasonable moaned, "I don't understand. Perspective should not have reasserted itself until we had reached the top. Perhaps … perhaps Rage had something to do with it."

"Rage? What do you mean?"

"This is Rage's home, this is where Rage wields the most power. Perhaps she felt us here and is trying to stop us from proceeding."

"I see." Robin shifted a bit and guided Reasonable's hand to a safer handhold. "Can you hang onto that?" he asked, "I'm going to get us to the top."

Reasonable nodded and Robin released her wrist. Carefully, he fingered his grappling hook and pulled it out of its holster. He took aim, pulled the trigger, then listened as the hook skittered across the loose stones at the top of the cliff. Finally it came to rest in a crack not two feet from the top and Robin tugged on the rope experimentally. Satisfied that it would hold he turned to Reasonable once again.

"You ready?" he asked. Reasonable nodded bravely and Robin helped her twine an arm around his neck. "Okay, here we go," he warned, and he pressed the retract button. Robin's stomach dropped as they swung out from the cliff face and began their rapid ascent. Determinedly not looking down, he silently prayed that the rope would hold.

Their luck held. When they neared the overhang Robin reached up and grasped the edge then turned to look Reasonable in the eye. "You ready for this? I'm gonna lift you up first."

"Ready," Reasonable confirmed. Grunting with the effort, Robin heaved Reasonable toward the top of the cliff. For several seconds he supported her weight while she scrambled to clamber over the edge.

With an unnatural abruptness Reasonable's weight was lifted from his shoulders and Robin heard her squeal in surprise. Frantically he reached up to grab at her ankle but she had already been whisked over the edge and out of sight.

"Reasonable?" he called out in panic, "Are you okay? What's going on?" He heaved himself up the last few feet and peered over the edge hoping to ascertain Reasonable's whereabouts. He found his view blocked by a monstrous figure, its back to the sun.

"Stay back!" Robin warned as the creature crouched down before him. His anger melted into surprise when the mysterious figure chuckled in a familiar timbre and offered him its hand.

Its decidedly metallic hand.

"Cyborg?"


When the rain started again the trio of weary adventurers lurched to their feet and began trudging down the trail once more. Beast Boy couldn't remember having ever been this tired before. Admittedly the day hadn't been physically strenuous, but the journey through Sad's forests, not to mention his worry for his friends, had definitely taken an emotional toll on him. He was even hearing things again thanks to his frayed nerves.

When Beast Boy realized he was dwelling on his problems, he forced his morose thoughts to the back of his mind and concentrated on Brave and Timid instead. Timid especially looked even worse than he felt. She was barely lifting her feet as she walked and even as he watched she stumbled over a non-existent obstacle. Brave didn't seem to be faring much better, though she continued to hold her chin high, her arms swinging at her sides.

"So … Brave," Beast Boy spoke into the silence, "what's with you and green, anyway?"

Brave looked confused. "Huh?" she expressed eloquently.

"The cloak, the outfit, the whole theme you've got going on. Why green? What does green have to do with being brave?" Here he waggled his eyebrows cheekily, "Any relation to yours truly?"

Brave stared at him blankly for a moment, then she shook her head and answered his grin with one of her own. "Uh, no," she said with false arrogance, "I've worn green since before Raven ever met you … guess you've got a lot to live up to."

Not bad, she was a bit rusty but at least she was playing along. Beast Boy glared at her in mock irritation and inclined his head toward Timid's. "I dunno," he stage whispered dubiously, "she talks big, but she is just a girl."

Brave raised her eyebrows dangerously while Timid hid a smile behind her hand. "Okay. Listen here, shorty," Brave began, but Beast Boy just grinned as he morphed into a chicken and fluttered into Timid's arms.

"That's what I thought!" Brave crowed, dusting her hands together. "Now who's all talk?" She turned on her heel, still smiling faintly, and strode further down the path.

A feathered Beast Boy launched himself out of Timid's arms and landed with two human feet on the trail. He adopted an affected pose for a moment, hands on his hips, nose in the air, then he dusted his own hands together and turned to follow Brave.

Behind him he heard Timid vainly try to suppress a giggle and when she caught up to him he flashed her a grin and a wink. "I can hear you guys giggling back there!" Brave called. "Don't think I won't leave your sorry butts in the dust."

"I don't giggle," Beast Boy retorted, feigning offense.

Brave shrugged, "Coulda fooled me."

Beast Boy growled at her retreating back, but felt a quick stab of satisfaction. It was still raining miserably, cold trickles of water kept running into his eyes and down the back of his neck, but Brave had regained some spring in her step and even Timid was trotting along briskly now. Mission accomplished.


Cyborg pulled Robin to his feet before nearly driving him to his knees with a friendly slap on the back. "Yo, Robin! Man, am I glad to see you again."

"Yeah," Robin grunted, "me too. Are the others nearby?"

Cyborg sobered. "Naw. You're the first Titan I've seen since I got here." His human eye brightened a bit when he added, "but I did run into Crude and Affection, here."

"Who—?" Robin managed, before a flurry of violet cloak and hair obscured his vision and answered his question. The eager girl bounced up and down on her toes for a moment before flinging her arms around his neck for a quick squeeze, then pushing away again to beam at him.

"I'm guessing you're Affection," Robin deduced with a wry smile. The girl nodded in agreement and opened her mouth to speak when her orange-clothed counterpart shoved her aside.

"And I'm Crude. Don't mind Affection, she slobbers all over everybody." She scrutinized Robin closely before continuing, "Wow, you look terrible. You get your butt kicked?"

"Now, now," Cyborg stepped in, "you've been such a good girl, no need to start misbehaving now."

The third Emotion laid a hand on Robin's shoulder and scolded, "Manners, Crude. We've just been through Rage's home. She's getting stronger." She dismissed Crude with a glare and turned to Cyborg, "Thank you again for assisting me. I believe I neglected to introduce myself. I'm Reasonable."

Cyborg's giant hand enfolded her tiny one gently, "Pleased to meet you, Reasonable. I'm-"

"Victor. Yes, I know," Reasonable smiled.

Robin chuckled at Cyborg's raised eyebrow. "She keeps doing that. You start to get used to it." He sobered and continued, "We should get going, Reasonable says she knows where to find Raven."

"What about B.B. and Star?" Cyborg queried. Robin hesitated, then squared his shoulders in determination

"I'd like to find Starfire and Beast Boy, but we have to make getting to Raven a priority."

Crude snorted and readied a comment, but Cyborg clapped a hand over her mouth. Robin ignored her squeak of protest and continued, "Besides, they'll know not to wait around for us. If they're okay, we're more likely to meet up with them at Raven's location."

The group continued on with renewed purpose and it wasn't long before they reached the next crossroads. "Which way, now?" Robin asked the quietly conversing Emotions. The three girls, after a hurried consultation, pointed unanimously to the left fork.

"Great job, thanks," Robin praised them, springing once more into action. He was summarily jerked to a halt when Cyborg reached out to grip his shoulder warningly.

"I could be wrong," Cyborg explained, pointing into the distance, "but I think he has other ideas."

Several hundred feet ahead of them, its body melting into the rocky background, a threatening figure waited. Two if its four clawed hands gripped a pair of evil looking swords. Robin could feel distinct waves of menace issuing from the creature as it stared stonily at them, its four red eyes unblinking.

"What is that?" Robin questioned uncertainly.

"Another of Trigon's old creations," Reasonable replied quietly, "not terribly dangerous normally, but without our abilities …"

"Not to worry, we've got it covered," Cyborg interrupted.

Affection grabbed his arm warningly, "Be careful, he can attack from both sides."

Cyborg smiled down at her and patted her hand gently, "Don't worry about me, sweetie. This guy and I have met before. He's goin' down."


Happy and Sad were puffing and panting when they finally caught up to Starfire. She had reached yet another fork and was flitting up and down the unmarked pathways in an agitated manner.

"No fair," Happy pointed out, gasping for breath, "you can fly. We can't."

"I am most apologetic," Starfire admitted contritely, "I was anxious to reach Raven as quickly as possible, but I am confused again. Which direction must we go?"

Sad and Happy looked about carefully, then conferred with each other quietly. Starfire wrung her hands impatiently and tried not to distract them.

"That way," Sad finally decided, pointing to the path leading to the right. "We're pretty sure it's that way."

"Pretty sure?" Starfire asked desperately, "You are not certain?"

"Well, we can't feel Raven as clearly as before. I think she's weakening," Sad explained.

At Starfire's horrified expression, Happy added, "But she's still okay, just tired. Really. We think." Starfire still looked doubtful, but Happy grasped her hand firmly and steered her in the right direction.

Hardly a minute had passed when they became aware of a commotion behind them. They looked around confusedly as the disturbance came closer and closer, Sad was becoming visibly agitated and Starfire grasped her wrist in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.

"We should go," Sad croaked, "quickly. I think I know what's coming."

Starfire didn't waste time questioning the meaning of her ominous statement, hastily she grabbed Happy's elbow with her free hand and started to drag the two girls down their chosen path.

It was no use; the sound was following and gaining on them. They would have to stand and confront whatever it was. At the distinctive sound of crunching gravel Starfire whirled around to face their attacker and promptly loosed a strangled gasp. She was greeted with the sight of two identical girls clinging wildly to the neck of a decidedly green horse – a horse that was bearing down on her at breakneck speed.

"Go, go!" the twin riders shouted, the one in back risking her precarious seat to wave her hands at Starfire in warning. Starfire hesitated, she didn't see a pursuer and Beast Boy was known for his mindless pranks.

The horse skidded to a stop mere feet from Starfire; the two riders tumbled to the ground as it morphed back into the familiar green-skinned boy. Beast Boy's familiar grin, however, was conspicuously absent as he grabbed Starfire by the shoulders in a panic.

"Run, Star! We've got to get out of here!"

"What is wrong? I am happy to see you again, have you seen Robin or Cyborg or-?"

"No time, Star. C'mon, we've gotta go." Starfire saw that the other girls had already dashed away, further up the path. Beast Boy tried to drag her along with him but Starfire planted her feet and regarded him firmly.

"This is not the time for pranks, Beast Boy," she began, but he shook his head vigorously.

"No joke. I think they've been following me the whole time. Look!" He pointed in the direction he had come from and Starfire turned in time to see a giant black cloud emerging from the darkness.

Starfire experienced a sharp pang of fear as the mysterious cloud rushed toward them. It was accompanied by a pervasive rustling, it sounded almost like …

Wings. The black cloud was actually a dense flock of black birds. Normally Starfire was quite found of birds, but something about these birds struck her as positively evil; she considered that the double set of red eyes that each possessed might have something to do with that. She shrieked shrilly and finally allowed Beast Boy to pull her away, but it was too late. They were already surrounded.