AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for not updating for a while. I had school. yes, a lame excuse, considering it is a monday. let me correct that, I had schoolwork. Anywho...This chapter...(I'm going to take a leaf from my favorite Fanfic Author when she was around my age...SushiChica) is dedicated to SeverineYung, because she's my best reviewer and actually reviews..*looks pointedly at many other readers, but NOT reviewers.* Yep. Also, my dedication is to Wenyi...best anonymous reader EVER. GO GET AN ACCOUNT.

In the words of my friend C (Names are abbreviatedfor their personal safety) "adelante!"

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Mariana was staring at the TV, where a bear was now swatting at water. Thinking, she sat there for about fifteen minutes, staring. After each minute, she leaned closer, and closer, her hair gliding slowly down her arms, cascading her shoulders. Eyes wide and vacant, she stared, deep in thought. She was actually trying to meditate silently, because she felt she was intruding on Raven by using her words. A gloved hand smacked the couch. She didn't blink. The hand's owner sighed. Loudly. Then the hand flapped in the air, it's partner also flailing. The owner dashed in front of the TV, quacking like a duck. Mariana's eyes unglazed themselves slowly.

"Mari-AN-UH!!! If only you'd pay attention to me like you did to bears---wait a second…"

Beastboy morphed into a large green bear. He got up on his hind legs and started to do the hula.

"What the heck Beastboy," Mariana said, laughing. "You look like…weird…"

The bear stomped towards Mariana, eyes glinting. It stood in front of her, looking down. It suddenly turned. Bending over, in a sitting motion.

"Wha--? Oh! Whoa, that would've been heavy BB!" Mariana slid off the couch fluidly. (A/N: This one's for you severineyung!)

Beastboy morphed back as Mariana smacked him.

"Heeeey, Mari…." Beastboy started.

"What?" She crossed her arms and looked the other way, feigning anger.

"Hey, look at me! Hey!!! Look!!! Look at me!! I have something to say!!" He flailed again. He turned into a kitten. He pawed at her boot.

"Meow."

She looked down at him. She smiled and picked him up. Stroking him, she sat down.

"What do you want, you goofball?"

"Purrr."

She giggled and nuzzled him. Then she set him aside and picked up the remote. Holding it up for the best reception, she flipped through the channels. The kitten pawed at the remote.

"Hey! Robin's gonna hurt you if you get fur on the sofa. And don't blame it on me, I don't shed green."

This was in fact true. Mariana's green streaks were fading. Thinking this, she touched her hair. The kitten looked up at her with big eyes.

"Stop looking. I've gotta get some more green stuff. But hey…I don't really need it…It was only for you…" She smiled faux-evilly.

"Hey! Mariana, you can't do that! The green hair was AWESOME. Come on! I'll even buy it for you. From the mall! With all the crazy kids!" Beastboy had morphed back to his green lanky self and was already flailing once again.

Beastboy didn't work well in malls. Children were always surrounding him. Correction, suffocating him.

"Hmmph."

"Anyways, you'll need touch-ups for this…Guess what? You're an honorary member of the Titans!!"

"Wow…Big surprise there." Mariana flipped to the next channel, where a couple was snuggled in a boat. Something green was glowing in the water. The woman started shrieking at the water.

"Yeah, but…this was what I wanted to tell you…Themayor'sholdingaballforusandhe'sgonnamentionyouspecifically!" He said this all very fast.

"What?" Mariana put the TV on mute.

"Every year, the mayor holds a 'crime fighting' ball for the big donating people, police people, and us. And because you're now an honorary member, he's gonna mention you especially!"

"OH MY GOD!!!" Mariana started squealing at a very high frequency.

Beastboy grinned. Mariana tackled him in a large bear hug. He struggled, rolling around on the couch. She attempted to kick him, but really just succeeded in pawing at him with the tip of her boot, borrowed from Raven. Cyborg, who had been looking around for something in the kitchen cupboard, stuck his head out.

"Y'all, I'm tryin' to make DINNER HERE! Shut up, and just watch TV!"

Starfire, who had just stepped out of the shower, flew in.

"Ahh, you are playing, yes? Like the cubs of the glorh'lax, on my planet! Yes…continue with your playing! It is very of the amusing type, yes, friend Robin?" She gazed lovingly at Robin.

Robin, who had just come up from the computer lab, glanced at Mariana and Beastboy, and grinned, happy Beastboy could have fun again. He was such a downer when Terra had "left"…

"Geez. They're at it again. What'd he do this time? Steal the remo-- HEY. Is that cat hair on the couch? BEASTBOY!!!"

Raven, who had decided to pop in to see what Robin was raving about, lowered herself slowly from the ceiling, which had turned black from the energy surrounding it. Raven, upon seeing Mariana and Beastboy, tangled up on the couch and yelling, stopped in her tracks. She started to say something, but stopped. Her violet eyes glowed a little to the pinker side, making them a rather violent shade of magenta. A pot flew from Cyborg's hand and hit the wall, causing a dent in the pot, and a few crumbles of rubble from the wall.

"You... I…That… What's this all about?!" Raven seemed at a struggle for not only words, but her emotions. She started whisper-chanting, closed her eyes, and started to make tea, not really waiting for the answer to her question.

"Well," Mariana lifted her head, and restrained Beastboy for a moment, "Beastboy mentioned this 'Justice Ball', or 'Crime Fighters United Ball' or whatever it's called."

"Oh, yeah," Robin said, scratching his head, "But don't worry, we don't have to go to that, we can always say Dr. Light was robbing the bank. But why're you guys fighting over that?"

"Oh, because Mariana can't hug people without getting violent. Don't worry, she'll take her meds at dinner!" Beastboy squeaked, lifting his head from Mariana's grasp. Mariana smacked him lightly on the shoulder and they started the struggle again.

"I. Do. Not. Take. Behavioural. Meds." She said, accenting each with a smack.

"Why'd you say behavioural? I didn't say behavioural!" Beastboy replied, squawking at her attacks.

"I didn't even know the word "behavioural" was in your vocabulary." Raven sneered at Beastboy, having regained control over herself.

"Cuz then I get to smack you more!" Mariana sat on him.

"Fatty!" He scratched at her. Then he decided to take action, and morphed into a tiger.

"NOT THE COUCH!" Robin yelled. Starfire giggled at her amusing friends, cheering Mariana on. Cyborg just rolled his eyes and proceeded flipping whatever he was cooking, which smelled like fish. Raven was pointedly not looking their way, and trying to read a book, but was failing miserably at doing so.

"COULD YOU KEEP IT DOWN? I CAN'T EVEN HEAR MYSELF THINK!" Raven growl-yelled, her eyes turning red, and the faint outline of an extra pair starting to glow as well.

"Whoa, Rae, you don't need to get all freaky deakyon us. Sensitive much…" Beastboy said, completely oblivious to the tentacles of Raven's cloak snaking their way towards him.

Raven snarled as Robin gave her a warning look. Starfire looked slightly terrified and squeaked as the tentacles got too close to her.

"I'm not hungry." Raven threw down her book, got up, and stomped out, grumbling all the way.

"What? I'm almost done dinner though!" Cyborg yelled.

"It is all the okay, friend Cyborg, I shall eat her portions of the dinner!" Starfire shouted gleefully.

Mariana had struggled away from Beastboy and had walked up to Robin. Beastboy followed suit. They hadn't really noticed Raven's outburst.

"Robin, can we go this time? Mariana's getting special mention and everything. Please?????" He morphed into the big-eyed kitten and blinked at Robin. Mariana looked down and blushed.

"You don't have to go, if you guys don't want to…"

"Special mention?" Robin grinned. "We are definitely going!"

"Yeah!!!!" Beastboy shouted and started doing a victory dance with Mariana. Starfire erupted in a fit of giggles again.

"Friends, you are much the entertaining!!!"

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After dinner, which was fried fish and salad, for Starfire, Robin and Cyborg, and a strange tofu mixture for Mariana and Beastboy (He was getting better at cooking now that there was someone else eating his food), everyone did all their routine things. Cyborg, Beastboy and Mariana played the newest Super Monkeys game, and Mariana beat Cyborg, then lost to Beastboy. Robin went on a Wikipedia splurge and read up on molecular cell division. Starfire began cooking some strange alien concoction (Zorca Berry Smoothies, she called it), and Raven read another horror novel. Suddenly, Raven put down her book, walked up to the couch where Beastboy, Cyborg, and Mariana were in contorting themselves into strange positions, attempting to knock each other out of a tree.

"Mariana." She pronounced clearly.

"Yahuh?" Mariana swerved past Cyborg's character and indeed kicked his monkey butt.

"About the poetry slam, why don't we go to this café instead? And let's do it tomorrow."

"Umm, okay. But why not the poetry slam?" Mariana somehow twirled herself onto the other side of the wide couch while Beastboy executed some sort of gymnastic leap (in person, not in the game).

"Because it's not tomorrow." Raven restrained a resounding "Duh". In truth, Raven hadn't wanted to discover if Mariana was truly a poetry slam person. She guessed it was because of some subconscious need for Mariana to not be her friend (Not have anything in common with her)…for whatever reason.

"Oh, okay." Mariana bit her lip, and her character, a monkey with a green bow on it's head, knocked Cyborg's player out of the tree. "I WIN!!! BEAT THAT!!!" She cried, jumping on the couch and yelling, much like a monkey while Robin chastised her for jumping on the couch.

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Mariana stirred her coffee. Raven stared out the window into the rain. They both hadn't said much on the way to the café. Raven looked at her herbal tea. The dregs were dark green. A waitress came by, and asked if she wanted a refill. She nodded. The waitress left to get a refill, but not without some strange glances at Mariana and Raven's hair and outfits. "Crazy teenagers." she mumbled.

"So…" Mariana said, trying to break the silence. She rocked in her seat.

"So…" Raven agreed.

"How's…life?"

"It's been normal."

"…Okay."

Raven and Mariana both paused for the waitress to put down the steaming cup of tea.

"So how is school?" Raven attempted.

"Oh, well, my friends are still cool about me not being…like I was before, and this guy keeps looking at me funny, I think he wants your autograph…"

"Really? That's interesting." Raven struggled to sound interested. "What does he look like?" Mariana went on in a detailed description of the boy, who sounded like a drag.

"So…" Mariana started.

"I've been thinking. Isn't it odd, that out of all the people in Jump City, a telepath happens to become Beastboy's number 1 fan, and joins the Titans?" Raven burst out suddenly.

"You mean…me? Yeah..that is pretty cool…"

"Yes. I've been thinking about that, I mean, what are the chances?" Raven attempted a smile.

"Fate?"

Raven snorted. Fate. Like she hadn't heard that one before. (A/N: If you haven't seen teen Titans, The End, you won't have the foggiest what that was about. Also...I spit on you if you haven't.)

"So, Raven, when's our next meeting gonna be?"

"I don't know. How's just anytime?"

"Sure! But I have this one problem with the meditating…"

"Really, what is it?" Raven was a little interested in what perfect little Mariana couldn't do. She chastised herself for thinking that. I must think good thoughts, must help her…

"Well, I don't feel comfortable using your words, it feels like I'm stealing a part of you…" Raven felt the same way. Glad that her companion wasn't completely brainless and insensitive, she listened on.

"So, will it still work if I do it silently?"

"Oh, yes it should. It will work as long as you can focus yourself and center yourself. The point of the meditation, for you, is to be able to focus your mind, so you can learn to do that on the battlefield. And so we can learn all that you can do."

"What's it do for you, then?"

"Well, it does the same for me, but it also keeps my emotions in check."

" 'In check'?"

"My emotions, if not controlled, would cause much destruction."

"Oh, really? Could I…see?"

"Oh, well, I don't think the cafe owners would mind…"

"…Too much." Mariana finished for her.

Raven closed her eyes, willing for some emotion to come up. But she couldn't help her mind, as it especially liked to be dead around Mariana. Brain dead. She instead, thought of things that might anger her. Maybe her feelings of the struggle in the living room? She braced herself for the heat of the unknown emotions rushing at her. Her mug of tea exploded. Thankfully it was empty, and the explosion was contained. The waitress looked upset and walked over to clean it up.

After she left, Mariana apologized, "Sorry, if that made you uncomfortable. You looked uncomfortable."

"No it was fine."

"So… Raven, I'm going to venture out into the uncomfortable again, and ask you about something."

Raven's insides squirmed. The uncomfortable? What could she mean?

"Go on."

"Well, why didn't you like me? At first? And why are you being my friend now?" Mariana asked, "Or trying at least." She added.

"I can't explain it Mariana," Raven, deciding to be truthful, said, "I guess I was afraid of being replaced. And then you had psychic powers, and I thought I was going to be replaced without a doubt, but…I don't think that anymore. And there was also the whole Terra thing. But I realize you're not Terra," I think, thought Raven. " Because you have information that I can access. We do know something about you, not just your name. And also, I feel good around you. You do exert a certain…happy aura. A loving aura. Tell me, are you Italian or Tamaranean?" She attempted a joke.

"Yes, I'm Italian, but not completely. But also, who is Terra?" Mariana knew part of the story, but not all of it.

"Well…Terra was a girl with the power over the earth. She could throw pebbles, but she could also create destructive earthquakes. She had a secret, and it was that she wasn't always in check with her powers. She flitted back and forth from the team for a while, but then she became a permanent member. She also became Beastboy's object of affection for a while." Raven stiffened at this part. "But she betrayed us to Slade, our main enemy at the time. She created a huge earthquake and tried to destroy Jump City, but in the end, she saw the light. Beastboy helped guide her to it," She said bitterly. "She tried to reverse what she had done, and she ended up turning into a rock. A statue in honor of her heroic deed." She drawled the word "heroic" with distaste, as if it were the exact opposite.

"Wow. That's deep. And sad. I didn't know that. That's why Robin and the others were cautious?"

"Yes."

"Do they think I'll be another Terra?"

Raven didn't asnwer.

"Well, I promise you I won't be another Terra."

"Sure"

"Really. Look. I've been trying out my powers a bit, and I managed to make a picture of a spider and scare Beastboy when I tapped his shoulder."

"Right. He hates those."

"So let me show you…me."

Mariana took Raven's hand and place it on her forehead. The surrounding tables looked at them like they were insane. Raven closed her eyes, and so did Mariana. Images of Mariana's youth, and her life flitted into her mind. Images of her life now, and before. Before the Titans, after the Titans. Her small crush on Beastboy before the Titans. Her friendship with him now. Her small want for something more. Her gratefulness. Her absolute goodness. She was pure as a dove. Raven put down Mariana's hand.

"That's too much. Thank you, but I feel like I've been imposing."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

They both looked at the table awkwardly.

"Here. Let me show you."

Raven placed Mariana's hand into her hands. "Now let me show you, and let your mind turn it into images."

Mariana did so. She saw Raven's birth. The prophecy. Her feelings of hatred. Her mind. Her fear of the prophecy. Her being the portal. Becoming the portal for Trigon. Her fear for her friends. Her fear of her inner hatred rising again. How she conquered her prophetical fate. And something about Beastboy, but Raven let go of her hand at that. More like threw it. Ouch.

"We should go now.." Raven said embarrassedly. She hadn't meant for that to be shown…