Rise of the Beast
A Teen Titans Fanfic by Quill N. Inque
I do not own Teen Titans.
Chapter 9: Meditation For Dummies
Beast Boy knocked timidly on the door of Raven's room, trying in vain to quell the stormy mixture of fear and anticipation that roiled in his belly. His gloved fingers rapped softly on the shining metal, and almost instantly Raven's violet eyes looked up at his own.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," Raven drawled.
Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah, I was, uh…"
Raven shook her head, her dark hair swishing in front of her face in the way that Beast Boy found adorable. "Forget it," she said. "We have a lot of work to do."
Beast Boy's mind automatically flashed back to their conversation the day before, where Raven had agreed to teach him the meditative arts in an effort to shove the Beast back in its proverbial box. How hard could it be? Beast Boy thought. It's not, like, rocket science or anything.
Raven motioned him inside with a businesslike air, gesturing toward a spot on the floor as the door hissed shut behind them. "You may as well get comfortable, Beast Boy. We're going to be here awhile."
Beast Boy stared at the floor of Raven's room. The once-barren tiles were now emblazoned in three concentric circles, and inside each of these were row upon row of ancient runes, which glowed softly in the dimness of their own volition. Candles cast a flickering light on Beast Boy's surroundings, and the gentle dripping of hot wax could clearly be heard as Raven flipped through one of her books. All in all, it made for quite an eerie atmosphere.
"What is this, an exorcism?" Beast Boy joked.
"No," Raven replied as she took a bowl of sweet-smelling herbs from a shelf. "This is a Circle of Meditation, Beast Boy. It will act as an amplifier and allow you to meditate more easily. I could do it by myself, but it's dangerous for a novice to attempt deep meditation unaided. You could go into a coma, or worse."
Beast Boy pointed at the symbols. "What are those for?"
"The inscriptions are a safety measure," Raven said. "In case the Beast takes control of you. If that happens, the enchantment will keep it imprisoned inside the Circle until I can bring you back. Now sit down," she added, pointing toward the pentacle in the Circle's center.
"So what do I do?" the changeling asked.
"You need to find your 'center'," Raven replied, taking a seat next to him, albeit outside the Circle's perimeter. "Measure your breathing, for a start."
Beast Boy tried to ignore the way his heart started pounding in his chest with Raven so close. He took a deep, cleansing breath, and as if on cue all the muscles in his body relaxed.
"Good," Raven said, nodding approvingly. "Now, this is the tricky part. You need to find a way to enter your own mind, where the Beast dwells. Concentrate, but let your thoughts wander."
Raven's voice seemed to echo from far away, and Beast Boy felt as if he was being pulled along the floor. Farther and farther away he got, until…
Beast Boy found himself in the middle of a hot, steamy jungle. Brilliantly colored flowers exploded from the underbrush, and the chatter of countless bids echoed deafeningly from the canopy above. Sweat trickled down the back of Beast Boy's neck, and the his ears twitched. He was not alone here.
The voice that rasped from the forest around him was all too familiar.
"You are brave, little hunter, to venture inside my domain. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"
"I came here to show you that I'm not afraid of you," Beast Boy snapped. "You have no power over me! I won't let you!"
"Wrong on both counts, I'm afraid," the Beast replied. "I would not be talking to you right now if you hadn't given me the strength to do so. If you hadn't longed for the strength I can bestow upon you, I would have vanished long after the incident with the whelp Adonis. I am only here because you want me here. Deny it all you like, but you know I speak the truth."
"Right," Beast Boy snorted. "So you'll just go away if I ask you to?"
The Beast smirked. It wasn't a pretty sight. "Life just isn't fair, is it, Garfield? You let your parents die because you could not control your powers properly, you had your heart broken by the first person you ever loved, and now you are too timid and afraid to open yourself up to Raven."
"SHUT UP!" Beast Boy shouted. "You don't know what you're talking about!"
"I can read your memories like a book, Garfield. I know EXACTLY what I'm talking about." The Beast seemed to blur for an instant, and Beast Boy found his windpipe being crushed by its massive, bony fist.
"You and I are one, Garfield," it hissed. "Your friends already know this. Have you seen the way they look at you? Have you noticed their fearful glances whenever you walk into a room? They no longer see YOU, boy. They see ME! And so does Raven!"
Beast Boy began turning an unhealthy bluish-green, gasping and choking for air…
Raven glanced worriedly at her friend, who had begun to sweat and shiver violently, mouthing inaudible exclamations as he fought his inner demons. She frantically waved a hand in front of his face. "Beast Boy? Are you all right? BEAST BOY!"
The changeling opened his eyes, but the deep tones that issued forth from Beast Boy's mouth were not his own. His head turned slowly, eerily, as if on hinges, and a dark smile flitted across his face.
"He's not in at the moment," the Beast replied, grinning dangerously as his eyes danced. "Can I take a message?"
Raven's eyes widened in horror. "You're the monster that's been tormenting my friend."
"Yes, yes I am, but I think we both know that the term 'friend' isn't strong enough."
Raven fought in vain to keep from blushing. "I don't know what you mean."
"Oh, please," the Beast snorted. "Who are you trying to fool, Raven? You know full well how you feel for him."
"So? What's your point?"
"My point, dearest Raven, is that poor Beast Boy is afraid. His heart still hurts from Terra's betrayal, and his fear of rejection will make him distance himself from you. And, more importantly, you haven't really encouraged him to make any advances, have you?"
"I…" Raven was momentarily lost for words.
" 'Statistically, I suppose someone has to,' " the Beast quoted in a ridiculously exaggerated falsetto voice. " 'Beast Boy has a brain?' 'You're green, your ears are pointed, and you have fangs!' Oh, yes, you've been SUCH a good friend to Beast Boy, putting him down like that all the time," it finished sarcastically. "The mystery of why he wants anything to do with you is beyond even my considerable intelligence."
"He's forgiven me for that," Raven said, her voice shaking. "He told me."
"Did he? Did he really?" The Beast asked, his eyes sparkling with malevolent glee. "Deep down, in the darkest corners of Beast Boy's mind, the bitterness is still there, Raven. I know this to be true, for I have seen it. He still feels the sting of your poisoned words, no matter what he 'tells you'. It is for this reason, above all else, that Beast Boy will never be yours."
Raven looked away as her vision blurred. "No. It's not true."
The Beast laughed with her friend's voice, leaning so close that the tip of his nose almost touched the barrier that encircled him. The creature locked eyes with Raven, its burning gaze piercing her to her very soul. When it spoke, its voice was hushed, smug, and utterly confident.
"Keep telling yourself that."
Then Beast Boy slumped to the cold metal floor, the strength draining from his body as the Beast melded back into his mind. The changeling let out an agonized groan, but despite the fact that he was the one on the floor, as weak as a newborn kitten, the first thing he asked was:
"Raven? Are you all right?"
"No," Raven said, blinking back rebellious tears. "I don't think I'll be all right for a long time, Beast Boy."
"What happened?"
Raven's voice was tender, and Beast Boy could clearly her her sniffling. "I'm so sorry, Beast Boy."
"For what?" His voice was surprised.
"I've been such a jerk to you for so long. I've insulted you and deameaned you at every opportunity, and I know I can never make up for it. You don't deserve a bad friend like me," Raven said softly, but she stiffened as Beast Boy tenderly wiped away her tears.
"Whatever the Beast told you," he said, with an ocean depth's worth of feeling, "Whatever he convinced you to believe, it's not true, Raven. I've never given that stuff a second thought."
Raven looked up at him, and Beast Boy felt his heartstrings being pulled. How DARE that monster distress Raven like that?
Her voice was small. "Really?"
For a moment, the changeling merely gazed at her, mesmerized by Raven's beauty, and a wave of affection washed over him as the blood began to pound in his ears. Overcome with his love for Raven, Beast Boy summoned up his courage, said a quick prayer to whatever deity happened to be listening, and smiled back. "Really."
And then he kissed her.
A/N: Hey, guys! I'm back! Looks like the moment you've all been waiting for has FINALLY arrived! What will happen to Beast Boy and Raven now? Find out in coming chapters!
Your humble servant,
-Quill N. Inque
