I don't own anything that isn't mine! Like the Teen Titans and such.
BeastBoy watched the green cloaked emoticlone fall to the ground without warning and shifted back to his true form. Within moments the girl was in Beastboy's arms as he checked her vital signs and sighed in relief when he felt her steady breathing against his chest. Now that he knew the emoticlone wasn't in any immediate danger, he wondered about what may have caused the emoticlone to faint.
'All I did was look at her when I was in that jumbo-anaconda form. Maybe I just scared her?' Beastboy thought and brushed the hair from the poor girls face as he got up. He was distracted by her peaceful expression for a moment until he shook his head and remembered something.
'Wasn't the weepy emoticlone grey though… or was that the orange one? Agh! It's been so long and I didn't exactly stick around long enough to get to know all of them the last time I came here!' Beastboy's thoughts raced as he began to worry.
The emoticlone in his arms whimpered when his emotions started to become more negative. Beastboy noticed the green cloaked girl's expression and took a deep breath in order to help silence the racing thoughts in his mind.
Beastboy didn't want to further hinder Raven, wherever she may be, or her emoticlones. Instead his features hardened as he became determined to help Raven and her emoticlones become one. It didn't matter if he didn't know all of Raven's emoticlones. He would make it his mission to get to know them better before they reunited with Raven. Meeting with Happy made him realize that the emoticlones may have some reservations about reuniting with Raven.
'Maybe that's why she attacked me. Maybe she doesn't want to reunite with Raven.' Beastboy thought.
Beastboy wanted to make sure this emoticlone and the others were ready before they assimilated with Raven. He would hear their desires just as he had done with Happy. Raven had put her complete trust in him in order to help her find inner peace, and he would be damned if he failed her now.
Beastboy walked with the emoticlone in his arms towards the castle walls. The gate from which he entered glowed when he got close. He walked through and in a flash of light he was back to the abyssal plain he had become familiar with. Beastboy looked around and noticed his guide was missing, but the path ahead had already been made. Beastboy sighed in relief and began to trudge down the path. His pace was slow so he wouldn't jostle his precious cargo, and after a short walk the path ahead widened considerably from its narrow one lane structure, into a floating island of rock. On the island were four identical gates arranged in a semi-circle facing the path Beastboy had just came from. Atop one of the gates was the red eyed bird that had been guiding him previously.
Beastboy smiled and shifted the girl in his arms and approached the cluster of gates. He assumed his guide had made his life a little easier by arranging the remaining gates in such a fashion. The raven simply watched the young man's antics, as he seemed happier than usual, until he came closer and began to inspect each of the four gates he was to enter. After his inspection it seemed he was no less informed upon which gate to enter. He decided to ask his guide for help, hoping this facet of Raven's mind was more than just an ordinary bird.
"Do you know if any of the others will be able to help her?" Beastboy asked and watched as his guide seemed to narrow its four red eyes and tilt its head to look at the emoticlone in question. After a moment the raven flew into the air and landed atop another gate, this one being the leftmost of the four, and cawed its approval. Beastboy walked over to the gate, but before entering he paused to shift his gaze up to the raven that watched his every move since entering Nevermore.
"Since this is all in Raven's mind, then you can talk to her right?" Beastboy asked off the cuff.
The raven tilted its head and Beastboy assumed the creature understood him enough to be able to give him basic reactions.
"If you can, let her know that I'll do my best and that I won't betray her trust. I'll make sure her emotions are ready before they come back to her." Beastboy explained and before the black bird could even nod its head in understanding he was gone.
Rage opened her four red eyes after hearing what Beastboy had just said to her unknowingly and smiled. Despite his heartfelt comment, she felt proud of his progress. One emoticlone had already assimilated and another was currently in his claws. She wouldn't have to wait long for her turn with Beastboy, and the thought made her grin widen until the tips of her fangs were displayed.
"That Joker grin is really starting to creep me out." Raven quipped as she floated with her legs crossed in a meditative pose. Her voice was carried in her traditional monotone, but the delivery of her apparent discomfort with Rage's demeanor proved that Raven had indeed begun to change.
Rage glanced towards her original and her own smile faded at the sight Raven's smirk. As soon as Rage looked in her original's direction she closed her one open eye and looked to be resuming her meditation, albeit with the same smirk on her face.
"Even with Happy inside you, your sense of humor is mediocre at best." Rage growled and bared her fangs at Raven, who continued to smile and float in the air with her eyes closed.
"I wasn't trying to pick a fight. I'm still adjusting to having Happy back within me. Don't get too upset over a simple observation." Raven opened her eyes and seemed to wipe the smirk off her face as she ended her meditation. Only her eyes secretly revealed her inner mirth at seeing Rage riled up so easily.
"Keep your 'simple' observations to yourself before you begin to try my patience. Rage growled, while Raven walked over to her with a grin gracing her features.
"Speaking of observations, you've been spying on him haven't you?" Raven asked with an almost smug tone to her voice.
"Hmph, did you think I was meditating? No, my time and energy is better spent aiding in our mates conquest over the other emoticlones. The sooner he finishes with them the better. Knowing he's just within my grasp tempts me to give him an uninvited visit." Rage shivered at the thought of what such an uninvited visit would entail. She hadn't even gotten to test out her mates newly transformed body as of yet and the waiting was seriously testing her patience. Raven rolled her eyes before she replied to Rage's obvious innuendo.
"There will be time for that when all of this is through, assuming everything turns out as planned." Raven reminded Rage, and both of the girl's moods turned somber in no time flat at the thought of what might go wrong. A few minutes of silence passed before Rage spoke up.
"That won't happen." Rage quietly mumbled. Her previous confidence washed away by the doubts she had been trying to keep at bay, until her original conveniently brought them back to the forefront of her mind.
"That all depends on you. If it does happen though, I will make sure Beastboy makes it out of Nevermore safely…" Raven offered but was quickly tackled to the ground by Rage.
Rage's four red eyes burned with fury as she looked into her original's deep amethyst orbs. Rage bared her fangs at Raven and cocked her fist back to deliver a blow that just barely missed Raven's head. The blow left a small crater where Raven's face would have been had the blow landed. Rage cocked her bloodied fist back again and prepared for another strike.
"THAT WON'T HAPPEN!" Rage yelled as she continued to punch the sharp volcanic ground next to Raven's head.
Raven didn't know what to do with the furious emoticlone above her, until she noticed the unshed tears that began to pool in Rage's four red eyes. Raven, in an instant, wrapped her arms around the furious emoticlone and brought her down to lay on top of her prone body.
"We can't go on like this any longer! If we truly want this to work, then we need to have a better understanding of each other. If you can't do it for me then do it for our mate, but to tell you the truth… I'm just as scared as you are." Raven could feel Rage's body start to relax against hers, and took a moment to take a deep breath before continuing.
"Your right though, if we work together with Beastboy, everything will be alright." Raven assured Rage as she cradled her head on her chest. Raven could start to hear her sharp intakes of breath and could only assume that Rage was crying on her chest.
"Beastboy told me he wouldn't betray our trust, and will make sure the others are ready before they become one with you… and yet I betray him as soon as you came here by trying to make you feel hopeless, to feel regret for what we are about to do. I couldn't help it, despite knowing that I need you to be at your strongest. How am I helping him by trying to fight with you? Even when you do the same to me and tell me what might become of our efforts, all I do in retaliation is to throw a fit like a child." Rage whispered and seemed to truly regret her actions prior to Happy rejoining with her original.
"Now that we know what's at stake, it's truly frightening what might happen if we aren't able to successfully take our final forms. Your right in that we shouldn't dwell on what might go wrong. Not when our future is so close at hand." Raven smiled and held Rage tighter as they laid together, waiting for their mate to come set them free.
Beastboy entered the gate with the green cloaked emoticlone in his arms and found himself in the lobby of an ancient library. Beastboy couldn't help but look around in awe at the ornate Roman style architecture of the building. Above him the dome style ceiling had a massive painting depicting Raven in her pure white form landing the finishing blow against her father Trigon. Behind her were her their friends were cheering her on, while Beastboy was transformed into his green were-beast form in mid leap at Raven's side about to deliver the final blow to Trigon.
"Heh, I don't remember it going down quite like that. If I remember correctly, it was Robin who was getting all touchy-feely with Raven that day." Beastboy chuckled, despite the feelings that day brought up inside of him. The way Raven looked at Robin had made Beastboy's blood boil with jealousy and had made him soon after realize the feelings he held for the empath. Even though he knew Robin didn't feel that way for Raven, he could tell afterwards that Raven had gotten a lot closer to her leader.
Beastboy growled at the thought of Raven with anyone else. He caught himself before the emoticlone in his arms could feel his negative emotions and shook his head. Beastboy knew even back then that jealousy wouldn't help him win Raven's heart so instead of acting bitter that's when he started to try and get closer to Raven. Beastboy looked down at the spitting image of his mate in his arms and smiled.
"I still can't believe it." Beastboy said and soon after heard a voice call out to him from within the library.
"What can't you believe?" Raven's voice responded, but Beastboy knew better than to assume it was her. Footsteps echoed through the air until he saw a yellow cloaked emoticlone emerge from behind one of the many large ornate bookshelves. She held a book that was currently open and looked to be reading, despite addressing the red changeling before her.
"Oh, uh it's nothing really, um..." Beastboy blushed and shifted the girl in his arms nervously. He heard the sound of the emoticlones book being abruptly closed and her footsteps again began to echo towards him.
Once the yellow cloaked emoticlone reached her destination in front of Beastboy, she looked him over casually, and walked around him in what seemed like a calculation of his form. Beastboy smiled nervously as he waited for the emoticlone to finish inspecting him.
"You don't look like the Beastboy from Raven's memories, and yet judging from your previous monologue and demeanor, I would conclude that you are him. I however am the emoticlone that represents Ravens knowledge, at your service." Knowledge bowed after introducing herself. Knowledge noticed Beastboy's brow furrow in a seemingly confused expression once she raised her head from her formal introduction.
"What troubles you?" Knowledge asked bluntly, despite figuring it had plenty to do with the unconscious emoticlone cradled in Beastboy's arms.
"Oh! I was just wondering if you're able to look through Ravens memories, why don't you know what happened to me? I've already met with Happy, and she seemed to know what was going on, and yet when I met with this emoticlone, she attacked me like I was some kind of mind snatcher." Beastboy confessed.
"Though it is possible to look through Ravens memories here in the library, I'm afraid the book containing Raven's most recent memories has currently been checked out without my permission. Happy may have had access to it along with some of the others. " As the yellow cloaked emoticlone explained the whereabouts of the book containing Raven's most recent memories her eyes widened when she spotted the mark on Beastboy's neck.
"Oh my, though it seems I have a lot of catching up to do." The emoticlone blushed, but Beastboy failed to notice since her yellow hood concealed her features.
"Sorry, before we talk anymore could you help her?" Beastboy motioned with his head the sleeping emoticlone in his arms. Knowledge inspected the emoticlone in his arms while Beastboy began his explanation of her current condition.
"Yeah, you see I kind of turned into a big snake and scared her. She ended up feinting as soon as I transformed." Beastboy tried to put it lightly, but didn't expect the girl in front of him to chuckle as if he had cracked a joke.
"I'm afraid that would be quite impossible, unless the snake you turned into was a Basilisk." Knowledge chuckled, but Beastboy decided that Knowledge might be on to something.
"Is this 'Base-ill-list' about fifty feet long and able to make people feint just by looking at it?" Beastboy asked.
"My my, I had no Idea you were privy to ancient mythology." Knowledge held her hand over her mouth in an attempt to keep from giggling over Beastboy's iteration of the word 'Basilisk.'
"Well that may be what I turned into when this emoticlone attacked me… whoops." Beastboy noticed knowledge take her hood off and grab him by the shoulders in a rush.
"Did you bite her while in that form? Did any of your teeth so much as touch her!?" Knowledge shook Beastboy in an attempt to get him to answer more quickly.
"No! All I did was look at her I swear!" Beastboy promised, to which knowledge released her hold on Beastboy and visibly relaxed.
Now that the emoticlone had removed her hood Beastboy noticed she had on a pair of large circular glasses. Beastboy blushed when his first thought was how cute they made the emoticlone look. Luckily Beastboy's thoughts were kept from digressing any further when Knowledge began to explain her reason for worrying.
"That is fortunate, considering the venom would have made it impossible to awaken her, but the same venom is also the key to her recovery." Knowledge explained and noticed Beastboy didn't follow her train of thought due to his current expression of obvious confusion.
"The nature of any venom is that it must be directly injected into the bloodstream in order to do any harm. If it is ingested it will be broken down like any other protein the body may encounter. However Basilisk venom, when ingested, can cure almost any ailment.* Knowledge explained further, and Beastboy seemed to understand.
"So you want to harvest the Basilisks venom?" Beastboy made sure he understood the emoticlone correctly and she nodded her approval.
"All you need to do is transform and close your eyes so I don't accidentally become a victim of the serpent's spell. You cannot move as well or you may inject me with the venom by accident. The venom is incurable and causes death within one day." Knowledge warned, and noticed Beastboy gulp and visibly cringe at the thought of accidentally killing one of Ravens emoticlones.
"Don't worry, when I tell you to just open your mouth and your fangs should become exposed and begin to drip with venom. All I will need to do is collect it, with no injections necessary!" Knowledge reassured Beastboy who still looked like he wasn't at all convinced of the emoticlones safety.
"Alright, just be careful and don't even look near my eyes… just in case." Beastboy proposed, and Knowledge nodded her head in approval once more.
Beastboy deposited the unconscious emoticlone and took a few steps back before attempting to transform. He first closed his eyes, and then imagined the serpent he would be transforming into. Slowly his body began to shift, by first beginning to elongate. His face stretched and became filled with razor sharp teeth, and a large forked tongue spilled from his semi-transformed mouth. His body began to grow rapidly to accommodate the large teeth beginning to fill up his jaws and eventually began to sprout ruby colored scales all over his body. When the transformation was complete he closed his eyes and laid his large serpentine head near Knowledge, since one of the perks any snake had was to be able to sense the body heat mammals emitted.
Knowledge watched Beastboy change and smiled at being able to witness the gradual changes his body underwent. The way his face would elongate to become something entirely different and his skin would start to ungulate when forming scales was truly fascinating to watch firsthand. Soon though the show was over and she made sure no to look near the serpents eyes as she approached him.
"We can begin at your leisure." Knowledge watched as Beastboy opened his mouth. As soon as it was open wide enough, his fangs retracted from the roof of his mouth and began to drip with excess venom.
"Remain still, and I will begin the extraction." Knowledge warned, as she began to walk over to Beastboy's cavernous maw. Knowledge cupped her hands and carefully leaned towards the hypodermic fountain that dripped with the much needed elixir. Once her hands were close enough she started to feel the dark green liquid begin to pool into her cupped hands. Beastboy remained perfectly still, except for the forked tongue that would dart in and out of his mouth out of reflex. Once Knowledge felt she had enough of the unsavory looking liquid collected she retreated to the green cloaked emoticlones side.
"Alright, you can change back now." Knowledge offered when she noticed the large serpent had remained still with its mouth wide open.
Beastboy shifted back into his original form and let out a huge sigh and wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked over and noticed Knowledge looked completely calm as she knelt before the green cloaked emoticlone. Beastboy's heart was still pounding and he took a moment to calm down before addressing knowledge.
"How can you stay so calm, when you were sticking your arms in the worlds deadliest rat trap for humans?" Beastboy finally was able to control his breathing, and noticed knowledge smile before she began to speak.
"It was quite simple really." Knowledge turned to face Beastboy, the venom still cupped in her small hands. She waited for Beastboy to join her at the opposite side of the green cloaked emoticlone. Beastboy gently lowered the sleeping girls jaw as Knowledge poured the acrid looking substance into her waiting lips.
"I simply trusted you." Knowledge answered, and once all of the green substance was swallowed down she got up and started to walk towards the library shelves. Knowledge turned around once she was a safe distance away from Beastboy, who was still by the sleeping emoticlones side. He looked confused and noticed the girl lying next to him start to cough as she began to awaken.
"Who in the hell made me eat my own vomit!" Beastboy was blasted from the green cloaked emoticlones side as she shot up from her slumber. She looked around frantically and noticed a red man who was on his back about ten feet away from her.
"YOU! What in the hell did you make me eat! My mouth literally tastes like putrid onions and barf!" The green cloaked emoticlone walked over to the unknown man and picked him up by the collar and cocked her fist back. His head lolled back and his body was limp like a ragdoll. Before she could land a solid blow she felt a cold hand on her shoulder.
"That would be quite unwise. After all you have yet to introduce each other properly. Brave, this is Beastboy, our MATE." Knowledge waited for her words to sink in and noticed Braves eyes shift to the mark on his neck. Her face glowed bright red before she dropped him unceremoniously to the ground.
"Nice to meet you too." Beastboy got up and scratched where he thought a bump was beginning to form on the top of his head. He then extended a clawed hand towards the newly identified emoticlone.
"I think we started off on the wrong foot before. I'm Beastboy." Beastboy introduced himself despite knowledge already doing so. Brave grasped his hand and in an instant was crushing the poor man's clawed hand.
"So I've just recently heard. A lot must have happened recently so I'll just cut to the chase. Why are you here?" Brave continued to squeeze Beastboy's hand as she talked with a smirk on her face. Beastboy frowned as his eyes began to water involuntarily at the pain he was currently being subjected to.
"Well, if you will so kindly stop trying to kill my hand I'd be happy to share." Beastboy felt Braves grip instantly loosen and Beastboy sighed in relief. Beastboy sat down in front of the two emoticlones and motioned for them to do the same.
Beastboy told the two emoticlones his best rendition of what happened thus far but didn't go into too much detail when he mentioned his and Raven's circumstances as to how they became mates when he noticed the blushes the emoticlones sported. He explained in more detail what Raven thought about trying to get her emoticlones to reunite with her. He also told them of his previous encounter with Happy and how he thought she had already reunited with Raven.
"Well that makes sense. Happy would never shut up about you when you first came to visit." Brave smirked and looked to Knowledge as she seemed to be pondering the information given to her.
"So you wish to insure all of us don't have any reservations before joining with our original. That is a noble sentiment but I already have no issue in reuniting with her." Knowledge admitted which made Beastboy look up in shock.
"Really? There's nothing you need from me before you leave?" Beastboy asked, and noticed how knowledge put a finger to her chin as she contemplated her decision.
"Hmn, now that you mention it, it would be interesting to see what Brave desires." Knowledge looked over to Brave who had a determined look on her face.
"I want a rematch. If you can get me to submit to you, I will reunite with Raven…And no tricks like last time!" Brave smirked at Beastboy who got up and offered a hand to Brave, and then to Knowledge.
"Sure, and Knowledge can be the referee!" Beastboy exclaimed and Knowledge agreed.
Beastboy was confident he would be able to outmaneuver anything Brave threw at him. His senses were sharper and his animal forms were more powerful than ever before.
Beastboy and Brave squared off at the center of the enormous rotunda building and waited for Knowledge to start the match.
"Are you two ready?" Knowledge asked and saw both Beastboy and Brave nod their heads.
"Let the battle commence!" Knowledge shouted, and Brave shot into the air instantly so she would hold an advantage over the changeling who was accustomed to ground combat.
Beastboy noticed Brave's tactic and changed into a pterodactyl, to give chase. Brave flew through the air at high speed and shot her magic in Beastboy's direction as she flew around the large library. She ducked into one of the many rows of shelves and cloaked herself in her black magic.
Beastboy lost sight of Brave from above after he saw her take cover in the library's large array of book shelves. Beastboy shifted into a bloodhound and tracked the emoticlones scent until it suddenly vanished. Beastboy felt the air around him become heavy, but noticed too late when a claw of dark power grabbed him and brought him face to face with Brave. Beastboy changed back into his human form and struggled to break free.
"Looks like I win." Brave laughed
"I don't think so!" Beastboy shifted into a humming bird and was able to barely escape the grasp of brave's dark power.
Beastboy darted over to Braves side and changed into a large python and coiled himself around her. Brave tried to chant her mantra, but Beastboy coiled his body over her mouth so she could no longer speak. She fell to the ground with Bestboy wrapped completely around her and once he felt the girl stop wriggling in his grasp he changed back into his human form. His hand covered Brave's mouth and his legs held her lower body in submission against him. His other free hand held her two tiny wrists together like a set of handcuffs.
Brave tested his hold on her and knew she couldn't break free without the use of her magic. Beastboy's arms tightened when she struggled, and now that he was in his human form, she couldn't help but notice his body against hers.
"Do you submit?" Beastboy asked, and at his question she wriggled against him again until she finally gave up and nodded her head. He noticed her heart beating rapidly against him and once he released his hold on Brave, she flipped over and placed her lips against his in a heated kiss. Beastboy's eyes widened in shock and then closed when he reciprocated. Luckily her taste didn't hold any of the venom she had previously taken and tasted as sweet as any of Raven's kisses should. Their tongues had a heated battle of their own until Brave won and entered Beastboy's mouth. She tasted his fangs and retreated to allow Beastboy entrance into her own cavern. Once the two were in need of air they broke apart and stared into each other's eyes.
"Promise me you will never stop fighting for what's right. Promise to never become complacent with the way things are and always fight to make things better." Brave whispered against Beastboy's lips and he smiled and nodded his head.
"I won't stop fighting for our friends, for our city, for the peace you and the other emoticlones deserve, and for our future. I won't give up." Beastboy looked Brave in the eyes as she smiled and began to glow the forest green color of her cloak. She floated into the air and her body became brighter until all that was left was a sphere of green energy. The sphere of green energy made Beastboy have to close his eyes. When he opened them Brave was gone.
Beastboy got up and noticed Knowledge at the end of the aisle of books. As soon as his gaze landed on her she blushed and looked away. Beastboy started walking towards the bespectacled emoticlone and once he was close enough he grasped her chin and brought her lips to meet his own in a chaste kiss. Their lips only met for a few moments before they parted, but to Knowledge the contact meant more to her than the heated kissing Beastboy had just shared with Brave. When their lips parted Knowledge looked up to Beastboy and sighed in contentment.
"That was beautiful, what you and Brave shared." Knowledge admitted and noticed Beastboy began to wrap his arms gently around her and draw her close to his body.
"It was like that with Happy too. And when you said you were fine with reuniting with Raven, I was scared I wouldn't be able to have a moment like this with you before you left." Beastboy admitted.
"Raven has always exercised her knowledge without any ill effects from her powers, so I had no excuse to stay behind… I'm glad I did though." Knowledge embraced Beastboy, and began to glow as well. Her brightness matched the color of the sun, but before she dematerialized completely she kissed Beastboy one last time. The kiss lasted until Beastboy noticed her soft lips leave his.
When Beastboy opened his eyes he was again in front of another crumbling gate, the one that had housed Knowledge's library. Beastboy let out the breath he had been holding while he kissed Knowledge before he looked up to his guide as it flew above him and landed on the gate to the right of the destroyed one. Its four red eyes gazed into Beastboys own red orbs, as they silently beckoned him to enter the next gate.
*Yup, made up my own antidote cuz im creative and stuff!* Long time no see guys! Ive missed you all so Ive decided to make this chapter extra long, fluffy, actiony, sexy... you get my point. One problem I thought I should address in this chapter was Rage and Raven. They seemed to still hate each other in the last chapter, so I made them hug it out :) As for the two for one emoticlone special this chapter, What do you all think? I hope I didnt make their interactions seem rushed, but I thought having two emoticlones unite with Raven at about the same time would be kind of different from what Ive read and the past and hope you all agree. Don't worry I'm not in any way trying to wrap this story up. THERE IS A LOT LEFT TO GO FELLAS. We've still got the actual end to this arch, Malchior and Slades new bromance, Ravager needing to be saved (OR KILLED MUAHAHA). And that's without spoilers! Review what you thought of this chapter or to yell at me for taking so long. I just love reading what you guys have to offer. Until next time!
-RebellionRising