A/N: Hey hey hey! I thought I'd make up for my stupidness and get this chapter out right after the last one! Aren't y'all proud of me? Plus, I don't want to go outside…Arizona is very hot, even right now!
But first, I feel it is my duty to respond to someone, and this person knows who they are, who really irritated me w/ her review. I respect people's opinions on my fic, and I welcome people to flame me, but please do it for something that actually pertains to my story. I have asked readers to not rant at me because I actually have a life and I do not revolve myself around this fic…some people actually have IMPORTANT things to do w/ their lives when graduation is right around the corner. I had this fic outlined, and I even outlined my next two installments when I didn't have time to update for all my readers, so please do not flame me for not updating quick enough to satisfy your needs.
As to my OC's, they are not going anywhere so either shut up and deal, or don't read my fic…it's as simple as that. I alluded to other superheroes because they do exist in the Titans world, but it's not like I'm going to do a crossover…and X'Hal is a kind of God or exclamation on Tameran…maybe you should pay a little more attention to the show. To this person, you have really disappointed me with this review, I respected your opinion before, but now I think you're just a bit childish. I'm sorry if you are offended by reading this, but you offended me and I can get pretty pissed off with ignorant people.
I'm sorry to all my other reviewers for the above tirade, this as nothing to do with you, but she told me not to e-mail her, so I had to write it here. I appreciate all of you who review my story, w/ either praise or criticism, so keep it up!
This is actually going to be extremely short, it's just an epilogue to the story, but I figured I could finish this fic before I go my trip, and then start the next story in the arc, or do the mini fics. Whatever you guys want…I'm up for taking requests and challenges!
Well, enjoy!
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Chapter 12: TrustAhem, Hello. This is Robin, and I'm using this recorder to…oh I don't know…talk about my thoughts I guess. It's supposed to help me 'open my mind' to old memories that are repressed Raven said.
To be honest, I don't really want to do this; it's not my kind of thing or whatever. But, I kind of got forced into it, all the other Titans, even Raven, gave a recording as a good-bye present to Ahren and Lily for…well for saving my life for one…and making me realize what a dumb ass I've been for a while for two…and I guess just for everything they've done for us. We all really tried to get them to stay, again even Raven, but they were adamant about leaving. We gave them communicators though, so if we ever need them, or vice versa, all we have to do is just give them a signal and let them know.
Things have slowed down a bit here, crime wise at least, and it has given all of us here time to work through all of these new relationships we all delved into. It was bound to happen, six teens living in the same Tower; it's like the Real World except we don't get drunk everyday or weekend. No matter how much Beastboy and Cy beg me, I am not allowing alcohol in this Tower while we are all still underage, probably even when we are of age. But, that all depends if we are all still here then…I guess I'll just have to trust that we will.
Trust, now there's a word I've learned to appreciate lately. It is astonishing how much I feared to let people in, how much I feared to let myself feel what I thought I had lost. I mean, I got it from everyone all the time, how I never trusted anyone else to help me track down villains, Slade mainly, or how I would never let people into the details of just who I am exactly.
Raven doesn't tell us, but I'm sure that'll all be cleared up soon…Slade reappeared again on her birthday, and there is something that'll be going down because of that meeting. However, I think we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there.
But, now I'm drifting from what I wanted to talk about in the first place. Trust, and how all those implications it brings changes life. I guess the whole issue came to a head after the whole Red-X fiasco…my God I really fucked up…I mean, I hurt my team members, and for what? To catch a criminal that was driving me insane? That's not a noble reason at all…but as I look back, I don't think it's the truth either. I think I did it because of Star, because she got hurt and I think I just lost it. Jesus, even then I was head over heels for her…and I guess I have her to thank for saving me from the fall.
Now that I think about it, do I now know what trust even is? I mean, does one moment redeem me for all the bad ones in my life? Does one kiss, or one confession, change everything? I guess no one can ever answer that question absolutely. But, as for me, I think it does in her eyes…and maybe then it does for me. I can't keep on living my life in the dark, afraid to reach out and touch the light because there is a chance to get burned.
It's a risk, but it's worth it.
Trust is something that can be easily given, but not easily earned. It is something that can give you faith in humanity, but is also something that can lead you to hate mankind. It's something that's blind, but at the same time, something with its eyes wide open. It is something that can create relationships, or it can destroy them…but that all depends on how one lives their life.
I guess when it comes down to it, trust is something that is different for everyone, and it's not one for sure thing. Was the past two months a tale of redemption for me? I don't think it was, but it was more of an awakening to what I could have been. Viper is what she is because she can't trust that humanity will be all right in the end, through all of the ups and downs. She doesn't trust a soul in the world.
And now, I see that could've been me.
….I don't know, maybe that's why we can't help her….maybe no one can… I hope that someone one day can, someone who will give her a reason to trust humanity.
I know now that Star did that for me…her and that unknown girl from my dream…or whatever it was…Anyway, they showed me what this is all about. It's not about surrendering or anything, it's about believing in someone even if you can't believe in yourself.
And I suppose if I can do that, I think then we'll all be all right in the end.
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A/N: Now, there's the end. I hope you all enjoyed this fic, I really enjoyed writing it!
If the thoughts seemed fragmented to you, that's because they are. This chapter is meant to represent Robin's inner most thoughts…and your thoughts aren't all flowing fluidly…they're sporadic and fragmented.
I also hoped some people learned something in this fic. I hope you learned that one cannot live a life if you spend all your time hiding and not believing in people, no matter how messed up things may seem. But if you just enjoyed the fic for what it was, that's fine by me too! Because, when you think about the story really is just about one thing, this story was about a lost soul who finds a way back to the light, and learns something about himself in the process.
The first rule of life is to Trust even if you cannot trust in yourself…the next rule is where one learns that Love is at once a beautiful and terrible thing, and sometimes the grass isn't always green on the other side.
I would like to ask any of you readers who have been here from the beginning, or those who are new and have obsessive reading habits like me, to drop a review and tell me what you thought about the fic overall. Even if you usually don't review, it would really mean a lot to me to hear what you think. Thank you again for reading my fic, and join me again in the next saga and see how our Titans learn the rule of love.
Osco
