Hi!

This is a one-shot about Terra. I don't know what encouraged this, I just think it was something God sent to me to share with you guys.

Please enjoy, and God bless!

Beyond The Stone

In the pit of a cave leading into a volcano, there stands a statue. This statue is of a young girl, arms flung outwards, with an expression of shear pain upon her face. She wears a costume one would imagine a villain would wear. That is because she was one. Her name was Terra, and she was the betrayer of the Teen Titans.

She had met them on a sunny day, after being hunted down by a gigantic scorpion. She had, on her own, defeated it, and then rushed to meet them. They had taken her to their home, Titans Tower. They had offered her a home, friends, love. But she had run away, for they had discovered her secret- that she had no control.

And so she had run to Slade. He had trained her, helped her to use her powers and control herself. He had given her all she had wanted and more. She listened to him.

But then he told her to spy on the Teen Titans, the only people she'd ever been able to call her friends. She was told that she owed a great debt. So she had believed him.

For a long while, she had fought alongside the Titans, lived in their home, shared their meals, and called them friends. She had a home, people who loved her, and a new, happy life. But she was Slade's spy. She told him everything he needed to destroy them. She gave him codes, strengths, weaknesses, and secrets that could never be regained.

She betrayed them. They had conquered Slade's ambush of robots, but at a great cost. They had to rebuild both the Tower and their hearts.

She soon returned, openly revealing herself as the traitor she was. She fought, and she almost won. But then she began to realize just what she had lost. Slade treated her horribly, and she didn't take kindly to the abuse. She thought of what she had done. And she began to feel sorry.

So when Beast Boy came, she asked desperately to be destroyed. She wanted the pain to stop. Slade would not allow this. He took control of her body, and through her he tried to destroy the only person who still held on to her. And she almost did.

But she didn't. She fought back against Slade. She fought for all he had done to her. She fought for what he had done to her friends. She fought for all the good that had vanished because of his malice.

And she won.

But then the volcano began to erupt. And she knew what she had to do.

And so she said her final good-byes. With her final heartbeats, she used all the power her body contained and more. The ultimate sacrifice.

And she stood here still, a maiden of stone, a monument warning against making costly choices. A reminder to the world that anyone can fall prey to evil.

But that was all. For Terra was no longer there. Not her spirit at least.

Terra stood in a foreign place. She was alone, and she wore white robes. All around her was nothing but light.

Then, she suddenly turned. There, before her, was a majestic and beautiful being. All of her confusion and doubt melted at the mere sight of this man who now reached out his hand to her. She eagerly grasped it, squeezing it as if she thought that in a moment it would disappear. Then she saddened.

"I'm sorry," she said, feeling the tears flow. But the figure only smiled and reached out to wipe away her tears.

"You are already forgiven," he said. Those words took all the remnant pain from her withered heart. She felt new life flow into her body and swim through her veins. She felt all the laughter she had ever let out filling her soul. She, for the first time, felt truly happy to be alive.

For she was alive indeed.