Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.

…..

Somewhere between the haze of time, they felt as if there wasn't anything. They weren't even living. The person who felt this first was currently beating the hell out of stuffed leather. Robin rocked the punching bag off its handles but he couldn't shake off a feeling that was slowly creeping up on him. His breathing sped up and his adrenaline rose.

"Robin?"

He moved faster, not letting a minute pass where his fist wasn't connected to the creaking bag.

"Dude?"

"Rob?"

One of his knuckles made a loud cracking sound but Robin knew no pain. He was wheezing for breath and not moving any slower than before. Someone touched his shoulders. "Robin, please."

With one last strike, the punching bag went flying to collide into the wall. He bent over with his hands on his knees, his lungs rattling. Cyborg and Beast Boy stared at him from outside the training room. They left when they saw the anger etched on his face. Starfire kept her hands clamped on his shoulders and something resembling a sob escaped from his throat.

Robin wasn't aware of the dripping on his face. Something that wasn't just sweat.

The alien girl pleaded, "I do not know how to make you better."

"You can't." He heaved a sigh and his back became rod straight. Robin drew away from her. "Star, I can't… this isn't…."

"Please. Talk to me. Even though you and I are no longer 'together'... we are still friends, yes?"

He stared into her emerald green eyes, finding every trace of truth and distress shining in them. After his talk with Raven, Starfire revealed her suspicions about where his heart laid. They fought, not with fists, but with words. They both knew there were some things that were too different.

…..

-flashback-

…..

"Hey, HEY! Star, let me go!"

The Tamaranean had a deathlock on his arm. She pulled him right out of his video game match with Cyborg. The mechanical man gazed after them and then his concentration went right back to the game. They passed Beast Boy who wiggled his eyebrows at them suspiciously, before Robin was suddenly thrown into her bedroom.

He rubbed his backside aggravated as Starfire gave him an unfamiliar, calculating look from the door's entrance.

"Star, would you mind telling me why I'm here?"

She crossed her arms in a defensive position. "I have noticed something has changed. Between us. You are not as 'affectionate' as you were. I fear that an element has prevented your growth to me."

He came back just as defensive. "What are you trying to say? You drag me in here to accuse me of cheating on you? Where did you come up with this?"

"I did not say you were cheating."

"You didn't have to."

Her luminous eyes filled up with tears. "Who is this girl that has snatched away your heart?" Starfire accused. "I can see that you are no longer-"

Robin snapped, pushing past her, "I don't have to take this."

"WHO IS SHE?" She screamed, blasting a starbolt at the wall, and leaving a rather large smoking hole. "I WILL MAKE HER SORRY-!" He took her wrist evenly.

"Star, stop it. It wasn't Raven's fault that this happened."

The alien's eyes stopped angrily glowing. "Raven? Friend Raven?" she asked, shocked.

He scold himself mentally.

'Damn. Way to go, Boy Wonder.'

"Starfire, the only person you should be mad at is me," Robin confessed. "I was the one who brought her into this mess. I was the one who kissed her first. Don't punish Raven for my mistake."

Starfire looked like she was still reeling from this news.

A miserable whisper, "We… we must do the breaking up now. Correct?" Robin felt a pang of grief seize his heart.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry I hurt you. We aren't…"

She finished, "Right for each other. As I am for being a friend that is a girl to you."

"You can still be my friend," he said, softly. "You always will be."

Starfire shook her head. "I do not know if I wish to be your friend. This feels very strange."

…..

-flashback-

…..

That ended it.

They eventually started talking again, but the differences began to show more clearly among them now that reality set over.

"No offense to Starfire but I don't think she would be able to understand what I do about you."

She had been right. God… he couldn't think about Raven right now. Robin nodded his head.

"Yes, you are close to me, Star. I just can't believe-"

Starfire's eyes watered.

"The world is saved. It is what she wanted."

He swallowed, putting a hand to his forehead feebly. His face contorting. "This just isn't real…" The workout did a number on him. He was dehydrated and Starfire caught him as he slumped forward. That feeling apprehended him. A real but weak sob seized him while she helped Robin get back into his room.

It was guilt.

…..

Titans Tower had never been so quiet before with the exception of Terra's death. The Game Station hadn't been touched, the training room's doors were locked, dishes were not cleaned. No one looked like they had a decent night's sleep in months, though realistically it was only two weeks.

Beast Boy, in the form of a green sheltie, whimpered on the kitchen floor with his head on his paws. Starfire sat on the floor beside him and stroked his fur . "I know how you feel," she said in a whisper. There were no tears in her eyes. She used them all up. Beast Boy whined again and set his head on her purple boot.

Robin stood by the couch, clutching the back of the seat rigidly. They couldn't tell what was going on through their leader's head.

Cyborg entered through the double doors. "I'm sick of this!" He began, angrily, "How long are we suppose to keep pretending that-"

Robin said warningly, "Don't."

He glared at him."I mean it, we can't just leave Raven's body in that room forever. She's not in a trance; she can't be woken up. There's no pulse. She's not breathing. There's no point!"

Starfire shrieked, covering her ears, "Stop please! I do not wish to know this! She cannot leave us when we are her friends!" They expected Robin to bust in with a hopeful statement or argument against Cyborg, but he said nothing. And that is what scared them the most. Robin's knuckles turning white and his face pinching, he turned away to stare at the floor.

Suddenly, Beast Boy began barking excitably. Cyborg growled, "Shut up, man!"

"Cyborg, your shouting could wake the dead."

Fatigued violet eyes glanced at each tired face.

"Whose funeral did I miss?"

The green sheltie got to her first and tackled her onto her back, his fluffy tail wagging frantically. Raven pushed the slobbering Beast Boy off her. "Down, boy."

Starfire began crying hysterically, and flew straight into her. "Raven, we had thought you had passed on without saying goodbye! Thank the Terrgkuhas you are safe!"

The empath muttered with her face crushed against the Tamaranean's breasts, "Missed you too. Can't breathe."

She was beginning to lose consciousness until Cyborg got her loose. He sniffed her and waved his hand in his face, "Whooo, you need a shower, Dark Girl!" She gave him a deadpan look before it melted in a faint smirk. He asked faintly, "What's been going on?"

Raven went down the stairs.

"I've got more to tell you, I first need-" She didn't get to finish.

Robin grabbed her around the waist and swung her around in a circle, bear-hugging her. Her pale face glowed a bright pink.

"Um… hi."

To make matters worse, Beast Boy had turned back human, and yelled teasingly across the room, "Do you two need a moment?" Her eyes narrowed into slits. Beast Boy expected something painful to happen to him. Nothing was glowing black or exploding. Only an expression of smoking coming out of her ears.

He laughed uneasily. "Uh, sorry?"

"That's one of the things I have to tell you," she explained. "I've been in Azarath. When I killed my Father, my soul-self went to my homeland."

Cyborg exclaimed, "That's why your body hasn't responded to anything." She nodded and finally realized the lovely weight of Robin's arms still holding her.

Starfire was watching, so she said monotonously, "Robin, do you mind?" His brows scrunched and then, he jolted away from her as if he had been electrocuted. Raven went to the countertop and seated herself on the edge. "After Trigon died, my demon side vanished… powers included."

"You mean…..?" Beast Boy's eyes widened.

"I'm not a Titan anymore."

Starfire looked at her sympathetically and Robin insisted, "Raven, you'll always be a Titan."

"But I can't help you against the bad guys. I'm useless."

"No, it can't be true," Starfire protested, meekly.

…..

"Arella, what do you mean they're gone?" The violet-haired empath stared disbelievingly across the room.

The other woman explained gently, "Your powers that Trigon had given you, you can no longer use."

"…No. Mother, my powers are a part of me. For Azar's sake... without them, I'm not even Raven."

Her hands began to shake and it felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of her lungs. The soft tone of Arella calmed her panicking heart.

"You always had powers, they are hidden deep inside of you. Remember, magic is many elements. Not just words, not just books, and not just power. You need to discover your magic."

"What do I have to do… I'll do anything. Anything you ask of me!"

"They will return to you in time, Raven. If you allow me to move on…" Arella ran her white fingers over the open textbook in front of her and Raven bowed her head, murmuring an apology.

"You are forgiven," the violet-haired woman answered, putting on an serious air. "Your emotions will not trouble you if you control them as if a human would."

"Do I have to stop meditating?"

"Of course not, you may continue meditation if you desire. As a matter of fact, I would encourage it."

Raven stared out the window, forlornly. "Mother… What am I supposed to tell my friends…?"

…..

What she did tell them was how Azarath slowly became lively again, about the new teachings; and to her relief, there were no interruptions. Until the sirens came on. Raven had said enough and stared at the giant console screen. At first thinking she was hallucinating.

"Someone tell me that… that isn't Slade's signal."

Robin said cryptically, slamming a fist into his palm, "He didn't die in battle. We've been trying to track him ever since. Apparently, he got whatever he wanted before Trigon died."

Beast Boy flinched when he heard a loud thump and glass shatter on the floor. Slender, grayish hands curled into fists and Raven did a good impression of Robin when he was angry. The Boy Wonder himself might have been unnerved respectively to see what his own anger looked like.

Slowly, she knelt down and began picking up the pieces.

"Titans move out!"

They took off and he hesitated on the staircase out.

"What are you going to do?"

Raven threw the glass into the trash can. "I'll keep backup and stay here when you call back." Robin nodded curtly and didn't waste any time to leap into action.

She waited for his yellow cape to disappear behind the sliding doors and murmured, closing the trash lid, "I missed you, too."

…..

A/N: Finally, I have some time to update! Jeez. This isn't the longest chapter but the good news is that there will two updates next time, estimate: Perhaps end of this week or beginning of next. Yep, no lies. Ray1, evilsangle, , Cherry Jade, sealed flame, ChErRyBlOsSuMs-FlOwErOfDeAtH, DemonicGoddess, neetfreek, nightwingluver, Kitty Inx, Sango456, Harmony8390, and watergoddess08 should get metals for Finest reviewers! I love y'all!

Cherry Jade: Awesome, I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did. I can't answer your question (spoiler).

Sealed flame: Actually, I heard that that was her real name but got shortened to Arella. I think that's right, I'll have to look it up.

ChErRyBlOsSuMs-FlOwErOfDeAtH: I must comment, that little guy is hilarious! Thanks for that.

Neetfreek: But Robin does have that weird wing thing, remember from 'Employee of the Month'? lol. I didn't like the helmet too much.

Kitty Inx: Think about if you had a dream where you were stuck in mud and kept trying to pull your legs out, then woke up to find the muscle aching like you actually had gotten stuck. That's as simple as I can put it. So, no, but it seemed like it.

Sango456: Hell no! -laughs- Seriously, it's not over. -shiftyeyes- Sequel? I didn't hear the words sequel. -HINTHINT-

watergoddess08: The bastard doesn't know how to die. lol.