CHAPTER 6
Let's Give It a Try
Raven:
Raven was levitated inches above the pier. She had been meditating for a few hours with difficulty. Several times she was distracted with thoughts of what she is destined to do and the foreknowledge of how painful it will be. These thoughts were expected. But something else troubled her. It related to the last vision she had while in D'ni.
While feeling so far away, lost in the devastation and overwhelmed with guilt, something overpowered the dread. She heard a voice, one that sounded calm. There was no mistake that it was Beast Boy talking to her. He was still out there, somewhere in that immeasurable horror. He was calling her back. None of this was real, not now, but another vision. This illusion began to break and she found herself back in the writing chamber.
Beast Boy just held on to her, until Raven broke away, only to embrace him in return. He had been with her the whole way through her ordeal. It must have been the nicest gesture… at least since that time after Malchior's defeat.
While attempting to continue her meditation, if Raven even conceived a thought that Beast Boy was someone special, she dismissed it, covering up the idea by convincing herself that he was just a teammate… and a hopeless clown.
Slowly the world she had created around herself for meditation began to shift. It all broke away from Raven, becoming distant. Confusion overwhelmed her as she was swallowed by darkness. Something was attempting to come out leaving her lost inside. She cried out, trying to fight it.
Beast Boy:
The island was rumbling when Beast Boy materialized in the library. He couldn't believe that Atrus would make changes to MYST. Atrus would not cause this instability of the place that had become his home, a place his own wife created with her writing. This island was their escape from his father. Was that screaming?
'Raven!' thought Beast Boy as he ran from the library. Frantically looking around him he located her. Raven was now hovering high over the sea. She was in agony, struggling, gripping at the sides of her head with a firm grip on her hood. 'Another attack!' This attack was affecting the island.
"Raven!" he cried out, but she seemed unable to hear him. He ran toward the pier.
Black energy began escaping her and struck all around the island. As he closed in on the pier, some of Raven's energy struck just ahead of him uprooting the ground. The incident viciously tossed him backwards.
After recovering from a brief daze Beast Boy realized Raven had stopped. Suddenly he hurt. His head ached, his right thigh was lacerated, and he could feel blood trickling from several other wounds including just above his left temple.
Beast Boy looked up. Raven was motionless. He needed to get a closer look without making sudden movements. He concentrated on his eyes and morphed them to those of eagles' eyes. Raven's image was much closer now, and Beast Boy was shocked. That face – it was the same face he saw Raven with in his dream. Her two violet eyes were now four red ones, a set he was familiar with. Raven – or whatever it was she just became – looked right at him. There was an evil grin on that expression.
Beast Boy made a movement; Raven didn't. Beast Boy nervously turned his head and carefully rotated his body to the left. He found the courage to stand up. He returned his attention to Raven. Her hands were outstretched, surrounded by black energy. This could only mean one thing. Beast Boy tried looking for the object controlled by her energy coming his way but could see nothing. Without wasting another second Beast Boy morphed into an armadillo in case he was hit. It was enough to reduce his size as a boulder just missed him.
Beast Boy morphed into a cheetah and ran as best as he could to escape in spite of his injuries. The energy previously emitted by Raven began to tear multiple objects from the island grounds. Trees and rocks all around, these seemed the weapons of choice for this monster that had taken over Raven. Beast Boy thought of only one place he could go – into the sea. Maintaining his cheetah form he dashed towards the pier. It was no use. The objects of choice came charging toward him from all around. The cheetah just missed being assaulted by several forms of debris. With everything coming at him as they were, and uncertainty that he could keep dodging them, he morphed again, this time into a pachyderm – a rhinoceros. If he was going to get to the water with minimal damage, rhino form would have to do. Beast Boy charged toward the sea as he was bombarded with nearly everything Raven threw at him. The rhino was hurt, but he made it.
Raven:
What was going on out there? Raven, still trapped in darkness, could feel her energy being released and it was a lot. What was this thing doing with her body? What was its intention?
Raven was overcome by a bad feeling. Beast Boy was hurt. This monster was using her power to attack Beast Boy. Raven felt helpless. Where was a way out of this darkness? Where could she go in all this to fight and get back her body? Raven could only hope that Beast Boy would find a way to survive this.
Beast Boy:
He fell off the pier and into the water, altering his form from rhino into a porpoise. The salt water bit at his injuries. As the porpoise dove deeper, objects from above splashed into the sea, were raised out of the water and struck again. Raven was blind to Beast Boy's location, and very angry. She knew he was down there but couldn't see where. She began a blind search for him.
The porpoise cautiously surfaced for a breath of air near the clock tower. Luckily Raven was not there. Beast Boy restored himself to human form and swam to the clock tower shore. Right now he was very much shaken, but he was able to catch his breath. The pain of the wounds – old and new – was still with him. His ears picked up noise of the island grounds being torn up. Hopefully Raven would not be searching here too soon.
How was he going to get to her? She would likely remain in the air to better locate him. He had to sneak up on her, be ready to grab her, and try to reason with the thing that she had become and get Raven back. Completely morphing into any type of bird would give him the advantage of sneaking up on her, but the other two steps would be ineffective. What could he do? He needed to get into the air somehow.
So he tried something. Beast Boy focused on his back. He struggled to make something happen… and it did. Green-feathered wings began to sprout from his shoulder blades. They grew and expanded until they were finally large enough to support him.
"Whoa, that felt weird," he noted with an odd expression.
To test them, Beast Boy slowly flapped the wings then increased the momentum, finding himself picked up off the ground. He ended that and returned to the ground which was only inches below. Beast Boy wasn't about to fly into a surprise attack without knowing where Raven is.
Then there she was closing in on the clock tower. Beast Boy retracted his wings into his back and morphed into an insect. The little green bug ducked beneath a stone and watched as Raven circled the clock tower. Her expression was menacing. After a brief search, she flew off without having spotted him.
Beast Boy emerged from under the stone and returned to human form. He sprouted his wings again, and gave both of them a brief look from over his shoulders. "Their fledgling wings but they'll have to do." He took flight into the air and looked around. Raven was over the main part of the island, her back toward him.
Beast Boy flew at a low altitude toward the forest and landed. She was now overhead, but she could not see him from the tree he hid behind. Raven's attention was now averted from his location. Beast Boy took advantage of this moment and took off. He was closing in on her as she did not fly too fast chancing she might miss him as she vigilantly searched the ground.
He was upon her. Beast Boy tightly wrapped his arms around her from behind, locking Raven's arms at her sides. She viciously struggled to escape his grip, but not even this violent form could break it as the adrenaline was really flowing through him. He fought against her struggling.
"Raven!" he shouted. "Raven, it's me, Beast Boy!"
Raven did not acknowledge him, only roared and struggled.
"Raven, stop this! Come back to me, again! Don't let this destroy you!"
Still there was nothing.
"Raven listen to me! This is not you! You are a good person! What you did to me a short time ago is not your fault! Fight this and come back to me!"
His desperation was still unanswered.
"Please Raven, listen to me… listen to this!" He calmed his voice. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." Beast Boy chanted for several minutes, repeating this phrase more times than he ever thought he would. He didn't stop and didn't let up on his hold on her.
Raven:
She felt her body jolt as though something had collided with her. What was that? Then Raven heard Beast Boy call out to her. From inside she cried back. "I can hear you! What's happening out there?" She hoped he might somehow hear her.
Whether he did hear or not, Beast Boy did not seem to be letting up. Raven could hear him convincing this entity that had taken her over that it was Raven he was attempting to get to. Raven began to respect, and take note of, his determination. What did he say? She did something to him? Did she hurt him?
Then she heard his voice become calm. Three familiar words were repeated to her through Beast Boy's voice. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."
Raven settled into position and began to recite them as well. She even reached out to her emotions as she continued. She could feel every one of them chanting along with her and Beast Boy. Slowly that darkness began to fade and her mental world reconstructed itself. Raven was regaining control.
Beast Boy:
Somehow the thing that Raven had become slowly faded out while its coarse voice began to chant along with Beast Boy. Raven's voice soon returned to normal while continuing that chant.
Beast Boy realized she was Raven again. He loosened his grip on her. "You're back," he said with a sigh.
While Beast Boy couldn't see it, the four red eyes faded away and Raven's violet eyes returned. As Raven ended her chanting she realized she was still airborne and wasn't using her powers to stay up in the air. Yet Beast Boy was talking? A pair of familiar gloves around her abdomen let go as she proceeded to levitate herself. She turned around. He's flying! He has wings! Yet he isn't a bird? "Uh, Beast Boy?"
"Yes?" he asked.
"How did you… how did you do that?" She pointed to his wings.
"I made it happen. I had to do something to save you. I couldn't do it as just a bird of any kind. I had to be sure I could get to you. So I believed," he said with a smile.
Raven threw her arms around him and took Beast Boy into an even greater hug than the last time. "You… are… so… wonderful," she let out sobbing. 'He really is wonderful.'
Beast Boy winced because this grip restored the pain of his wounds. Raven released him. "Oh no… I really did hurt you," she gasped as she looked him over.
Suddenly Raven's eyes closed and she descended toward the ground, but Beast Boy caught her and realized she passed out. He landed and took her into his arms. The changeling retracted his wings then carried her. She called him wonderful?
'But she's a teammate, a friend. I'm just a clown,' he realized. 'Yet I did everything I could to save her. Would I even have a chance? I mean this is Raven. Would she feel the same way?' He looked down at her. 'I'll have to ask her the first chance I get. Don't put this off BB because there may not be a tomorrow.'
He smiled and seemed puzzled at how he still had his strength. Of the beating he took and the extent of his injuries, surely he should have passed out by now. Yes he felt exhausted, but he had to get Raven to a place for rest. A better restful place was back at the Stoneship Age.
Beast Boy boarded the ship – which suffered very little damage during Raven's rampage – went to the linking book and left with Raven.
Having returned to the Stoneship Age, Beast Boy wearily carried Raven below the deck of the ship to the room where he collected the red page. It was better furnished than the one where the blue page was. Beast Boy placed the unconscious Raven on the bed. He pulled out the red and blue pages he collected from the ages and set them on a nearby desk.
Feeling quite exhausted he stepped over to the foot of the bed. Sleeping on any surface would do right now. He morphed into a dog, walked a brief circle, and lay down.
Raven soon woke up to strange surroundings. She looked around the room. Where is Beast Boy? She heard faint breathing sounds. Rolling from the bed she stood up and walked around to the foot of the bed and spotted a green dog. A faint, thankful smile appeared on her expression. Raven recalled he was wounded. After taking a couple of breaths she knelt beside the sleeping dog and placed her hands just above him. Healing energy generated from her palms and she could sense his recovery.
Raven rearranged herself so that she was now sitting on the floor next to Beast Boy. She hesitated to at first, but decided to gently pet him and stroke his back. He stirred a bit then the dog's head jerked up awake. He looked to his right and saw Raven sitting there. Beast Boy restored his human form.
"Hey," he said after repositioning himself to sit facing her.
"Hey," she returned.
"Are you okay now?"
"I don't know, really. I just don't understand how I lost it before. I'm sorry you got hurt."
Beast Boy was silent for a second. "What happened couldn't be helped. But you're alright now and I'm still alive."
"Beast Boy I could have killed you," she said with shame. "How can you excuse that?"
"Because it wasn't you who attacked me, Raven. I know since the team formed I've done things that made you threaten me; done things that made you hurt me a bit. But I know you enough to believe that you would never kill me."
There was silence for a couple of minutes. Their eyes wandered around the room. Beast Boy recalled what he told himself before. "Uh, Raven?"
"Yes?" Raven replied looking at him.
"Did you mean what you said earlier, back on MYST? Do you really think I'm wonderful?"
"Beast Boy…" was all she could say because she didn't know what to say. She looked away from him and slumped to the back of the bed.
"I just thought I'd ask," he continued a bit dejected. "I just wondered if maybe you really liked me."
"I don't know. Maybe I do. I did mean it when I called you wonderful, because of the way you didn't give up on me, back in D'ni and especially here," she assured him. "But, to be straightforward… you're a clown."
The truth hurts. Beast Boy looked away and nodded. "I understand."
"But I also can't shake the realization that… that it doesn't matter. You are wonderful, and… and I would love to try."
Beast Boy's expression was a mix between stunned and ecstatic. Raven threw her arms around him in a hug. Beast Boy embraced Raven in return. Tears swelled up and she shut her eyes tightly. Beast Boy heard the sniffle she couldn't suppress. With high hopes that he wouldn't kill the moment he began to softly sing:
(A/N: "Hands to Heaven" by Breathe)
As I watch you move, across the moonlit room
There's so much tenderness in your loving
Tomorrow I must leave, the dawn knows no reprieve
God give me strength when I am leaving…
Raven knew this song. Initially she thought it odd that Beast Boy would be singing it, but the song was soothing, even with his voice. For the moment the lyrics felt right, like a lullaby rather than a love song.
So raise your hands to heaven and pray
That we'll be back together someday
Tonight, I need your sweet caress
Raven cut him off without missing a beat, taking on the next line herself.
Hold me in the darkness
Though it surprised Beast Boy that she would sing, he proceeded with the next line without pausing. As he did he eased his hold on her so he could look into her eyes.
Tonight, you calm my restlessness
Raven-
You relieve my sadness
Both of them smiled. Beast Boy-
As we move to embrace, tears run down your face
I whisper words of love so softly
I can't believe this pain, it's driving me insane
Without your touch, life will be lonely
So raise your hands to heaven and pray
That we'll be back together someday
Tonight, I need your sweet caress
Raven-
Hold me in the darkness
Beast Boy-
Tonight, you calm my restlessness
Raven-
You relieve my sadness
Beast Boy-
Tonight, I need your sweet caress
Raven-
Hold me in the darkness
Beast Boy-
Tonight, you calm my restlessness
Raven-
You relieve my sadness
For them the song went only that far, but something amazing was about to happen.
(A/N: "Hands to Heaven" was going through my head and that pretty much gave me the idea for the above. I apologize if I made this happen a bit too easy, and if readers feel BB and Raven are out of character. Then again, I hope readers find it to be some good fluff.)
Somewhere within the ages of MYST, two titans were turning a night into forever. Emotions were going haywire and objects went to pieces, yet neither of them cared about that.
In a silent city, a team of titans continued to patrol the streets.
Elsewhere, in a realm of fire and rock, an enraged demon roared as he sensed the love his daughter was experiencing. Trigon vowed she would die for this act, as will he who is sharing it with her – horribly.
Atrus' eyes went wide after he entered the cabin holding a closed book to his side. He discovered two sleeping teenagers in a bed belonging to one of his sons. He assumed they were wearing nothing from what little flesh he saw not covered by the bed sheets. Atrus cleared his throat, waking Raven but not Beast Boy.
"Forgive my intrusion," said Atrus humbly. "I'll wait outside." He stepped out and closed the cabin door.
Raven shook Beast Boy until he was awake.
"Hey," he said with a smile.
"Get up and get dressed. I think Atrus is done. He's waiting outside."
Beast Boy and Raven each took a sheet from the bed to keep covered. Both did their best to respect each other's space and privacy by not looking while they began to dress.
"Raven?" Beast Boy asked without looking at her.
"What is it?"
"Could you explain to me what the turning to stone actually means? I mean when Trigon comes through, is everyone going to turn instantly into statues?"
"No Beast Boy. That's more of a sign of helplessness. Trigon does intend to conquer every living thing, but no one will turn to stone the instant he shows up."
"So, I guess we've got some chance after all."
"Maybe."
Both finished dressing. Beast Boy collected the pages then he and Raven went up to the main deck where Atrus was waiting for them. He stood near the gangway.
"I have your book ready," he said presenting it.
"Thank you," replied Beast Boy. "I wasn't sure if you required them, but I collected the red and blue pages anyway. Here."
Atrus and Beast Boy made the exchange. "Thank you, Beast Boy," he replied. "I may have need of them in time. I did actually take the sets that were in the library on MYST, so I'm glad you collected these as well. So will you be returning to your world?"
"Yes," replied Raven. "Time is short and we must return before Trigon is due to come. I don't want to bring him here to such an amazing place. It's bad enough I can't stop myself from summoning him to our world, but at least preparations to battle him have been set in motion."
"Right," added Beast Boy. "Plus we'd like to apologize about the damage done here and on MYST."
"There is no damage," Atrus assured them.
"What?" asked Beast Boy, puzzled. He looked around the age. "But before we came here MYST was torn up badly as was this age while we were here."
"The ages were not written as places to receive damage," explained Atrus. "Even if you did something to it, the laws written to create the ages protect them from permanent damage and they would immediately be restored to their original form. A writer would have to make changes to the book that would alter the existence of the age. No such writing has been done.
"Now to instruct you on the use of your prison book," Atrus continued. "It is written to hold only one prisoner. Once the prisoner is inside and contained, do not touch the image or you will replace the one already there, and the original prisoner will be released. It would not be unexpected if you had to precede the one you are trying to trap, to make him believe you are somewhere else. So the image appears as another place and not some empty void."
Atrus opened the book and showed them the image. The image displayed an immense landscape. The sky was a dusk setting and the land was arid with mountains. In the foreground of the image was a cliff where one could stand.
"If you feel you must go in first, do so and try to get the one you intend to trap to follow. When your enemy touches the image, he will go in and you will come out."
"We'll remember that," Raven said. "Thank you so much."
"Farewell to both of you," said Atrus and he departed for the linking book back to MYST.
"Let's do that, too," Beast Boy told her. "Let's return to MYST, go to the pier and teleport back to the tower."
Raven and Beast Boy went to the linking book. Atrus had already left. They appeared in the library and exited for the pier.
"So how do you feel about last night?" Beast Boy asked.
Raven looked at him and smiled. "I wouldn't trade it for the world."
Beast Boy also smiled and Raven saw a familiar twinkle in his eyes.
Now at the pier, Raven focused and teleported herself and Beast Boy back to Jump City.
It was early afternoon. The titans returned after another round of patrolling. A couple of them prepared something to eat, some went to rest, and the remaining gathered to watch television.
From the background came the quiet sound of a sliding door. Beast Boy and Raven entered the main room, holding hands. Robin noticed them first.
Glad to see them he said, "Alright you guys are…" he paused when he realized they were hand in hand.
"Friends, you have returned!" exclaimed a happy Starfire. She also noticed what they were doing. "Why do you engage in the customary hand-bonding act of Earth couples?"
"Well…Star…" stammered Beast Boy, "uh…because that's uh…what we are."
"Wonderful! Will-you-also-be-joined-in-marriage? Can-I-be-the-maid-of-honor? Will-you-have-children? What-will-you-name-them-?"
"Whoa, whoa," interrupted Robin, "easy, Star, easy." Turning to Beast Boy and Raven, "So are we gonna hear about this? What happened?"
"We've decided to give this a try," replied Raven. "You don't object to it do you?"
"No, not at all," Robin protested. "If this is what you both want, I won't stop you."
"Whoa, dude!" Cyborg came in from somewhere. "The two of you? Who would have guessed?"
"Yeah, who'd have guessed?" repeated Beast Boy nervously.
"So, what's the condition of the city?" inquired Raven.
"The city's clear at the moment," Robin answered. "I'd like us to make one more sweep later before tomorrow. We've got the Titans East to help us. And speaking of tomorrow, are you prepared? Did your mission meet with success?"
"Yeah," said Raven. She presented the book. "We'll have to find a way to get Trigon in here. If I have to, I can go in and make him come after me. This is a one-man prison, so if I go in first and he follows, I'll be sent right back out and we'll have him."
"That's great. And congratulations you two, I hope it works for you both."
"Thanks," said Beast Boy. "So do we. And Robin," he continued as he leaned in toward the boy wonder. In a low voice Beast Boy went on. "If she means anything to you, tell Starfire how you feel. There may not be a tomorrow. This is what motivated me to talk to Raven."
"I will." Robin then called out to the team members present. "Alright titans, take it easy for now. But we'll be going out one more time this evening. After that, do what you can before tomorrow – train, rest, whatever. Tomorrow and the future of the world are depending on us."
Beast Boy gave Robin a reminder look. Robin acknowledged it.
"Uh, Starfire, I'd like to talk to you. Will you come with me?"
"Yes, Robin," Starfire responded then drifted over to him. As they walked out of the room she asked, "What is it you have to say?"
"Well, it's about you and me…"