Chapter ten: The Search
Author's Notes (READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!): Okay, listen up reviewers. I'm sick of reading five million reviews saying "Update now!" and "Update or else!" Okay? I have a life, too, you know. Asking me politely to update soon is one thing, threatening me and being rude is another, and will only discourage me. Now, I was really un-motivated (and am sick) to do this chapter, but I figured I'd just get it over with and try to get inspired again.
Nari: Meanwhile, please bear with us.
Me: Please do so. This is my new author note buddy, Nari. She doesn't really exist, but she's there anyway.
Nari: Whee
Me: Oh, and I realized that I haven't done a disclaimer in a while. (silence) (kicks Nari)
Nari: Ow! Oh, right...AnimeKittyCafe doesn't own Teen Titans. If she did, we would all be in deep, deep trouble.
Me: What's that supposed to mean? -.-
Nari: Lastly, a quick heads up. This chapter will suck beyound belief.
Me: ARGH! (throws Nari out a random window)
---
"Friend Raven does not look well," Starfire announced sadly, walking into the living room where Cyborg and Robin had been waiting for her report. "She has lost much of her blood for an unknown reason and her breathing becomes smaller and smaller."
All three of the Titans had solemn looks plastered across their face. The idea of losing a member was incomprehensible.
"Beastboy still...hasn't returned, has he?" Starfire stated, her peridot eyes scanning across the room for a sign of Beastboy.
Robin rubbed his forehead and replied "No. He needs the time outside anyway."
Cyborg nodded and agreed. "Yeah, he's especially worried about Raven."
The Boy Wonder sighed and grumbled. He hated it when he felt helpless like this. It made him feel uneasy and weak. The red haired alien beside him rested a hand on his back and said "Do not worry. Everything shall work out in the end."
"I hope you're right, Star," he sighed.
---
'Good, they're preoccupied,' Beastboy thought gladly, after eavesdropping on his teammates' conversation. 'That means I can do this without getting caught.'
He proceeded to sneak down the hallways and stopped at his destination. Raven's room.
"If this works, I hope Raven doesn't kill me for going into her room."
It only took him a moment to find what he was looking for; Raven's mirror. She had left it out on her dresser, knowing that no one would be stupid enough to touch it, for fear of facing her wrath.
Slowly, a dark energy sucked him in. He materialized bit by bit in what he recognized as Raven's mind.
"It worked," Beastboy smiled slightly at his success. "Now, this is the hard par-"
"BOO!"
Beastboy squealed like a little girl and fell ungracefully on his rear. He looked up at the person who scared him, finding it only to be Happy. She was grinning at the bewildered changeling.
"I'm so glad you're here!" she exploded in a bubbly manner. "I haven't seen you in person for a long time!"
Beastboy surpressed a grimace at her saccharinely cheerful tone. "Look, I'm not here to socialize. I'm looking for Hope."
Happy's expression quickly became somber, a strange constrast to her previous state. "Oh. I see. I don't think...she can be found. Remember, we said Raven lost Hope a long time ago..."
"'Lost,' meaning she only needs to be found again," Beastboy retorted.
Happy nodded. "Well, it sounds like your mind's made up! In that case, I'll tag along and help you!"
Beastboy was almost indifferent to the idea, but didn't feel like arguing. "All right."
---
Starfire sat by Raven, her small hands folded in her lap. Cyborg and Robin were elsewhere, discussing possible reasons for Raven's condition.
She spoke softly. "Raven, I know you cannot hear me, but I miss your accompaniment. So I shall talk to you anyway. We are all very worried about you, Beastboy especially. I do believe he has...the 'feelings' for you. I hope that you recover soon, or at all. I should be very sorrowful if you were to...well, I shall not talk about that. I realize that sometimes I may be a bit of the pain to you, but it is merely because you are very important to me, as are all my friends. You are like a sister to me, friend Raven. Not like Blackfire, however. You are like the nice kind of sister."
Starfire mustered (no pun intended) a smile at the violet haired Azarathian before her, wishing she would open her eyes and be okay.
"I wonder if Beastboy shall ever come home!" Starfire sighed, almost annoyed he had stayed out so long. Almost. Starfire was too easy going to be completely annoyed at a friend.
Suddenly, she heard the ER door creak open. She glanced at it to see Robin standing idly, his face asking for permission to enter. Starfire motioned for him to come in.
He obliged and sat on a spare chair by her.
"Are you worried about Raven?" Robin asked to start up some small talk. Then he realized how stupid that question was.
"Yes," Starfire replied, oblivious to how obvious her answer was. "I was also thinking about...what a hard life Raven has lived. And when she joined us, how she was finally happy. And if it were to end this way...when she was at last, comfortable..."
Robin kind of understood where she was going with this. "It'd be a shame?"
Starfire nodded silently, fighting a couple of tears.
Robin placed his hand on her shoulder. "I have a feeling...she'll pull through."
Starfire blinked and looked up at him. "Do you honestly and sincerely believe that?"
The masked boy thought and answered "Yeah. I do."
"Then I do too."
---
"Are you sure you don't mind me coming along?" a girl clothed in gray queried.
"Of course not, Timid," Beastboy replied. "After all, I could use all the help I can get."
Timid blushed darkly, glad her assistance was needed. "Okay..."
Beastboy and Happy had met up with Timid, who now trailed along with the two to help with their search for Hope.
Without warning, Timid squeaked and hid behind Beastboy.
"What?" he asked urgently.
"You're heading for...Anger's domain..."
"So? We need to look EVERYWHERE for Hope. Especially in places we wouldn't go."
Even Happy looked a little concerned. "For once, the worrywart has a point, BB. Anger is dangerous."
"She's another part of Raven. And I like all of Raven's sides."
Happy and Timid exchanged glances that said "We're all going to die" and other things of that like.
And slowly, they walked onto Anger's turf...
---
"See? I knew nothing would happen," Beastboy said, after they had explored the firely area for a few minutes without meeting danger.
Timid and Happy were about to agree until something caught their eye.
Beastboy followed their frightened stares to see Anger, her arms chained to a wall. She struggled to break free.
Much to the two emotions' horror, Beastboy approached Anger (keeping just out of her reaching distance, however, just to be safe).
For a minute, Anger wouldn't even meet his eyes, but slowly, she looked up at the changeling.
Her four glowing eyes lost the hatred that they previously held for a brief moment. "Why...aren't you afraid of me?"
"Because, like I said, you're another part of Raven. And Raven would never boddily hurt me on her own will."
"Not much, anyway," Anger corrected quietly, her muscles becoming loose.
Beastboy took a few steps closer, making Timid and Happy jump; he was within Anger's reach! But Anger didn't move. Her eyes were casted downwards, seemingly thinking.
Beastboy touched her hand. "Why are you in chains?"
Anger was surprised at his motion, but tried her hardest to ignore it. "Raven keeps me 'locked away' the best she can, because Trigon has chosen to inflict me. If I am released, Trigon could be released too."
He nodded. He understood, surprisingly. Even more surprisingly, he stood up and released her.
"What are you doing?" Timid cried frantically, hiding behind Happy.
Anger felt her wrists, where the cuffs had been. Why did he release her?
Beastboy grabbed her shoulder. "Anger, do you think you could help us find Hope?"
Anger was quiet for a moment, then said "Yes. I just need to summon up the other emotions. Then finding Hope will only be a matter of time."
---
Starfire sighed and flopped onto her bed. Stress was really not something the Tamaranian princess was used to.
She grabbed a little radio from underneath her bed and turned it on. She played with the knob on the top until she found a station she liked.
"Next up is Katakoto no Koi on Japan-a-Radio," a man's voice said far too enthusiastically.
Starfire liked the song, so she opened up her laptop and looked up english lyrics.
"Another day when someone and someone fall in love," she read outloud, "somewhere on this world. Two lines become untied and stays untied. It's awkward love but you can't express it with words..." She continued to read the rest of the lyrics in her head and smiled when she finished. She really liked that song. It reminded her of Robin. By the time she was done, another song was playing called "Sugar Baby Love." Once again, it was in Japanese so she searched for english lyrics.
She read them above a whisper, hoping no one would hear. "Sugar baby love, on my lips. The rouge of tears. Sugar baby love, I don't want to know such a thing as love..."
Starfire muttered the rest of the lyrics until she came to a part that stuck a cord in her. "Sugar baby love, one-sided love, even on a sad, painful night... Lonely Sunday, in the coner of the room was a withered bouquet..."
She concluded that the meaning of the song was how painful one-sided love was, and whoever the person in unrequited-love was, they didn't want anyone to know about their feelings.
The lyrics were suspiciously similar to a certain goth friend of hers...
End of chapter ten
Next time, on Finally Snapped...
The search for Hope is looking good. Anger has joined in and will most definitely be a help to Beastboy! But what if Hope doesn't want to be found? And when Starfire decides to tell all of Jump City about Raven's condition, some crazed fans get ideas as well as some villains!
"Hopeful Chaos," on Finally Snapped. See ya then!
NOT A SONG-FIC and technically speaking, those songs were only copy-written in their Japanese form. So the translation's lyrics don't count as a copyright infringement! Yay loopholes!
Okay, I heard that review replies were no longer allowed. So...thanks to everyone! And thanks for helping me pass the 180 mark. Now let's shoot for 190:)