I would like to remind everyone that 'Malaki' is pronnounced Mal-uh-kai. Just so you know, n'kay? Now, I don't own Teen Titans, Dark Fall, or much of anything for that matter. This story is purely for the enjoyment of others, and I get no profits from it. Except the ego rush of getting lots of reviews! Don't be stingy, ya'll! (smile)

Beast Boy's Game

PART 12: MALAKI

It was the size of a large barrel, and shaped just like one. But, it had rounded ends, like half-spheres to cap off something. The light-blue word, Malaki, was painted carefully across the surface. Bumps that Beast Boy supposed were bolts held the caps on both ends, each shining with its own individual light.

The green teen slowly approached, unsure of what to do. So he'd found it and achieved his goal, but… what was he supposed to do with it? What was it for? He came close, surveying it from all sides. It was pretty plain, aside from its name being written on one side. The rounded cylinder reminded him very much of a giant, silver cold tablet. Shaking his head and trying not to think of the cold, he rubbed his upper arms some more. What was he supposed to do now?

Reaching into Drake's bag, he pulled out one of the Malaki chips. Was he supposed to put it back together? If so, he was screwed. Cyborg was the tech-boy, not him. Wishing his mechanical friend was there, he reached to touch its silvery surface.

"You won't figure it out, you know." Beast Boy whirled around as dark laughter filled the icy cave he was in. No one. There was no one there, he coached himself. "In this life, or the next!" There was another round of laughter. Was that Drake speaking? The Dark Fall using his voice, maybe? Had it already followed him? Licking his lips and still shivering, Beast Boy worked with painfully numb fingers. He ran his hands over the capsule-shaped thing, trying to find a panel or an on switch or –!

Fsssssst. Zzzzzzzzzzzzt…..ka-cha!

Most of the entire thing moved out of the way, one giant panel for him to see. There were three slots there, each a different color. Blue, red… and yellow. Knowing what to do right away Beast Boy tore the bag open and drew out the other two computer chips. Carefully, he inserted each into its respective slot. A plasma screen came up. MALAKI 4.0, it said. It flashed that message for a few moments. So, it was the forth version of something? What? The screen went black for a few moments, and Beast Boy reached and touched it. He was blinded as it turned white, and perhaps six different displays went up. Wiggling lines, charts, maps, and Lord knew what else. The lines were trying to integrate along to same line, wriggling back and forth as they tried to calm themselves into a straight line. Beast Boy let his eyes wander for a few moments, keeping an eye out for anything bad. Nothing was coming to kill him at the moment, but still… it wasn't like he ever got a warning beforehand… wait, what was that?

"No way…" Beast Boy whispered in awe. He rubbed his eyes, leaning forward to look at it. There was a single word written in magic marker, on the inside of the panel. Just below the screen. It was in a handwriting he recognized. Cyborg's. His best friend had built this thing? "Probably, in the future." He mumbled. But, the word itself written there was what stirred him the most. It was just one word, but it was that which inspired thousands throughout history, no matter what time period they happened to be in.

Hope.

Beast Boy was shaking, tired, burnt, bruised and a little bloody, but the tears still came. "I hear ya, buddy…" He whispered, trying not to let snot drip out of his nose. His shuddering, shaking body turned towards the screen again, and found it had changed. There were three different squares, and a date read-out. The squares were red, blue, and yellow. The date read-out was blank. Beast Boy watched in amazement as a tiny little keyboard popped into his view with a hiss. Wondering how Cyborg, with his big klunky fingers, could type on such a thing, he slowly put in the day's date that he left.

CONFIRM? Y/N

"Yeah. It's time to go home." Beast Boy whispered. "Malaki. Take me back to my time. My home. My…… my girl." He said the last part a little sheepishly, reaching for the 'Y' button. It gave a tiny click, and the screen went black and the panel slammed itself shut again. Malaki lit up like the forth of July, spouting sparks in every direction!

Beast Boy staggered back, holding desperately onto Raven's cloak to protect him. "So you've won." A tiny voice whispered in his ear. It was Drake again, speaking in his ear like he was right next to him. Malaki lifted itself off the ground, starting to roate al by itself.A brilliant light was filling filling the cave! "All of time… is yours…"

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He had obtained Malaki. This could not be allowed to continue. It was time to end this game and take revenge for what had happened a year ago. This time, it would have their souls. All of them. But, the green one was first.

Beast Boy fell out of the game world, and into the real one.

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Raven's eyes widened as soon as she sensed it. The common room got very cold all of a sudden. "It's coming!" She shouted. All of the Titans jumped to their feet as every black line Raven had grown glowed white. Radiant sparks of wild magic filled the air, lancing out into the night! Black mist poured from the floor, and a portal opened on the ceiling. "There!" Raven roared just as a limp, green form fell out of the portal. He hit the ground with a painful sounding flump, unconscious.

Raven's eyes flared white and she leapt forward to claim their friend without touching the floor. She was almost there, the thick black fog gathering all around him. She reached for him –!

Giant, spectral spikes erupt from the floor!

Starfire cried out in fear of her friend's safety, but she had been ordered not to move. The traps were still active, and until they went off, there could be no interference. Raven dove through the air, out of harms way. Beast Boy lay there limply, and was thrown into the air by an unnatural force. He hovered limply in midair, and a once invisible clawed hand made itself known. Dark Fall was there. And, it had Beast Boy! Raven's hand glowed black and she fired a pair of black bolts. They seemed to be sucked into the monster's smokey, undefined skin. Claws the color of mercury made a cage around Beast Boy, holding him a crushing grip. He wasn't even conscious. He would be killed!

"C'mon…. c'mon…" Raven murmured, flying up higher. The Dark Fall emerged further from the floor, screeching an unnaturally high cry of battle. It's head emerged, vaguely dragonic. Its red, glowing eyes pierced upward towards its prey. The other half of it's revenge. The other reason it had been freed and re-trapped so quickly. Right within its grasp.

"Almost there… almost there…" Cyborg leaned forward in anticipation. Not until Raven gave the signal. Not until –! Raven fired her third attack, and all three of the other Titan's sprang forward to battle. The gothic Titan flew at free-fall and then some to join them. The Dark Fall followed with its eyes, unable to keep up because of its size.

"Haaaaaseeeeeooooooraaaaaaseeeeeth…" Dark Fall hissed at them. It was growing angrier, and things only got darker. All the lights Raven had set up were burning away at it, but they simply weren't doing enough damage. This wasn't a specter from the game, or an incarnation of the Dark Fall… this was creature itself! Raven did her best to hold it back while starbolts and sonic blast accompanied her magic. The others were rushing to their place. A very particular place where her trap would be sprung. The four Titans arrived at the far corner of the common room, Cyborg streaming with his sonic cannon. The Dark Fall was reaching for them with one long, spectral set of claws. Neon green goo dripped from its teeth, and Beast Boy only hung limply in its grasp.

"Just like I told you!" Raven shouted. The three remaining Titans joined hands, standing in a circle around her. A hexagram circle appeared around them on the floor. "The incantation! Quickly!"

"In dire need–!" Robin cried, thrusting his hands into the air. A ball of pre-positioned magic appeared between his palms.

"We call forth–!" Cyborg did the same, though his was blue.

"The power–!" Starfire shouted, her hair flying like a banner. Her hands contained the magic raven had given her, and she thrust it skyward.

"Of the ancients!" Raven was hovering into the air, her clothes flapping with no wind. There three spheres of magic had lightening flashing back and forth between them until they were a circle of magic. Raven spread her arms and legs, a star pattern appearing in the air around her. The circle soon followed, creating another hexagram. "All together!" She shouted as the magic gathered to their cause. Tiny sparkles of light were coursing towards her she almost couldn't contain them all! She held a giant sphere of white hot light in her hands, clutching it to her breast as long as she could.

All four Titans spoke as one, "TO BATTLE OUR FOE!" Raven suddenly couldn't take anymore power. The attack was too great to contain. The Dark Fall's claws were upon her as it reached to stop them! The hexagram that Raven had spread her limbs into turned white, and filled itself in completely. Time slowed, and sound ceased to exist.

A giant pillar of light exploded skyward, lighting up Jump City like it was New Years!

The windows of the common room seemed to break in slow motion, the carpet burning and the furniture flying out into the night. Raven's muted scream of exhilaration at unleashing the massive magical attack suddenly became audible. Time reset itself, and flowed at the normal speed. All four Titans lay sprawled out, unmoving. Raven forced herself to look up and see if it had worked. The massive Dark Fall had an enormous, gaping hole in it. Big enough to drive the T-car through! Its was screaming and writhing in place, covered with the symbols Raven had drawn everywhere. It screeched and thrashed, trying to reform itself. Beast Boy still hung limply in its grip, and it suddenly seemed to notice that it still had one victim. Then, the unthinkable happened.

The Dark Fall swallowed Beast Boy whole.

Raven screamed in disbelief, tearsflooding her eyes. They streamed down her cheeks as the giant hole in the monster repaired itself. Its hazy, unshaped body was back to normal. After all that. It had consumed him to heal itself. "Noooo! Beast Boy!" Raven threw herself to her feet and charged head on! She blasted it with everything she had, but the magic was only absorbed, making it bigger and stronger. Raven stumbled and fell, weeping with rage and disbelief. Doubled over right in front of her enemy, she looked up as it loomed over her.

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Nevermore, the land of Raven's mind, was literally breaking apart. Parts of the nuetral zone, where Raven usually entered, were breaking off and falling into infinity. In the chapel all of her emotions save one had gathered to help in the fight. But, they all stared at nothing in disbelief. "We… we lost…" Timid fell to her knees, crying. Bravery, though she did not speak, knelt to comfort the weaker emotion.

"No… I can't believe it." Knowledge whispered dropping her book to the ground.

Love, the new girl in Raven's mind since she'd become an item with Beast Boy, stood there as though petrified. Her whole body began shaking uncontrollably. Tears dripped from her eyes, and her teeth clenched. Her cry of anguish echoed across Nevermore as she fell clutching at her head.

Rage, who was still in her chains, looked up very suddenly. She'd heard the cry. Her chains started to tinkle on their own, though she wasn't moving. Was Raven…? Rage looked on in wonder as every single restraint fell way. Every. Single. One. She stood slowly, her blood red cloak billowing. She vanished in a flash of fire, and reappeared at the chapel of Raven's mind. All of the other emotions turned in shock, and Timid hid behind Bravery with a whimper. "Hey girls." She said, grinning from under her eyebrows. "Doesn't the fact that our mate is gone make you…" her eyes flared red, all four of them. "Angry?"

From behind Bravery, Timid suddenly noticed her gray cloak was starting to tint red. "Uh… oh…" she whispered slowly, like a child that had just seen something terrible.

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Raven raced desperately to the far wall. Running her hand from symbol to symbol to read them quickly, she reached and smeared one. A trap had been sprung. A rain of needles fell from the ceiling, all made of light! The Dark Fall screeched in pain, almost like a hawk. It's unpredictable form bubbled and frothed, twisting and trying to take a shape that it wouldn't be hurt in. Growing angry it formed a single tentacle and spikes formed on the end. Raven threw up a barrier just in time to be struck all the way to the kitchen. She shattered one of the cabinets and fell with a doggish yelp of pain. Her cloak tore, and she quickly tossed it aside. God… she was the only one fighting. The others had given everything that had into that first shot. And what did it get them? Nothing.

Knowing that if she failed all would be lost, Raven forced herself to her feet. "Lussa!" she cried, thrusting out a hand. The symbol flared on her hand and shot across the room like a battering ram of light! Dark Fall screamed and countered with an avalanche of ceiling tiles. They rained around her and Raven took cover behind the kitchen island. When she found a good moment, she stood and cried, "Kars! Oliviak!" Raven spun almost as Starfire would, tossing two symbols at once. Dark Fall retreated just a bit on impact, then reformed itself and came on stronger than ever. There was no stopping it! Raven rushed around it as fast as she could, raining down magical attacks, symbols, and even an arrow of light right in its eye! But it would always reform itself before long.

Raven stood there, breathing hard. She was trying not to fall to her knees, as they were shaking with fatigue and fear. She'd used all twelve symbols. She'd sprung all her traps. She'd tried her own powers. She didn't have anything lef-!

Raven flinched so hard that the Dark Fall paused.

"Aaah! Guh!" She clenched at her stomach, then held her head desperately. Her eyebrows widened, and by magic became eyes. "Dark Fall…" she whispered in a voice that was not her own. "I'll show you dark." She could feel it. It was coming. She'd let go of herself for too long, feeling too much during the battle. The crushing loss of Beast Boy had only triggered the beginning. Raven's hood came up of its own accord, and her cloak closed around her body. Massive, black tentacles sprouted from where her feet usually were, and she grew a dozen feet with a cry of battle!

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Everyone in Nevermore was wearing a deep, blood red cloak now. Everyone had four eyes, even what used to be the emotion called Timid. And, they all spoke in one voice as their objective was revealed. "KILL."

Dum dum DUUUUM! Its time for the final battle, my adoring fans! You've gone through puzzles, terror, zombies, demons, ghosts, shadows, and everything in between up to this point! You've read the story that comes before this, and now there's no turning back! It's time for the last fight. Its Raven VS. Dark Fall. Next time on Beast Boy's Game, its "Game Over!" See you there, and leave a review if you have the time! Thankies!