Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans
I'm going to be switching my stories to HTML format, it's easier that way. And don't forget to read the little blurb at the end, it has some info in it you might be interested in.
" " - speech
' ' - thought
( ) author's notes
== - dreamscape
- telepathy
The Titan
Chapter 2
Cowritten by Nate and Felicia
"So, Moonfire, what's this sphere for?" Blackfire asked as she and her cloaked companion drifted through space.
Black eyes glinted in the light of a passing star, and Blackfire knew he was looking at her. There was something in those expressionless pools of darkness, something that looked to her like confusion. But how could that be? He had seemed so sure of himself back on Turanes 5; now, from what little she could see of his face, he looked lost.
"I'm not sure," he said, turning a small barrel roll. "Something told me to take it, so I did."
"If I told you to take something, would you?"
"No."
"Hmph, fine, I'll bet you couldn't anyway," she turned over, and floated, seemingly, on her back.
"Reverse psychology does not work on me, Blackfire," the eyes left her to concentrate on a planet below, "you know quite well what I'm capable of."
A few seconds later the planet exploded, sending a mass of debris towards them. Blackfire powered up two starbolts, but dropped them when Moonfire erected a shield. From beneath his cloak, a mangled hand emerged, the flesh red and twisted. A dark, hazy sphere appeared around them, absorbing all the rocks and trees and even the planet's inhabitants into it.
Back on Earth, Sunfire sat up straight and looked at the sky, something was terribly wrong. Looking down he saw Terra lying next to the still-burning fern, sound asleep. He could now understand Robin wanting to wait till after breakfast. Standing, he stretched, then stooped and scooped up the two seeds dropped by the fern, adding them to the others in a pocket of sudo-space. His eyes traveled from the fern to the valley below the cave, then over to the vine-covered hill not too far away.
'The androids have probably corroded by now,' he thought, looking back up at the sky.
"Sunfire," there was the voice he'd been waiting all night for.
"Would you mind keeping it down, Robin," he said, without turning around, "Terra is trying to sleep."
"I think you know why I'm here," the Boy Wonder said, dropping from above the cave mouth to right in front of it.
"Yes," the Tamaranean finally turned to look at him, but it was only a half turn. "How are your legs?"
"That's besides the point," Robin walked over to Sunfire, glaring up at the blank look on the alien's face. "Why did you kill Cinderblock?"
"It seemed the logical thing to do. Starfire and Raven understand, even if they don't want to admit it; even you understand my reasoning," Sunfire almost hissed that last part, but kept himself in check. "Cinderblock was a relentless threat, he attacks, you waste time and energy stopping him, only for him to escape again."
"That may be true, but..."
"But nothing, Robin," golden hair whipped forward in a sudden wind, "you may have seen more violence and carnage than most people do, but that is nothing compared to what I have seen."
"Your memory?"
"No, Raven's memories," he turned back to looking at the valley. "You don't want to know what she has seen and done."
"Raven is not the one on trial here."
"So now I'm on trial, where's the judge, or the jury?" Sunfire closed his eyes and concentrated on keeping Terra asleep. "Cinderblock took life, and so his life was taken."
"That's up to the authorities to decide."
"Are you not an authority?" eyes flashed briefly, and Robin took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Look, I'm willing to overlook this because you're new, but no more killing from now on."
"Very well, Starfire has already made that clear to me," he turned his gaze to Terra now. "Besides, without Cinderblock's memories, I would not have the information on Slade that you so desire."
He turned his body to follow his gaze and walked over to Terra, gently lifting her up and taking her inside the cave. A few seconds later he came back out, his eyes filled with contained rage. He would listen to this person, for now, but he would need to take matters into his own hands again.
"Robin..."
"Yes?"
"...If your entire identity were to be exposed, to your greatest enemy, and the only way out was to kill, would you?"
Robin opened his mouth, then closed it a few times, that...was a hard question. He had contemplated that thought several times, but had never come to a definite conclusion. The easy way would be to kill his enemy, but there were several different options open if he chose not to kill. All of these, though, ended in him having to drop off the face of the earth. Any new costume he put on would instantly be seen through; if one hero leaves, and another shows up the next day, it's kind of easy to see who it is, some of the time.
"I'll get back to you on that," Robin said as he turned to leave.
"Of course," Sunfire watched him leave through his peripheral vision. 'That is the question that will haunt your thoughts forever, little boy.'
"By the way, my legs are doing much better," he heard Robin call out from the top of the hill.
A little later that day, after Terra had awoken, and both had eaten breakfast, Sunfire began the training. They were a few valleys over from Terra's cave, and she was sitting on a rock listening to what he had to say. She was amazed by how much he knew about her type of power; he spoke of things even she didn't know she was capable of.
"Your powers, Terra, as well as mine, Raven's, and Starfire's are linked directly to our emotions," he said while pacing a bit. "Where as Raven controls hers by keeping her emotions in check, you and I are different. You have to feel your emotions for your power to come out. By feeling nothing you deny yourself the very thing that makes you more than human. But, when you feel too much of a certain emotion, you lose what little control you have. Too much Anxiety, too much Fear, even too much Respect or Love could be hazardous at abnormal levels."
Terra suddenly remembered the time she had been skipping stones with Beast Boy. She had felt nervous about being there, felt respect for what they did, and even had some naughty thoughts about Beast Boy. It was then that her powers decided to lift the rock from beneath him and dump him off. She could remember apologizing profusely, and him telling her it was okay.
"You see, Terra, had he not stop your apology, you could have done even more damage," he held up one finger to justify his point. "Now, an emotion like Rage, that's a tricky one; there can be only limited room for Rage, for she will destroy you from the inside out. To feel mad is something natural, but to be furious, then Rage rears her head, and she will take control."
"What do you mean, why do you personify emotions?"
"Because, Terra, if you ever venture inside your mind, you mill see all of your emotions as different forms of yourself. Right now there are several emotions working in harmony to control how you feel, but Rage destroys that harmony and drives your mind into a frenzy."
"Has it happened to you?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"I will tell you later, now listen to me. Fear is another emotion to be weary of, you experienced that when Slade had told you to not trust the Titans. Fear, Confusion, and Denial, three emotions that should never have the driver's seat of your mind all at once. You conjured a tornado in that tunnel, because your mind was reeling with what Slade said. He was trying to unbalance you Terra; he knows that you have been alone all this time, he has been watching you. But this is where you can change the way your life is going; this is where you can change the course of this planet's future."
Terra looked up at him expectantly, waiting for some mind-blowing revelation to be revealed. She was rewarded with the rock she was sitting on being lifted far into the air, very quickly. The sudden movement triggered Fear, who instantly threw her off the rock, and grabbing another, this one under her control.
"This, Terra, this is where you learn control," she heard him yell from down below. "You must increase your tolerance to your emotions; you must be able to feel more, without letting them take control of your powers."
The rock she stood on began to shake, being pelted with smaller rocks from below, breaking it up piece by piece. The rock she had been on circled around her, and it was that which she was concentrating on, knowing it was going to ram her. When it did, she could feel the rock below her give way, and she fell, the other rock zipped by harmlessly. Her power grabbed two of the small stones and held them up, therefore holding her up; she sighed.
But that sigh was a little premature, as several smaller rocks began striking her gloved hands. She yipped and shrieked at each one, feeling her fingers begin to bruise from the impact. She screamed and let go when a larger rock, about the size of a grown man's fist, slammed into her right hand. A flat slab of rock tore from the cliff behind Sunfire and zoomed over to her. From there she concentrated on grabbing all the rocks that were floating around her and flung them at Sunfire.
The rocks stopped halfway between them, and Terra concentrated harder. Her brow was furrowed, he hands clenched, her eyes glowing. Sunfire stood calmly; a small smile resting on his face, it was time. It was time for Terra to confront Rage, and to conquer her. More rocks began to unearth themselves all around the Tamaranean, joining the ones held between Terra and himself. The rocks were slowly moving towards Terra, pushing against her control on them.
"NO!" she screamed and pushed against the rocks, pushing them back.
The cliff behind Sunfire began to crack, rocks falling from it, towards the alien. But he still stood with the smile on his face. Then his hold on the rocks was released, and they rocketed towards him. Rage smiled, she knew she was stronger, and Terra was stronger with her. As soon as the first rock struck, doing no damage mind you, Rage could feel something pushing her, but it wasn't one of her sister emotions. More and more rocks struck Sunfire, and with each one, Terra's rage began to subside, but her concentration was not faltering.
"Now," Sunfire said, and the rocks stopped, Terra's power stripped from them, and they fell to the ground. "Not bad, for a first try."
"Really?" Terra asked as her rock lowered to the ground.
'You have no idea,' he thought then said, "Yeah, already you've conquered Rage."
"Wow, in that short amount of time?"
"What do you mean? It's almost sundown," he looked over at the setting sun. "We held that stalemate for almost eight hours."
"Seriously, but, it barely felt like five minutes," Terra said, astonished that so much time could have passed without her realizing.
"That's because the time passed here, not in your mind," he pointed to her head, not touched, just pointed. "Rage, being the most dangerous, had to be dealt with now, so your training could go much smoother."
"I guess I understand," she sat down on a floating rock, not even realizing she was levitating it. "So what about tomorrow?"
"Fear," he said as he sat on the ground.
"Okay."
A few days passed, and Terra's training had been coming along faster than Sunfire realized. She mastered Fear in only seven hours, and moved on to Anxiety, Confusion, and now they were on Denial. But there was one problem for Terra, Sunfire was nowhere to be found. She knew this wasn't part of the test, she just didn't know where he was.
"He wouldn't just leave, would he?" she stood atop her hill and held a hand over her eyes, to shield them from the sun. "I don't believe it."
That was when she heard it, a long, melodious tune echoing through the valley behind her. It sounded like very loud humming. She followed the sound and climbed over the next three hills to find the source of the noise. Sunfire was levitating slightly, his legs drawn up, and hands in the same position as the night he had meditated with Raven. All around him, pillars of stone were raising and lowering, each one representing a separate note in his song. Terra sat on the hilltop and listened to him, listened to the notes passing through her. Somehow, with all that had been going on, the tune made her feel better.
Then she felt a rumbling from beneath, she felt it in her very core, like the Earth itself was resonating through her. The pillars below shot up, and out of their holes, falling to the way side as the rumbling continued. A few seconds later water shot out of the holes, rising a hundred feet into the air, before crashing down to the valley floor below. Miraculously, Sunfire sat in the middle of it, every single drop that looked to hit him, hit his shield first.
"Wow," Terra whispered, she could only control one pillar at a time, but he had just been controlling a dozen. And now, with the water, that just added to her amazement. "Is this part of the test?"
"No," she looked up, there was Sunfire, standing beside her. "This is for enjoyment; you do swim, don't you?"
"I...never really got the chance to learn."
"Then here is your chance, don't deny yourself this chance to learn," he smiled and grabbed her hand, pulling her down to the shore of the newly formed lake.
"B-but I don't have a bathing suit," she stuttered as she eyed the water.
"Granted," he snapped his fingered and her clothes were gone, replaced by a black, one piece swimsuit.
"Uh, how'd you do that?" she asked looking over at him, wearing black swim trunks that ended just below his knees.
"Trade secret," he said with a smile and wink before diving in; he surfaced a little ways out and turned around. "Come on, the water feels great."
"O-okay," she put out her foot to touch the water, but, before she could, a rock pushed through the surface, blocking her. 'Oh no.'
"Do I have to pull you in?" Sunfire asked as he swam a little closer. "Come on Terra, you're denying yourself a good time, and that just won't do."
'Deny?' Terra took a step back. 'That's it.'
Taking a few more steps back, she ran forward, leaping as high as she could, and as far as she could. There was almost no splash when she entered the water, but that was because of the upheaval of the earth below. She landed on a small sandbar, which she unconsciously created. Turning around, she saw Sunfire, his head just above the surface, smiling at her. Suddenly, the ground dropped out from below her, and she went under the water, only to come back up, flailing her arms. That was when she felt the hands beneath her shoulders, holding her up.
"See, it's not that bad," he laughed a little from behind her. "Now just kick your legs a little and try to breathe normally."
She looked over her shoulder at him, and did as she was told, kicking her legs gently. That, alone, was enough to keep her floating there; Sunfire's hands now hovering beneath her arms, waiting. A little later, his hands removed themselves, and he maneuvered himself around in front of her.
"Understand now, Terra?" he asked with a wry smile on his face.
"Yes, by denying the good things in life, I only push myself towards negative emotions."
"Exactly, now come on, swim to me," he drifted back about ten feet, and held out his arms. "Just try a mava paddle."
"What?"
He sighed, shouldn't it have been obvious, "Here on Earth it's called a doggy paddle."
"Oh, okay," she said, and began moving her arms and legs, keeping her breathing steady, so as to have enough air to keep her head above the water.
It took her a few tries, but after a little while, Terra began to get used to being in the water. Before this she mostly avoided the water, having eerie feelings whenever she had to go through it. One reason for it would be the mudslide she'd caused a little more than two years ago. She was living with a family in a small town in the mountains. Then, one day, without anything to trigger it, her powers went haywire, starting the disaster that had destroyed the entire town.
"It wasn't your fault, Terra," Sunfire said from a few feet away, where he was floating on his back. "At least, not consciously, you were young, your powers just emerging."
"I know, but it was still my fault, no matter how you look at it."
"That's why we're here, so you can make sure it never happens again."
Terra looked around, noticing that the water was becoming clouded with dirt, whereas it had been clear a moment ago. Looking towards the source of the dirt, she saw a large spire of brown water erupt from the surface. It extended almost fifty feet in the air, twisting and turning like a tornado. She turned back towards Sunfire, who was still smiling.
"Anything with any kind of mineral in it can be controlled," he let his body sink, so only his head was above the surface. "Terra, I want you to grab that spire, and take it from my control."
"O-okay," she held her hands up, eyes adopting their usual golden glow.
Sunfire released the spire and it instantly fell back into the lake. Terra groaned at her failure, but stopped herself short when another spire erupted. She looked to Sunfire, and he nodded her to take it. Thrusting her hands out, she concentrated as hard as she could, focusing all her mind on those tiny grains of sand, clay, and soil within it. When Sunfire released it, the spire lasted for a few seconds before collapsing.
"Better, we'll just keep doing this until you've got it," he conjured another tower of water.
"Right," Terra said, her voice radiating confidence and determination.
The rest of the days flew by, with Terra growing ever stronger, and ever more confident in her control. She was no longer denying her what she wanted to do, and wasn't afraid of what her power might do. Rage, forget about Rage, she was cool, calm, and collected. It amazed Sunfire just how quickly she had advanced her powers, and her multitasking skills were top notch. She could control three boulders, three spires of water, and a wide array of stalagmites, all at once.
It was now day ten, the day that Sunfire had told them he would return with Terra. There was no telling what the Titans had gotten into during those ten days, but it was safe to say he wasn't going to be greeted with open arms. Terra's arrival would probably be cause for a Feast of Reunity; he perished the thought. This planet did not have the required ingredients for such a meal, and it was doubtful the local food would make a viable substitute.
"Terra, I must say I'm extremely proud of you," Sunfire said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "In just ten days you've come closer to complete control than you have your entire life. But please realize that, even if you think you have control, there will still be times when you lose it. Try to be ready."
"Don't worry about, no way am I losing control again," Terra replied, pushing a loch of hair behind her ear.
"You have no idea the true depth of your power, Terra," he turned to look out over the lake, at the giant T in the distance. "Do not think you have total control, you will still need to practice. Hone your skills, until they are perfect."
"I...I'm sorry if I offended you," she looked down. "I realize that I'll still have to practice, but it just feels so good to know that I won't destroy anything for the time being."
Sunfire turned his gaze from the tower back to her, and tightened his grip on her shoulder slightly. With a wind that whipped at their hair and faces, the two of them disappeared.
They reappeared outside the tower's main entrance. Sunfire stepped up to the door and pushed it open, revealing the large entry hall, lined with chairs. He led Terra through the hall to the elevator, and punched in for the top floor. The elevator lurched into motion, moving them slowly towards their destination. The Tamaranian could feel the emotions from the people above them, two in particular.
"Terra."
"Yes?"
"I need you to keep my memories a secret," he said looking up at the numbers. "If they knew, then I would have to leave here, and, for the time being, that would not be wise."
"Alright," she nodded slightly, her neck also craned to see the numbers. "Why would it not be wise?"
"I'll tell you later."
The doors opened and they stepped out to a chorus of cheers. Sunfire looked up and saw a banner reading, 'WELCOME BACK TERRA!' A smile crossed his face, and he stepped to the side, getting out of Starfire and Beast Boy's paths. Terra was instantly pulled into Starfire's arms, the sound of her joints popping was quite evident.
"FRIEND TERRA, YOU HAVE RETURNED TO US!" the young girl squealed as she hugged the blonde tighter.
"Uh, h-hey, Starfire," she grunted slightly from the suddeness and force of Starfire's affections, "i-it's good to see you, too."
"I am so elated that Sunfire kept his word," Starfire released Terra, and stood a little to the side.
It was then that Terra noticed that her teacher wasn't next to her anymore. She looked around and saw him leaving the room, wondering why, but then she saw Raven follow him. She would have wondered why, but the others had crowded around her. Cyborg, and Robin welcomed her back, and Beast Boy turned a deep red when she placed her arms around him.
"Thanks guys, it's good to be back," she said as she made her way to the couch, the others following in close pursuit. "Sorry for running away like that, I was just so confused."
"Don't worry about it Terra," Robin said from her right, "you've gotten control, that's was matters."
"Are you kidding, Terra is here, that's what matters," Beast Boy retorted, and Terra blushed at that.
A few hallways away, another scene was taking place, this one between the two not present. Raven had followed Sunfire, knowing that he and Terra were keeping something from her. His mental defenses were the most formidable she had ever encountered, but she knew hers were pretty good too, otherwise he would have known everything about her.
"What do you want Raven?" he asked as they reached a junction with another hall. "I kept her from Slade and brought her here, why are you not with them?"
"Because I want an answer only you can give me," she said with a bit of worry in her monotone.
"What is your question?" he turned around and, for the first time, noticed how much shorter than him she was.
"Have you regained any memories while you were away?"
"Yes, but they are unimportant," he turned back around to leave, but felt a hand on his back, on the tank top. "You need not fear touching me, I can control it now."
"Is that something you learned with her?"
"No, I have been able to for quite some time."
"Then why not tell us?"
"I believed it to be of no importance for you to know."
"What is..."
"I'm sorry, but you only get three question," he started to walk away. "I'll answer your other questions later."
He left her standing there, her arm held up, palm forward, and a bit of a confused look on her face. What did it matter if he walked away, it's not like he had anywhere else to go. But didn't her questions have importance, or did they, and she, mean nothing to him.
'What is his deal?' she thought. 'Oh well, it doesn't matter, he'll tell me, sooner or later.'
She turned and headed back to the party, where Beast Boy and Cyborg were trying to get Terra to eat their cakes. Cyborg's was, naturally, made the correct way, while BB's was, how shall I say, not as appetizing as the half-robot's. Terra, though, humored them, and said both cakes tasted delicious.
TBC
There, another chapter in such a short time, I don't think I've written like this since I first started "The Reaper," my Zoids fic on Back then I used to bang out chapters like it was nothing, two three, even four times a week. Hm, oh well, enough about me, tell me what you think, did I capture them alright? How much OOCness was there, I need to know. Now, let me see, ah yes, so little reviews for the last chapter, why? Was it not good, not up to scratch, or was there not enough sex? I mean, there was plenty of violence (no blood though, I'm not sure if Cinderblock has blood), and somewhat of a sappy part. What else, oh yeah, a response to Chaos' review from a while back, no, this will not be a Robin/Raven, though I prefer them, this will not be one. But, it will not be a Robin/Starfire either, why, 'cuz I just don't feel like writing it. That's all from me, don't forget to review.