Chapter 17

Raven's eyes narrowed to intimidating white slits. The Feminine Side was storming across her room, equally angry, her hands fisting in her hair. "You fool! Do you realize what you've done!? You may have a normal brain all-of-a-sudden, but now Beast Boy is in MY mind!"

The fury was difficult to fight, but Raven couldn't afford to endanger her other friends. And if they kept this up the Tower would be nothing more than a pile of black ashes, along with the rest of the Titans. So instead of shouting and making a commotion, she clenched her fist and said in a hissing tone, "You were the one who started this whole thing. If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened to begin with."

The Feminine Side jerked her head back at Raven. She stomped towards her. "You don't understand do you? Beast Boy is stuck in there forever!"

Her heart tugged at the very idea, but she stood tall, meeting the Feminine Side literally face-to-face. "I understand the situation exactly as it is. But every spell has a reverse. This isn't over yet."

Her door opened behind them, but they both ignored it. The other Titans came in, and even though they remained silent, they braced themselves for battle. Robin gripped three freeze-discs in his fingers, Starfire rose in the air with glowing hands and eyes, and Cyborg cocked his mechanical arm ready to fire.

The Feminine Side grinned spitefully. She swiped a black shield over herself, and she ran over to grab Nevermore. Raven's eyes widened, and she used her own powers to claw and attack at the black shield. The Feminine Side saluted, and struck out her hand. One of Raven's large windows went black, and with a slice of Feminine Side's arm through the air, was cracked, then shattered into thousands of pieces. She walked over to the open window with a confident strut, the book in hand. Upon reaching it, she saluted Raven, and flew out. Soon after, the black shield disappeared.

Raven levitated off the ground, and after backing up a little bit, she rushed out the broken window, hot in pursuit.

Starfire lunged after her, but Robin and Cyborg grabbed her feet. "Eek," she shouted, and twisted her torso to look back down at the boys holding her captive. "Friends please! Raven is in danger! We must try to help her!"

They tried pulling her back down, but the strength she was using to get higher up almost pulled them off their feet. "Starfire stop for a second!"

She opened her eyes, and looked down at Robin's pleading face, and after kicking her feet out of both their grasps, she lowered herself. Robin rubbed his wrist to relieve the pressure Starfire put on it, and said, "Starfire, we really shouldn't interfere with this."

Starfire blinked in confusion. "But, we have always been there to defend our friends. This occasion is not any different."

Cyborg and Robin glanced at each other, then back at Starfire. "Star, this one IS a little different. Raven said herself that she and B didn't want us involved in the situation with them and the Feminine Side. And we all agreed to keep out."

Starfire spread her arms in hopelessness. "But Raven is in danger! And Beast Boy is possibly in danger too! We cannot just 'keep out'!"

Robin put his hand on her bare shoulder, trying to help her understand. Sometimes it was so hard to get Starfire to comprehend the complexities of earthling ways. Especially earthlings as stubborn as Beast Boy and Raven. "Starfire, if they didn't want us involved, then they had a good reason. They're both sensible enough to know better than to get involved in something they couldn't handle on their own and do it anyway. Believe me, if she and Beast Boy really needed our help, then they would have asked for it."

Starfire looked over at the broken window, from which now came a gentle breeze that blew some loose papers. Robin usually knew what was happening in uncanny scenarios, and Starfire always trusted him. But did he really have the right answer this time?

(Somewhere in a barren desert.)

Raven spread her arms wide to block the array of rocks from the oasis that the Feminine Side was throwing at her. She then lifted her arms, and spread them wide. "Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!"

The sand below her became encompassed by her black energy, and swirled into a tall cyclone around her before spiraling at the Feminine Raven. She flew high in the air to dodge the twister, but Raven lifted her arms. The tornado of sand followed the Side as she made dips and turns throughout the cliffs and crevices of the desert. Raven pushed at the sand harder. "Rgh!"

The Side yelped as the raging cyclone engulfed her body, and spun her around rapidly dozens of times before tossing her out. She hit the ground, then rolled a couple times before ending up in a sitting position, a cloud of dust puffing around her. Once the dust had cleared, it revealed the Feminine Raven, one hand still clasping the book, and the other cradling her no doubt spinning head. Her eyes were spinning swirls, and her mouth was open, leaking drool. "Ughhh…"

Raven dropped back to ground. "There's an easy way to end this. Just hand over the book."

Comprehension came back to the Feminine Raven like a splash of cold water. She clenched a fist, and rose to the air. "There's no way you're getting this book while I'm still alive."

Raven closed her eyes, and disappeared into a black shadow, that after swirling around a moment, expanded to a large, black, raven. "Wanna bet?"

She used her telekinesis to engulf a large portion of the sky, and Feminine Side. The magic allowed her a strong advantage. She searched through the darkness, and upon finding her adversary, she snapped out her arms and snatched the book away. Raven quickly lost the darkness of the sky. Grinning victoriously, she said, "Too easy!"

The eyes of the Feminine Side widened, and after glancing at her hands, she patted herself, trying to assure herself that Raven had really taken it from her. Taking advantage of her confusion, Raven pointed to the ground. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" The ground underneath the sand shook, and submitting to Raven's magic, rose in the air, and crushed around the Feminine Side before plummeting to Earth.

"Ahh!"

Smiling in delight, she flew back home. Behind her, little did she know, was a shaking base of ground. The planet trembled momentarily, before bursting out in all directions, breaking the rocks and plateaus all around the epicenter. From it, emerged a powerful being. A woman striding out of her grave, confident and angry. Through her rage, she managed to smile evilly in cunning satisfaction. "You're right my dear Raven. It isn't over yet."

(Back at the Tower, Raven's Room.)

Raven looked down at the book, then back up at her friends, her eyes clogged with tears. "Then I was flashed back to reality, and you pretty much know what happened from there."

Starfire had her fist over her mouth, crying a little; Cyborg looked slightly downcast; and Robin had a mask of stern leadership over his face to cover his concern. "Do you know what to do about this?"

Raven nodded. "I just have to enter the book to find Beast Boy, and I can cast a spell that reverses the situation. All I ask is that you guys keep guard."

They all nodded, the movement making Starfire's eyes leak tears. Raven opened the book, and was about ready to jump in, when Starfire said, "Raven?"

She looked back at her alien friend. "Do you love Beast Boy too?"

Raven's eyes widened, and she resisted the urge to cry. "Yes Starfire. But please don't tell him when you see him. I want to be the one to tell him."

Star nodded, smiling joyously, and they all watched as Raven jumped inside, not even thinking of looking back, so long as she saved the one she loved.

(In the book.)

Rude put down a Three of Hearts. "So, is this the only thing on our agenda for the rest of eternity?"

The green changeling shook his head, and picked up a card from a deck. Nothing eased the mind better than a good game of Rummy. As he placed the winning hand on the large rock they had chosen to play on, Beast Boy said, "No. Not for the rest of eternity anyway."

Rude shuffled the deck a couple times, before dealing out the cards. As she placed the rest of the deck down and flipped the top card over, she said to him, "Why not?"

Beast boy glanced over his cards, and carefully organized them to his liking. After picking up a card from the deck, he dropped his unwanted card onto the rock. Giving it a thoughtful glance, he said, "I won't be here that long."

Rude gave him a sly grin before popping a large bubble and making her move, dropping the Ace of Hearts. "Oh really?"

Beast Boy stared thoughtfully at the card, thought of the significance of it, and smiled. "Really."