Author's Note: 600+ hits so far. Guess that's saying something, ne?
Thanks for reading, people.
Wheeee…
Shout outs:
Siberian-Tigress: Alright. You got yourself a deal. Just remember to drop reviews while you read, too, yah? I'd like that.
AnimationWickedRaven: Heh…thanks for the kind words. Don't worry, 'cuz I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.
Shades of Grey: Whoa. Seeing all those review notices pop up in my inbox really made my day. You rock. Thanks for all the wonderful compliments, and Red X will be back soon. How soon? We'll see…
evilsangle: Hey there! Thanks for the support! Well, to be perfectly honest with you, I hadn't really decided on making any pairings for this fic concrete as of yet…there are hints here and there of various possibilities however, and we'll just have to see how it goes…don't get mad if you see something you don't like though, I'll make up for it later. Just trust me.
Alright then…time to get this show on the road.
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Chapter 6: Internal Analysis, pt.1
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Before long, the Titans made their way from the scene of their battle with Dr. Light to one of their favorite places to just hang out: The Pizza Parlor. Once the familiar destination was in sight, Beast Boy was the first person inside as he detransformed from a hawk to his human form while still a couple feet in the air, to hit the ground running straight for the door. Fortunately, Dr. Light's blackout spree hadn't spread to that part of the city yet.
Upon entering, he was delighted to find no line to wait in, and so he bolted right for the front counter, taking the youthful blonde female employee working there by surprise. She was a bit startled to see a whirlwind of green rip its way through the doors, and couldn't help but raise her eyebrows as she looked at the newest customer.
Eagerly placing his forearms on the counter, Beast Boy leaned in, beaming a huge smile her way as bright as the Sun itself. She chuckled nervously, recognizing his face from the news. She was a new employee, after all, as everyone else there already knew what was happening.
"Hey…it's the Teen Titans!" a teenaged boy yelled from a table somewhere in the back. Beast Boy turned briefly to flash a thumbs up, just as the other four Titans were entering the restaurant. Of course, Cyborg got a few blank stares as patrons couldn't help but notice the hole in his chest, but he simply shrugged it off with a laugh.
"It's alright, folks," Cyborg said, a friendly smile on his face. "Everything's a-ok!"
"…Does it hurt?" A young girl sitting nearby asked, turning in her chair to poke her fork into the hole.
"Nah, not anymore." Cyborg said, a wide grin on his face. The girl's mother shot her a stern glance, tapping her hand on the table to get her daughter's attention. "Ashley! Stop that!"
Little Ashley removed her fork, turning sharply to return to her plate. "Sorry, mama…"
The poor waitress was completely bewildered by this point, however.
"Um…how may I…help you?" She apprehensively asked, trembling only slightly.
Beast Boy's eyes went wide as he gazed at the various choices (vegetarian, of course) on the menu board, illuminated above the girl's head. His eyes darted back and forth as he considered his options, his mouth starting to hang open as he prepared to speak.
"Ahh…um…no, wait…I'll have a…" he started to say, before Cyborg slammed his hand down on Beast Boy's head, pushing him down out of the waitress's sight.
"Now hold on just a minute, BB…" Cyborg said, muscling his way in front of Beast Boy to get to the front counter. "…I am NOT having another veggie pizza! This time we're getting MEAT! They got the Super Deluxe Meaty Special, and I want that!"
"DUDE!" Beast Boy shouted, waving his arms wildly about while forcing his way back up until he was standing straight again, even though Cyborg's hand was still pressing down on his head. "How can you even say that? You know I turn into all those animals…that's just SICK!"
Cyborg craned his neck a bit to come face-to-face with him, snorting like a mad bull. "I'm…having…meat." was all he said, making sure there was no doubt that he got his point across. Beast Boy refused to back down, however.
"Guys, it's no big deal…" Robin decided it was best to step in before things got out of hand. "We can just get it split. Part of it can be veggie, part of it can be everything else."
"…You can do that, right?" Raven asked the waitress, leaning over the counter after having snuck her way around the argument. The woman nodded, pressing a few buttons on the cash register.
Beast Boy scowled for a moment, returning his attention to the front counter. "I should just get my own veggie pizza…"
Cyborg laughed in response, his entire facial expression changing just like that. "A whole…BB, you know you can't eat a whole pizza! If anyone could, it'd be me. Besides, you don't have any money."
Beast Boy glared at Cyborg again, and partially opened his mouth as if to say something, but then decided against it, grinning instead as he reached up to place one palm behind his head. "Heh…good point, Cy."
"So I'll split it five ways, then?" She asked them. Cyborg and Beast Boy put their differences aside, both nodding as everyone finally came to an agreement. "Alright then…what'll go on each portion?"
"Super Deluxe Meaty Special!" Cyborg yelled.
"Super Deluxe Veggie Special!" Beast Boy shouted, matching Cyborg's loudness.
"I'll have pepperoni and green peppers." Robin said, folding his arms.
"Just cheese is fine…" came Raven's response as she pulled her hood down.
"Oh! I shall have mustard, please!" Starfire said, giddy with delight. Everyone turned to look at her.
"Um…Starfire," Robin began. "I don't think they have mustard as a topping…"
"Hm…how unfortunate…" Starfire said, her countenance dropping just a bit. "If that is so, then I shall have the onions, olives…and the anchovies."
The employee nodded again, making sure she got everyone's requests just right. Robin paid, and shortly after that, the Titans made their way up to their favorite table in the outside dining area. Just as they were seated, another waitress made her way over, to sit their specially made pizza on the table.
"That's why I love this place…" Cyborg said, smiling. "You never have to wait long for your food!"
Beast Boy agreed, slapping Cyborg a high-five before getting to work on his part of the pizza. The others soon did likewise, Starfire reaching down under the table to pull a small bottle of mustard. Beast Boy glanced over, a slightly confused expression present as he watched Starfire smother her pizza in mustard.
"Star…did you bring that with you when we went after Dr. Light…?"
Starfire only giggled, but would not answer as she devoured her portion of the pizza. Giving up on the lost cause, Beast Boy then turned back to Cyborg, the two soon breaking into an argument over who was better at which game.
"Alright, ya little grass stain…" Cyborg said, his voice growing louder and louder. "…I tried being nice, but next time I'm gonna make you wish you never even picked up the controller!"
"No chance!" Beast Boy yelled, engaging Cyborg once again in the shouting match. "Don't you remember from earlier today? I beat you every race!"
"Heh. Keep talkin', green man…why don't we try it in Hyper Robot Power Battle 3 Turbo EX plus Alpha: Reloaded? I always was better at the fighting games…"
Beast Boy promptly stopped the argument at that, knowing full-well that Cyborg was speaking the truth. At the mention of that particular game, memories flooded back into Beast Boy's mind. Frustration, confusion, inferiority, utter hopelessness…memories that he'd rather forget. Suddenly looking for someone else to talk to, Beast Boy turned his attention to Raven, who up until now had been silently working on her slice.
"Hey Raven…" Beast Boy said, an impish, mischievous smirk arching across his face. "Knock, knock…"
Raven shifted her eyes slightly to glance at him sideways, cocking one eyebrow. She then decided to go with her better judgement and decline him. "No thanks…"
"Aw, come on, Raven…" Beast Boy persisted, leaning over to get closer, still smiling that smile of his which irritated her so. The attempt at persuasion slowly started to grate her nerves. "…you know you want to…"
Raven looked away, trying to find something else to pay attention to. She looked at the others…Robin and Starfire were talking amongst themselves, and Cyborg was far too busy scarfing down pizza to help…which only left him. She turned back, to see Beast Boy still smiling at her, still awaiting a response, the exact same pose he was in when she first looked away. She sighed, resigning herself to her fate.
"…Who's there?" She half-heartedly asked, annoyance plain as day in her voice. Why was she subjecting herself to this torment again…?
Beast Boy's wide grin just would not go away. "Woo," he said, the grin growing even wider, as if it were possible.
Raven sighed again. Couldn't he bother someone else?
Anyone else…?
"…Woo who?" Raven replied, rolling her eyes dismissively. It would be over soon. Just as soon as those words escaped her lips, however, she winced, an eyebrow twitching as she prepared herself for the inevitable punchline. "Woo-hoo…?" Raven thought. "What kind of--"
"Gee Raven, I know the guy makes great movies, but I had no idea you liked John Woo so much!" Beast Boy's smile cracked, as he suddenly burst into uproarious laughter, clutching at his sides. Cyborg looked over, a slight grin forming, if not at Beast Boy's horrible joke, then at what terrible thing would happen to him because of it.
Robin and Starfire had also caught wind of what was going on by this time, and they joined Cyborg in taking a look at the surroundings, eyes peeled for anything that might suddenly glow black, a sure sign to hit the deck. Beast Boy slapped a hand to his forehead, still laughing at his own joke.
"Hahaha…now Raven, you can't tell me that wasn't funny!"
Raven's entire right eye began to twitch. A vein throbbed once or twice on her temple. The surrounding tables all began to glow with black energy, as Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg took the cue and ducked under the table. They covered their ears, expecting the worst…moments passed. Nothing happened.
Robin bravely ventured to peek up over the table. Beast Boy was still chuckling. Raven's hands were tightly clasped to the edge of the table, and she stared straight ahead. But more surprisingly, all the tables that had been glowing black and slightly hovering were lowered back onto the floor, the dark energies suddenly departed from them. Slowly, Cyborg and Starfire also peeked up from their hiding place. Now, everyone was looking at Raven. She continued to stare off at nothing in particular.
"…Can we go home now?" Raven asked simply. The others nodded. Beast Boy glanced at Raven, making sure to maintain his grin in order to avoid betraying his thoughts.
"Ok, I tell a joke, and Raven doesn't get mad and throw stuff at me? Now I know something's wrong…"
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Back at the Tower, the Titans began to disperse, Raven heading straight for her room. As she drifted across the main room of the Tower, she stopped when she heard Beast Boy say something behind her.
"Raven, listen, about earlier…"
She turned to glance at him, but they were both taken by surprise when a steaming ball of musty clothing launched itself from a shadowy hallway, whistled through the air, and smacked against the back of Beast Boy's head, the young changeling falling flat on his face. A second later, a thoroughly amused Cyborg emerged from the hall, bellowing laughter.
"Booyah! Got ya again, BB!" Cyborg yelled, pumping his fist in the air as a sign of victory. "STANKBALL!"
Beast Boy groaned in defeat as he slowly got back to his feet…he couldn't believe he let his guard down. He'd figured Cyborg would've been more concerned with repairing the hole in his chest. Just as he was beginning to go after the stankball to retaliate, he saw Starfire float into the room, an eager look on her face as she looked from person to person.
"Oh! Friends…might I please be allowed to join in the 'Stankball'?" she asked, gesturing innocently.
Cyborg just looked at her, genuinely worried for the safety of everyone involved if Starfire attempted to play the game. "Um…Star, about that…"
"Pleeeease?" she pleaded, her eyes wide and infinitely hopeful. Cyborg looked to Beast Boy and Raven for some sign of what to do. Raven sighed, rolling her eyes again as Beast Boy slowly nodded, still unsure of himself.
"Sure…" Cyborg said, to which Starfire immediately lit up with joy, giggling profusely. "…go for it."
Not wasting another second, Starfire darted around, past Beast Boy to snatch up the stankball before he could even reach for it. Another instant, and she quickly turned in air to fling the stankball with Tamaranian force at Cyborg. Right away, he regretted allowing Starfire to play. His eyes widened in fear as the pile of clothes ripped its way toward him, the thing easily traveling faster than any Major League pitcher's best fastball.
He had no hope of dodging it.
Beast Boy and Raven winced on reflex as the stankball slammed into Cyborg, right between the eyes. His head snapped back as he flew clear across the room, smashing up against a wall. There he sat, slumped against the wall, dazed and confused. Robin had heard all the commotion and came to investigate, just as Cyborg was coming into contact with the wall. Starfire squealed in delight, clapping her hands as she turned to Beast Boy.
"I am…victorious, yes?"
Beast Boy simply stared blankly at her, unable to speak. Raven did it for him.
"I'd say so…"
Starfire giggled again as Robin went to help a wobbly Cyborg to his feet. "Looks like you'll be needing a few extra repairs…" Robin said, helping Cyborg down the hall to his room.
"I will assist with the repairing!" Starfire called, dashing off to follow Robin and Cyborg. Cyborg couldn't help but groan.
"Are we sure she knows what she's doing…? She could corrupt my systems or something!"
Finally, the sheer hilarity of the situation hit Beast Boy in full, and he broke down in a torrent of laughter, rolling along the ground and clutching at his sides again.
"Oh man…he's gonna be smelling that for days!"
Raven took this opportunity to back out into the adjacent hallway, leaving Beast Boy behind as she made her way down to her own room.
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After she'd rounded the last corner, Raven was stopped again when she heard a voice behind her.
"Raven…"
It was Beast Boy. She halted, turning her head slightly, but she did not look at him.
"Beast Boy…" she said, acknowledging his presence, but still attempting to sound impatient. "I'm tired, and I need to rest. So if you don't mind--"
"…You're going into your mind again, aren't you?" Beast Boy interjected, the directness of his question and the tone of his voice slightly startling her. Wasn't he just rolling on the floor laughing a minute ago? She froze, unsure of what to say next. She turned a little more, allowing herself to look at him more fully.
"I…" she started to say.
"Let me go with you." Beast Boy said, his voice serious, even for him. "I can tell something is wrong, and I want to help."
Raven was taken slightly aback again. Was he serious? Did he know what he'd be getting himself into? Of course he did…he'd visited her mind once before, along with Cyborg. The two of them had no business barging into her room and finding her mirror in the first place, as far as she was concerned. So why was he so set on going back? Even given the circumstances…they'd almost been destroyed in there. It surprised her that anyone would be willing to set foot in such a place, more than once, and of their own free will, no less. What could Beast Boy do to help her anyway? Raven stopped herself.
Was she actually considering this?
"No." Raven said, trying to keep her voice as deadpan as possible. "I appreciate your concern…but this is something I have to do on my own. It's my problem. Let me deal with it."
"But Raven…" Beast Boy persisted, taking a step forward. She wouldn't give him the chance to plead his case, however, as she turned, hurriedly hovering to her door. She opened it, stepping inside and moving to close it just as Beast Boy had approached her doorway. She stood facing him, her eyes unreadable.
"I'm sorry." Raven said, just as the door slid completely shut.
Now isolated in her dark room, she floated over to pull the curtains over her windows, blocking out most of the sunlight that had entered. Then, she touched her feet to the ground, walking over to her black dresser. Sure enough, there it lay, her magic mirror, right on top of the dresser. She glanced down at it, preparing herself for the journey ahead. Before she moved to pick it up, however, she took one more glance at her closed door. She knew Beast Boy was still standing there, on the other side…she hoped he would forgive her.
Turning back to her mirror, she reached down to pick it up. She gazed upon her own face on its reflective surface, and a moment later, the familiar flash of light as she was pulled inside, the mirror itself clattering to the floor as she was sent hurtling through the dark tunnel. She fixed her gaze straight ahead, patiently waiting for the trip to end. The portal now opened over a rocky patch of ground, and Raven was thrust from the tunnel, onto the hard ground. She looked up as the portal closed, dusting herself off as she found herself on the outskirts of Nevermore. The sky was pitch black, dotted with red stars and perpetual eclipses…everything looked the same so far. Immediately, she could sense something amiss however…she stood, beginning the long walk down a rocky path. As she went, the small black ravens lining the path were all silent, unmoving, eyes shut. She continued to walk past them, her eyes focused solely on the path ahead.
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Minutes passed. Beast Boy still stood outside Raven's door, wondering what he should do next. He glanced left and right, down both sides of the hallway to make sure he was alone, then cautiously stepped closer to Raven's door again. Gathering his courage, he tried opening the door…locked, of course. But he had a plan…
Beast Boy knelt down, tracing a finger along the very bottom of the door. It seemed pretty airtight, but there was a catch…he took the form of one of the smallest things he could think of: a tiny ant. Then he crawled closer to the door. Sure enough, there was a tiny opening where the door's sliding mechanism connected with the floor. It would be an extremely tight fit, but ant Beast Boy just barely managed to squeeze himself underneath, and after a slight struggle, emerged on the other side of the door. He then resumed human form, to find himself in Raven's room. He took a look around…it was more or less the same as he'd remembered it. Still dark and gloomy…still eerily foreboding.
"Sheesh, Raven…ever consider redecorating?"
He briefly wondered what she'd say if she knew he was doing this…it probably wouldn't be pleasant. He shrugged off the thought, beginning to search for the magic mirror. He didn't need to search long, as he found it lying face up on the floor. He walked over, bending down to pick it up…
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Raven had been walking along the path for some time now. She wondered about all her emotions, she could still sense each individual one, but she couldn't single one out to locate it in particular. She stopped walking, her feet lifting a few inches off the ground as she sat cross-legged in air, taking on a meditative position. She closed her eyes, beginning her familiar mantra.
"Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos…Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos…Azarath…Metrion…"
It was then that she heard a small whimpering noise nearby. She opened one eye, catching a shadowy crouched figure a short distance away. Raven ceased meditation, touching down again to walk over to the figure, who cringed slightly once Raven neared.
"Timid…?" Raven asked, standing over the trembling, gray-cloaked girl. Timid looked up, her eyes unsure. Upon discovering that it was Raven, Timid stood up, clutching her cloak closed tight around her shoulders. Timid's face showed signs of deep worry.
"Timid…" Raven repeated. "What's happened?"
Timid simply shook her head slowly, signifying that she either did not know, or was too afraid to speak on it. Raven sighed, realizing that she probably wasn't going to get much from her.
"Have you seen Anger? I need to speak with her…" Raven said, trying to get some information from the terrified girl. Timid then pointed a trembling finger farther down the path, to where a reddish black haze had formed around the far edge of it, quite a long distance away. Raven nodded, turning to start back down the path. She glanced back for but a moment, to see if Timid would join her.
"I'm…scared…" Timid said weakly, sitting back down on the ground to rest her back against a rocky outcropping. Whatever happened here had rattled her pretty bad…she probably wouldn't be moving from that spot for some time.
"That's probably the safest place for her, anyway…" Raven thought as she once again continued the long walk down the path, Timid's whimpers becoming too quiet and distant for Raven to hear anymore.
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Beast Boy hated this part. Those glowing black hands were always so rough with him. And then there was the tunnel. He always felt like he was going to hurl. He closed his eyes and endured, hoping the ride would be over soon. Before long, it was, as Beast Boy was thrown through the open portal to land face first on a familiar long, narrow strip of ground suspended in the air, which didn't seem to lead anywhere. Beast Boy stood, beginning to walk down the path. After a minute or so, he thought it weird how the birds with big red eyes lining the path were so oddly silent…he walked over to one, a puzzled look on his face.
"Hey…googly red-eyed bird thing! Shouldn't you be telling me to 'turn back' or something? You're creeping me out by not saying anything!"
Still, the birds remained silent, immobile. Finally, Beast Boy shrugged, wondering how he was going to get anywhere. Then he remembered…last time, they'd walked through one of those arches, and that led them to a different part of Nevermore… Beast Boy looked around, spotting one of the archways farther down the path. He ran over to it, stepping through. The portal rippled as he passed it.
Emerging on the other side, Beast Boy found himself standing on the outskirts of a monstrous stretch of dry land to explore, extending as far as he could see. He cautiously took a few tentative steps forward, looking for any signs of life. It was pretty quiet…save for a howling wind that passed through every now and again.
"I wonder which one of 'em I'll run into first…"
After a few minutes of walking, he came to a mountainous area, and could hear several loud crashing sounds from within. He decided to chance it, climbing one of the smaller hills for a better vantage point. He scanned the surface, looking for the source of the noise…soon he spotted a figure, way down below at ground level, punching at a rock wall. Beast Boy started to make his way down, the green-cloaked figure pausing momentarily upon becoming aware of his presence.
"Oh…it's you." It was Brave. She turned to look at him, placing her fists on her hips.
"Umm…hey…Green Raven." Beast Boy said, chuckling nervously as he slid the rest of the way down the hill on the soles of his shoes. He had to admit, Brave was one of his favorite sides of Raven, but she honestly scared him out of his wits sometimes. Well, Anger did too… "Were you just…punching a wall?" He smiled. "They don't hit back, ya know…"
Brave smirked, almost seeming to stare him down. "Ya caught me in the middle of a little training session I had going on…gotta keep gettin' stronger, know what I mean?" Beast Boy nodded with a half-smile, wondering where this was going.
"Anyway," Brave continued, "how'd you like to join me? Spar for a couple rounds?"
Beast Boy took a step back, obviously not fond of the idea. He glanced over at the wall she'd been attacking at earlier…it was riddled with cracks, splits, and gaping holes where she'd punched and kicked at it. He was amazed it was still standing. "Well, I, uh…you see, the thing is…"
"Oh, c'mon…" Brave insisted, pounding one of her fists into an open palm in anticipation. "Spar with me. It'll be fun! Let's see who's tougher!" She took a couple steps toward him, but for every step she took forward, Beast Boy took one backward.
Beast Boy shrugged, trying to weasel his way out. "To be honest, I don't think--"
"Let's go!" Brave continued to press the issue, a wild smirk on her face that clearly showed she was itching for a fight. "You and me. One on one. Mano a mano. Green on green!" Brave's smirk twisted upward just a bit more, giving her visage a slightly crazed look.
"…Unless you're feelin'…yellow…"
Beast Boy's expression faltered for just a moment, and his mouth hung open, as he pointed a finger at her.
"HEY! Now wait a sec…I never said anything about--"
Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a crushing impact on his jaw. Brave had closed the distance between them in a split second, dashing to plant a strong right cross on Beast Boy's mouth. His entire head turned sideways with the force of the punch, his neck rolling out in a vain attempt to absorb some of the shock. The momentum lifted him from his feet, and he sailed through the air until his flight path was halted when his back sharply collided with a rock wall.
Beast Boy slid off the wall, landing on hands and knees.
"That…was a cheap shot…"
After violently shaking his head a few times to clear his vision, he looked up to see Brave shadowboxing, dancing about while throwing punches at the air, her cloak fluttering and flapping as it traced her movements. A few moments of this, and she stopped, looking at Beast Boy as she placed her hands on her hips again.
"HOO-AH! C'mon little man, show me what ya got!"
Beast Boy struggled to stand, but he saw Brave already sprinting to reach him again. While she was still some distance away, she leapt into the air, already coordinating her second attack.
"Taaaake….THIS!"
With a ferocious battlecry, Brave aimed a flying kick right for Beast Boy's head. Realizing the sense of danger, the young changeling quickly morphed into a leopard, bounding away from the rock wall just as Brave's kick slammed into it. Once Brave landed and stepped away from the wall, leopard Beast Boy saw a considerable crack where her foot had made contact. He growled and hissed at her, crouching low to the ground and baring fangs.
"Bad kitty…" Brave said, as she bent slightly at the knees and began slowly circling him with arms open, reminiscent of a wrestler. Suddenly, leopard Beast Boy roared, then lunged at her, claws extracted. Just what she wanted…
The green-cloaked girl stood firm as the mighty feline closed in, a deceptive smirk on her face. With a well-timed sidestep, she avoided the brunt of his charge, while wrapping her arms around his neck. Trapped in a headlock, leopard Beast Boy struggled to free himself while Brave bashed a fist into his nose. Immediately afterward, she turned sideways, using the momentum to throw him away in one continuous motion. He snarled angrily as Brave released him, detransforming to land on his rear, rubbing at his sore nose. Brave grinned arrogantly, full of herself.
"Hey, Weaksauce…I think that big rock over there puts up a better fight than you do!"
Beast Boy clenched his teeth as he stood again, quickly growing tired of Brave's gloating. Brave eyed him carefully, but still maintained her cocky attitude. Beast Boy stood feet slightly apart with his arms at his sides, eyes narrowed as he formulated a game plan.
"Alright, G.I. Raven…you want a fight? I'll give you one…"
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Author's Note: HOO-AH! lol…as Chapter 6 comes to a close, Raven (the regular, blue one) makes her way down the long path for a face-to-face confrontation with Anger…will she find out what's been bothering her for so long? Also, it seems our favorite changeling has found himself in a bit of a tough spot. Can he hold out against Brave's full-on assault? Find out next time!