Terra Nostra

Part One

It took all of six hours. Six hours from the moment she kissed Beast Boy to the finally setting up Preparation F in front of Terra's stone summit. The Titans were awoken roughly at five in the morning and each of them helped Celine carry parts of her device to the T-car and her jeep. Both vehicles were filled: Beast Boy, Sakura, Bumble Bee, and Loberos rode with Celine in her jeep, the other Titans and Blackfire in the loaded T-Car. Robin's R-cycle revved as he drove beside them. Beast Boy held the gray box that Celine had entrusted him with close to his chest… It was going to happen… Today she can start over…

The feeling of something close to joy wasn't as abundant in the other Titans as in Beast Boy and Celine. Raven turned from her passenger seat to look back at Star and Blackfire. Last night, she had almost convinced herself that she had forgiven Blackfire. But that wasn't true; she trusted Blackfire's appearance to be genuine and she held that feeling close to her heart. Her trust was a fragile thing and the girl they were headed to had broken that once. Raven trembled at the thought that perhaps that offense was unforgivable.

The cave was totally unmarked, as if only natural processes had occurred there. The original Titans knew that wasn't so. The cave walls seemed battered and scarred by the onset of hot lava and one brave girl, hurling the land with the fury and righteousness of a Titan… if only for a little while. Terra stood, encompassed in her own power, a guardian force in that place.

Celine set up her devices and Beast Boy waited silently beside her, holding the case to his chest as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Maybe it is, Beast Boy thought, this is a gift of forgiveness, second chances and compassion… how often can something so delicate come in a form so small?

Raven wrapped her arms around herself as if she were cold. Something felt different about this place. When they had last come here, it was true that she didn't believe they would ever find a way to reverse the effect, despite what Cyborg had said, despite what Beast Boy wanted. But now, it was going to happen, if Celine's frenzied explanation was to be taken to heart, she was going to help pull Terra from her prison… if she could bring her heart to do it…

Celine carefully took the grey box from Beast Boy and opened the case, plugging in several wires and switching levers. The small device whorled to life and a steady pulse beat could be heard, if the Titans listened hard enough.

"In traditional engineering, there are four recognized energy forces," Celine began as she continued to plug in wires and push buttons, "Light, chemical, biological and metaphysical. Only until recently was a new energy force recognized and its still not well accepted. So far only Reverse Engineering seems to take the potential of Dark energy to principle. Normally, Dark is the absence of light and isn't considered its own energy. But the principles of Reverse Engineering show that Dark Magic, like Raven's, is a type of force…"

The team was half divided. One half watched Celine's hands fly across her mini-computer, punching in codes that drove her Preparation F device, the other, which included Raven and Sakura, listened to Celine weave her science.

"Raven's magic is considered a countering force, but only with Holy to counteract. Two opposite energies, like Dark and Holy can be used as a balancing power… this is the third rule of Reverse Engineering."

Sakura met Raven's eyes; she could see the purple eyed girl's distress in the situation. Sakura wasn't sure she how she felt about all of this. She had never met Terra, but she did know that Terra had hurt her brother and the other Titans. It wasn't fair of her to hold a bias that Terra wasn't exactly a good person, but in all their stories, Sakura couldn't get a feel otherwise… she had a feeling that Raven held the same unease.

"When countering forces meet in opposition, they generate an amplification field. Its like when your body meets a virus, it sends help one way and the virus, if possible, calls for reinforcement… I think I can harness that amplification energy, from both the Holy from Sakura and the Dark from Raven."

Celine looked up from her work and saw that most of the Titans weren't following her. She pulled out a drawing board from ani-space¹ and flipped it to its reverse side, showing a drawing. Celine used a pointer and followed the images. "First," Celine pointed to picture, it was a rough picture of Raven and Sakura blasting Terra's statue with energy. "Raven and Sakura use their powers on the statue." Celine tapped the next image. "Then I use my Preparation F on the created amplification field." The next slide showed Celine flipping her machine on. The image animated itself, the slide turning from Celine's machine to a puff of smoke. Then the puff of smoke disappeared and out would pop Terra. "Terra should be a little weak from the stress, but no worse for wear… And we all live happily ever after I guess." The last slide was Beast Boy all smiles, grabbing Terra. "Got it?"

The Titans nodded. Celine gave Raven and Sakura instructions to stand diagonally away the statue, forming a triangle with Terra and a diamond with Terra and Celine. The other Titans waited in complete silence as they prepared for Celine's cue.

"Since there's an obvious difference in your powers, you both need to be careful. If there is too much dark or not enough holy, this won't work. So concentrate and make sure you can hold your powers. If we do this wrong… we could destroy the statue and never get Terra back…"

Raven swallowed hard, preparing the dark energy within her. She could feel her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

Beat. Beat. Heart Beat.

Can I do this? Can I let this happen? She thought for a moment that she couldn't go through with this, that even though it was someone's life, she couldn't risk being hurt again… The energy waned around her fists, but without turning her head, she could see Beast Boy, standing as calm as he was capable of. The power within her flexed and heaved; her eyes took on her controlled fury. Could I forgive myself if I fail?

"Ready? Sakura, I need full power, Raven match her as best you can. I don't know how long I'll need…"

Sakura's silver energy radiated from her body and materialized in a thin silver line. Her fingers curled around themselves, forming the prayer sign, with a short sigh the energy flowed from her fingers and struck the hollow of Terra's neck. Raven waved her arms, her spell seeping through her like her magic spell. Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos…

The dark matter toppled over white light, perfectly in line. Celine read the read out from her device. "I'm not getting enough of a field to work with. The bio-electric pulse isn't growing… Raven! More power!" Raven closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. The world felt hot around her, the flashes of heat and cold were throwing her concentration… The cold of duty… The heat of consequence… Which is more painful to bear? Raven's power rose, fighting Sakura's at the apex of Terra's bio-electric pulse. Celine flipped several switches; a glow erupted from her energy board. The amplification was at its maximum. With one last glance at the device, Celine looked at Terra's statue and thumbed the generator.

The machine trembled and the cave seemed to quake as well. "Whatever you do, don't stop!" Celine shouted as she steadied the machine. Beast Boy held Celine's shoulders as the super genius steadied her device. Aqualad steadied Blackfire as Star took to the sky, ready to catch any following rocks that would stop the process. Bee and Cyborg waited for any signs of distress from Raven or Sakura, their fingers trembled nervously. But Robin stayed perfectly still. He had seen the reluctance in Raven's eyes, the way she held herself while Celine explained the importance of her role. Robin knew that after Beast Boy, Raven had been the most effected by Terra's actions. For all her strength, her good, her hope and beauty, Raven was a terribly fragile woman. Robin wanted to protect her from everything, but he knew he couldn't… especially against something they couldn't be sure of. There were too many hearts and minds involved in this and come what may, they were saving Terra… Please don't let one rescue become the death nail for another… Robin's fingers cracked under the stress of his clenching fist. Please don't let us be wrong about this…

Raven held herself, shutters grasping her body. Her eyes were burning and her skin itched with the marks of Scath. They were taking over her body and the rage within her was spreading with each mark. Along her arms, across her chest and in her palms as her hands gave her energy away. The fear grasped her heart. Can you do this? She will betray you… She will hurt you. The dark voice was coming from her mind, from her heart, from her soul. She could feel the moons of Azarath pulling at her fragile grip. It was his voice, the very sound of Azarath, like a beautiful and tragic wind. Why will you give her another chance, my Lethe²? She will break you again…Could you live with yourself… if she hurt you again… because you let her hurt you again? Raven gasped and for a single moment, her body was clean and her mind clear. I… I… can't…

A huge hiss was heard, echoing across the cave walls like the yell of a wounded dog. Celine's panicked eyes switched back and forth between her machine and the three girls held in limbo. Come on… Come on… … … !

The explosion took them all by surprise. Raven and Sakura were hurled back, Beast Boy and Celine thrown too, rolling across the jagged earth. The smoke billowed from the now broken Preparation F. Celine crawled back, on her hands and knees to the smoking device. It was destroyed. The smoke erupted and wrapped about the cave, blinding them all. Huddled together, Sakura pulled Raven to her feet. Raven was shaking.

The smoke whipped and something became terribly apparent. All the smoke hadn't come from the Preparation F device. Most of it came from around the statue… the statue that wasn't there anymore. The heavy air pushed around and flattened out… revealing a shaky, wounded teenage girl. Her blue eyes were trembling as she stared at her hands. I'm… I'm…

Beast Boy and Cyborg took a step forward, slowing approaching her.

"Terra? Terra? Are you alright?"

Raven's face turned from Sakura's shoulder, her eyes watering as the blond girl collapsed towards Cyborg. Cyborg gave the falling girl a gentle push and she fell on top of Beast Boy.

"I've got you Terra… I've got you… Everything is going to be okay… I promise."

Robin watched Raven turn her crying face back into Sakura, from his angle he could see that she was still looking at Terra and Beast Boy and Sakura was looking too, but her eyes held disregard. Robin stepped to the two most important women in his life and put his arms around Raven's shoulders. She clutched him as a frightened child would hold a teddy bear.

"You did it Raven… its okay…"

Robin lifted the girl to his arms, her arms wrapped weakly around his neck. She whispered something very gently, he almost missed it. Robin turned to his team, holding Raven close.

"Team… lets go home."

End of Part One

¹Ani-space: Animated pulling something out of thin air

²That phrase isn't important now, but it will be later in the story.