Chapter 18

"Friends?" Starfire's voice echoed through the Tower. "Friends, where are you?" The alien princess had gone out on a shopping spree when Bryon had returned, and was surprised to come back to an empty tower.

"Where is everybody?" Star asked, her head popping into each room in the building. Finally, she looked on the roof. She found Raven sitting there, silently staring out at the sunset.

"Friend Raven!" Star said happily. "What are you doing up here?" She looked around. "Where is everyone else?"

Raven sat silently for another moment, before replying. "He hates me Star."

"Raven, what are you talking about?" Starfire asked, confused. "Who hates you?"

The young half-demon looked up at Star. From the dried tears on her face, the princess could tell Raven had been crying.

"Geo-force." She replied softly. "When I told him cast a soul-binding spell on him, he got angry at me... and flew away."

Starfire sat down beside Rae. "Soul... binding?"

"It's a spell that joins two souls together for all eternity." Raven explained. "After our battles with my father, and the brotherhood, I began to realize how much I missed Geo... and how much I cared about him."

She looked out at the horizon. "Taking care of those three toddlers made me realize, I want children of my own someday... even if there is a risk that I will pass my father's evil on to them."

She looked back at the Tameranian. "I thought Bryon cared about me too, and that he was the boy I wanted to share my life with." Raven closed her eyes."I felt such a strong rush of emotions, I didn't even bother to ask Bryon what he wanted!"

Raven struggled to keep from crying again. "I made a stupid mistake, just like I did with setting Melchior free!" Her friend put a hand on her shoulder.

"Friend Raven, Geo does not hate you." Rae looked up at Star as she spoke. "Bryon has a lot on his shoulders right now, with his sister, and having to return to his kingdom."

Starfire looked up at the sky, and Raven saw a look on her face she had never seen before. "None of you... not you, not beast boy, not even Robin... know the pressures that fall upon the shoulders of Royalty." Her hand balled up into a fist. "Our duty is to make everyone else's lives easier, while hiding our own pain." She looked back at her.

"Have you ever wondered why I acted liked a warrior when I first got here, then changed into a goofy ditz?" Raven shook her head no. "It is because after we became friends, I wanted everyone around me to be happy."

Her gaze turned to iron. "Like Geo, I wanted my people... my friends... the people I care about most... not to worry and feel pain. So I buried it under a shield of happiness, never letting my true pain show, no matter how bad the situation."

Raven just sat there in silence, staring at her. . "Geo does care about you, Raven, he just has a lot on his mind right now." Star's gaze softened again. "Just give him some time, ok?" That said, a friendly smile turned her lips.

At that moment, Raven did something very un-like herself. She reached out... and hugged Star. "Thank you, Starfire! You really are a true friend" She said in her raspy voice. "I will... wait until Bryon is ready to speak with me again!"

Just then, every door in the Tower blew open at once. "Friend Raven! You'd better get those emotions under control again!" Star said in a ditzy voice.

Both girls couldn't help but laugh.

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"Don't worry, BB, I'm sure everything will work out." Robin said, putting his hand on his green friend's shoulder. "If Terra really cares about you, she'll come to her senses, and stop pretending to be something she's not."

"Robin's right, man!" Cyborg agreed. "It'll all work out!"

Beast Boy smiled. "Thanks guys! I feel much better now!" He jumped up, and ran for the door. "C'mon! lets go back to the Tower and get the Girls!" He said enthusiastically "I wanna check out that new video game arcade over on 7th street!"

"Good to have the old BB back." Cyborg said with a laugh.

Robin nodded in agreement. "Yes, but I really hope Terra does come back to him," he looked ahead at the shifter, "he really does care about her a lot."

"I don't know man." Cy said, his arms crossing in front of his chest, as he was shaking his head. "Do you really think she'll return to the Titans?"

"Only if Terra loves Beast boy..." Robin turned to begin following their friend, "...as much as he loves her."

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Deep within her lab in the Hive academy, Dr. Jayce put the finishing touches on her experiment. She was hunched over a workbench, tinkering with a small gadget. Behind her, Terra lay strapped to a table, awaiting her fate.

Having been held captive for several days, Terra had had plenty of time to think. She had a question that she been turing over and over in her mind, that she had long wanted to ask Jayce.

"Why did you make it so I couldn't control my powers?" Terra asked.

Jayce looked back at her, surprised by the question. "What do you mean?"

"Since I was a child, I've never been able to control my powers. That's why my father banished me." Terra said weakly. "My brother can control his powers, why can't I?"

Doctor Jayce stared at her for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Foolish child, I didn't make your powers uncontrollable."

Terra looked up at her, confused. "Then why-"

"Why can't you control your powers, while your brother can?" Doctor Jayce chuckled. "Your brother didn't have the trauma of watching his and your mother die, and your brother was trained from an early age to control his emotions."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Terra asked, pulling against the restraints that held her.

"Your powers are tied to your mind, and your emotions." Jayce smirked. "With all your pain and Turmoil, your abilities will tend to fly out of control."

"Before you can master your powers, you must first master yourself." Jayce said simply, before turning back to her work.

It was then that Red X entered the room. He walked over to Jayce's workbench, and handed her a strange microchip. "Here's the last piece you need, Doc." He said simply.

"Thank you, Red X." Jayce replied. She installed the chip in a small circular metal band. She then placed it on Terra's forehead. "Here is the crown for the princess!" The doctor said mockingly.

"W-what is this thing?" Terra asked fearfully, looking at the gadget on her forehead.

"A smaller version of Slade's control device." Jayce smiled in her usual evil manner. "But you'll find this version will leave you with no free will!"

Jayce walked over, and flipped a switch. "Goodbye, Princess Terra Markov!"

Terra's scream echoed thought the academy, casing most of the students who heard it to shudder. Powerful energy ripped through her body.

"NOOOOOOO!" Terra screamed, her own mind being torn away from her. "No... no..." Her eyes began to glow an eerie yellow, and her face became completely emotionless.

"Excellent!" Jayce said triumphantly. She turned to Red X. "Go and tell Brother Blood his weapon is ready!"