Disclaimer: The Teen Titans and associated characters are the property of DC Comics and AOL Time Warner. This story is being written for entertainment purposes only. No profit is being sought and no Copyright infringement is intended.

AKNOWLEGEMENTS:

Once again, I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed. I tried to E-mail as many of you as I could. To those of you that I couldn't, I'd like to express my thanks to you all. Your reviews always make me happy.

I'd also like to thank Vixxelinn, my beta reader, for all of her assistance. In addition to helping me correct my mistakes, she's always managed to lift my spirits, when I was down.

And I'd also like to thank my fellow fanfic author CalliopeMused for providing inspiration, support, and guidance during my work. I am in her debt. And if any of you, gentle readers, are yet to partake of her own fine work, I encourage you to do so right away.

No, wait, come back! I can't follow her act. Better read mine first, and save the best for last.

CHAPTER 4: REMEMBERANCE OF THINGS PAST

Beastboy looked at the floor at Raven's feet for a moment, then brought his eyes back up to meet hers as he began to speak.

"My name, my 'real' name, is Garfield Logan. My parents were scientists. Dad was a geneticist, and mom was a... uhh..." He paused a moment, brow furrowing as he tried to remember. "...oh! She was a biochemist, that's right. When I was six years old, they took me with them on a research expedition to central Africa. You ever heard of the Human Genome Project?" He asked.

Raven nodded affirmatively. "Yes, that's the project that is trying to map out the entire genetic code of the human species. To find out what every gene in the body is responsible for, right?"

"That's it. Well, my folks were a part of that. They were trying to cross-reference human DNA with chimpanzees, 'cause they're our closest relatives, in the animal kingdom.

"So, I was a toddler, growing up in the jungles of Africa." Beastboy's eyes grew a little distant, and he smiled slightly. "Gotta tell ya, it was fun. Didn't have to go to school, because my parents could teach me anything. My folks were friends with the local native tribal leader, King Tawaba. I used to hang with the kids in his village when he would tell stories about the legends of his people. That was fun. And, when I wasn't playing with the village kids, I played with the animals." His smile faded, and he closed his eyes. "That's how it all started..." He paused and lowered his head, clearly reluctant to continue.

"Go on." Raven pressed him, "What happened?"

The boy raised his head, and continued. "I was playing out in the yard in front of the little building my mom and dad used as their lab. I heard a noise in the bushes, and went over to take a look. It was a monkey. A green one."

Raven hoped her face didn't betray her emotions. She already knew where this part of the story was going.

"I was pretty comfortable with the animals, and most were pretty friendly, but this one was different. I had never seen a monkey with green fur before, and I was curious, so I tried to touch it. And it bit me. Right..." The young man paused a moment, and rolled up his sleeve, exposing one of his wiry arms. "...Here." He pointed to a spot on his right bicep.

Raven looked at the area he indicated, There was a small round scar, an area where his skin was a pale, pea-soup green, rather than the darker olive of the rest of his body. She could still see the tiny marks left by the teeth of the enraged primate.

Raven's mind reeled.

My dream... that's where the boy from my dream was bitten... what did his mother call him... 'Gar,' wasn't it? As in 'Garfield?'

Could this mean... I've been seeing into Beastboy's mind?

Why? What is going on with me?

Oblivious to Raven's tumultuous thoughts, Beastboy rolled his sleeve back down and continued. "Anyway, my mother heard me scream, and rushed over, and found me laying on the ground hurting, Things start to get a little hazy for me at this point, but evidentially she saw the monkey that attacked me. I remember her saying a word. A strange word. 'Sakutia.' The way she said it, she sounded... scared. And I'd find out why." The Titan's face was grim, as he recalled the painful experiences.

Raven roused herself from the reverie she had been in since Beastboy had shown her his scar. "W-what's Sakutia? I'm not familiar with the word."

"It's a disease," he answered, "A rare tropical disease. Roughly translated, 'Sakutia' means 'Green Fever' in the language of the locals of that part of Africa. It's called that because one of the main symptoms is the skin and hair turning green, in a creature that has the virus. And I was infected with it, when the monkey bit me." He paused. "Sakutia is always fatal. In humans, that is."

Raven's curiosity was piqued. "Well, I know I'm asking the obvious here, but, how did you survive?"

"Ahh, that's the thing." Beastboy replied, " Notice that I said it was always fatal 'In humans.' My father was a geneticist, remember?" Beastboy paused for a moment, and his eyes widened, as if he suddenly remembered something. "Hey, hang on a sec." Beastboy stopped his story, and rose from his bed, where the two had been sitting while he told his tale. Picking his way around the clutter that dominated the floor of his room, he made his way over to his dresser, and opened the top drawer. Reaching back into its furthest recesses, he retrieved something, and closed the drawer, before making his way back over to Raven, and sitting down next to her again. Raven looked at the object he had retrieved from his dresser. It was a small book, bound in plain black leather, without a title on the cover or spine. He handed the book to her, saying, "You should take this, for Cyborg to look at. I really can't explain the science behind what my father did to me, but there are pretty detailed notes about it in there."

Raven opened the cover and looked at the flyleaf.

PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL

DR. MARK LOGAN, PhD

Raven looked back up at him. "Dr. Mark Logan... this was your father's journal, then?"

"That's right. The treatment was his idea."

"Treatment? For the disease, you mean?"

"Yep. Dad knew that many animals could survive being infected, like the monkey that bit me. Something to do with differences in animal and human DNA. So, he gave me some sort of... serum, or something that altered my genes. But my skin stayed green, even though the disease was cured."

"And I'm guessing the treatment is what led you having the ability to change into animals, right?"

"You guessed it, Rae." Beastboy affirmed. "It was a few weeks later, when I changed for the first time. To save my mom.

"Some of the plants that grew in the area around where we lived could be used to make medicines. My mom liked to collect them, to make medicine for the people in Tawaba's village. One day while she was gathering these plants, I heard her call out, and ran over to see what was happening. She had disturbed a snake. It was a Black Mamba. They're one of the most dangerous snakes in the world. I saw the snake rear up; it was about to bite her.

"All I could think about was a mongoose, because the mongoose is a natural predator of snakes. I was really into animals as a kid, see, and my mom and dad taught me all about them. Anyhow, as soon as the image of the mongoose appeared in my head, I felt something happening to me. To my body."

"So, I'm guessing that you turned into a mongoose and fought the snake off, and protected your mother."

"Yep." Beastboy then grimaced. "Actually, I kinda, uhh... killed the snake. And ate it."

Raven just stared at him in shock.

"You gotta understand, when I become an animal, it's not just skin deep. My mind becomes the mind of that animal, too. I get the instincts of whatever critter I turn into. And mongooses eat snakes." The changeling smirked wryly. "It was at about this time I started considering vegetarianism."

Raven thought about what Beastboy had said. "So, when you change, your mind changes, too... That would explain why it was so hard to get through to you when you were the Beast," She mused. "So how are you able to change back?"

"That's the hard part." He replied. "The first time, I couldn't. I wasn't even aware that I was really a human anymore. I was pretty much just a mongoose. Mom and dad were pretty freaked, as you could imagine. Finally, mom gave me an anesthetic, and as soon as I was knocked out, I changed back." Beastboy chuckled a little. "The next few days were pretty miserable for me. My parents poked and prodded me, running all kinds of tests, and the results are all recorded in that little black book you've got there. It took me a little while, but eventually I learned how to keep a grip on my human mind, while changed into an animal. That's how I'm able to change back, by holding on to a little bit of my human self."

Raven mulled his story over. "It makes sense. Robin said that last time you became that Beast, you shifted back when they knocked you unconscious. And when I touched your mind while you were the Beast, it was like the human part of you was... lost. That's probably why you couldn't change back. So, then, all you need to do normally is concentrate on an animal, and you change?"

"Uh-huh. But it took me years to master changing. At first, I could only morph into smaller animals. Like I said, I can't explain it. I'm not exactly a chip off the ol' block when it comes to the science stuff," He said self-deprecatingly, "So that's why I'll let you guys look at that." He paused and glanced at the journal in Raven's hands. "Umm... the only thing I ask is that you try to make sure I get it back." His voice was quiet, and sad.

"Sure." Raven replied cautiously. There was something in the shapeshifter's eyes that told her to tread cautiously. Clearly, there were some issues ahead.

"So, the treatment your parents gave you is what causes your powers. I've... never heard you talk about them before..." She said. Actually, none of the Titans did. Her own issues with her father had unavoidably come to light recently. But as a rule, the Titans assiduously avoided the issue of each other's pasts.

Raven decided to probe a little further, hoping that the solution to her friends' problem was within her grasp.

"Is there any way that we could get in touch with them? Perhaps they could help us with ..."

"They're gone." His voice was barely audible.

As soon as the words left Beastboy's mouth, Raven's empathic sense was assaulted by near-overwhelming waves of despair, rage and guilt.

She had never experienced anything like this before, especially not from the usually happy-go-lucky Beastboy. And yet, his face simply settled into an expression of blank apathy, completely devoid of any feeling.

"Beastboy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright."

There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence between them, and then Beastboy spoke .

"Listen, I'm starting to feel tired. I think I'm gonna turn in."

"Are you sure? I'd be... willing to stay and talk, if you'd like."

"That's alright, Rae. I'm feeling better already, thanks."

Raven didn't need to be an empath to know he was lying.

"Alright. Don't forget about your food." She pointed to the covered food tray she had brought up with her "Umm, it's something Starfire made, so, uh, you might want to use caution."

"Eat at my own risk. Gotcha." Beastboy chuckled a little, but his eyes showed no mirth.

Lacking anything else to say, Raven turned and made her way to the door of Beastboy's room. Before leaving, she paused and turned back to him.

"Beastboy, I just want you to know that I'm... honored that you shared what you did with me. I know how hard it can be to talk about the past. We're all going to do our best to get to the bottom of this."

Beastboy glanced up at her momentarily, then averted his eyes again, as though they might betray him. "Thank you. That means a lot."

With Beastboy clearly no longer in the mood to talk, Raven left his room and made her way down the hall, trying to sort out her thoughts as she walked.

Well, Beastboy's father's diary should cover the medical end of things, at least. That should make Cyborg happy. I know that it bothered him to not be able to help his best friend more.

But, I'm not so sure that Beastboy's problems are totally biological in nature. Something is still bothering him, especially where his parents are concerned. He said they were... 'Gone.' I assume he meant dead, but why did I sense so much shame coming from him, when I asked about them? What is he feeling guilty for? What isn't he telling me? And why has he concealed this so long?

I've never sensed anything like this from him in the past. Granted, I never really paid that much attention to him in the past... The last time the Beast appeared, Beastboy was under a great deal of emotional stress... Could these issues with his past be pushing him over the brink now?

And on top of all that, I still want to know why I've been having visions of his past in my dreams. But at least with that, I may have a lead...

But first, I should gather the others and tell them what I've found out about Beastboy...

With that, Raven made her way to the lower levels of the tower, to find the rest of her teammates.

As the setting sun made it's way past the western horizon, the Titans, sans Beastboy, gathered in the living room of Titan's Tower.

"You'd said you managed to get some information from Beastboy?" Robin asked.

Raven nodded. "Yes, I managed to get him to talk to me a little. He explained to me where his powers came from."

She went on to give the three an abridged version of Beastboy's childhood story. Raven tried to stay with the pertinent facts, and kept the details to a bare minimum out of respect for Beastboy's privacy. She then presented the journal to Cyborg.

"Beastboy said that this was his father's journal, where he kept all his data. He said it should be able to explain the science behind his powers, better than he could himself."

"Here, let me see that," said Cyborg, his curiosity piqued. He took the small volume from her and began to flip through the pages rapidly, glancing at several every second. Despite this, Cyborg's memory retained every word and diagram contained within the scientific text. Such were the advantages of having a computer-enhanced brain.

"Raven, did friend Beastboy still sound upset when you conversed with him?" Starfire asked with concern on her features. The alien girl was always very open about expressing her feelings for her fellow Titans. She was clearly hoping that her idea to get Beastboy to open up had been successful.

"He's still depressed." Replied Raven. "I managed to get him talking, but he's still a long way from his old self."

"Finished!" Cyborg announced, closing the journal. He paused for a second, as if reviewing all the information he had just absorbed. Then he laughed a little."Wow. That was... interesting stuff, to say the least."

Robin spoke. "Was there anything in there that will help us?'

"Oh yeah, it'll just take me a while to make heads or tails of it. Genetics isn't really my line and this stuff..." He looked down at the book , shaking his head a little. "If Dr. Logan had of published this stuff in the scientific community, they would have pretty much just handed him the Nobel Prize. I've never worked with anything like this before, but I should be able to use this info to figure out why this happened. It'll just take a little time."

Robin thought for a moment. "It might go faster if we could consult with the author. Beastboy didn't mention if there was anyway to get in touch with his father, did he?"

Raven shook her head. "He said his parents were... gone. He didn't want to talk about it."

"I see." The Titan's leader sighed. He understood all to well what it meant to lose parents.

Swallowing his own painful memories, he continued. "Let me know as soon as you have something, then. We're a Titan down at the moment, and that places us in a vulnerable position. I'd like to have us back at full strength as soon as possible." Robin didn't mean to sound cold or unfeeling about his teammate's plight to the others; he just took it upon himself, as leader, to try to remain pragmatic. Feelings had to take a backseat, sometimes, when one was a leader. "In any case, there's not much more we can do today, so everyone should probably just turn in. Tomorrow we can try questioning Jinx once more, before we turn her over to the authorities. I'm still a little puzzled by the whole bank robbery thing."

Cyborg nodded. "Yeah, it's not the sort of thing the H.I.V.E. was into, at least not while I was there."

Raven rose from her seat. "I think I'll check on Beastboy, and then head to bed, myself." She held her hand out to Cyborg. "I think he's going to want that back."

"What? Oh, the book you mean... sure, I've memorized it, anyway. Here you go." Cyborg handed the journal back to the dark Titan. He then smirked at her. "Tell Garfield I hope he feels better."

"Garfield?" Starfire asked in perplexity.

Robin seemed equally puzzled. "Is that..."

"Yup! Beastboy's real name is Garfield Mark Logan. Heh, isn't that a riot? Little grass stain's gonna regret letting me read that!"

Raven could only roll her eyes as she took the book from Cyborg and headed to the elevator.

Raven paused outside Beastboy's door, and knocked softly on its smooth metal surface.

"Beastboy? It's me, Raven. Are you up? I'm just checking on you before I turn in."

There was no response.

Perhaps he is just asleep. But, given the circumstances, I guess I should be sure...

Raven cast her empathic sense forth, attempting to pick up on the shapeshifter's mental state.

He was asleep, that much was certain; she could feel the haze of lassitude that enveloped his mind. But it was far from a restful slumber. Even through the thick blanket of sleep, Raven could sense turmoil and sadness radiating from Beastboy's psyche.

He's still not at peace. But there's no point in waking him up. Maybe tomorrow I'll try talking to him again. I'll return the journal to him then, as well.

Huh, never thought I'd be going out of my way to talk to BB. Maybe he's not the only one with mental issues.

Still holding the journal, Raven turned and headed down the hallway, and entered the familiar confines of her room. Setting the small book down on her dresser, she glanced over at her meditation mirror, which lay nearby. She briefly considered a brief trip to the inner realm of her mind, in the hopes of discovering the nature of the strange "dream connection" that seemed to have formed between Beastboy's mind and her own. But, exhaustion asserted its influence over her, and she decided to head to sleep. Slipping on a pair of black silk pajamas, she burrowed under the soft down comforter of her bed, and was taken by sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The boy fought down another wave of nausea as he felt the small boat lurch violently in the roiling waters of the river.

He was starting to regret being persuaded by his mother and father to accompany them on their expedition to collect samples from an isolated chimpanzee population in a remote area of the small nation of Upper Lamumba accessible only by water. Indeed, he certainly would be more physically comfortable had he elected to stay back at King Tawaba's village. The Tribal Elder always went out of his way to treat him with kindness; in some ways, it made up for the stares that his green skin sometimes garnered him from the other villagers.

But the prospect of spending time with his mom and dad in the wilderness, watching the animals was irresistible. Despite his unfortunate encounter with the Sakutia-infected monkey, he was still fascinated by nature and wildlife. In fact, he loved animals more than every in some ways, being that he a had a rather "unique" insight into them now.

So, here he was.

As he lay down on the cot in the boats' cramped cabin, he could hear his mother's voice on the other side of the bulkhead, speaking to his father.

"Mark, maybe we should turn back. This water is much rougher than we expected." Her voice held a definite note of concern. Apparently, she was disliking this journey as much as her son was.

"It's fine, Marie. I've got it under control. The river's flowing a little high from all the rain we had last week. We've just got a little chop, that's all. How's Gar doing?"

"I sent him down to the cabin. He was getting seasick."

His father laughed. "He'll be alright. He's a tough kid. Hey, could you hand me that chart? I want to see if I can fig-"

His fathers' words were cut off as the boat was rocked by a huge impact.. The boy was pitched forward off the cot towards the bow of the boat. As he hit the floor, he was doused with water, as the river poured into the boat though a huge rent that had been torn into its aluminum hull by whatever submerged object they had hit.

Struggling to his feet, the child rushed out of the cabin to the deck, only to find his mother and father scrambling to try to gain control of the crippled vessel.

"Mom! Dad! There's a hole in the boat! The water's getting in!" The boy panted, his heart pounding with fright.

"Yes, Gar. We know." His father responded, not looking away from the helm as he struggled to steer the foundering craft through the rapids they were caught in. "We hit a log or something, and it punched a hole in us." If he was panicked, he was doing a good job of hiding it.

Gar's mother looked over from the port side of the boat, were she was looking at the shoreline. "Mark, we're too far from the bank! Can you bring us closer?"

"I'm trying, but she's not responding. All the water that's coming into the bow is pulling the front of the boat down."

Gar looked at the doorway to the cabin, and saw that the water had completely filled the small compartment, and was starting to flood the deck. "Dad, look!"

"I see it son." Gar saw his father close his eyes for a moment, and then open them, with a look of determination on his face. He let go of the helm. "Marie, come here please."

Gar's mother joined them at the helm of the rapidly sinking craft. Her face was very pale. "Mark, the water's too rough to swim for it how will we-"

"Shhh.." Mark Logan put a hand on her arm, and looked her in the eyes. Something unspoken seemed to pass between Gars' parents as he watched them. Then, they turned back to him, and his father spoke in a serious voice.

"Gar, I want you to listen to me very carefully. I want you to change into a bird, and fly away from here. I want you to fly back to Tawaba's village, and tell him what happened. He will take care of everything."

Gar looked back at his father, not believing what he was hearing. "Dad, I can't leave you! I-I won't do it..."

His mother knelt down beside him, and put a comforting arm around his shoulders. "Garfield, you have to do what your father says. Don't worry about us. Just get back to the village. It'll be alright." She drew him close and kissed him on the cheek. "We love you more than anything else in the world, Gar. Never forget that!"

Just then, Gar felt the deck of the boat begin to tilt upwards as the bow began to disappear beneath the roiling water.

His father stepped toward him, and put a hand on his shoulder. "We don't have much time, son. You need to get to safety."

Gar nodded, trying to ignore the cold feeling that was growing in the pit of his stomach. He stepped back towards the stern of the boat. In his mind he formed the image of a Harpy Eagle, focused on it, and immediately felt the change begin.

As always, the pain was quite intense. Gar could actually feel his organs and tissues altering, shifting and reshaping themselves to fit the animal's shape. His skin felt as thought it were in flames as feathers sprouted from it. The changes to his skeletal structure were the worst; Gar was in agony as he felt his bones fracture and knit themselves back together again. He would have cried out, if he had been physically able to.

A few moments later, the painful process was over, and a green eagle stood on the deck where the boy had stood moments before.

The bow of the boat was now completely under water, and the rest was sinking rapidly.

His father spoke. "There isn't much time left, son. You have to leave us now." His father smiled at him. "Be safe, Garfield."

Gar spread his huge wings and lifted off with a powerful beat. Catching an updraft off the river, he spiraled up higher and higher above the doomed craft. Looking down below him, his keen avian eyes saw his father and mother looking back up at him, with their arms around one another. Moments later, the small vessel rolled belly up, and disappeared beneath the surface.

The keening cry of the eagle echoed across the river basin.

"No!"

Raven awoke with a grief-stricken call escaping her lips. Her eyes darted about rapidly, taking in the familiar surroundings of her room, still cloaked in the dark of night. As she attempted to calm herself, she put a hand to her face, and felt dampness upon her cheeks.

Tears? I was crying? I never cry... No, it wasn't me. It was Beastboy.

Taking deep, calming breaths, Raven took control of her emotions, and considered what she had seen in her dreams.

That was Beastboy's mother and father. I saw... he saw them die. He couldn't have been more than eight, at the most.

She remembered the shapeshifter's reluctance to discuss his parents .

He feels guilty, because he couldn't save them. And he's felt that guilt ever since they died. All those years...

How could he have kept all that to his self for so long? No one can repress something like that, and come away unscathed. I'm one to know...

Is it possible that all these negative emotions could be related to the Beast? After all, in all the previous appearances of the Beast, he's been in a bad state, emotionally.

I'll have to let Cyborg know about my theory. But first, I need to know why this is happening. And seeing as it's still two hours to sunrise, I guess there's no time like the present.

Rising from her bed, Raven changed into her typical leotard and cloak. After changing, she took up the small, ornately crafted hand mirror that was actually a portal into the depths of her own mind. Seating herself cross-legged upon her bed, she took a deep breath, and turned her gaze to the polished surface of the mirror. She saw the glass begin to glow with strange mystical light, and felt the familiar wrenching sensation as she was physically drawn within her own mind.

When the light dimmed, Raven found herself on one of the strange rocky "islands" that floated within the expanses of her mind. All around, a starry, perpetually benighted sky surrounded her. Recovering from the momentary disorientation that always accompanied the journey into her mind, she began following a well-worn path on the ground, in search of the one particular emotion that she thought might be able to provide her the answers she sought.

It was always difficult for Raven to mark the passage of time within her mind. Minutes sometimes felt like hours, and vice-versa. However, after what seemed like a not too long period of time, Raven came across a familiar fork in the path she was following. As she turned down the right hand path, she heard something that made her pause. It was the sound of someone crying softly.

Raven sighed. "Come on out, Timid. It's just me."

The gray-cloaked emotional personification emerged from behind one of the large boulders that dotted the landscape. Her face was streaked with tears, and her lower lip trembled as she choked back her sobs. She approached Raven with her cloak wrapped tightly around her slender frame, and her hood drawn up.

Raven regarded her doppleganger with some exasperation. Timid, along with Anger, were possibly her least favorite emotional incarnations to deal with, as they represented the feelings she had the most trouble dealing with.

"Timid, what's the matter with you? You're even worse than usual, if that's possible."

"It was... so sad..." Timid said in a near-whisper. "How could he live with all that inside him?" The fearful emotion sank to the ground, her shaking apparent even through the cloak she kept wrapped tightly about herself.

Raven was quickly loosing patience. "Timid, do you have any idea why I'm seeing these things? Why I'm looking into Beastboy's memories at night?"

Timid shook her head mutely. "No."

"Didn't think so. Do you know where Wisdom is?"

Timid pointed to the path that Raven was already traveling down "There. By the Tree."

"Her usual place, then. I'll see if she can help us." Raven looked at Timid, and sighed once more. "Try not to bawl your eyes out. I'm going to fix this."

Timid looked up at her from the depths of her hood. Her purple eyes were wide as saucers. "Help Beastboy. That will help all of us."

Raven didn't know quite how to respond to that, so she moved on, leaving Timid to her perpetual sadness.

After a few minutes of walking, she came to the location she was searching for, a low valley, dominated by the Tree.. The Tree was just that: a tree. A huge tree actually, taller than the mightiest sequoia, its branches canopied whole acres. It stood out form the desolate gray wasteland around it like a tower. Of course, no tree should be able to thrive in the perpetual night of Raven's psyche, but strange things like that were commonplace in her mind.

At the base of the tree's massive trunk was Wisdom, cloaked in russet brown, floating several feet off the ground with her legs crossed as she meditated, with her eyes shut and a serene expression on her features.

She spoke at Raven's approach, her eyes not opening. "I was wondering when you'd come to see me."

Raven always felt a little wary around Wisdom. She always got the impression that she always knew more than she said. It was a ridiculous notion, since Wisdom was simply an aspect of Raven's psyche. Nevertheless... she always got the sense that she was being being evaluated, whenever they talked.

Wisdom opened her eyes as Raven came to stand before her. "Would I be correct in guessing that this would be about the dreams?"

"You would." Raven answered rather tersely. "Why is this happening?"

Wisdom allowed herself to settle to the ground and stood up, lowering her hood. "Quite simply, since the defeat of your father, there have been a few changes taking place within your mind."

"Changes? What do you mean?"

"Before the affair with Trigon, you were always worried that if you allowed yourself to experience any emotion too intensely, the resultant loss of control could be exploited by your father, which is pretty much what he had in mind." Wisdom looked at Raven very directly "It was the whole reason he sired you, after all."

Raven grimaced a little. She preferred not to think about anything having to do with her father or her childhood.

Wisdom continued, "But now, that particular threat is passed. Granted, your powers are still driven by your feelings, but that is a something that you may yet learn to deal with, given time. And now, certain of us within you are growing... restless, I suppose the word would be,"

Raven looked at Wisdom sternly "'Certain of us?' You mean my emotions."

"Indeed. Actually, most of your emotions, to be precise. You've kept them bottled up for so long, that this sort of thing was inevitable, The pressure within your psyche has been building for years, and now it's finding its way out. What you are seeing at night is you mind's empathic senses reaching out and contacting the minds of your friends, at the behest of your emotions. This is easier for them to do at night, because your control over your emotions is lessened when you sleep."

Raven was less than pleased by this news. "This is terrific. My own mind is mutinying on me. I still don't understand why this is happening, and why is my mind so interested in Beastboy, of all people!"

"It has made contact all your friends, certainly, but your mind seems to always drift back to Beastboy, for some reason..." Wisdom seemed to muse to herself for a moment, smiling slightly. "It is possible that your emotions hold some manner of special regard for him. That might be why you have such clear recollections of his mind. Certainly, he is a frequent topic of conversation, amongst us all in here."

"Beastboy? You have to be kidding. I barely think about him."

One of Wisdom's eyebrows raised as she looked at Raven "Oh really?" she asked archly. "You forget that I'm privy to all your thoughts and dreams, even the ones you yourself don't care to remember. And some of those are quite interesting, when young Garfield is involved, particularly your dreams." Wisdoms serene smile became slightly wicked. "And I'm not talking about the ones that involve his memories, here"

Raven's suddenly felt her herself blushing furiously. How dare she-!

Wisdom's smile persisted. "Don't try to lie to me, dear. I am you after all, and lying to one's self is just a shade pathetic."

Raven took a deep breath, trying to gain control of herself. At last she spoke in a small voice, "But why? Why is this happening now?"

Wisdom stepped toward Raven, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're growing up, Raven. And it's about time. Your emotions want to further this process by becoming closer to your compatriots, with or without your conscious aid. You have to become more familiar with your emotions, more in touch with them. Given time, they will be a powerful aid to you, rather than the hindrance you seem to regard them as now. And I think Beastboy would be a good place to start."

Raven was slightly confused. "Won't my powers be out of control, If I allow my emotions that much free reign?"

"Not necessarily. You were pretty upset when you awoke from the dream of Garfield's parents, and there wasn't any problem, then. The key is to not allow yourself to be dominated by your emotions, to not let them control you. It's alright to feel, Raven. Just don't let those feelings override your reason."

Raven sighed. She seemed to be doing a lot of sighing, lately. "Go on," she said, "What should I do?"

"What Beastboy needs right now is a friend. You do remember how you felt after Malchior's betrayal, right? What he feels right now is similar. He's alone. And very afraid. On top of that, speaking about his past has unearthed all the feelings he's suppressed regarding his parent's deaths. Indeed, he's almost as good as you at burying his true feelings; the difference is that he hides them behind humor, rather than apathy.

"In short, you need to go to him, and you need to talk."

Raven's look was slightly puzzled. "That's it?"

"That's it. It'll be good for both of you. You'd be amazed how powerful an honest conversation between two close friends can be. And it does have to be you two alone, not any of the other Titans. Starfire was quite correct when she made that assessment."

Raven stepped away from Wisdom. "If that's all, then I guess I'll be going. It's probably getting close to sunrise, and it's a fair distance to the Forbidden Door."

Wisdom began levitating herself again, resuming the Lotus position. "Are you going to talk to Garfield?"

"I'll think about it," Raven replied in her trademark monotone.

"Don't think too long. The whole point is to learn to feel, rather than think."

Raven had nothing left to say, so she turned and began walking away from the Tree.

"Pleasant dreams, Raven." Wisdom's slightly amused voice called from behind her as she departed.

Raven was glad her back was turned, to deprive Wisdom of the satisfaction of seeing her blush again.

With a flash of light, and the familiar disorienting lurch, Raven was deposited back on her bed. Setting her meditation mirror aside, she looked over to the large window that dominated one wall of her room As she walked over to it, she could see the first faint glow of dawn lighting the overcast sky.

Looks like rain, she thought to herself. Suits my mood.

As she turned her eyes to the rocky shore of the isle that the Tower was situated upon, she saw a lone figure seated upon one of the larger rocks. Despite her distant vantage point, she could see that the figure was unmistakably Beastboy, sitting motionless, and gazing out over the bay.

Raven could hear Wisdom's words, telling her to go to her teammate, and talk to him, to help him. After a moment of inexplicable nervousness, Raven impulsively decided to heed that advice. It was still early, and the others would not be roused for breakfast yet. They'd probably never be more alone, so this might be best opportunity to approach him privately.

Drawing upon her dark powers, she phased though the window, and descended down to her teammate's side.

TO BE CONTINUED...

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Yeah, I hear you; I said Jinx would be back. Don't worry, she will. I just couldn't fit her in this chapter. Now that we're starting to get some of the drama out of the way, be looking for the larger plot to make a re-emergence soon. Plus, Raven confronts Beastboy about his past.

This chapter ended up being much longer than I thought it would be, even without the author's notes, it's the longest one yet. So, a few things were pushed to the next chap (again.)

And you should also know that my portrayal of Wisdom was modeled off of Demigod's from his excellent story "Seven Year's Bad Luck in One Day." If you haven't read that one yet, do yourself a favor and do so, right away.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this, and are looking forward to chap 5. Thanks for reading.

Regards,

The Doctor

20 September 2005