A/N: This takes place a while after Aftershock. Please review and tell me what you think; I'm sorry there isn't much action in this chapter, hence the name; it's sorta like a prologue but not really. You get the idea.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Only an active and unusual imagination.
It Hurts Too Much
The wind whistled through the trees nearby, the sound of fallen leaves grating along the granite ground. The cold breeze sailed through the cave opening, whizzing past stalactites and stalagmites. A drop of water could be heard in the background, falling incessantly since God knew when to God knew when. A dreary sight, all in all.
Beast Boy sighed. The wind ruffled his bangs, but he long ago ceased to flatten them. He felt as though he were becoming part of the cave, melding in with the rocks and dirt and cold. No such luck.
What was wrong with him? He thought that he had gotten over it; after all, time had healed those wounds, or at least it was supposed to. Just like the ship should have sailed. He thought wrong.
Not much could be heard; only that faint whisper of wind and that infernal drop. The ex-hideaway was dark and gloomy, try as he might to ignore it, and it didn't help being here all by himself.
Beast Boy wrapped his arms around his legs, sitting on the damp ground, and looked up forlornly at the statue of the former Titan. Even in stone, Terra had not lost any of her former beauty. Her hair was blown back, as if by the wind that now pestered him. Her body seemed tensed, awaiting the blast it would never finish acknowledging. Her eyes...
God, he missed her so much! Gritting his teeth, B.B. remembered her fun-loving nature, the way she always laughed with him and not at him, her free spirit…Yes, she had been a free spirit. B.B.'s eyes misted over, and he lowered his gaze. His stomach squirmed as thought about how her betrayal had affected all the Titans…
Robin hadn't said much, (did he ever?), but deep down Beast Boy knew he blamed himself. On more than one opportunity, he had heard the Boy Wonder in the training room, taking out his frustrations on the old punching bag, hit after hit, grunting more fiercely with each blow. Beast Boy would make bets with himself, thinking "He'll definitely stop now, it's been 1 hour." Which would soon meld into 2, or 3, or even 4.
Though not an unusual act in itself, to Beast Boy, it was obvious Robin felt as though he could punch and beat the tar out of his own guilt, that his errors could become his imaginary opponents. Even Beast Boy could appreciate that being the leader of the team put tremendous pressure on him, and Robin often thought that somehow he had to be smarter and more calculating than the others. Worse of all, mistakes were not tolerated, and, like it or not, Terra had been a mistake...
Cyborg had grumbled and ranted mostly about the security breach in the Tower, and later over the destruction of his car. But it was obvious he too was disappointed in his lack of judgment. Cyborg had always thought Raven had overreacted with her reluctance to let Terra on the team, and didn't hesitate to say so.
Beast Boy recalled their conversations. Cyborg told him he was truly sorry for the fate of the girl, and that though he knew she had done terrible things, he couldn't find it in his heart to hold a grudge against her. He also voiced that his real concern was for B.B. himself.
Beast Boy smiled wanly to himself now; he didn't think it took a genius to notice Cyborg was often worried about him, and tried to take his mind off things by offering frequently to kick Beast Boy's butt at Gamestation (what could be more normal?), and continuing their age-old argument over whether meat was better than tofu. The changeling usually complied just to avert such attention.
His thoughts turned to Starfire. It was clear she had been terribly upset about the loss of her new friend. It was as though she had just been getting to know her, another female member she could confide in and actually expect an enthusiastic response, not a telekinetic projectile, from.
It hurt B.B. to think of how much Starfire had missed her when she was gone. She tried not to cry too much, but her emerald eyes clearly lost some of their luster. She tried not to pester the others about the reversal of the...effect for the sake of the team's sanity, but if the topic was ever broached, she pounced on the chance to discuss it. Unfortunately for them, her main outlet was to attempt more of her Tamaranian recipes, and Robin's digestion was in serious danger as a consequence.
The shadows in the cave lengthened almost imperceptibly. Beast Boy shivered, discomforted by his surroundings and his memories. Worst of all was Raven. Though she tried not to show it, and a lifetime of practice aided her in her task, it was obvious to certain members that she thought this was all her fault. For some reason she never trusted Terra, and when she had finally let those seemingly unbreakable emotional shields down, the unthinkable happened.
B.B. didn't have to be an empath to understand the blow this must have been, knowing full-well how hard it was to gain her trust. Whenever someone commented on it, Raven viciously spat that she was merely angered by the "traitor's" actions. The team realized, however, that Raven had truly believed Terra was her friend. The other Titans would never know about the conversation that took place between the two when Terra had been on her killing rampage, but it was clear that their relationship was damaged beyond repair.
Beast Boy paused at this last thought. What about me?, he thought, wringing his hands ever-so-slightly. He frowned; did he wallow in self-pity or guilt, attempt to ignore it all, or condemn Terra for all she had done?
With resolution, he turned to look at the statue again. He locked eyes with those of the girl he had once loved. "I don't care what Raven says. I know you Terra. I know deep down, you were just scared and lost and confused. We all are...But you know what? I forgive you," said Beast Boy standing up, brushing the dirt of his backside and gloved hands.
"I forgive you."
His voice echoed away. The wind blew slightly stronger. Beast Boy shivered again. It was getting late; the Titans would be worried if he didn't get back soon. He started to turn away, taking one last look at the hunk of rock that had been his friend...when he noticed something strange.
An eerie yellow light seemed to emanate from the statue. Suddenly, the earth began to quake, slightly at first, but increasingly violently, and a rumbling noise seemed to come from the statue itself.
Beast Boy could only watch in shock, frozen in place, as the stone began to crumble away, pulverizing into thin air. It only took a moment, but it seemed like an eternity to him.
When it was all over, a heavy silence descended. Dust and debris finally began to settle. Beast Boy gaped widely at the now slouched and exhausted, but very much alive and breathing figure of Terra.