Hi, everyone! Well, many a vote has been cast (and I mean many a vote. Chapter 16 got more reviews than any before it!), and it looks like the consensus is fluff before action. How much fluff appears to be a point of dissension, but I've decided…wait, it's far more fun to keep you guessing how much I'm putting in. It's fun being the author. OK, story time.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Teen Titans or Magic: the Gathering. Ideas for the emotional shades were inspired by the webcomic Sins, which I do not own. (URL: http / www . sincomics . com , without spaces, of course.) Check it out, it's fun!

AMINDISAWONDERFULTHINGTOTASTEAMINDISAWONDERFULTHINGTOTASTE

As Raven slept, many of her emotions were trying to recuperate from the ordeal she had just undergone. Rage and Brave, exhausted from overuse as the main drives of the demonic Raven's form, were comatose. Knowledge suffered from a psychic hangover, her mind reeling from the forbidden facts that had been forcibly foisted upon it by the Mox Jet. Happy was lying on the ground with a grin plastered on her face, twitching uncontrollably as she schismed between Raven's usual concealed joy and demonic, psychotic glee. Rude was also motionless, but unlike her pink-caped counterpart she instead was in a recuperative trance, sending waves of tranquility and calm through Raven's psyche. Wisdom and Timid, though weak from the dark episode, also tended to the overwhelmed emotions as best they could.

As for Affection, she was in the lotus position, meditating in her own realm. To understand what she was doing, one must first understand the nature of her realm. The realm of Raven's Affection is best described as a combination of an arboretum and an art gallery. Everything to which Raven feels at least neutrally disposed is represented in this realm by a plant, a piece of art, or both. The lush grass carpeting the realm represents the many things Raven either knows nothing about or is indifferent towards, such as particle physics, jellyfish, and nihilism. Things she actually likes mature into shrubs or rough sketches. That which she adores becomes towering trees or artistic masterpieces, sometimes represented as the latter displayed on the former.

Affection was meditating before the ultimate representation of her expression. It was plantform and artwork combined into one, a huge redwood shaped into a sculpture while still alive. The figure's skin tone was captured perfectly by the leaves growing wherever his exposed flesh would be. Yes, this arboreal monument was the representation of Raven's feelings towards Beast Boy, and ever since the kiss the two shared, its flowers had opened into full bloom, beautiful despite their alteration of the color scheme.

As the purple-cloaked avatar concentrated before this living sculpture, a ribbon of black energy, tinged with royal indigo, emerged from her chakra. (A/N: Since Raven's powers are part of her mental self-image, her emotions aren't tapped out.) It entered the foliated forehead of the tree, and from there exited Raven's mind via her own chakra.

As the tendril of mental force snaked through the abandoned hallways of Titans Tower, passing through solid obstructions like a stiletto through fog, it seemed to be hunting for something. Occasionally, it paused and seemed to sniff the air, as though looking for something. Eventually, it found its way to a specific door, and phased through it. Winding through the confines of the resulting room, the vinelike emanation connected itself with the occupant's forehead.

INSIDEBEASTBOYSMINDINSIDEBEASTBOYSMINDINSIDEBEASTBOYSMINDINSIDEBEASTBOYSMIND

The line of magic, after entering this new mind, coalesced into a violet shaded shade, a monochromatic silhouette of Raven. This manifestation of Affection began to explore Beast Boy's mental realm. Of course, without a rigorous meditation regimen like Raven's, his mind was nowhere near her level of organization. Bits of biomes were scattered in a mismatched mishmosh. Here, a bit of lush rain forest next to an arid stretch of desert. There, a portion of abyssal plain, Himalaya adjacent. Despite the incredible geodiversity of this mindscape, very few animals seemed to populate it. Affection finally spotted one in a bit of savannah by the animal's aura, identical to Beast Boy's. Swooping down, she attempted telekinetic contact with the beast.

Can you understand me? she thought at the creature. It merely began to laugh uncontrollably. Adjusting her vision from the psychic spectrum to the visible, she realized she had been attempting contact with a pink hyena, which was no convulsing in hysterics. Clearly Beast Boy's Happiness, Affection thought, and rose, looking for her equivalent.

After encountering a yellow dolphin, an orange sloth, and most distressingly of all, a red version of the Man-Beast, Affection finally hit paydirt in a tiny portion of temperate forest. Attracted by the almost unnoticeable indigo tinge to the creature's aura, she swooped down to its altitude and switched to the visible spectrum before trying to communicate with it. Indeed, it was her counterpart: A purple magpie that had lined its nest with what appeared to be pictures of her. She engaged in telepathic contact. Hello. Do you know who I am?

The magpie turned to her, dismissed her as not shiny or edible for a moment then realized who she was, regardless of luster. Oh, it responded, hi, Raven. Hang on for a second. The bird swooped down to ground level, where it transformed into a purple-skinned version of Beast Boy. Aside from skin tone, he was identical to his mental landlord, down to the Doom Patrol spandex. "So," he began, feigning nonchalance, "come here often?"

Affection's shade landed silently beside him. Unable to speak normally, she telepathically replied, Actually, I'm not Raven. Well, not all of her.

"Oh." The plum-skinned boy considered this. "So you're one of the other Raven's from in her mind?"

She nodded. Indeed. I'm here because I have a plan, and the two of us need to collaborate to make it work.

"Why me?"

Look at the color of your skin. He did so. Now look at the color of my, well, everything. He complied once more. Notice any similarities?

Beast Boy's Affection snapped his fingers in realization. "We do the same job!"

Raven's Affection would've smiled if the projection form had a mouth. Yup. Now listen. After the incident with the Mox Jet, the balance of power in Raven's mind was knocked seriously askew.

"Heh, 'askew.' Fun word." The shade looked at him pointedly. "Sorry, go on."

Anyway, quite a few emotions are out of commission for a time, and others have been drastically weakened. However, thanks to the tender moments we shared after securing the jewel… Both were silent for a moment, fondly remembering their handiwork. Well, suffice to say, I received a significant portion of Raven's latent power. That's how I was able to get to this mind.

"So," concluded the male Affection, "if we combine the power you've gained with mine, we can…uh, what can we do?"

We can engineer a shared dream, replied the female Affection, one both Beast Boy ad Raven will have, one that greatly heal the psychological damage both have endured.

"No kidding. This place is even less organized than usual."

All the more reason to do it.

"So how do we do this?" inquired the changeling-shaped emotion.

Take my hands. He did so, noting the almost nonexistent weight. Now focus all your energy on Raven. The connection I created should do the rest. The two avatars of fondness concentrated, each on the other. The tendril of energy connecting the two sleeping superheroes, while still bordered by violet, shifted from pure black to a forest camouflage pattern, patches of light green and black emerging and remixing with a deep forest green core. In Raven's mind, the meditating form of Affection had arms outstretched, as a purple mist began to form before them into the shape of Beast Boy. The dream formed.

THENEXTMORNINGTHENEXTMORNINGTHENEXTMORNINGTHENEXTMORNING

It was breakfast time for the Titans. That meant coffee for Robin, mustard-frosted glorg for Starfire, and Cyborg in his chef's hat, firing up the Wafflematic. Beast Boy and Raven entered the main room at the same time, each with a smile on his or her face. Cyborg smirked wickedly upon seeing Beast Boy enter, and exclaimed loudly, "OK, ya'll, hope you're hungry, 'cause it's time for Cyborg's special All-Meat Mega Breakfast!" He watched the changeling eagerly for his reaction to the consumption of so much animal flesh.

There was none. Beast Boy continued as though nothing was said, and began to pour himself a bowl of cereal.

"So," Cyborg continued, undaunted, "that'll be bacon, sausage, ham steak, fried eggs," he slid close to Beast Boy, "or as our resident vegetarian likes to call them: 'helpless chicken embryos.'"

Beast Boy continued to ignore this onslaught on his beliefs, going to the fridge for his morning glass of soy milk.

Cyborg went to his last resort. "Oh yeah, and in order to fit all that meat in the fridge yesterday, I had to throw out anything and everything made from soybeans." The camera in his right shoulder popped up, ready to capture his green teammate's expression for posterity.

It had nothing to click. Beast Boy had shrugged at the lack of his bean-derived beverage and proceeded to eat his cereal dry.

Cyborg wasn't the only one concerned at the calm behavior Beast Boy was displaying. "Uh, Beast Boy?" Robin asked, "You're not mad that Cyborg threw out all your food?"

"Or that he is preparing for us a feast of broiled animal carcasses?" added Starfire.

The changeling shrugged. "Eh, I don't have to eat any of it."

The look of shock on the others' faces only intensified when Raven said, "Beast Boy, since Cyborg threw out all your soy milk, would you like some tea?"

"Sure," he replied. "Cereal?"

"Please."

Cyborg was the first to snap. "Have we unknowingly been transported into an alternate universe where Beast Boy and Raven don't argue with each other?"

Beast Boy finally registered the cries of his semimetallic friend. "No, same universe." He and Raven then said the same thing:

"I just had a really good dream last night."

ENDCHAPTERSEVENTEENENDCHAPTERSEVENTEENENDCHAPTERSEVENTEEN

Making Cyborg go crazy is fun. I hope you liked this chapter, I think it could use a little work. Review please. Flames are always appreciated, as we are approaching the Mox Ruby's time to shine…after an undetermined amount of fluff.