AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I Belong has reached 80,000 views. Thank you so much.


I stared at the sidewalk, pacing my stride to avoid the cracks. In my peripheral, I could see the small bump within the creases of Rorek's spellbook that held Jane's crumpled up letter. I pressed it tighter against my torso to close the gap.

"Have you been enjoying Tokyo?" I said.

"Not as much as I'd like. I've had too much on my mind." Robin said.

I sighed quietly. "Me, too." I glanced at Robin. "You really have been distracted lately- ever since we came back from Paris. Is everything all right?"

"I should be asking you the same question."

I stopped and returned my eyes to the ground. Robin turned to me.

"Everything passed so quickly. It feels like just yesterday, I was waking up on the floor of Ops after getting drenched in ranch dressing." I said. I chuckled at the memory, but it quickly faded. "What's going to happen after I leave? Will everything continue as it is now, or..." I gulped. "What if the series resets back to how it originally was... and Ciela, the Teen Titan, is erased from the show's existence?"

"That won't happen." Robin said. "There's no way we could forget you."

I turned my back to him. "That's out of your control. People have contacted those who created this show by now. They're probably working to restore the original series right now." I squeezed my eyes shut as tears pooled in my eyes. "Maybe... this is how it should be. It's my fault this series is so corrupted. You'll be better off... without me."

I opened my eyes wide. I pressed my fingers to my lips.

W-Why did I say that? I thought. What's happening to me?

Robin rested a hand on my shoulder. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Slowly, I nodded. I turned around, my head bowed, and we continued our walk down the sidewalk. For several minutes, we walked in silence. Finally, Robin stopped at the peak of a small bridge. I didn't notice him stop, and I bumped into him. His hand appeared in my view, and he picked something from my braid. He held up a light pink flower petal. He let it go, and it floated up into the air. I followed the petal and gasped quietly. Cherry blossom trees lined the riverside. The breeze plucked the tiny petals from their branches and carried them through the air, gently placing them on the ground or in the water.

"Starfire and I found this place earlier." Robin said. "I thought you might want to see it."

My eyes shook as I gaped at the scenery. "...It's beautiful."

There was a brief pause. Robin cleared his throat, and I turned my head.

"There's... also something I need to tell you..." Robin said, his fist hovering over his mouth and concealing it. "But... I'm not sure how you may take it."

I faced him. "What?"

Robin lowered his hand and opened his mouth. Sirens screeched, and we turned our heads as police cars and firetrucks raced by. Robin and I looked at each other before we broke into a run. We followed the sirens to a few blocks down. The sour smell of smoke grew stronger as we got closer. We turned the corner and gaped at the convenience store engulfed in flames. Firemen plugged hoses into the nearest fire hydrants and began putting out the fire. Police officers questioned the store's clerk and the shoppers that were inside.

My eyes widened. Malchior... My grip on Rorek's spellbook tightened.

There was a shout. A policeman had his eyes on us, shoving a finger in our direction. His comrades turned their heads, and they began shouting at us, too. They charged towards us. I gasped.

"Run!" Robin said. He grabbed my hand and pulled me away. Over my shoulder, car doors slammed, sirens started back up, and tires screeched.

We sprinted down the sidewalk. Citizens leaped out of our way as we passed. Over my shoulder, the sirens quickly approached.

"In here." Robin said, pulling me into the nearest building. We began to climb up the stairs. Robin grabbed a broom from the janitor's closet on the way up. The shouts of policemen echoed from a few flights below.

We opened the doors leading to the rooftop. Robin jammed the broom through the handles.

"What's going on?! Why are they chasing us?!" I said. My breathing picked up. "We didn't do anything- that fire was Malchior's!"

The policemen pounded their fists against the doors. A shriek escaped my lips. Robin clamped his hand over my mouth.

"It's okay. Everything's going to be fine." he mumbled in my ear. Robin scanned the area. The broom knocked against the door handles as the policemen continued to try and break the door down.

Robin released me and ran to the edge of the rooftop. He climbed onto the ledge and jumped. I gasped and sprinted to the edge. Robin hung off a construction beam for a building-in-progress. He climbed onto the beam and turned to me.

"Jump, Ciela!" Robin said.

"W-What?!" I cried. Nausea sloshed in my stomach as I glanced at the ground, and I took a step back. "I can't!"

"Yes, you can!" Robin opened his arms. "I promise I'll catch you!"

The doors burst open. I glanced back at the policemen sprinting towards me.

"Jump!"

I climbed onto the ledge. I pushed off and into the air. The wind pummeled my stomach as I fell into Robin's arms. Robin fell backwards, his arms tightening around me, and we plummeted to the ground. The wind in my ears drowned out the shouting policemen. Robin pulled a grappling hook from his belt and launched it. The hook snagged a windowsill, yanking us from horizontal to vertical. We swung into an alley. Robin let go of the handle, and we tumbled to the ground. We finally stopped, with me on top of him. My arms kept a vice grip around Robin's neck. I couldn't stop trembling.

"Are you okay?" Robin said, resting his hands on my shoulder blades. All I could muster was a nod. Robin rolled over and laid me on the ground. He pried my arms off and held my wrists. The sirens returned. Robin looked over his shoulder. Blue and red flickered on the brick wall. Robin turned back to me. "Stay here."

Robin released my wrists, stood up, and sprinted out of the alleyway. I sat up as shouting resumed. Shadows danced on the walls. I climbed to my feet and ran to the end of the alleyway, just in time to see the policemen corner Robin. One came up in his blind spot and tackled him to the ground. I could hear the click of the handcuffs they wrapped around his wrists. I covered a hand over my mouth as my eyes trembled. The officers yanked Robin to his feet, brought him over to a police car, and shoved him inside.

"Robin!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I ran out into the street as the cars pulled away.

I stood in the middle of the street, breathing heavily as I watched the cars disappear down the street. Citizens along the sidewalk murmured to one another, talking about the scene, but to me, they were drowned out by the blood pounding in my ears. Their voices meshed into incoherent babble. Thanks to news reporters, the scene played on the electronic billboards on an endless loop.

My communicator buzzed. I searched my holster belt blindly until I found it, and I pulled it out.

"Ciela! Are you all right?!" Beast Boy said.

"I'm... I'm... I'm here." I said.

"Thank X'hal!" Starfire sighed in relief.

"I wouldn't celebrate yet..." Raven said. I lifted my eyes to a billboard and watched a new angle of Robin being shoved into a police car.

"All remaining Titans, meet at the rendezvous point." Cyborg said. "I'm sending coordinates now."

A small map of the city appeared on my communicator's screen, and a red dot flashed where the rendezvous point was. I closed my communicator and let my arm fall and dangle at my side.


I raised my eyes to the Japanese temple before me. A small, cobblestone path led up to the shōji screen walls. I was the first here. I walked up the path and sat at the edge of a koi pond just outside the temple. I hugged my legs to my chest and rested my chin on my knees. A stick lay next to me, and I picked it up and ran the tip through the water. The koi fish chased after it.

Sitting back and doing nothing while everyone else suffers because of me... Typical Fattela. I closed my eyes. I can't live like this anymore.

"There you are!" I turned as my friends approached me. I stood up. Starfire threw her arms around me. I pulled away and nodded.

We entered the temple and sat around a small table. The air was silent.

"So... what now?" Beast Boy said.

"Judging by the flaming building, Malchior was behind the whole thing." Raven said. I nodded. "Then we have to clear the air. Our sightseeing is over. We have to find Jane so they can release Robin."

I clenched my fist. "How?" I said quietly.

"What?"

"How?!" I leaped to my feet. "We're trying to find one person in a city of millions! The police can't help us- it's because of them that Robin isn't with us! We have no leads except for this stupid book and Jane's stupid letter!"

I threw Rorek's spellbook on the ground. The sharp slap made everyone jump. I bowed my head as the room grew silent again. Raven reached over and picked up Rorek's spellbook. I turned on my heel and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Starfire said.

I stopped at the door. "I'm going to find Robin." I threw the screen door open and slammed it shut behind me.


I entered the police station. Daizō looked up from speaking to a police officer.

"Hello, Miss Ciela." Daizō said. "I trust you are here about your friend."

I nodded with a gulp. Taking a deep breath, I bowed deeply.

"Please let me see him." I said. I gripped my knees. "Please."

Daizō rubbed his chin with a sigh. "Very well. I'll allow it. Come with me."

I stood straight and nodded. As we passed by the front desk, something caught my peripheral. I turned to see a Ziploc bag hanging behind the officer. Inside was a charred grappling hook. My eyes widened as I recalled the pedestrian bumping into me after exiting the karaoke bar. I felt my belt and, sure enough, the grappling hook wasn't with me.

"Here." Daizō said, stopping in front of a prison cell. "You have two minutes."

Daizō headed back to the front. I peered inside the cell. Robin laid on the floor on a thin blanket, fast asleep with his back turned to me. I knelt and gripped the iron bars.

"How could I let this happen?" I whispered. Tears fell down my face. "What am I going to do?"

I bowed my head and wept silently.

It's my fault you've been through so much pain. None of this would've happened if I just accepted the way things were in my life. Jane wants me so badly, there isn't a limit to what she'll do to achieve her goals. This is my fault.

My tears ceased. I wiped my eyes and lifted my head. I plucked my communicator from my belt and rolled it through the iron bars. It traveled across the ground, bounced off Robin's back, and landed next to him. I climbed to my feet.

"I won't let my world hurt yours anymore." I said. I released the bars. "I'll keep you safe."

I turned on my heel and walked towards the exit.


~TPPOV~

An hour later, Robin opened his eyes. He rolled over and winced at the object that dug into his back. He sat up, rubbing his sore shoulder from laying on the hard ground. He reached behind him and felt Ciela's communicator. He picked it up and examined it, his eyes slowly widening. He turned it on.

"Titans, come in!" he said.

"Robin?! Why do you have Ciela's communicator?!" Cyborg said.

"She must have snuck in and left it with me."

"Yeah, she said she was coming to visit you." Beast Boy said. "We haven't heard from her since. Where could she have gone?"

Robin ran a hand through his hair. On the other end, Raven gasped.

"No... She went to find Jane." she whispered.

Robin's eyes widened. "Oh, no..."

"By herself?! Is she insane?!" Cyborg cried.

There was a thud and a sudden whoosh of air.

"H-Hey! Starfire!" Beast Boy called. There was mild rustling. "She dropped her communicator."

"Whoa. I've never seen her fly that fast before..." Cyborg said.

"No, no, no..." Robin whispered. "Titans, find Ciela! Quickly!"

Robin hung up and climbed to his feet. He ran over to the iron bars and shook them, creating a loud, rattling noise. An officer keeping watch approached his cell and shouted at him to be quiet. When he was close enough, Robin grabbed the officer by the collar of his shirt and slammed his head into the bars. The officer collapsed in an unconscious heap. Robin crouched down, grabbed the keys hanging off the officer's belt loop, and unlocked his cell. He threw the door open and dashed down the hallway.

More guards entered the hall, and Robin skidded to a stop. Before he brought his fists up, a blast of astral magic knocked them into the wall. Raven teleported in front of Robin, her head bowed so the shadow of her hood covered her face.

"Robin..." she said. "Do you remember when Ciela first came here, and you asked me to find out more information about her?"

"Yes. You said you came to a dead end." Robin said.

Raven's shoulders drooped. "I lied. I did see something, but I didn't want to find out what would happen if I told you or anyone else... especially Ciela."

Robin stared at Raven, his eyes widening. The prison had become deadly silent. Robin opened his mouth, but no words came out at first- he was too afraid to ask.

"...What did you see?"

Raven finally lifted her head and looked at Robin, tears pooling in her eyes.


"No fair! Why give me this?!" Beast Boy cried as he held Rorek's spellbook out like a dirty baby.

"Is it really the time to complain about that?!" Cyborg said.

"But what are we even supposed to do with this?"

The ground rumbled violently, and a shadow loomed over Beast Boy and Cyborg. Beast Boy gulped and craned his head back, meeting eyes with a pair of nostrils. They exhaled, spewing smoke in his face. Malchior opened his mouth and roared. Beast Boy shrieked and ran behind Cyborg.

"There you are, you lizard!" Cyborg said, summoning his sonic cannon with a smirk. "Time to finally kick some dragon butt!"

Cyborg aimed his cannon and shot a ray at Malchior. It hit his chest. Malchior growled and swiped his claw. Beast Boy transformed into a kangaroo and slammed his feet into Cyborg, pushing him out of the way before jumping up. Malchior's claws sunk into the asphalt. Beast Boy landed on Malchior's claws and hopped up his scaly arm. At his final bounce, he transformed into a gorilla. He pushed off his feet and launched his fist into Malchior's cheek. Cyborg climbed to his feet and ran around to the back. He grabbed Malchior's tail and, with a grunt, he spun and threw Malchior further down the street. Malchior plowed through streetlamps and parked cars, launching them into buildings, jamming them in alleys, and crushing them into pancakes under his body. Malchior stood on his hind legs and opened his mouth.

"Here it comes!" Cyborg cried.

Malchior opened his mouth, and Beast Boy and Cyborg could see the glow of the fire as it raced up his throat. A dome of astral magic covered Malchior's mouth like a muzzle, and the fire snuffed out. Malchior clawed at the magic muzzle. Raven teleported in front of Beast Boy and Cyborg, her hand stretched out. Robin leaped off the roof of a building and pulled out two birdarangs. He brought them together, transforming them into a sword. He reeled back the birdarang sword and swung. The blade sliced through one of Malchior's claws, chopping it clean off. Malchior threw back his head and roared. The claw punctured the ground.

Robin hit the ground and landed in a somersault. He stood up and faced Malchior, a deep scowl on his face.

"Get out of our way!" he cried, raising his sword.


~CIELA~

I will meet you at the end.

I looked up at Wakamono Shuppan, the manga publishing company. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the picture of me and Beast Boy. I stared at our smiling faces for several moments, the weight on my shoulders gradually growing heavier. I placed the picture back in my pocket, looked forward, and climbed up the steps to the iron gates. I reached up and pushed on the gates. The gates fell off their hinges and crashed to the ground. The sharp sound made me jump. I stepped over the gates and inside the courtyard.

The fountain in the center of the courtyard, usually spewing water, was barren. Jane sat at the top of the fountain.

"You came after all. I started to think you chickened out. You know, typical Fattela behavior." Jane said. "Where are your hero friends? Did they finally get tired of you?"

"I came alone." I said.

Jane snorted. "How stupid can you get?"

"Please, Jane, you have to listen to me. This isn't the real you. This world has corrupted you and turned you into this."

"And who was it that forced me in here?"

"I know... I'm sorry. I never wanted this to happen. But, if you let me, I can return you back to our world."

"Why would I want to do that? That world is too boring for my tastes. I prefer life here. What better way to exact revenge than in a TV show? No one will notice, let alone care, when you disappear."

"Stop it, Jane! You've got to snap out of it!"

"Hm... I have a better idea." Jane leaped off the fountain and detached the block from her hip. It transformed into her scythe. "I think I'll kill you now so I can get your stupid, nagging voice out of my head."

In a flash, Jane was in front of me. I gasped and jumped away, coming to a stumbling stop. Jane craned her head in my direction with a grin. My eyes widened, and I pulled out my pistols. I transformed them into my energy sword and brought it up as Jane swung. The tip of the scythe's blade hovered dangerously close to my torso. With a grunt, I shoved her back and swung. Jane leaped away, landing on the fountain. Jane circled around the fountain, dragging her scythe against the ground. The metal screamed against the concrete, making my teeth shake and my ears sting.

"It was stupid to come alone. We both know you can't outmatch me." Jane said. "Just call those losers already and so I can have a real challenge."

My grip on my sword tightened. I broke into a sprint and stabbed my sword. Jane backflipped off the fountain. My blade dug into the stone. Jane turned and ran into Wakamono Shuppan. I yanked my sword out and transformed them back into my pistols. Thunder crashed from the clouds, and I felt raindrops hit my clothing. I ran into the building.

The area was dark. I raised my pistols and stepped further inside. Metal groaned in the background, and I faced that direction. My heart pounded in my chest. I forced myself to breathe quieter.

I faced forward, meeting Jane's eyes. I yelped and stumbled back towards the doors. I aimed my pistol and shot rapidly. Jane dodged the lasers and swiped her scythe. The blade tore through my jacket and sliced my skin. I screamed, dropped one of my pistols, and clutched my bicep. Jane reeled back a fist and launched it into my cheek, followed immediately by shoving her foot in my stomach. I rocketed backwards and through the glass doors, shattering them into pieces.

I tumbled down the stairs and to the ground. Pieces of glass dug into my skin. I panted heavily, watching the blood ooze from the multiple, tiny wounds. A pool of blood formed under me from the deep cut on my bicep. The rain had quickened, and it mixed with my blood and diluted it. My second pistol had fallen out of my hand and tumbled a few feet away. Jane emerged from the dark building and climbed down the stairs. I reached for my pistol, but it was out of reach. Jane stomped her foot on my hand. I cried out. Jane kicked my gun further away, brought her foot back again, and rammed it into my torso. I choked and curled into a ball. Tears spilled down my cheeks.

"How pathetic. For a moment there, I actually thought you would put up a fight." Jane said as she loomed over me. She placed her foot on my head. "No wonder you came alone. Those Titans you called friends don't care at all what happens to you. They're off having fun in Tokyo while you writhe like a worm. It was all a ruse to make you feel better." Jane ground her foot into my head. I whimpered. "You're all alone, Fattela- you always were and always will be."

Jane lifted her foot off and walked away. I remained in my puny ball, pain radiating inside and out. Blood pounded in my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears streamed down my face. My muscles trembled, bringing more pain as the glass shards dug further into my body. The rain continued to pelt my body.

I opened my eyes. Everything around me- the building, the vibrant lights- blurred into a hazy monster... except for my pistol laying several feet away, which was crystal clear.

I slowly crawled over to the gun. If Jane was still nearby, she didn't bother to intervene. Each time I blinked, I could see the flock of birds that I saw from earlier behind my eyelids.

What is it like to have wings? I want a pair of my own.

"It was all a ruse to make you feel better."

I wanted so badly to believe it wasn't true... I just wanted to fit in. I just wanted to find someone, anyone, who would accept me... but... there's no place for Fattela. There never was...

I pulled myself to my knees and grabbed my pistol. I fumbled and dropped it due to how badly my hands shook. I picked it up a second time, keeping a firm grip. I rested my finger on the trigger and watched the gun light up red.

So pretty... So... inviting. I want to fly, too.

More tears fell down my face. My hand trembled as I pressed the barrel of the pistol against my right temple. I closed my eyes, my lip quivering.

Please forgive me.