Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. Sorry for the late update! I've had a case of writer's block. I still have writer's block!

Stone Hearted 6

Seeing the Titans

With each practice with Aqualad, Terra's powers improved. Not only that, but Terra and Aqualad seemed to get closer. The feelings Tera had for Beast Boy matched the feelings she had for Aqualad. Terra did not want to accept it. The last time she got close to a guy she broke his heart. She couldn't allow herself ot get close to anyone. She was Terra the Terrible and she always messed things up. She decided it was time for her to leave the Titans East and go back on the run. She was used to moving place to place. It was her destiny. Early one morning, Terra left a note of farewell and thanks on her pillow and hitched on her backpack. She opened her window and made earthen steps come to her window. She stepped onto them and made them crack, creating a rock lift for her. She flew off over the ocean. There she would create her own little island, where she could bother no one and no one could bother her.

Aqualad, feeling the ground move slightly, stirred slightly and fell back to sleep. Hours later, when everyone was in the living room having breakfast, they wondered why Terra hadn't come yet. Mas y Menos zipped to her room. "Buenos Dias, senorita Terra…" they found her note of farewell on her pillow and zipped back to the living room. They were yelling about Terra's disappearance in super-fast Spanish.

"Slow down, what are you talking about?" Speedy demanded.

Still speaking in Spanish, Mas handed Bumblebee Terra's note. It was written in both Spanish and English.

"Thanks so much for letting me stay here for a while. Now that I've gained control of my powers I see no reason for me to stay. Goodbye, Terra."

"She left?" mumbled Aqualad, "where would she go?"

"I don't know," said Bumblebee, "but Black Rose is still looking for her. We've got to find her. I'll search from the air. Mas, Menos, you check every shop for Terra. "

"Si," said Mas y Menos and they left in a flash.

"You sure you want them asking everyone in the city if they've seen Terra?" Speedy asked. "They only speak Spanish."

"Fine, you tell them you'll search one half of the city and they'll search the other," Bumblebee said.

"There's a chance Terra's still not in the city," said Aqualad softly.

"We've got to call the Teen Titans," said Speedy and Aqualad nodded in agreement.

"No!" Bumblebee said. "She wouldn't go to them."

"They could help us look," said Aqualad.

"If we don't find her today," said Bumblebee, "then we will call them. I want to find Terra first. All right, Aqualad, you search the sea."

"Why would she go in the middle of the ocean?" Aqualad asked. "Especially since she has powers over land….unless she plans on making her own island." Aqualad paled and his voice became quiet. "She wouldn't!"

Aqualad dove into the swimming pool, which coneteced to the ocean. He swam as quickly as he could and called all the underwater creatures to aid him. His mind went back to what Terra said to them a few days ago over pizza:

"That must be pretty cool, living in the ocean. " Terra said, stirring her drink with her straw, "out in the sea where no one will bother you and you can't bother anyone."

Bumblee the outskirts of Steel City from the sky. She knew that Terra had once lived in a cave and there were a few caves outside of Steel City. She searched each one, but she didn't find a trace of Terra. Speedy searched the northern half of Steel City while Mas and Menos searched the south. The twins were faster at getting from place to place, but had difficutly explaining whot hey were looking for when they found someone who could not understand English. They zoomed into a pizza restaurant and talked to the person at the front.

"Hola senor!" said Mas. "¿Usted ha visto a muchacha rubia?" (Have you seen a blond girl?)

"What?" said the clerk.

"Ella tiene ojos azules y ella es realmente bonita," Menos added. (She has blue eyes and she is really pretty.)

"Umm," the clerk moaned, wondering what they were talking about.

"Ella no es demasiado alta," Mas said, reaching his hands above his head. "y no demasiado corta tampoco." He held his hands low. (She's not too tall and not too short either.)

"I'm sorry, I don't understand…"

"Ella puede también controlar la tierra!" Menos held his hands out in front of him and lifted them in the air. (She can also control the earth!)

"¿Usted la ha visto?" Mas and menos questioned together. (Have you seen her?)

Speedy was quick at asking if anyone saw Terra. He always said, "I'm looking for a blond with an attitude." But he sometimes got answers he wasn't expecting and a lot of girls thought he was hitting on them. He walked around Steel City, then he was nearly ran over by a motorcycle.

"Hey!" he shouted.

Then he noticed the person on the motorcycle. It was a girl in a black and green suit. Her motorcycle was red with a black rose on it.

"Black Rose," he muttered, removing an arrow from his quiver and taking aim. He shot the ground with an ice arrow, causing her to slide and lose control. She fell off and her motorcycle hit a building. Cautious, Speedy took a few steps to her while taking out another arrow.

"You're the one after Terra," said Speedy. "What do you want with her?"

"So, it's true she's in Steel City, then?" Black Rose questioned as she got up. "Where is she?"

"I'm not telling," replied Speedy. "Besides, I asked you first. Why you after Terra? Are you a sore loser? Robin beat me in the tournament of heroines but I you don't see me going after him."

Black Rose laughed. "Oh, you think this is about the Tournament of Heroines? You think I want a rematch? That stupid tournament was nothing."

"Well, if it has nothing to do with the Tournament of Heroines," Speedy asked, still his arrow on Black Rose, who showed no intention of fighting Speedy. She stood there with her arms folded. "What do you want with Terra?"

"That's personal," Black Rose said. "So where is she?"

"I told you," Speedy said. "I'm not telling."

"Then we've got a problem, don't we?" Black Rose questioned. "Well, I guess I can get you to tell me where she is." She took her bo staff from her back and made it elongate.

Speedy shot an arrow at her, which she knocked out of the way. She ran at him with her staff and knocked his bow from his hands. She dropped-kicked Speedy and pinned him to the ground.

"Just tell me where Terra is," Black Rose said. "You're irritating me."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Speedy muttered. "But I don't even know where she is."

"What?" Black Rose gasped. "You're lying!"

"Sorry," Speedy said, grinning to the fact that this irritated her more. "But it's the truth. Terra must've known you were after her because she just took off. I don't know where she went."

"No!" Black Rose hissed. "I've got to find her!"

"Why do you wear a mask?" Speedy asked, changing the subject. "I bet you're pretty cute…"

Black Rose glared and sneered, though Speedy could not see it. "Shut up!" She punched him in the face and got up off him.

"Well if you see your friend," Black Rose snapped, returning to her motorcycle and lifting it up. "Tell her I'm looking for her. We've got a score to settle."

"No problem," Speedy said, standing up. He was somehow surprised that Black Rose didn't kill him. She could've done it so easily. He began to wonder if she liked him. "But Terra's as crazy as to look for someone who's trying to kill her."

"If she's got any guts," said Black Rose, "she'd try and find me." She got on her motorcycle and drove off.

When Terra believed she was far enough into the ocean, she decided to make her new home. She concentrated on the ocean floor below and her eyes and hands glowed bright yellow. She tried to think of how angry she was the first time she made a volcano. The way she felt when she was fighting Slade.

"You ungrateful little…!" Slade ran at her, she hit him with a column of rock and pelted him with rock after rock. She pushed him off the edge and he screamed. Terra stepped to the edge to peek and he swung back up and punched her, making her fall to the ground. He stepped to her and lifted her up by her breastplate.

A raw anger and power overtook Terra.

"You can't control me anymore!" Terra shouted.

Unsure how she did it, she caused the magma in the deep core of the earth to come up through the ground. There were scattered lava eruptions all over the place. Then Terra had to repair the damage. It wasn't as easy to fix it as it was to make it.

Anger. It was anger that caused the volcano last time. It had to work this time. She let her freely feel all the anger she felt every day of her life. She relived all the times she had to run away. How she felt when she learned that Beast Boy had told Robin about her powers. The time when things got too far with Slade—she allowed herself to feel anger, sweet, strong powerful anger.

"Can't control anything," Terra muttered. "Oh I'll show you!"

The ocean floor cracked, lava erupted and began to bubble to the surface. Terra smiled at her progress. It was working. She would have a new home in just a moment. Then Aqualad jumped out of the water, taking her by surprise.

"Aqualad!" she gasped.

Aqualad grabbed her by the middle, pulling her off the rock and splashing into the water. She lost her grip on her powers and the eruption stopped before it barely got started. They came back to the surface.

"Aqualad, what're you doing?" she demanded, spitting out water and gasping for air.

"I can ask you the same thing," Aqualad said. "Why are you trying to crate and underwater volcano?"

"So I can have my own island," Terra said, "I want to be someplace where I can't hurt anybody. This is the only way."

"Not hurt anyone?" Aqualad demanded. "You're sure about that? Look around you!

"No," said Terra, "there are no people."

"Maybe not!" Aqualad shouted. "But this is my home and you nearly destroyed it! You could've destroyed Atlantis!"

"Atlantis is right under us?" Terra asked, looking down.

"Yeah!" Aqualad said. "Pretty close! Not only could you have destroyed Atlantis, but you could've killed thousands of marine life!"

Terra sunk slightly in the water in shock. "I—I," she went back ot treading water so she wouldn't sink. "Aqualad, I'm sorry…I didn't know…I…"

The salt water caused Terra's body to sink like a stone and make her body slowly fall apart. Her legs began to turn to mud. Aqualad looked down and called forth a humpback whale to lift them into the air. The whale then began to take them to the coast.

"The water's dangerous to you," Aqualad said softly.

"It's always been," said Terra, "but now more than ever. Aqualad, listen,I'm so sorry. I can't do any good with my powers. I try, really I do, but it ends up blowing up in my face. I wish there was something I could do with my powers…something helpful…"

"Well the next time you want to make a volcano, do me a favor and tell me before hand," Aqualad grumbled, turning his back on her as he walked farther up on the whale and sat down.

"Okay. I'm sorry…I'm so, sorry, Aqualad," mumbled Terra and she went into tears.

Aqualad glanced over her shoulder then took out his communicator to let the others know he had found Terra. When they returned to the Tower, Mas y Menos were already there.

"Senorita Terra!" they cried in unison.

"Tú eres mojado!" said Menos, pointing at Terra. (You are wet!)

They pushed Terra into the living room, sat her down then came back with a towel and a hot cup of tea for her.

"Gracias," said terra.

"¿Por qué usted se fue?" asked Mas. Why did you leave?

"Porque tuve que." Because I had to

Moments later, Bumblebee returned to the tower. "There you are, Terra!" she exclaimed. "What were you thinking?"

"I managed to get my powers back to speed," said Terra, "so I thought it was time for me to go. I really can't stay here."

"Terra, Black Rose is after you," Bumblebee told her. "She wants you dead. If she finds you…"

"I can take care of myself," Terra insisted. "Listen, you can't just keep me here."

Sporting a bloody nose and busted lip, Speedy entered the room.

"What happened to you?" Bumblebee questioned.

"I ran into Terra's friend," Speedy answered, taking out a rag from a drawer and dabbing his lip. "She is really insistant on finding Terra…."

"Black Rose?" Bumblebee said. "You saw her?"

"Well, if Black Rose is a chick with a mask and a greedn outfit then yeah," said Speedy.

"¡Ella realmente le consiguió!" exclaimed Mas, pointing at Speedy. (She really got you good!)

"Whatever," Speedy muttered. "She really didn't show any sign of wanting to kill me though."

"Because I'm the one she wants," said Terra. "Why would she want to fight me after the tournament? Is she really that sore about losing?"

"She said it had nothing to do about that," Speedy said after he cleaned his face. "She told me it was personal."

"But I haven't done anything to her!" Terra exclaimed. "The only time I met her was at the tournament of heroines. What does she want with me?"

"No idea," said Speedy.

Terra gazed at the tea in her hand. She came to a conclusion. "All right…I think I'm ready to face the other Titans now."

"You want to see them?" Bumblebee asked.

"Yeah," said Terra, "maybe they might have an idea why Black Rose is after me. But don't tell me I'm here. Just tell them to get here. I kind of want it to be a surprise." Terra smiled as an afterthought.

"No problem," said Bumblebee. "I'll contact them right away."

"I think I'll take a bath and change," Terra said.

"¿Desee un poco de desayuno?" asked Mas. Want some breakfast?

"Sí, después de mi baño" (Yes, after my bath.).

"No problemo," said Menos.

While Terra was in the bath, Bumblebee used the large screen to contact the Teen Titans.

--

Raven had regained her strength. She was mediating more and looking at her spell books. Now that she had increased Terra's weakness, she could exploit it. Beast Boy had told her that it could be her power. What if she had increased her power? What if she had made Terra more dangerous?

"Titans, to the main room!" called Robin.

Raven ceased what she was doing and went to the living room. "What is it?" she asked.

The other titans were standing around, looking concerned and confused.

"Are the titans of the East in trouble?" Starfire questioned.

"We got message from Bumblebee," said Robin, pushing a button. "Come in, Bumblebee. What's your message?"

"Can you come to Steel City right away?" Bumblebee questioned. "It's urgent."

"Are you in trouble?" Cyborg asked.

"Not exactly," said Bumblebee with a smile. "We're fine…but we have a slight situation on our hands. Coem to Steel City and I'll explain everything."

"You got it, Bee," said Cyborg and the picture was gone. "Everyoen to the T-ship."

"I wonder what the 'situation' is," said Beast Boy as they went to the garage where the T-ship and their other vehicles were.

After Terra bathed and ate, Bumblebee trimmed her Terra's up to her chin. Bumblebee had been meaning to fix her hair for her. Now that they were expecting the Titans West, Bumblebee decided now was a good time to do it. They were in her room and Terra was still wearing her robe.

"How did your hair get its wild haircut?" Bumblebee asked, combing up a section.

"No idea," Terra said, "maybe it's a result of the volcano or something."

"Are you nervous about seeing the Titans?" Bumblebee questioned.

"A little," she admitted. "But I think it's time I see them. They might be wondering where I am, if they hadn't noticed my statue missing."

Once Bumblebee was finished fixing Terra's hair, she picked up the fallen blond locks from the floor and left Terra so she could get dressed. Terra dressed into a pair of red sweats and left her room. She met Aqualad in the hallway. He was holding a paper cup in his hand and a small pouch

"Hi Terra," he said, "I was just on my way to your room. Could you come outside with me for a minute?"

"Uhh, sure," Terra replied and she followed Aqualad outside. "What you got there?" she nodded at the things in his hand.

"You said you can't do any good with your powers," Aqualad said, "and you wanted to do something helpful."

"Yeah."

"There is some something you can do," Aqualad said softly. "Can you lift some fertile earth into this cup?"

"What do you mean, 'fertile?'" Terra questioned.

"The kind of earth that's best for growing things," Aqualad said. "I'm sure you can tell which earth is better."

"Okay I'll try," Terra said, looking at the ground. Fertile earth? She never really paid much attention to the earth. The closest thing she did to planting things was creating irrigation ditches, but that turned out to be a disaster. Terra's eyes fell onto a patch of grass. She used her powers to dig the dirt from the grassy spot and she levitated a small bit of it into the cup. Aqualad opened the pouch and shook a seed into Terra's hand.

"Using your powers," Aqualad said, "plant the seed."

"My powers?" Terra raised an eyebrow. "I can just poke it in with my finger."

"Make a hole with your powers," Aqualad told her. "Come on, you can make a volcano, I'm sure you can shift the earth enough to make a hole."

Terra looked at the cup and created a small hole in the earth. She dropped the seed in and made the earth fold over it.

"Now what?"

"Now we add some water."

Aqualad turned the ocean and took a small amount of water from it and let it moisten the earth in the cup.

"There, Terra," said Aqualad, "you did something good with your powers. You just planted a seed and someday it will grow."

"What will it grow into?" Terra questioned. "A flower?"

"You'll see once it's grown," Aqualad said with a smile. "But you've got to take care of it. Make sure it gets plenty of water and sunshine."

Terra gazed at him in surprise. Planting a seed was indeed something good to do. Why didn't Terra ever think of it before? She could plant trees where there had been wildfires. She could plant all means of vegetation. It sounded so simple. It sounded so fun. Terra found herself smiling.

"Yeah," she said, "yeah I will take care of it."

"I understand you want to be alone," said Aqualad. "I used to operate alone all the time before I joined the Titans East."

"Really?" Terra questioned.

"Yeah, that's how I preferred it," Aqualad replied.

"Wow…we're a lot alike," Terra said, blushing a little bit.

"But you are welcome to stay with us as long as you want to." He told her. "Working alone is nice but it feels good being on a team sometimes."

"Yes, I know," said Terra. "When I became a titan, I felt, that for the very first time, I belonged somewhere. But now..i feel as if I don't belong anywhere."

"It takes some time getting used to," said Aqualad, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Listen, just stay with us a little longer. You've got a weakness to the water and Black Rose is still after you. Let's find out why she is after you and get your powers more under control before you go off on your own."

"You, you will let me go?" Terra asked.

"Yeah, and if you really want your own little island out there," Aqualad said, "I can help you that. I'll find the perfect spot for it, away from Atlantis and I can make sure no marine life gets in the way when create the island."

Terra couldn't stop gazing at him. "You really will help me?"

"It'll be easier than working alone," said Aqualad. "Water is your weakness, isn't it? You might hurt yourself trying to make an underwater volcano, not to mention other marine life out there."

Terra embraced him around the neck, taking him aback. "Thank you, Aqualad. I'm glad you understand."

"You're welcome," said Aqualad, pushing her back softly.

Terra beamed at him and then looked at her cup. "Oh, I know the perfect place to put this…right next to my window!"

Terra ran back inside and placed the cup in her window. Some time later, she heard the T-ship and she gazed outside her window to watch the Teen Titans climb out of it.

Robin. Starfire. Cyborg. Raven. Beast Boy.

Her stomach made an odd flip as she watched him follow the other titans. Shje had hurt him the most. She began to wonder if meeting them now was a good idea. Was she ready? Could she face them? What was she going to say? "Hey guys, miss me?"

No wait, that was what she said to them when she became Slade's apprentice. She had just wrecked the T-car that time. She can't say that again.

She heard the titans' voices when they came into the Tower.

"Everything okay?" asked Cyborg.

"Aquadude!" yelled Beast Boy. "How's it going?"

"Come in here," said Bumblebee, "Aqualad…?"

"Oh, right," said Aqualad and Terra knew that Bumblebee gave him a certain look. Bumblebee was trying to tell him to come and get Terra. Terra stepped back and sat on her bed, her back against the wall, her feet on her bed and her arms around her knees. No. She couldn't' face the Teen Titans now. Not after the pain she's caused them.

Aqualad tapped on Terra's door. "Terra, they're here."

"I can't do this," she said. "I'm sorry, but I can't see them. Tell them to go back to Jump City."

Aqualad opened the door and entered her room. Terra tightened her arms around her knees.

"Please, Aqualad," she whispered, shaking her head. "I've changed my mind…I want to wait a little longer."

"They're already here," said Aqualad, walking up to her bed and sitting next to her. "And they're wondering what they've come here for. We can't just tell them to go back to Jump City."

"What do I say to them?" Terra asked, tears flowing down her cheeks. "I betrayed them. I went to Slade. I…I tried to destroy them."

"Say the first thing that comes to your mind," Aqualad said, "tell them the truth. Now come on." He put his arm around her and urged her to get up. She slowly unwrapped her knees and put her feet on the floor and got up. Aqualad still had his arm around her.

"I…"

"Don't worry, Terra," said Aqualad. "We'll walk in together, all right?"

Terra nodded. "Okay…let's go…"

"So what's this situation you called us for?" Robin inquired, Bumblebee. "Problems in Steel City?"

"You can say that," said Bumblebee and she looked at Starfire and Raven. "You girls remember Black Rose from the Tournament of Champions?"

"Oh yes," said Starfire. "The Master of Games captured us. We were locked in the gem together."

"Terra fought her," said Raven. "What about her?"

"That's what we'd like to know," said Bumblebee. "We're trying to find some information on her."

"How come?" Cyborg questioned. "Is she dangerous?"

"Yeah, she's pretty skilled with the Bo staff," Speedy said.

"So am I," said Robin.

The door opened and supported by Aqualad, in walked Terra. The Teen Titans turned to look at him.

"Hi Aqualad…what the?" said Cyborg.

They all stared at the blond girl next to him. She smiled and spoke.

"Hi guys," she said softly. "I'm…sorry…for everything."

"Terra, you're alive?" said Robin.

"No way!" exclaimed Cyborg.

"You are no longer stoned!" cried Starfire.

"What are you doing here?" asked Raven.

Beast Boy, however, could not utter a word. He stood staring at Terra in shock, his mouth wide open. "T-T-Terra?" he gasped finally and he fainted dead away.

TO BE CONTININUED