Hey there folks...been a while hasn't it? Sorry bout the delay but things just kept on comming up and I just kept on gettin preoccupied, but now I'm Here, AND with an extremely long chappie to boot! Just about 2,000 words longer than chapter 1. This chapter took alot of thought to organize right so i hope you'll appreciate it. Now, a few thing about this chapter. It's an extemly long set up for the next chapter, which will blow your MINDS! The language Beast Boy uses is actually ZULU, however i just strnged a bunch of Zulu words togetr, so its not coherent at ALL.Also, i know in chapter 2 i said Raven had Animorph #13, but in this story the lines quoted are actually from Animorph # 15, so don't be alarmed, i may go back and fix it just to be perfect. That's all there is outta me...Now onto the reviewers...(I will now only post a max of 10reviewers on this page, but all reviews are appreciated, so keep em commin!)
Mage Kitty: WOW! Just wow is all i can say. To have a picture drawn from some I created is flattering beyond all comprehension. ThankYou Thankyou Thankyou, your a marvelous artist. And once again i thouroughly enjoyed your review. Thankyou. (This chapter is por vu!)
Break4Angels: You deserved the dedication, you been readin since day 1 and i hope you keep on reading. U DA BESTEST EVA!
Abbadon of Renown: Glad you like my story, and i feel the same way about Beast Boy. He's such a deep character he practically writes his own story. Thankyou for the compliment.
Tyr'll: Best chapter ever? REally! Woah Thanks! I'm glad your reading my story, Snr. loyal reader!
Lore giver: Thanks, i personally think authors don't tap much into the African aspect of beast Boy, at least, not much. O and no that's not how Beast Boy pushed Raven out his mind, but good guess. I think you'll like how he did it, but you'll just have to keep reading to find out how. :)
Silverchild of the Winds: What?
Egglette: Glad it had that effect on you, great review, makes me want to make sure you dont have to criticise me in the future as well.
nonengel: Great that it spoke to you on multiple levels, i really appreciat your mature reviews, like a professor or something. Keep em COMMIN!
Corvus Corvidae: To start off, i understand that typically Raven is the 'deep thinker' of the group, but you seem to be missing the whole reason for this fic. It's to show a whole other side of Beast Boy, the deep thinker within him, but it goes even deeper than that. What do I mean by 'it goes deeper'? You'll see. And i really appreciate you relaying your views on 'truth' but I can't tell if your joking or not. Seeing as im all conflicted and what not, i'll just say this: I don't put much stock into life philosiphies that were copyrighted in 1999. Oh, and Wut's wrong with lavendar? Raven likes to smell pretty too:) Thanks for the review tho, please, keep it comming, i really enjoyed it.
Wolfess: Hmm, stop me if I'm wrong, but...i think you like it! I'm Right? SCORE! Thanks for the review and the long awaited chapter 5 is FINALLY here! Enjoy!
And now, without further interruption...Chapter 5...
Robin took a sip of his coffee, he liked it black. The bitter, addictive taste flooded his taste buds as with every sip he gradually grew more awake from his nights slumber. He had been up all night reviewing the team's expenses. It was time for him to again visit the mayor's office to discuss and adjust the Titans budget. He really hated going to the mayor's office. He hated the fake courtesy and rehearsed smiles that all politicians seemed to share. It's like a bunch of actors got together to pretend to be real people with real responsibility. Sure, their jobs are important, but the fact of the matter is they hardly do their job. That's the kind of people Robin hates the most, people who act like people who act responsible.
He took another long swig from his coffee mug, savoring the hot bitter liquid as it spilled down is throat.
Those are the type of people who thrive off of their duties; people who cherish their titles rather than their obligations. Those people are despicable, selfish people whose priorities revolve around not those they service to, but their own selfish agendas. Too many times have I succumbed to their charade, to grin and bear their obvious hypocrisy. And too many times have I bitten my tongue around those people, people who think they know about justice, and think they're properly tending to their obligations. But, nothing I can do or say can change those people, no matter how much I want to tell them off. I can save dozens of lives in one night, but I'm powerless against beaurocracy. Even if I did call them on one of their acts and had him removed, another one would just replace him and do the exact same thing; just a different hand to shake, and another rehearsed smile to endure. He really hated going to the mayor's office.
Robin looked solemnly into his mug of black coffee, deeply caught in his thoughts, not really looking at his reflection but knowing it's there.
I wonder what things would be like if things we run by actual people, instead of people rehearsed to act like people.
"Robin?"
Robin was started out of his thoughts by the disembodied voice and snapped his head up to see who called for him. It was Starfire.
"Yeah Star?"
"Is everything alright with you?"
"Yeah Star," Robin began a little taken aback by her question, "why do you ask?"
"Well, it is that you seemed to be deep in thought."
"Yeah, I guess I did drift away a little there. How could you tell?"
"You seemed to be unusually captivated by your mug of coffee; your gaze had not left it for some time."
"Yeah, normally you only stare at Starfire like that," Cyborg chimed in as he stuffed another fork full of waffles in to his mouth.
It took a second for Robin to catch up. Had Cyborg really been at the breakfast table the whole time? Had I really been here the whole time?
And finally Robin had actually heard what Cyborg had said. He was awake now.
His brows burrowed and he opened his mouth to vehemently deny Cyborg's accusation, but was cut off by the sugary-sweet voice of the resident Tameranian.
"Robin," Starfire began, "what is it you we're contemplating?"
He really didn't understand it. He just couldn't get it around his head. How can this girl have such an effect on me? In an instant she was able to quell his anger and capture his heart. Her joyous disposition is contagious and her smile infectious. She embodies everything that is right in this world, but, she didn't come from this world. No, this world isn't capable of producing her perfection. She's an angel from space who blesses me with her attention.
"Robin?" Starfire asked
Robin blinked his eyes, snapping back to reality. I really do stare; I'll
have to work on that.
"Uh…I uh, I was thinking about how I have to head to the mayor's office later today."
"You do not enjoy visiting the mayor's office?"
"No, I hate going there…," a thought hit Robin as he spoke, "…alone…. I hate going there alone, yeah. Um, would you….would you like…to…go with me?" Robin managed.
What am I thinking! She'll never agree to go with me! I mean I'm "Robin" and she's….she's everything I want in life. But, she's an angel to be worshipped, not approached.
He so badly wanted to approach her, dissatisfied with simply observing.
I'm being selfish. There's no way I deserve to be with her. But…but I so badly want to be, I need to be. Maybe this one time, this one time, my angel will answer my prayer, my very selfish prayer.
"I'd love to! It shall be a most glorious occasion!"
Today…Heaven smiled down on Robin.
"R-Really?" Robin asked in disbelief. Quickly regaining his composure he added, "Cool, we should probably leave around one."
"Excellent, one it is!"
Utterly ecstatic about the outcome, Robin took a long sip of his coffee to calm his nerves. After his swig he turned his attention to the rest of the table. Cyborg looked at with a smug eye that held an odd mixture of ridicule and praise, clearly understanding the implications of Robin's request. He chose to ignore him. His gaze then fell upon Beast Boy who seemed to be having an intense battle to remain conscious at the table, clearly unaware of the world around him.
"Ow!" Beast Boy yelped.
Robin snickered at Beast Boy who had just stabbed himself in the cheek in his attempt in feeding himself.
"You know, I would think your hand-eye coordination would be much better with all the games you play," Robin jeered.
"Don't you have a date to get ready for?" Beast Boy groggily retorted.
Cyborg laughed a belly laugh as Starfire blushed excitedly. Robin's smug face quickly turned sour. Apparently Beast Boy was more aware than Robin had thought. Deciding the best course of action was not to dignify him with an answer, Robin turned his attention to Raven's seat which, oddly, Raven was not in.
"Hey, where's Raven?" Robin asked.
"Yes, usually Friend Raven makes her appearance to the 'break of fast' by now."
Beast Boy took a bite of his scrambled tofu eggs.
"Yeah, it's not like her to sleep in, something must be up," Cyborg added.
He took another and another…quick, hurried bites.
"I do believe you are correct. One among us should elect to go inquire of Friend Raven's plight." Starfire concluded.
As expected from the rest of the team Beast Boy was the first to stand up. He wordlessly took his plate and dropped it into the sink. It was then Beast Boy did something the team wasn't expecting. He calmly walked over to the couch, grabbed the remote, and watched television.
Needless to say the rest of the Titans were bewildered. Typically, it was Beast Boy who took it upon himself to lure Raven out of her room, to lend a helping hand that was more often then not unwanted. For him to completely ignore the lack of her presence and then to act as if he couldn't care less was definitely more than alarming.
"Uh…Beast Boy?" Robin started, "Aren't you going to go see what's up with Raven?"
"No. Raven's a big girl. Whatever problem she has, if there even is a problem, I'm sure she'll deal with it herself, that's something she's let herself get good at."
The three Titans shared a confused stare. They leaned in close over the table. It was Robin who spoke up first.
"Maybe he's just still tired and doesn't feel like going." He said in a hushed voice.
Starfire and Cyborg nodded their heads in silent agreement.
"Yes, that must be the reason." Starfire whispered.
"I'll go check up on her after I finish breakfast then." Cyborg announced, speaking in his normal voice so as not to alarm Beast Boy of their hushed conversation. He looked over to the couch to see if Beast Boy had picked anything up. Beast Boy was leaning back on the couch, his head resting on the back of the sofa, feet reclined on the coffee table, remote in hand, fully engrossed in the television. Doesn't look like he heard anything. With that thought, Cyborg turned his attention back to his breakfast.
(n.n) (o.o) (X.x)
I'm tired alright, very tired for sure. Beast Boy lay there, pretending to not have heard anything, when in all actuality he heard every word. With his hearing, they might as well have whispered into a mega-phone. I wonder if they think my ears are this big just to make me look more adorable. He flipped the channel he was watching, it was starting to bore him.
(n.n) (o.o) (X.x)
Truth. The…truth about… Beast Boy. What is it? How much do I not know about him? How much do I know about him? Was that really him talking last night?
Raven lay sprawled out on her bed with her cloak and boots off. Her face displayed her exhaustion. Sleep had not come to her; her mind was too troubled over the events of last night. Her teammate of 3 years had just shown her that after 3 years, she didn't know a thing about him. Of course, none of the Titans talk much about their past, save Starfire, but even she has secrets she wishes not to tell. Raven especially preserves herself as a great mystery to the others.
So then, why am I so concerned over this? I know nothing about Beast boy, he knows nothing about me. But, the way he spoke to me last night…
"…Why is it you can clearly show me your anger, but not your happiness?"
…the way he spoke to me…it was almost like…he…understood me. It was almost as if…he understood me… better than I understand myself. But that's not possible! It can't be.
"People always say they want the truth, but when given it, they reject it..."
NO! That can't be the truth! No one understands me, why I do the things I do, much less Beast Boy!
"…that's why, for some, a well crafted lie is better than truth…"
Am I one of those people? Can I not handle the truth? Am I…afraid of it?
"…you know little about truth…"
I can't accept that. I'm better than that. He's wrong, I can handle the truth, and I will know more about him. I refuse to live with a stranger in my own home.
Raven sat up on her bed, crossing her legs into an Indian position. Her resolve stoned, she began to brainstorm in order to solve her conundrum.
Ok, first of, what exactly do I know about Beast Boy? Ok, for one, I know he's green. I know he wears black and purple spandex and he eats tofu. But, why does he eat tofu? Ah! That's one thing I can find out. Ok, what else? Well, he obviously can change into animals. How did he get his powers? That's another thing to find out. Or even, how does his power work? How can he shape-shift into animals? That's even weirder than my powers. To morph into animals…hmm… I think I heard that from some where else too...my neck is starting to get stiff.
Raven stretched her neck too and fro, trying to loosen the tense muscles. Dissatisfied with the results, she began to rock her head in a circular fashion. Around and around and around. But suddenly, her eyes caught something. It was a book on her nightstand.
I don't remember putting a bo- Oh! That's right, I remember now, I put that there when I was looking for a book to solve my problem with Beast Boy.
She crawled across her bed over to her nightstand to analyze the book. She picked it up and took a look at the cover.
Animorphs? When did I get this book? It doesn't look like a book I'd normally read, someone must have given it to me. 'Animorph'….animal morphs… Beast Boy must have given me this. But why?
Curiosity taking over, she opened the book up, not particularly looking to read the whole thing. She landed on chapter 2.
"Most people would think morphing into an animal is fun."
Fun?
"And I guess it is. But what it is, more than fun, is terrifying..."
Terrifying?
"Until you've done it, it's impossible to really understand how extreme it is. The body you've had since you were born, the body with two arms and two legs and a head with your own personal face stuck on front, changes. It changes completely. Until nothing is left but your mind. You don't have your fingers to wiggle, or your legs to stand on, or your mouth to talk with. You look at the world through another animal's eyes."
I never thought of it like that. I wonder if Beast Boy feels this way.
Intrigued to see if she could find anything else that could relate to Beast Boy, she read on.
"…Once my entire body was brilliant green, I began to shrink. The dirty floor of the storeroom rose up to meet me. It was like I was falling. Like I'd passed out and was dropping face first toward the floor. And as I shrank, my feet became bird feet. My thick, solid human bones became hollow bird bones. My internal organs, my lungs and stomach and liver, all twisted around in ways that should have made me scream in agony – except for the fact that morphing technology deadens pain."
Raven's eyes lit up with realization.
"Deadens pain?" Meaning otherwise it would hurt, excruciatingly. Does it hurt for Beast Boy? If it does…how…how can he take it? I'll just have to-
"Yo Rae!" Cyborg's booming voice echoed through Raven's door.
"Gah!" she yelped, startled out of her thoughts. Caught off guard and exhausted from lack of sleep, her control over her powers faltered. In an instant, her dark purple pillows exploded into countless pieces as a deluge of feathers showered her room.
"Rae! You okay in there? I heard an explosion! You need me to come in there!"
As the feathers slowly made their descent, Raven reclaimed her composure, or, whatever was left of it. She opened her mouth to shoo Cyborg off, not wanting him to see her in such disarray, but quieted herself when she heard the pounding of buttons. He was entering her access code. It was then it hit her…
The book!
Without hesitation, she surrounded the book with a strip of midnight and shot it towards her desk, phasing it safely into one of her drawers. Just as the contraband found its hiding place, the door to Raven's room shot open as a very concerned metal man ran into the room.
"What was…all…the…why are you covered in feathers?"
"I wanted to feel pretty. What do you want?" Raven said in her typical deadpan manner.
Baffled by the scene, and the explanation to it, Cyborg's train of thought wavered and his ability to talk failed him.
"If you came in here to show me your impression of an idiot, don't worry, I've seen it before," Raven stoically said.
Rebounded by Raven's remark, Cyborg recalled his original purpose for entering the lion's den, and feeling it was best not to inquire of the reasons behind the feathers, Cyborg relayed it.
"…I…you weren't at breakfast today. I was just checkin' up to see if you were ok."
"Breakfast? It's Breakfast time?"
"Um…yea." Cyborg said, not believing that someone could not know.
Not trusting him at his word, Raven scooted off of her bed and walked over to her dark purple drapes. She found that the dark purple color was choice for blocking out sunlight.
She briskly withdrew the drapes and the sunlight of a gorgeous morning day beamed into her face. She covered her eyes with left arm.
Guess he wasn't kidding.
With her eyes still shielded, she drew back the drapes with her right arm to shut off the alien light from her room. It wasn't wanted. Darkness restored, she felt safe to let her arm down and turned back around to face Cyborg.
"Well, I guess the evidence is against me. I didn't even-," Raven stopped, seeing that Cyborg was a little flustered, even, a little red in the face. Raven raised her eyebrows inquisitively, "What's got you all worked up?"
"I-It was…it was dark so… I didn't notice before…" Cyborg rambled.
"What are you talking about?"
"But when you opened the drapes…"
"What!" Raven exclaimed. "Come out with it already!"
"I don't see why you hide behind that cloak Raven, leotards really suit you." Cyborg finally finished.
Not catching on at first, Raven stood there trying to interpret the compliment.
What? 'Leotards really suit you?' What's he talking about?
She looked down at herself.
Oh No! I forgot I didn't have my cloak on! And…and when I went over to open the drapes, I…had my….back…turned…
Cyborg had just complimented her on her bum.
Raven outstretched her ash-colored hand, an enraged look on her face, and cast a portion of her charcoal energy plastering it over Cyborg's eyes, effectively censoring herself.
"OUT!" she commanded.
"But, I can't see!" Cyborg pitifully explained.
"Then let me help you." She menacingly said.
Raven opened the door with her energy, and once again thrusting out her hand, sent a small burst of it into Cyborg. Like a bullet he shot out of her room, careening straight into the adjacent wall, landing face first into the floor. Raven walked towards her door, stopping at the entrance. She placed a hand on the close button.
"I'll be down in a few."
She shut the door. At the same instant the blindfold she gave Cyborg dissolved.
"Great…" he shakily began from the floor, speaking towards the door, "see you in a few then."
He took his time about getting off of the ground.
(O.o) (n.n) (X.x)
"Friend, why is it you appear injured? What has befallen you?" Starfire asked as she flew over to her metal friend as he wobbly walked towards the couch.
"Waddaya think Star? I mean, he did go to Raven's room." Beast Boy explained, sitting comfortably on the sofa. "So, what was it this time? She blast you into a wall, or, pummel you with books?"
"The first one," Cyborg solemnly said as he sat down next to his olive friend.
"Well, at least your metal. It hurts a lot more when you're green."
"Yo man, I gotta give you props. You always go up there. I don't know how you do it sometimes."
"Some times can be better than other times, its part of the challenge. But usually I only receive physical damage if I say something stupid."
He then looked over at Cyborg, who oddly seemed to be squirming under his gaze.
"Wait…you did say something stupid didn't you!" Beast Boy excitedly said.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"Aw, c'mon, I know you know what I'm talking about. Just tell me already!"
Letting out a big sigh, Cyborg began to relay the events.
"Well, when I went up to her door and was just about to knock I heard this kinda…explosion, but it was sorta like a muffled explosion. Anyway, so I go rushing in and the first thing I see is her and half the room covered in feathers. So, of course the first thing that comes outta my mouth is, 'what's with the feathers', and you know what she told me? "I wanted to feel pretty. What do you want." So of course I know that's not the reason but I can't help but be a little thrown off balance. After a moment of speechlessness she calls me an idiot and that brings me back to life. So I tell her that I came to check up on her cause she wasn't at breakfast. And, she's all like 'Breakfast? It's Breakfast time?' So I look at her like 'duh' and she walks over to the drapes in her room. Now, BB, you have to understand that it's dark in her room. I mean dark dark…"
"Yea…and the sky's blue, now go on, what happened?"
"…well, since it was so dark, I didn't really see what she was wearing right. So she opens her drapes and sunlight comes pouring into the room, and she and I are blinded for a second. But I recover first, seeing that I was outside already and she wasn't. And, I open my eyes, BB, and I see that Raven isn't wearing a cloak, BB."
"So? Oh…wait a minute…you mean…"
"Yep. I got a full good view of Raven's cloak less ga-dunk-a-dunk."
"No way! Raven! Seriously!"
"Yep."
"So that's when she kicked you out the room?"
"No. She didn't even notice that I noticed. I guess she forgot she wasn't wearing one."
"Well, what happened next?"
"I was pretty stunned, needless to say, and I'm standing there like an idiot right. So she turns around and starts to say something, I don't know, I wasn't really listening at this point. Anyhow, she starts to say something but stops seeing that I'm all frozen in place or whatever. So she's like 'What's up with you?' and I tried to answer her, but I'm just rambling like a moron. As you can imagine she's getting pretty fed up and is all like 'Just spit it out'. And that's when I so stupidly said…"
Just before Cyborg could finish his story the doors to the common room slid open, revealing a very disgruntled Raven. Cyborg stopped dead in his tracks. Slowly, he turned his neck so he could look over his back. He looked at Raven, Raven looked at him, and she looked at him in a way that could make a man crumple. It stayed that way for a while. Beast Boy watched on to see what would befall his metal friend. Cyborg suddenly shot up from his seat.
"I'll be in the garage if anyone needs me." Cyborg said loudly and not looking at anyone. He walked around the couch, and with much effort, past Raven who acted as if he wasn't even there. The moment he reached the door, he bolted top speed out of there.
"What was that about?" Robin asked Starfire. She simply shrugged; it was something she recently picked up.
(o.o) (n.n) (X.x)
Disappointed by not being able to hear the reason for Cyborg's pummeling, Beast Boy turned his attention back over to the television.
Flip.
Flip.
Flip.
Nothing on.
Flip.
Flip.
Flop.
Beast Boy looked over to his left, to see who had flopped onto the couch. It was Raven. She sipped her cup of green tea and opened her book to the page she left it on. Seeing that it was Raven who had joined him on the couch, he returned his attention to the tube.
Flip.
Maybe I should just ask her. Nah, she'd never tell me.
Flip.
Sniff.
What? What's that smell?
Sniff. Sniff.
It's coming off of Raven.
Nervousness…hesitation…and…determination? She's conflicted over something. Maybe I should- no. She wouldn't tell me, no way. But I wonder what she's so tense about.
Just then images of their discussion last night came flooding back to him.
Could that be it? Did I really fluster her that much? I had meant to shock her, tried to have her begin to respect me, but if it's causing her this much distress… No, it had to be done, there was no mistake. I wonder what's going through her head.
Flip.
(o.o) (n.n) (X.x)
I should ask him now. He's right here, there's nothing stopping me.
Flip.
How should I approach this? How do I start? What if he doesn't want to tell me?
Flip.
Flip.
I can't do this now in front of everyone. But maybe they want to know too. Did he talk to them like he talked to me last night? Do they know?
Flip.
Why hasn't he said anything to me yet? Can he tell I'm not really reading? Why am I so nervous all of the sudden? I was just going to walk in here and ask him. Is it because I feel I don't know him anymore? That shouldn't matter. He's still Beast Boy, my teammate.
Flip.
I can't do this right now, not with the others around. I'll wait until later.
"Here Raven," Beast Boy said.
"Here wha-," Raven started, but stopped abruptly as she barely managed to catch the chucked remote. "What's this for?"
"It's a magical little device that allows you to switch channels from the comfort of your seat," he said with a grin.
"Let me rephrase, why are you giving me this?"
"So you can switch channels from the comfort of your seat of course."
"Uh-huh."
"I'm goin' out for a fly, thought you might want the remote."
"You know I don't watch television."
"Yea, well, a little change never hurt anybody."
Then he left.
Maybe, but it's killing me.
She briefly examined the remote, determining whether or not to use it.
Why not.
She raised the device towards the tube and flipped it randomly; it landed on the weather channel.
" Today: Hi's in the mid- 70's Lows in the low 50's, partly cloudy with winds facing the North at 5 to 10 miles an hour.
Tonight: Cloudy with 85 chance of sever thunderstorms, could carry in to the next-,"
Click.
That's all the change for one day I think.
As she returned to reading her book, her thoughts again fell on her predicament with Beast Boy.
He doesn't seem to be bothered in the least. Is that just a ruse too? I wonder when he'll be back. I'll talk to him then.
(o.o) (n.n) (X.x)
She didn't talk to him when he came back. She didn't talk to him an hour later. She didn't talk to him after lunch or before the team went through their daily training regimen. She didn't talk to him after his midday snack or after the team had watched a movie. She didn't talk to him before dinner; she didn't talk to him after dinner. She didn't even talk to him before he went to bed. It was 12:45am and she still hadn't talked to him.
Well that was a rousing success. I had ample opportunity and I still didn't talk to him. What's with me? I never had a problem about approaching him before. I never had a problem about approaching anyone. Why now?
Raven lay there in her bed, again enduring what she thought would be another restless night, all on the account of him. Well, Beast Boy, and the ferocious thunderstorm roaring outside didn't serve any assistance.
Maybe something to eat will help me sleep.
With that thought, she pulled her covers off over herself, wrapped her robe around herself, and made her way to the kitchen. But, as she got closer and closer, she heard something queer.
What…is that?
As she cautiously inched further down the hallway, she found the closer she got to the common room, the louder it got, but, even weirder than that, she found the sound to be…melodic.
Is someone…singing?
Intrigued by who could be singing, and no longer concerned that it could be an intruder (who would be dumb enough to infiltrate Titans Tower just to sing), she walked more briskly to the source.
Finally she reached the door, and put her ear to it to hear better.
Doesn't sound like English. I don't know what language that is. And…I think there's more than one person in there. I got to see who it is.
Not wanting to interrupt the singing, she phased through the wall and into the kitchen. She silently thanked it was dark and crouched behind the island. She slowly looked around the corner and, upon seeing the culprit; her eyes almost fell out of her face.
(o.o) (n.n) (X.x)
"No…I'm sorry…arm…I…didn't mean…I'm sorry…so sorry…AH!"
Beast Boy sprung into an upright position, coated in cold sweat, panting heavily.
"Same dream," he said in a whisper to himself. "Ugh, throats dry… need a glass of water."
He hopped out of bed and out of the door navigating through the dark hallways with ease, using his nocturnal vision, and made his way to the common room.
Half way there, he heard a whimpering sound.
Who was th- KADOOM!
Beast Boy fell on his butt upon hearing the thunder.
Geez! I didn't even know it was storming. There's that whimpering again. Sound like its coming from the common room.
He rose up, dusting off his bottom, and continued his trek.
Who could be in there? BADOOM! Hmm, sounds like the whimpering gets louder every time it thunders.
Finally reaching the door, he stealthily made his way through so as not to disturb the person inside. He looked left, and he looked right.
There he is.
Right near the window, on the sill, laid a huddled mass. He slowly and quietly walked closer so he could identify the mass. As he got closer, he could more clearly hear the voice.
Sounds like…
He finally got close enough to see that the huddled mass had copper hair.
"Starfire?" he audibly asked.
"Eep!" Starfire shrieked, abruptly raising her head causing her to lose her balance on the sill and landing on the floor.
"F-Friend Beast B-Boy! I hadn't heard you come in!"
"What are you doing out here?" Beast then covertly sniffed hard into the air.
Fear? She's afraid? Of what? The storm?
"I w-was simply just….retrieving…," KRAKPHOOM! , " eep!" she yelped.
Beast Boy took a seat next to her quaking form, shoulder to shoulder, on the floor and rested his back against the wall under the window.
"You're afraid? Of the storm I mean…are you scared?"
Starfire then looked at him in mock offense, which wasn't too convincing considering her inability to stop shaking.
"O-Of course not! I am a T-Tameranian War princess! I do not fret because of a-," FOOSHKADOOM!
Unable to control herself, she latched onto Beast Boy at the waist, seeking comfort from the nightmare outside. Startled at first, Beast Boy didn't know what to do, so he chose to do something he always does when he doesn't know what to do. Make it into a joke. But, just as he was about to try to lighten the situation, Starfire cut him off.
"I-I…must apologize for my behavior friend," she spoke softly into his chest, not wanting to face the world outside, "I can't seem to stop myself," she finished with a sob.
Once again at a loss for words, he tried desperately to think of something to say that could comfort his friend. But, again, Starfire beat him to the punch.
"Please…don't tell Robin…I…I don't…please…don't tell Robin…" She quietly pleaded as she seemed to cling tighter onto him. And she began to cry, she began to cry at her weakness. Feeling hot tears beginning to soak through his shirt and onto his chest, Beast Boy now knew what to do. He finally put his arm around Starfire's shoulders, and he began to sing.
"Ngijabula kakhulu ukukubona/ Yize mina/ nawe singakhulumi/ ulimi olulodwa angingabazi/ ukuthi…" It was a slow paced song, like a lullaby. Starfire's shoulders started to lose their tense. Seeing that it had an effect on her he began to sing with more compassion.
"Ungathanda yini ukuphila ngesikhathi okuyobe/ kungasekho ngaso/ inzondo ubunzima/ ukugula ngisho nokufa/ khona…" Her cling on Beast Boy began to loosen and she looked up at him in teary eyed contact. Now seeing her looking at him, he looked back now singing directly to her instead of into the air. She was fascinated.
"Wucabange nje ukuthi ukuphila/ kuyoba mnandi kanjani lapho…"
He has such love and compassion…what a truly great friend…
"Friend wha-," But before she could ask, Beast Boy shushed her, gently telling her to let him finish. She complied; she really didn't want it to end. Just as he was about to begin again, his nose picked up a foreign smell.
Smells like…incense? Raven. She is listening somewhere. Good.
He began again.
"Lawo mazwi egcwaliseka/ Kodwa-ke ungaqiniseka kanjani/ ukuthi wean/ Elithenjisiwe." He had finished his lullaby. Starfire had finished quaking, and didn't even notice the storm that was still waging outside.
"Friend, that was most beautiful, what was it?" Starfire whispered fascinated, still holding onto his waist and looking into his comforting eyes.
"It's a song my mother use to sing to me when I was little, I hated thunderstorms too." He said with a smile.
Starfire broke eye contact with him, resting the side of her face onto his chest, looking at the floor.
"I-It…was…It was thunder storming…when…my sister sold me as a slave. It... was thunder storming…" She shakily stated, barely able to get it out.
"What's your favorite animal?" Beast Boy asked.
Starfire once again looked into his eyes. "What? I do not understand."
"What's your favorite animal, on earth?" He patiently stated again with as much passion as before.
"The koala, I am very found of it." She said still uncertain of the reason for the question.
Receiving an answer, Beast Boy stood up, holding onto her arms so she would follow, and made his way to the couch. As he made his way, he secretly sniffed into the air.
Hmm, I don't smell her now, she must have left.
Reaching the couch, he sat Starfire down.
"Friend, what is the purpose of this?" She asked confusedly, but still trustingly.
"You need some rest." And with that he morphed himself into the cuddliest koala bear he could manage, and hopped into Starfire's arms.
Understanding immediately, Starfire snuggled her green bear friend into her arms, rested on her side, brought her legs up closer to her chest, and began to fall fast asleep. But, before she drifted completely away, she leaned her head down towards the koala's ear and whispered, "Thank you Beast Boy."Not 5 minutes after that, she was completely asleep.
Seeing that her breathing had leveled into a constant rhythm, he was confident she was fully asleep. He then morphed into a fly, flew from between her arms, and went back to human over the back of the couch. He then went out the door and into the hallway closet to pick up a blanket. Finding one, a pink one at that, he made his way back to the common room and over to where she lay. He, very gently, laid the blanket over Starfire's sleeping form and very quietly said, "You're welcome."
Completing his task, he went back through the doors and journeyed back to his room. Now feeling his tired take over him, he slipped into bed and flopped his head into his pillow. Finding sleep was coming fast to him; one final thought left his conscious mind:
Maybe I can't stop my own nightmares, but I'm glad I can help my friend's with theirs. I'm okay with that.
And he fell asleep.
BOOYAH!