Disclaimer: I have no ownership of Teen Titans
Chapter 13
He dipped his hands into the cool water of the well and splashed his face. He then proceeded to wash off most of his body of the dirt and sweat that had been collecting for the past week. He didn't want the others to think he'd forgotten how to keep himself well groomed. What he'd give for a bar of soap. He soaked his long, green hair and shook it dry, allowing the strands to lie in strings about his head. He grabbed a bit of string and tied it back, to keep it somewhat out of his face. He usually didn't do this, but today was a special day. His hair wasn't long enough to keep entirely in a ponytail, so much of the front layer hung loose, framing his face.
Aiyana exited her hut and stretched in the warm morning air. She washed her face from her own nearby well and felt quite refreshed. She'd grown into a lovely young woman; actually the most beautiful in the tribe. Her dark skin was flawless and her eyes were bright and kind. She had a body that was considered ideal by the tribe; perfect for bearing healthy children. Every young man wanted her to be their wife, but she refused them all. She'd already chosen someone to give her heart to.
She took a look around and saw a few people were up and starting their day. Among them was Beast Boy, who was currently sweeping out and around his hut with a makeshift broom. She smiled and headed right over to him.
"Good morning, Garfield," she said, still smiling.
"Oh, morning, Aiyana," he said, smiling in return.
"Are you cleaning?" she asked, astonished. "I've never seen you clean up your hut."
"Well, I've got guests coming," he chuckled.
"Guests?" she said. "What guests?"
"My friends," he said, smiling even wider. "They're all coming to visit me for a while. We haven't seen each other in two years! Can you believe that?"
"Oh, well, that sounds great," she said pleasantly. "I can't wait to meet them."
"I'm hoping they'll stay until I finish my last trial and am officially titled as a man," said Beast Boy. "I really want them to be apart of that."
"Has King Tawaba told you what your last trial is?" she asked curiously.
"No, not yet," he said. "I showed him the garden and stuff yesterday and he said I passed, but wasn't gonna tell me what the final trial was for a few days. I don't know why he wants to make me wait even longer. I've been doing these trials for two years! I just want them to be over with. You're lucky your trials didn't take as long. I can't believe you were recognized as a woman before I'm a man!"
"Well, men and women are different, Garfield," Aiyana laughed. "And you know we depend on men in this tribe. That's why your trials are so much harder and take longer. Does King Tawaba know your friends are coming?"
"Yeah, I told him yesterday," said Beast Boy. "I hope that's not the reason his not telling me my final trial. I'll have to have a talk with him later. But, right now, I gotta keep getting ready. You have no idea how critical my friends can get."
"Do any of them speak Swahili?" she asked.
"No," said Beast Boy. "But I'll translate everything. That'll definitely impress them. They didn't even know I spoke the language. I don't even know if Raven told them that I do. Anyway, I know they'll get a kick out of it."
"So, she's coming too, huh?" said Aiyana, her mood changing.
"Who? Raven?" said Beast Boy. "Of course she's coming. She's one of my closest friends."
"Just tell her not to do too much dark magic around here," Aiyana warned. "You don't want her to be treated like Karasi. We don't trust people like that around here."
"Aiyana, of all the people in my life, I think I trust Raven the most," said Beast Boy. "And she only uses her special abilities when it's necessary. I thought you wanted to see her powers?"
"That's when I was a child," said Aiyana. "I'm an adult now. Her little tricks won't impress me."
"Okay," said Beast Boy, feeling confused by yet another mood change from Aiyana. "Well, I've got a lot to do before they get here. I'll introduce you guys when they get here."
"Alright, I'll see you later then," said Aiyana, who'd learned when to take a hint and leave. After King Tawaba had taken her aside and told her she'd been harassing him she'd made sure she didn't overstay her welcome. She'd do anything to make him comfortable with her.
As she turned to walk away a low rumbling sort of sound could be heard from the sky. Everyone looked up, trying to see where it was coming from. Beast Boy felt his heart jump with excitement; he knew what the sound was. Sure enough, the T-ship flew overhead, right over the village.
"They're here!" he said excitedly. The T-ship began to descend and, to his horror, went down right in the jungle! "Oh no!" He quickly took off after them.
He ran as fast as he could across the small grassland and then right into the thick jungle. He could smell the smoke from the T-ship and followed it wherever it was the strongest. He hoped they were okay.
After running for nearly three miles he could see the ship, partially on its side against the many trees and vines, in the distance. He heard voices and felt immediately relieved.
"Cyborg, that was the worst landing ever!" Robin yelled.
"Hey, it's not my fault!" Cyborg yelled back. "The wiring fried. I knew those damn cables wouldn't hold up for another long distance trip."
"Then should've replaced them before we left," said Robin.
"It would've taken three weeks to get them," said Cyborg. "I didn't wanna wait that long to see BB, did you?"
"No, but if it were choice of getting their in three weeks safely or getting there in one day with the chance of crashing and dying, I would've waited!" said Robin.
"Calm down, you two," said a voice he didn't recognize very well. "We're all okay, I think, so let's just be glad we made it."
Beast Boy made it through the last of the trees and finally came upon the site. Cyborg and Robin were out of the ship and seemed to be pacing around. A girl he somewhat recognized sat nearby. Suddenly one of the compartments opened and Starfire tumbled out.
"Oh, I am so dizzy," she said, holding her head. "Are we there?"
"Yeah, more or less," said Cyborg.
"Then where is friend Beast Boy and his village?" asked Starfire, looking around in a dazed way.
"I'm right here!" Beast Boy said, announcing his presence.
The four jumped in a startled fashion and turned towards the somewhat familiar voice that had gotten a bit deeper. Their eyes went wide upon seeing him and their jaws nearly dropped. Beast Boy found all of this quite funny and started laughing.
"Sheesh, you guys okay?" he laughed.
"Beast Boy, is that really you?" asked Robin.
"Well, yeah!" he said. "How many green dudes do you know?"
"But you're… you're… taller," said Cyborg. "And you don't look like a scrawny little kid anymore!"
"Hey!" said Beast Boy. "I was never scrawny!"
"Oh, come on, you were the scrawniest string bean I'd ever met!" laughed Cyborg.
"Well, I'm not anymore," said Beast Boy, standing proudly.
"No, you're certainly not," said Sarah, amused.
"Oh, Beast Boy, I have missed you so much!" said Starfire, flying right over to him and wrapping her arms around him. She still looked like the same Starfire he'd always known, only a little bit taller and with a mature look. She was in a pair of khaki shorts, that were so short he couldn't believe Robin hadn't made her change, and a tight fitting purple tank top. She certainly was dressed right.
"I've missed you too, Star," said Beast Boy, hugging her back.
As soon as she released him he was scooped up by Cyborg who hugged him as well. "Nice to see you again, man!" he said. He hadn't changed one bit and Beast Boy was glad for that.
"You too, you big trash can," laughed Beast Boy and pulled himself away from the metallic man's grasp.
"It's nice to see you again, Beast Boy," said Sarah, giving him a friendly hug as well.
"Nice to see you too, Sarah," he said.
"How've you been, Beast Boy?" asked Robin, shaking his hand. He'd grown far taller and was definitely looking like a man. Even he was out of his uniform, other than his mask, and wore shorts and a short sleeves shirt.
"Pretty good, Robin," said Beast Boy with a smile. "Coming here might've been the best thing I've ever done. So, uh, where's Raven?"
"Raven?" all three said and turned towards Ravens side of the ship.
Suddenly the roof of her compartment was coated with dark energy and burst right off, landing somewhere in the jungle. She pulled herself up and rested on the side of her sideways compartment, holding her throbbing head.
"I think I have a concussion," she groaned. "Thank you guys so much for helping me."
"Oh, Raven, we did not know you were hurt," said Starfire, flying over to her friend and helping her crawl out of the ship and onto the level ground. "Will you be alright?"
"Eventually," she said, healing a bump on her head. "Now, what's going-"
She felt the remaining words in her question fade away from her mind as soon as she saw him. There he stood, not ten feet away from her. His green skin darker than it had been when she'd first dropped him off here and his green hair lighter from the constant exposure to the intense sun. He was taller and even his face had changed to look more grown up. Had Robin not sent him a shaving kit for one of his birthdays he certainly would've had whiskers all about his chin and upper lip. His chest was exposed, perfectly sculpted from working hard. She knew him and yet she felt as if she'd never seen him before. This couldn't possibly be the same Beast Boy she'd been exchanging letters with for two years.
As soon as he saw her climb out of the ship he'd felt his breath taken away. And now that she stood before him he wasn't sure what to think. She hadn't grown all that much, about the same amount Starfire had grown, but she did look like an adult. She wore white shorts and a low cut blue short sleeved shirt over her beautifully shaped body. Her violet hair that had been so short and oddly cut for years was now long enough to cover two thirds of her back. He really wasn't sure if this was the Raven he'd known. He hadn't remembered her being quite this beautiful.
"Well, are you guys gonna say hi to each other or what?" said Cyborg, sick of the odd silence that had fallen on them.
"Oh, uh, right," said Beast Boy, stepping forward. "It's nice to see you again, Raven." He raised his arms to hug her, but he felt very awkward about it and wasn't sure what to do. Oddly, Raven had the same awkward look. Finally, after what seemed like forever between the two, she grabbed his hand and shook it. With this the awkwardness left and both felt relieved.
"It's nice to see you too, Beast Boy," she said, though she didn't really like calling him that. He just… he didn't seem like Beast Boy.
"So, uh, you guys wanna go see the village?" Beast Boy asked.
"Oh, yes, please!" said Starfire, excited. "I can not wait to see the village and your friends."
"Then follow me," said Beast Boy. "It's kind of a long walk, though. You crashed the T-ship nice and deep in the jungle, Cyborg."
"It wasn't my fault!" said Cyborg.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Beast Boy, laughed. "Just come on."