This Year's Love
Chapter 5: Calm For A While
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Special thanks to…..
Tim Gillock- I appreciate the help with Raven's emotions. Thanks big time!
WindLane- Thank you also for the email as well, it helped big time!
CalliopeMused- Also thank you! The emotion list along with the others helped me out a whoooole lot. And thanks for the review.
affgan55 lol don't worry about speeling. See I cant do it myself, lol. Thnx for the review
MagzDD As always thanks for the review!
Well, that's it, hopefully the fact that this chapter is over 3 times larger than the last will get me some more reviews! Reviews make me feel loved
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Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or have any affiliation with DC comics and their respective characters, stories, etc. I also have no cash at the moment so don't sue! I'm saving up for a mini fridge…haha when I get it…it is going to be soooo sweet. So…yea, don't take my non existent money! Please?
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So here we are, Chapter 5 of This Year's Love. I hope you guys like it, its much longer than the last. I'm sorry if there isn't any action, but I promise that chapter 6 kicks off with…well…I cant say, or it will ruin the whole chapter, but it finally gets the story moving and demons into play. As for this chapter, consider it yet another transition with a lil fluffiness and background story. The Beginning Calm before the storm, if you will….Now without further rambling, here it is, chapter 5!
Fernnu
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Calm For A While
Mouth wide open and slack jawed, Beastboy stood amazed as Timid, the least expected emotion in Raven's emotional arsenal, began to laugh.
At one of his jokes, not at him, but because of him?
Joining in with her slightly fearful laugh, both voices melded harmoniously with each other. The laughter banished the dread of the current situation away and bathed them in a one, single, perfect moment. Alas, though, as is will all good things, their moment ended.
Still crouched in a namesake position, the sudden outburst of laughter could not shield Timid's ribs the pain of such an excursion. The pain shot through her, and Timid blacked out….again.
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For the second time, Timid awoke groggy and in pain. Each breath was ragged and rasped. Each intake of air brought pain to her bruised chest and sides. The whole front of her body screamed in agony. Her back, though, where the Demonic hell hounds had brutally slashed her felt…warm? Eyes sill clenched, her mind couldn't understand how it could be so. Remembering what had happened, the events flooding back into her, she knew that her back had been torn and in pain when she had first awoken. Then….she was startled by Beastboy, laughed, apparently blacked out and now…no pain. Just….warmth. Thinking back as she just reveled in at least one spot on her battered body, not in pain, she realized that her back wasn't the only thing healed. In fact, thinking back to when she had first awoke to Beastboy's touch on her stomach, the gashes felt less raw, and less harsh.
Healed.
Unable to feign sleep any longer, she cautiously fluttered her wide violet eyes open. Staring down at her, instead of the red and yellow streaked night sky she expected, two emerald orbs filled with concern met her gaze. Framed by a soft green complexion and a mess of spiked hair, she once again awoke to the sight of the green changeling.
"Hey there, how are you feeling?"
The sincere question caught her off guard, her timid nature kicking in, she just whimpered slightly. Craning her neck a little, she just then noticed that she was some four feet above the ground. Finally dawning on her she realized her position. Beastboy had most likely been there to pick her up and catch her when she had fallen. She was cradled in his arms.
And the warm feeling spreading and covering her back was…his…hands.
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He had been thinking of her, he couldn't help it. After Timid had collapsed, he was there in a flash. Gently placing his arms around her, he held her against him, kneeling close to her, reveling in her presence and worry for her. His mind drifting, he couldn't help but smile as his thoughts turned to the real Raven, the one whose mind he was in right now. The one who was fighting for her life back at the Med. Lab of the Titan's tower. The one who he….
The one he loved.
Thinking of his love for her, the pure, wonderful sensation brought a warm feeling, hot and white within him. In the core of his whole being, his chest, growing ever stronger, he cradled it, caressed it and let it flow over him. Deciding it was best to move her away from where they were; he carefully picked her up. Looking into the battered and bruised face of his beloved's emotion, the white haze fogging his vision slightly, he gently kissed a spot on her forehead, devoid of painful marks.
It was then, that she had awoken
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All Timid could think of was….well at the moment she couldn't really think. The warmth on her back, and the pain everywhere else flooded through her. The realization of Beastboy's arms around her only added to the surge of emotions and feelings rushing through her. The only thought that kept echoing in her mind was a simple, fearful one.
What was she doing in his arms?
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Startled by her sudden awakening, his thoughts of love shattered, Beastboy grew concerned by her moan and whimper. Fearing she would black out once again, he asked her again, having gotten no response to his first probe.
"Hey? You ok?" Concern spilled and dripped over every word.
Finally grabbing her attention, he searched hey eyes. Fear, of course was present, but also, he could detect….a sense…of…curiosity? Surprise? He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but an expression close to shock played across her face. At last, his breath held, he got his answer in the form of a slight, barely visible, timid smile.
"Better."
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After having settled her down, and a half hour of coaxing her behavior so as to trust him enough, Beastboy achieved in getting her to sit and feel mostly comfortable with him. Resting upon one of the many boulders randomly placed at the clearing of the dead forest, they sat close to each other as BB used some dried logs from the forest and his survival, outdoors skills to get a fire going. How such a feat was possible in the mind of a person, much less a demon/human hybrid, he did not know and was afraid to question lest it douse the fire and warmth giving flames. Unfortunately food was not present in Raven's mind, so the green changeling would have to go hungry. Emotions, it seemed, had little use for food and did not need to eat. Settled and comfortable by the flickering flames, Beastboy finally asked Timid the obvious question on his mind.
"So Timid," grabbing her attention, she looked up. "What exactly happened? What were those things that attacked you and what's happening to all the other emotions and Raven?"
Sighing, the grey emotion sat in silence as the fire crackled and hissed. Finally, she began.
"I—I don't know. It's…complicated."
Grabbing one of her hands in his own, Beastboy squeezed tightly, encouragingly. "Try…please?"
Earning a barely visible, fearful smile, she began again.
"Well, It—it all started with the nightmares. Being Emotions we don't really make up her conscious or sub-conscious mind, instead we're kind of a part of both. We know everything she sees and we are everything she feels. For the past week, we've been having…re-re-recurring nightmares." Without having to be asked, she continued on.
"Tr-Tr-Tri-Trigon. He comes for us. For Raven. We, we are use-usele—we cant stop him. He…he…attacks us. He…he…hurts us!"
Bursting out into tears, she flung herself into his shoulder. Engulfing her in his arms, he rocked her gently as he whispered small, encouraging words of affection. Once again the white hot feeling engulfed him and blurred his vision in bright white. Placing his hands on her sides, he gently caressed the wounds he knew must be in pain from her uncontrolled sobs. Suddenly, she stopped her tears and cries. Bolting upright from his arms, she stood in a mixture of shock, fear and confusion.
Confused at her outburst, Beastby stood as well. Glancing around, looking for danger and sensing none, his gaze fell once again to Timid.
"What's wrong?"
Placing her hands hesitantly to her sides, where his own had been only moments ago, she gasped in surprise. Taking this as a sign of pain, the green changeling made his was to her, trying to steady her.
"The pain…." She began. "…it's gone!"
"What?"
"The pain, It's gone, just like the last time!" Seeing he was still confused, she clarified. "The pain. I just realized. I had gashes on my stomach, when I blacked out the first time, then I woke up to you laying on me and there was no pain; just a…white feeling. Then the same thing happened when I fell the second time. My back was h-hurt, I re-remember how r-r-raw my skin was, but when I woke up in you're a-arms, it was all gone! — "
"But timid, I still don't—"
"And just now!" she continued, losing her timid nature for a brief moment, her voice rising above a slight whisper, "You held me and-and-and when you touched my sides they got warm…and now they don't hurt anymore!"
Finishing with a satisfied smile, she uncharacteristically wrapped him in her arms and kissed his cheek; lost in the euphoria of having some of the gnawing pain relieved.
"You're my healer."
Suddenly realizing what she had done; mortified beyond the point of blushing, she looked up in horror as a blank faced changeling stood still, rolling the information over in his mind. 'It couldn't be…' He thought, 'how could I do that?'
Skeptical at first, slowly, Timid's revelation began to make sense. Every time she had said she felt the 'white' or 'warmth' he had too; the white feeling to his core. And Cyborg had said that he seemed to be the only one who could affect and help Raven recover. Maybe this was how he could do it…
Snapping back to the present, and quickly assuring the cowering emotion that she shouldn't be afraid, she'd done nothing wrong (never being able to admit that he had enjoyed the kiss) he responded.
"You know, I think you could actually be right. I felt the same thing too. Here, if it's true, let me heal you all the way, and then you can finish explaining what's happened."
Nodding, Timid sat down on the rocky terrain, shyly stretching her legs so he could heal the large bruises and cuts along them. Placing his hands delicately over her wounds, he desperately tried to recapture the glowing power; willing it to come back. Gliding his hands over her legs, he sighed as she flinched, and the power…the healing glow…failed to come. Stopping, he sighed again, heavily. "I'm Sorry. I just can't get it to work now…"
Reversing rolls for a moment, the grey-clad emotion grabbed the gloomed titan's hand into her own. Shyly, she looked into his eyes.
"It's not your fault. I'm grateful for what you've already done…" For the slightest moment, Beastboy felt a small spark of the white power rekindle. But, as soon as he tried to snatch a hold of it; the light snuffed out. Turning his attention and grateful eyes towards her, he changed topics.
"So, he hurt you? In the nightmares?" He hated to change the subject like that on her, but the questions were still pounding in his mind. At the sudden mention of the dreams she quickly dropped his hand and looked away.
"Yes. He…he...he…tells us that when the right time comes, when h-he calls for us, Raven must do as he says….and…and….and…and…" Urging her on, she finished in a barely audible, haunted whisper.
"…and kill you all. Everyone." Sniffling, but holding back tears, she met his eyes.
"He sends us the visions of us k-k-killing you all. All the Titans. He…I…We….enjoy it"
Had it not been for his genetically altered DNA giving him keen animal hearing, her last statement would have gone unheard. Whether fortunate of not, Beastboy heard every word. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, he broke the unease with another sure-to-be-emotional question.
"And what about those…things...that attacked you? I had to fight six of them off from finishing you off and they were tough to beat."
She smiled bitterly, her eyes staring off into space as she explained. "Then you are lucky. They're called De-demon hounds. My Father sends them out, they are his minions. It's part of his whole 't-two p-pronged a-attack."
Meeting the changeling's once again confused face, she clarified.
"He sends the visions and the nightmares to us at night, when we're the most vulnerable; that's Raven's unconscious mind being plagued, in a way. We emotions also get attacked, being the source of Raven's power and therefore resistance to Tr-Tri-Trigon's influence. He sends his demon hounds through a portal through Rage to finish us off and capture us."
"But…why?"
"Simple. Once he k-k-kills us all at once, Raven will be devoid of all emotions, being weak enough to be taken over."
"But why all at once? And I thought he wants her because she is powerful. Without emotions, that give her power, won't she be…normal?"
Timid smiled bitterly for the second time ever. "Raven will never be normal she is….a bastard daughter, sired from a demon and foolish woman. But, no, she won't be normal without us emotions, just weak. Tr-Tri-Trigon isn't after Raven because he fears her power, he just needs her to open the portal. Once he uses her as a gateway to earth, his powers in our dimension will rival Raven's ten-fold. He has nothing to fear from a Raven full of hectic emotions .Once we are gone, he will possess this body and fill it with only one emotion."
"Rage" he finished for her.
"Yes Rage." Sighing she continued. "As much as we all hate to admit it, Rage is the most powerful single emotion. With Tr-Tri-Trigon's influence over a rage without boundaries, in Raven's body, he will be unstoppable. He'll use Rage to take over her consciousness and use Rage to control Raven and force her to open the gateway to Earth. Once he's through the portal, nothing will be able to stop him. Even if Raven was at full power, completely combined…she….we alone can't stop him once he's through."
Sitting back, stunned at the bleakness of the situation, Beastboy's mind assimilated with all the disturbing news.
"And so where are all the emotions now?"
This time, her tears shining down her cheeks, she sobbed. "The hounds. They came in suddenly and began to attack us unprepared. Raven was kept busy with nightmares. Thousands of them attacked the more powerful emotions. Knowledge, Wisdom, and Bravery first. Rage was already taken. Then they went after the weaker ones, Happy, Rude, Affection…."
Her sobs grew.
"All they left was m-m-me. I wasn't, wasn't im-im-important enough to be taken right away!" Breaking out into ragged cries, Beastboy held Timid close, wishing again for the glow to take away the pain that must have been shooting through her, as her whole body convulsed in sobs.
Sadly, it did not.
Rocking her continuously, gently, he waited patiently until she was ready to continue. "I've s-s-seen it, you know. Where they took all the other emotions; before they finally came for me. In Rage's domain. All of them chained to the mountain face, all 7 of them. Each are surrounded by Hell hounds and demonic warriors; minions of Tr-Tri-Trigon. They have a spot….chains ready….for….me" she finished meekly.
"And no one escaped? No one left?"
Sniffling, she shook her head. "That's what I was doing. I knew they left me for last, I kn-kn-knew I had to find a way to help. So, I made my way to knowledge's lair. If any one would know what to do, she can…or could. But….They attacked me…the hounds…." Her tone became hollow once again as she continued. "They didn't even view me as a threat! Br-B-Brave fought off like fifty before she was captured! But, but, but…"
Breaking into tears again, Timid drowned back into her namesake emotional state as she finished.
"…I wasn't a t-threat! I'm useless, I'm not important at all!" her cries grew and her breath was ragged.
Gripping her shoulders, Beastboy turned her, making her have to look into his eyes. "Listen to me. You. Are. Important. If not to anyone else, than to me. I don't know how I got sucked into Raven's mirror. One minute I'm sitting in the MED LAB, and the next moment I have this uncontrollable urge to go to the mirror, and then I was here. The evidence is pointing to something to do with you. So, we use your idea, because it's logical and a good one; we know what we have to do. We have to get to knowledge's library."
Through the blurred tears, Timid smiled slightly as he encouraged her and launched herself into a light hug with him. After a few moments spent in comfort with the Green Changeling's arms around her, she, spontaneously and uncharacteristically, kissed him on the nose. Leaning back a little, she laughed.
Musing, Timid spoke. "You know, you aren't acting very much like the normal Beastboy I know."
Blushing slightly, he once again retorted before thinking. "Neither are you. I thought you were supposed to be Timid."
Winking at her, she, mortified, sprung back, out of his arms, blushing madly. Neither meeting each other's eyes for a moment, they finally looked up at the same time and laughed embarrassedly.
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"Well…"
Beastboy finally began, breaking the silence that soon followed the short-lived mirth,
"Can you teleport directly to her lair?"
Seeing the shake of her head in negation he sighed. "Well, how are you feeling? How are your wounds?"
"Better, thanks to you. I-I-I think that we should g-g-get g-going."
Standing up, brushing himself off and noting the return of her normal behavior, he held out a hand to help her.
"You're probably right. We can't lose a moment; Trigon will send more hounds after you soon."
Taking his hand and pulling herself up, she had an odd look splayed across her face. Determination, fear and…something else…it stood out. Once again, Beastboy could not place the identity of an expression she showed. It was something like….gratitude? Relief? Maybe? As quick as it had appeared, the unknown expression disappeared behind a mask of foreboding.
"Or worse."
He met her eyes, confused. "What?"
"Tr-Tri-Trigon. He will send more H-Hounds…or worse." The look in her eyes, the fear so evident, so…real, as if, the possibility of saying any more on the minions of Trigon would cause them to appear right away was….frightening. He hesitated, holding on to her hand, squeezing it as they stood; Timid with haunting images playing over her eyes only she could see, and he, desperately trying to shake her from her memories.
"Right…" finally grabbing her attention, Timid's eyes focused on the determined Changeling.
"... Lets go."
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This next part was added as a transition for chapter 6, which is soon to come! Also there is a little….prophetic hint at the end….Enjoy!
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As they turned East towards Knowledge's lair, it would not take long for the evils of Trigon, Father of Raven and prophesized potential destroyer of Earth, to confirm Timid's accurate prediction.
The second wave of Demons were soon to arrive.
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Hell will reign down upon them…
And only the CoR will have the chance to help the Gem…
Help the Gem save the world…
…Or destroy it…
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That's the end of my chapter 5! At least 10 review before I continue PLEASE!
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A/N
Ok so….here it was, not much to say I just wanted to thank you guys for everything!
Please R&R and I promise that you shall soon have more chapters! That's it…hope you enjoyed it.
As always
Fernnu