Author's Note:

okay...i really didn't like how it ended last time. like i said, that's not how i envisioned it. this is, however, and i think it is much better. i want to thank The Obsessive Pirate for thier honest opinion. You have been a loyal reviewer and had no problem telling me that i sucked. i thank you because i did suck in that last chapter, and i appreciate you telling me because it helps my writing. i like when my readers push me, and you were doing just that. again, thanks. and UPDATE your story! lol. i really want to see what happens next!

until next time...

Ruby

keep on rockin', lovelies!

Chapter Twenty Two: The End

Raven had set up candles and other magic items in a circle around her room. "Okay. I can do the rest by myself. Go find Robin and tell him I'm ready." Raven instructed, crossing her legs and levitating in the circle.

"I shall return with Robin's word." Starfire nodded, heading out of the tower again.

Raven turned to face the wall, which had a lightning bolt painted on it, and began chanting. The room turned white and Raven was engulfed in a pink light. This was a sign it was working.

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Blaze didn't know where she was going until she saw it. Titan Tower. "X!" She screamed over the engine of his motorcycle. "Where are we going?!"

"Don't worry, Princess." He snickered.

He hadn't called her "Princess" since the first day she had met him. Then it was a mocking remark. Now, there was a comfort in his voice. She didn't like it. X was letting his guard down and she didn't want that.

Now she understood the difference between Red X and Robin. She loved Robin. She lusted Red X. The bad guy versus the good guy. The good guy usually wins, and this time he was.

That didn't matter anymore. She couldn't have Robin. Not after what she had done, or what Robin thought she had done. He thought she stole his prize possession, the briefcase. In a way, she had.

She also hadn't opened it, thinking of this.

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Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy had found the pipe gym. Beast Boy, who was very reluctant to go down first, transformed himself into a mouse and scurried along as fast as his little feet would carry him. "There's nothing there. Just a cot, a few chairs, and a 50 watt lightbulb.

Robin scratched his head. This had to be where Red X had his "hideout", it had to be. What was he going to do now?

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A dizzy sensation overcame Blaze as they were speeding the last couple miles to Titans Tower. "X..." She sighed. Then she fainted, falling off the bike and skidding into the river. The water turned crimson around her, that told her she was now completely human. Not mortal, but human. Her skin was torn in many placed from hitting the road, but there was something under it. Muscle or something.

Blaze watched as her essence was lifted from her body. In a panic, Red X skidded to halt on his cycle and jumped off before coming anywhere near a stop. He rushed to her aid and picked her limp body out of the water.

What's happening!? Blaze panicked, floating higher and higher. Oh God, what's happening?! He needs to get me to the tower!!

She screamed over and over, but no one could hear her. As if he had, though, Red X disappeared into thin air and re-appeared again in front of the chanting Raven. "Place her in the circle!" Raven yelled, still directing the light show. "Do it! Now!" X did as he was told.

Blaze couldn't see anymore beyond the clouds. All of a sudden, pain stuck her essence like never before. It ripped at her fire and tore at her being. She was divided in two, a literal split personality.

A yellow orb floated next to her. Followed by a blue one. Don't fight it, baby sister. The yellow one spoke. Lightning's words were comforting, but could not dull the pain. Blaze stopped fighting, but felt the raging suffering all the more. The split was finished, and everything grew numb. Blaze looked at herself for a moment, stared at her own essence. Then, the identical pink orb started bouncing about erratically and disappeared underneath the puffs of moisture.

Well... you want your body back, don't you? Lighting's voice chimed.

Go after it! Thunder continued, laughing with a loud "boom".

Her essence dove underneath the clouds and saw that her dividend was heading towards her body. She raced after it, knowing that her essence had to be in the body before her powers could enter. She descended so fast that the pink orb of gas turned into a fiery ball.

Blaze was back in her body, and in extreme amounts of pain from her torn skin. Her powers made it second later, hitting her squarely in the chest and squeezing through her human molecules. She was an elemental again.

Blaze opened her eyes and tried to adjust to the feeling of being whole. Her taunt flesh stuck to her in a burning tinge, but she felt comfortable. "How long?" She shakily asked, sitting up and observing her surroundings.

"Life." Raven nodded, collapsing on the floor from all the pressure of holding Blaze's essence.

"A elemental's life?"

Raven nodded, pulling her arms under her head. Never had magic been so tiring for her. "I was afraid you weren't going to make it. I sent Starfire, but she wasn't fast enough."

"Thank goodness for X," Blaze turned, but no one else was in the room.

"He left after you came back."

"Good." Blaze sighed. She didn't know why Red X wanted to come to Titans Tower in the first place, but she was glad she didn't have to know. "He was taking me home..." She whispered, not knowing what she was saying.

"What?" Raven hoisted herself up to match Blaze's position.

"Nothing. Where's Robin?" Blaze felt the energy of twenty elements and leapt to her feet, ready to run to him.

"Looking for you."

"Raven! I couldn't find her!" Robin came running in the room, followed by the rest of the Titans.

Blaze ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and letting him hoist her up. "You have perfect timing!" Confused, he dropped her and held her at arm's length. "Robin, I'm sorry...I didn't...I don't..." Of all the things she wanted to say to him right now, she didn't know how to phrase them.

"Don't. I know you didn't steal the briefcase. There was nothing in it anyway." The side of Robin's face curved into a smile.

"There wasn't? But you got all mad and..."

"It was stolen once before. There was this big huge race over it and...I forgot I took all that stuff out of it."

"Then what was in it?" The rest of the Titans backed away, knowing well what was in the briefcase before.

"I should have told you..." Robin's smile slid off of his face. His hand moved from her shoulder to the side of his mask. "I should have shown you the real..."

Blaze jumped, "Wait! Don't touch the mask!" she screamed, batting his hand from his face. "I already know the real you, I don't need to see what you look like."

Robin was shocked. This time it was his turn not to know what to say. Instead, he leaned forward and let his lips brush the side of her cheek. He then threw an arm around her shoulder, pulling her weight into his, and led her out into the kitchen where Cyborg was ordering pizza. "Training tomorrow morning? Your skills must be a little rusty."

"Rusty! I could kick your ass all the way to Japan and back!" She laughed, pushing him away but quickly grabbing his hand. His fingers laced with hers as he walked over and turned on the stereo.

"Yeah? We'll see about that. Actually, I'd like to teach you a couple things. You know, in the fighting department."

Starfire stared at the two of them with intense, tearing eyes. Blaze, however, didn't care anymore. That's when it hit her. Blaze realized she wasn't the same naive fire elemental that she was about a little more than a year ago. She had evolved from all that. She learned not to rely on her powers so much, and learned how to fight. Her evolution was due to one man, and that wasn't the man she was hanging onto now. She may have loved Robin, but at the same time she couldn't let herself. Or she wouldn't. She wasn't sure of that anymore.

The frown was apparent on Blaze's face, no matter how hard she tried to fight it. She ate pizza, something that didn't taste the same, then went to bed at 6 PM.

Curled on her couch, blanket wrapped around her shoulders, Blaze starred out the window. A familiar black figure appeared on the rocks, like Blaze was hoping he would. She ran to her wardrobe, stuffed all the cloths she had into a bag, then pulled a note from her pocket.

Robin,

I love you.

Goodbye.

She didn't know what else to say, so she left it simple. He would know what she meant, and that's all that mattered. Adding one last glance at the room she had lived in for so long, Blaze switched off the lights and closed the door behind her.

The wind whipped at her neck as she felt the familiar sensation of speeding down the streets of Jump City. She rolled her head to bury her neck in the collar of her jacket. Blaze couldn't heat her head because she was too preoccupied with focusing her essence in her arms, which were tightly wrapped around Red X's waist.

She knew that this wouldn't last either, and one day she would leave X just like she left Robin. For right now, she wanted to learn all she could before toughing it out on her own.

End!