Artemis

by Artemis-Delilah-Avari

Artemis has been living in a self inflicted hell of vengeance and betrayal. After the Titans find her, Slade crosses an unheard of line . Can the Titans stop Artemis from making a choice that will ultimately kill her and all those around her? [COMPLETE]

11. Chapter 11: Forget Me Not

Artemis Chapter Thirteen: Forget Me Not

Disclaimer: Oh, silly little lawyers. I laugh at you. I own Teen Titans now, didn't you get the memo? After twelve chapters of this story, I suddenly own Teen Titans. Haha. You didn't honestly think that I'd be serious, did you? Psh. Oh, wait, I need to be serious? Fine (fun suckers). I DO NOT own Teen Titans!!!!!! The only things that I really own in this story are Artemis, and the poem that has a brief mention in this chapter(If anyone wants to hear it in its entirety, PM me).

Also, I have been editing some of the earlier chapters of 'Artemis', since I don't really think that they are that up to par with the rest of the story. There's not much really being changed; I'm adding in some more description. I also took out some filler in Chapter 4; checked spelling; stuff like that. The only "major" change plot-wise is that the Titans no longer know that Atalanta was murdered, and that Artemis was the one who killed her. I'm also playing around with Atalanta's chapter. She still dies, I'm just adding more description. It won't make much(if any) difference in the plot of this story, but it might come into play in the sequel. I figured I'd let you readers know ahead of time. The improved versions of the chapters aren't up yet(with the exception of chapter four), but I'll let you know when they're on the site. Please let me know whether or not if you like the revisions, and tell me if you still think something else should be fixed. Also, the "deleted scenes" is on an indefinite hiatus, because I lost my handwritten notes during the Great Purge( otherwise known as the cleaning of my room), and I hadn't transferred the notes to the computer yet. My apologies to all of you. The epilogue is still on track, though, so I'm thankful for that. I'm really sorry about the lack of updating. I hope that this chapter makes it up to you. Without further ado, this is the final chapter. Enjoy it, and prepare not to move for a while.

P.S:

This chapter is lovingly dedicated to my three biggest fans: Ivanna, Amanda, and Erica. Happy Birthday, Ivanna!

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"Excuse me?" Raven was extremely angry, though she didn't outwardly show it. After just an hour and a half of searching, and Robin was just giving up? "What do you mean by 'You think it's over'?" She swallowed. I didn't really think much about Artemis before. But now, I think I actually care.

Robin shrugged sadly. "I- I don't know what else to say, Raven. This situation has never really happened to me before. She was four feet away from a bomb that was supposed to destroy five miles of the city, and it blew up in one single, enclosed space. If she even survived the initial blast, which we still don't know that she did; there's still the aftershock. And the rubble. And the fact that if she didn't survive, her," he swallowed, "remains would have been incinerated. I know that I don't want to hear this as much as the rest of you. I just don't know what else there is to do. I think the only thing left to do is try to collect some evidence, and let the local authorities investigate. Maybe they'll find something." Robin looked around the area wistfully. He hated making these kinds of orders. I just do. I don't want to give up; I really don't. I just don't know what to do.

"You're Robin!" yelled Beast Boy. "When have you ever given up on something?!"

Robin fought to find an answer for his question. "When there's logic supporting a different way to an order of events, that's when I never give up on something. But this-" he gestured to the demolished building," There's no logic here." Artemis, I'm so, so sorry.

Starfire grabbed the back of his cape and dangled him in the air like a naughty child, her eyes glowing an acidic green. "Robin, if there was ever an explosion like this, and you were the one trapped in the ruined building; how long do you think it would take me to give up on you?"

Robin slumped. And there's the logic. "A very, very long time," he muttered.

Starfire dropped him. "The correct answer is never, but at least you have seen my point. I know you wish to scour this area long into the night for clues pertaining to the whereabouts of Slade. Let me assure you, however, we have a better chance of finding Artemis than finding Slade. That is exactly what we will do. Do you comprehend, Robin?"

Robin stood up, and dusted himself off. "What were you saying again?" asked Raven sarcastically. Robin cleared his throat. "That we should keep looking, and not stop until we find her."

"Good idea, don't you think?" With that, Robin split off into his separate search area. Raven took a second to give Starfire an incredulous look. She shrugged.

"Robin is certainly capable of searching for hours on end. Sometimes he just needs a little motivation." She smiled. "I was very happy to oblige him."

Despite the heavy task Beast Boy had been set with, he couldn't resist a light chuckle at that. Dude, Robin is so whipped! "Guys!" It was Cyborg. While Robin was giving his short-lived 'giving up speech', Cyborg had programmed his scanner to look for life signs. They had finally picked up something. "I'm picking up a heartbeat! It's kinda faint, though. Like it's under something."

Artemis stirred faintly, and coughed, sending a cloud of ash into the air. It felt like the world was spinning; she probably had a concussion. Her eyes were screwed shut, to keep the dust and blood from blinding her. She could taste coppery blood at the back of her throat, along with bitter-tasting ash. She raised her hands in front of her face, only to feel hot drops of blood run down her arms and mingle with the caked-in dirt. Long shards of twisted metal had embedded themselves deeply into her arms, legs, and some of her stomach. She tried to pull one of the shards out, but it had moved about a millimeter before she gave up on it. Involuntary screams of pain escaped her mouth over and over again, but they were useless to her deaf ears. She figured that both of her eardrums had burst, because twin lines of hot liquid ran from each ear down to her chin. One of her lungs felt- off, and was making breathing for her a very difficult task. She was on the verge of blacking out again. Her swords were, miraculously, undamaged. One of her armbands had a dent though, and it was driving into the one part of her arm that actually wasn't bleeding. Her clothes were ragged and torn where the shrapnel had ripped them apart. Her hair was matted with blood and grime, and snarled into tight knots. A small rivulet of blood came down from a cut over her eyebrow, making it even harder to try to see.

She tried to sit up, only to have four sharp nubs of bone rising from each side of her chest keep her from moving. Silently she counted them, and added them up in her head. Eight broken ribs. Each breath stabbed her in the chest, inside and out. One of her ribs seemed to be bent inward, which explained the pain in her lungs. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes. They slowly adjusted to the darkness. Tiny bits of dust that had settled on her eyelids had crumbled, and fell down like so many gray snowflakes. She raised her hand slowly, and noticed that her palm was covered in a thick liquid, which was dripping from her hand to the ground, forming an unsightly puddle. Blood. My blood. So much blood...

She was completely buried in precariously balanced sheets of twisted metal and rubble, which were slowly sliding off each other. If she didn't get out soon, she would be crushed. She could have dug her way through the rubble, but her kneecaps were broken, making movement useless. When she tried to move, she screamed again, even louder than before.

Artemis moved her hand flat against one of the panels, and winced when she felt her wrist snap painfully. Her collarbone hurt horribly, and when Artemis touched it, her finger fell into her skin. She whimpered quietly when her finger became slick with blood. Her collarbone was snapped in half, which explained the unusual and painful divot. Wrist, fingers, knees, ribs, collarbone; what isn't broken?

Concentrating, she tried to send out an air wave to knock the metal off. She barely managed a small gust of air. She tried again, with the same results. Out of frustration, she pounded on the metal. A jagged piece of metal tumbled down on her, sending a razor-sharp edge of metal through her shoulder. She could hear the crunch as it ground against her bone. She breathed in sharply, and tried to pull it out of her arm. It had gone through almost to the other side of her arm, but it had stopped a little more than halfway through. She pulled and pulled at it, slicing her hands open. Please-move. No such luck. The sound of her pained screams reverberated through her metal prison, sending them back at her twice as loud. She sounded like a pinned animal, slowly losing her voice along with her mind. I can't- breathe. I can't even move anymore.

Eventually, she just threw her head back, and stopped trying. Blood from her shoulder was trickling down her arm, coupling itself to a multitude of other injuries. She tried one more time. Her fingertips grazed the metal lightly, and the metal was ripped off entirely, uncovering her. The piece of metal embedded in her shoulder withdrew with a sickly, sucking sound.

Artemis stared at her hand blankly, her head swaying from lack of blood. Now why couldn't I have done that five minutes ago? she thought dazedly. Suddenly, two arms grabbed her, and pulled her upright. Starfire had dropped the metal plates she had lifted off of Artemis as Cyborg helped her up.

"Ow! Don't d-do that!" Her voice was rough, and weak from all the screaming she had done. Artemis grabbed Cyborg's wrist to stop him, and when she moved her hand, she left a bloody hand print. Artemis' vision blurred, doubled, and finally focused on the image of all five Titans staring down at her. Robin had a few cuts and tears in his uniform, Starfire had large bruises on her shoulder and hip, and Beast Boy had a couple of cuts along his jawline. But they looked nothing like her. Artemis caught her reflection in Cyborg's metal plating, and her mouth opened wide in shock. The left side of her face was covered in ashes, which had clumped together from wet blood, forming a grayish-red paste. She had a large, thin cut in her lower lip, which was bleeding down past her chin and down her jaw and neck. Some metal shrapnel was lodged in one cheek which cut her gums, and scraped against her teeth. One of her eyes was swelling shut, and she had amassed a large collection of purplish bruises. She touched the side of her face gently, eyes widening even further when she saw the action mirrored in the metal. That proves it then. "Is- is that me? Do I really look like that?" she croaked quietly.

They didn't hear her; they were too busy focusing on how to stop her from bleeding. Cyborg was shouting something, and Raven responded, taking off her cloak and quickly ripping it into strips. Their words were garbled and indistinct, due to the fact that currently, Artemis couldn't hear anything. Artemis looked around at all of them. They all seemed so- concerned about her. They cared whether or not she lived or died. She caught Beast Boy's eye. He had stepped back, preferring to let Cyborg handle the arduous task of bandaging her. "H-hey," she whispered faintly. "Did we win?"

Beast Boy gave her a quick thumbs up, and a halfhearted grin. Artemis smiled back, but only for a second, before she felt the pain again. Cyborg took the majority of the strips Raven had given him, and wrapped up her ankle, her shoulder, and anything else that was bleeding heavily. With every move of his hands, the bandages became wetter, ruby red beginning to show against the bandages' indigo hue. He tried to set the numerous bones that were broken or otherwise out of place, only to become frustrated when he could not fix them all. She bit the inside of her cheek until it bled, in an attempt not to scream as he bandaged her wounds and removed some of metal fragments embedded in her skin.

Cyborg looked up at Robin, after assessing Artemis' wounds and treating the ones that he could. "I've done all I can for her now. But we need to get her to a hospital now- or she'll die." The Titans looked shocked as they stared at her. They had all anticipated this, but to see Artemis in front of them, dying, was more than they expected. Starfire covered her mouth with her hands, and Robin put an arm around her. Raven looked downward, and Beast Boy had a half-mournful, half-helpless look frozen on his face. "What? W-what's wrong?" Artemis asked. The words felt uneasy in her mouth, and tiny droplets of blood coated her cracked, chapped lips from the effort. They didn't try to answer her question. She still didn't know what was happening to her.

Movement from behind the Titans distracted her. A hooded figure lurked behind the Titans, their hood obscuring the person's face. It was almost like they had risen from the ground, or out of thin air. The person seemed human, but instead of different colors for the figure's clothing, and skin, their whole body was a shimmering, slightly fuzzy blue, like an out of focus image on a television set. The figure raised their arms upward, and a silvery vaporous substance burst from the ground. The silver fog slowly undulated and solidified into a transparent figure of a silver haired girl holding a bow. The hooded figure pointed outward toward Artemis. The girl nodded and raised her bow, nocking an arrow into it, slowly taking aim. The Titans took no notice of the two figures that had suddenly appeared. Artemis' eyes widened, as her breathing became fast and shallow. Cyborg tried to calm her down, but she didn't respond. Raven turned around, and nodded, black magic sparking at her fingertips, waiting for something. The girl released her arrow, and it passed right through Cyborg, to hit Artemis right in between her eyes. Raven moved in towards her, as the world dissolved in an inky black cloud.

It was nothing but swirling black for a few minutes. For those few minutes, at least, they felt like minutes; Artemis felt nothing, saw nothing, and heard nothing. Then, she was suddenly struck with the idea to open her eyes. She pondered it for awhile, weighing the pros and cons against each other. Then, she just decided to throw caution to the wind, and she opened her eyes.

She found herself lying down on soft ground in a bed of reeds. She jumped up immediately, blinking in surprise when she could move without pain. She ran her hand over her forehead, where the arrow had struck. She stretched her arms and legs, and felt around for anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing, no cuts, no bruises, and no broken bones. Her hands were no longer covered in blood, and all of the metal shards were gone. She slid her hand across her collarbone and shoulder, surprised that they didn't feel broken anymore; although her right shoulder did feel strange, and so did her knees. Her ribs seemed to have been mended, as it didn't hurt at all when she breathed in.

The smoke and dust from the destroyed building had been replaced by tranquil starlight, and a large waterfall-fed lake. She plucked a few blades of grass from the ground, to make sure she was in a real place. The grass moved in between her fingers, and it definitely felt real. She dropped the grass, choosing instead to focus on the lake in front of her.

Tiny motes of light, like fireflies but slightly bigger, formed a glistening haze over its surface. Despite the flurried activity over the lake, it seemed that the rest of the "forest" was at a total standstill. Am I- dead? I don't feel dead, and I hope I don't look dead. If I'm not dead though, then where the hell am I?

She bent over the lake's surface. The motes left her, and leapt gracefully into the lake, bathing the waters beneath in a silver glow. She watched the water, searching for a reflection, but saw something entirely different. They were like moving pictures. Artemis quickly realized that they were memories. Hundreds of memories clouded the surface, transforming it into a moving patchwork quilt of happiness and sorrow; guilt and rage. Artemis dipped her hand into the water, and pulled it out slowly. Silvery water flowed out of her cupped hand, and fell back into the lake. It's just- water. But why is it acting this way?

She picked a few of the memories out of the silvery-blue haze, some of which she didn't even remember: such as when she was a baby, lying in a small bassinet. Her father had put her on his lap and started telling her a story. She took a closer look at her father. She had only seen him in pictures; seeing him in real life was much different. His eyes seemed to leap out at her, since they looked so much like her own. Then the picture was gone, replaced by another.

She followed them in a sort of pattern, from birth to the present. She saw what the Sanctuary had looked like in all of its splendor, and then the burning ruin it had become. Atalanta was running through the forest with her at age five, then dead at her feet at age fifteen. She saw images of random children from the Sanctuary learning how to use their various powers with her; in training grounds that now were dead, barren ground. Teraan and Terra had changed the least. In all her memories, they were smiling and laughing, except for one. In the last one, Teraan was gone, replaced by a sobbing Terra, running from Artemis in a collapsing cave; she was already blaming herself for a disaster she didn't cause. The Artemis in the memory wasn't helping things. She had knocked Terra over with an air wave, and started screaming at her; for the first time in her life, actually losing her temper. Terra picked herself up and ran even faster than before. Artemis hurled stones at her retreating back.

Artemis bowed her head. God, I've been so stupid. Then a thought crossed her mind. "Why haven't I seen Mother yet?" she wondered aloud.

As if to answer her question, all the images disappeared for a moment. Then one image, one memory, superimposed itself over all the others. It was her mother's final moments. "No! That wasn't what I meant!" she yelled futilely. The image continued to form, mocking her request. She slammed her hand into the water, trying to shake the image out. The water splashed around, and the image rippled and wavered, but it clung to the surface of the lake steadfastly. She could not tear her eyes away from the water.

In the memory, her mother was trying to be strong, and telling Artemis to do the same; despite the fact that she had a gaping, open wound in her stomach. She offered Artemis her last few bits of wisdom, and said them so quietly and hoarsely that Artemis was struggling to hear her. Then she reached down and handed Artemis a small, wooden chest which had been in her hands when she was shot. "Not until you are sixteen, are you to open this chest. It is two-fold, one box reveals its secrets easily. The other is a guarded treasure, one that is hidden to all but the ingenious. It's contents are desired, and once the chest is opened, must be kept under a careful watch. Be sure to keep the.. heart that I.. have given you."

Artemis listened numbly, still in shock as to what was going on. Her mother reached up to her neck and fingered her necklace, an ornate red locket that had been a gift from Artemis' father. She snapped the necklace's chain and placed it in Artemis' hand, folding her hand over it as she did so. "I love you, Artemis." Then she died, her head falling back onto the ground limply. The memory zoomed into the image of Artemis' hand. Black wounds swirled around her wrist and traveled up her arm. Parts of her arm were still bleeding. The skin on her arm was sloughed off, charred and raw, forever an open wound. The locket was the only bright thing about Artemis, its gold engravings lying in sharp contrast to her scratched, ashy hands. "I can't take this from her."

The Artemis in the memory picked up the chest, stepped back, and slammed her heel down onto the ground. The rock and tile around her mother melted into a fine, sugar-like quicksand, and sunk into the ground, making her mother's body slip swiftly into the earth where it belonged. She made sure that a slab of rock slid over it, with her mother's name carved onto it in ornate script. She raised and moved her hands delicately, and tall, thin spires of twisting stone rose in the air in swirling arabesques. They combined to form a tower, with small flower statues created at fixed points in the stone. Artemis took the locket and hung it from the grave, then left. The memory followed her footsteps for a while, wooden chest held carefully in her hands, as she left, crying, from that part of the Sanctuary.

Artemis' eyes welled up with tears as she remembered what she had done after her mother's death. She had walked all through the dead land, making sure everyone had had a proper burial. She salvaged whatever she could, and left, never to return. She remembered what she saw, the burning buildings, and almost choking on the acrid, ashy fumes of the death that surrounded her. She saw the gardens, her mother's pride and joy, become a mass of burning ivy and crumbling rose bushes. She had waited a few days for her strength to return, before she extinguished what remained of the fires, and destroyed whatever traces of the drones were left. She remembered the pillars of blue fire; Atalanta had set the remaining fields to burn, as if to spite her. It had taken hours of work to put them out; the plants there would never grow again. She remembered not being able to sleep that night, and for nearly three weeks afterward. "Please, don't show me that," Artemis murmured silently to the water, her voice breaking, "I can't handle much more of this."

The lake obeyed her, and the water turned back to normal again. The motes came up from the surface, and flew away, scattering into the forest. Artemis sat heavily on the ground, with tears sliding down her face. "Is this what happens to you when you die?" she asked herself quietly, her voice cracking through her tears. "Is this what you are forced to see?"

"No, but what would you know? You are not dead," said a voice behind her.

Artemis turned around and saw the silver haired girl who had shot her with the arrow. She was sitting casually on a rock, idly strumming the string of her bow as if it were a guitar. Artemis screamed and fell backwards. She put both of her hands in front of her face, in an attempt to defend herself. The girl stepped down from the rock, and laid down her bow and quiver on the ground. She held out her hand, in welcome. "Relax, Artemis. It is I, Aderes."

Artemis cautiously took her hand and shook it. "Guardian," Artemis said softly. "I'm sorry, but I was scared for a second there."

Aderes laughed. "Of what? Me?"

Artemis nodded meekly. "I was afraid of what you could do. Was it you that brought me here?"

Aderes gave her a slight nod. "It was."

"And, um, where is here?"

Aderes gestured to the forest around the both of them. "You, or rather your subconscious, are in your mind. My home."

Artemis stared at her, confused. "So, I'm not dead?"

Aderes shook her head. "Then why am I in my mind? How come I'm not awake, or, an even better question: How come I'm not dead?"

"You are in a sort of- What is the word I'm looking for? Coma, yes, that's the one. I was told to bring you here, back at the warehouse; so you could recover from your injuries. Your friends have been taking excellent care of you, according to what I have been told. At least, that is what Raven said."

"Raven was here?! How come I didn't see her? How come I haven't seen much of anything, really?"

"She came quickly after you were brought here. She stayed for quite a while. I wasn't very clear on what she was doing, but rest assured that I know whatever she did was for the best. She laid certain enchantments on you, to make sure that you didn't wake up until you were ready. The fact that you're awake now tells me that your conscious body is going to awaken soon. When that happens, your conscious body and your subconscious body will merge. That won't leave a lot of time for what you need to do."

"What do I need to do? Also, I've been thinking about what you said. You told me that someone told you to bring me here. Who could do that? Was it Raven?"

Aderes shook her head. "No, Artemis. It was not Raven. It was someone else, who you have known, but has now surpassed their mortal boundaries and journeyed into the beyond. This- spirit- still wanted your safety, even after their death. I was told by the spirit to bring you here, so you would live to see another day. You're in a state of suspended animation right now, at least you have been for a while. While your injuries can not get any worse, they are still extremely severe in themselves. So, for lack of a better phrase, you are very, very lucky."

Artemis blinked, taking all the information in. "How did you do it? How did you bring me here?"

"As a guardian spirit, I am in close liaison with the beyond. If it were not for you, I would be in the beyond itself. The spirit summoned me, and brought me out to your mortal world, to perform this task. I was suspicious at first, but if it prolonged your life, it prolonged mine. The arrow I shot you with is the thing that actually drew you in. Don't worry, though, it will not leave a scar."

Artemis nodded slowly. "Okay, that I understand-somewhat- but who is the one that brought me here?"

Aderes shook her head. "I cannot answer that question for you. The spirit that sent for you requested their identity to remain secret until they could speak to you. If you would follow me, I can take you to see this spirit."

Artemis followed silently as Aderes walked right to the edge of the lake. Aderes knelt down and swept her right hand around in the water. The lake shone a sparking iridescent silver, lighting up from within. The small orbs of light that had retreated into the forest flew back, and were dragged into the lake by an unseen force. They formed a large whirlpool of light in the air, as each one fell gracefully into the lake's waters. After a few minutes, the orbs were back in the lake, and it regained its normal coloring. "It is ready," said Aderes, "Now take a deep breath and step into the water. Oh, good luck, by the way. Hopefully, you and this spirit will have a good talk."

"Thanks." Artemis took a few seconds to collect herself, and when she was ready, stepped forward. She was instantly sucked into the water, as though she had always been there. Not even a ripple in the water remained from where her foot touched the surface of the lake. As she fell, she realized she did not need air to breath. While she was making this discovery, a glowing orb trickled past her, drawing her attention downwards. Trails of bubbles left her lips as she mouthed her astonishment. The orbs had formed a pattern of concentric circles, creating a dizzying display of light. Each ring of orbs was a different color. They started out as red; then blue; then yellow; then green; then finally, a silvery black color. Orbs of all colors and sizes swirled around her, tugging softly-then firmly- at her clothes, dragging her down to the very depths of the lake. They formed an opaque cloud, and when they finally vanished, the space they occupied was filled with black.

Artemis could not see the hands in front of her face, or her feet, as they were madly kicking to keep her from drifting in the now strong current. Slowly, she sank, until her feet made a slight thump, as she hit some form of ground. A small bubble came out of what Artemis guessed was the 'lake bed'. It resembled an orb, except for the fact that it was completely clear, like it was a bauble of blown glass. It grew larger and larger until it had enough space for two people to stand comfortably. A small golden beam of light burst inside the bubble, gradually growing into the hooded figure that Artemis had seen back in the remains of the warehouse. Unvoiced thoughts filled Artemis' mind. Are you the spirit? she thought. Surprisingly, the figure nodded.

The spirit walked slowly to the thin covering that prevented it from reaching Artemis. The spirit slid it's ghostly, bluish hand out from the bubble, and beckoned to Artemis invitingly. Without thinking, Artemis placed her hand in the spirit's. She was lifted up through the water, and placed in the sphere almost simultaneously. The space she had made in the bubble filled in as she was pulled through. The transparent casing of the sphere was now filled with thick, swirling grey mist. An oppressive fog clung to her ankles, and tendrils of the fog wrapped themselves around Artemis' legs, trying hard to pull her down. She struggled to see, for the fog had obscured everything around her to such a degree that she couldn't see her own hands. She suddenly found herself inexplicably cold.

A hand placed itself on Artemis' shoulder, sending tendrils of warmth through her spine. While she felt the hand on her shoulder, the fog around her pulled downward, and disappeared, leaving white as far as the eye could see. Artemis turned around to see the spirit. Taking a closer look, Artemis found that despite the fact that the spirit looked like a real person, and had a solid body; the spirit was completely translucent. Swirls of shimmering blue flowed through the spirit's tattered cloak, and likely the rest of it's body. A whitish corona appeared to light up all around the spirit, highlighting the sheer blue of the spirit's body. The spirit's hands traveled to it's shoulders, grasping the hood that obscured their face. The spirit pulled down the hood slowly. "Hello, Artemis. I've missed you." Despite a slight change in voice, the spirit's identity was unmistakable.

Artemis' eyes spilled tears as she engulfed the spirit in a hug. "Mother," she whispered. She looked exactly the way that Artemis remembered her. Her hair was still to her waist, and held in her customary two braids, although the clear blue of her body permeated through to her hair. Even her clothes were the same, down to the very last thread, despite the fact that everything about her was tinted that same translucent blue. She still smelled of crushed pine, and the skin around her eyes still crinkled when she smiled. If Artemis hadn't known better, she would have thought that she was back home, and her mother was still alive.

The spirit Lenore stepped back from her daughter, and smiled sadly. "You've grown so much, Artemis. Why, you're almost as tall as me now. I'm sorry that I haven't been with you to see you grow in person."

Artemis shook her head. "Don't say that; it wasn't your fault. I'm just happy that you're here now."

Lenore hugged her daughter again. "It took much for me to come here. Especially since only one of us could see you. Teraan almost came himself, but, he opted for me to come instead."

Artemis looked up in confusion. "You mean he didn't-"

Lenore shushed her. "Oh, he wanted to see you. More than anything. But he also wanted what was best for your future, which is for me to bring you here today. So, I went in his place. I have an important message for you, Artemis. One that could change everything."

"What, Mother?"

Lenore placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Artemis, you have been through so much these past years. And as your mother, I can say that I am proud of you. I was afraid that you would fall to Slade," she looked downward, "as others have. I know now that you are ready for the trials ahead. You and your friends will be tested, more so than you have ever been before. I only wish that we were all still alive to help you, as no one was intended to do this task alone. You have friends now, though, so do not cast them out when they offer assistance."

Artemis looked up at her, hands outstretched. "Well, what do I have to do?"

"You will find out soon enough. I know that you probably hate how cryptic I am making this for you. It has to be this way, however. Telling you now would make you reluctant. It is best for you wait; wait until you turn sixteen. Do you still have the chest that I gave you?" Artemis nodded.

"Good. Keep it close to you, and keep it safe. I wish I had more time to spend with you, but I can already feel myself slipping away again. I know that you wanted to see others that have entered the beyond. So, if you give a message, I can get it out to them."

Artemis thought about her words carefully. "Tell the Masters that I've cherished everything I've learned from them, and I am still keeping their wisdom to heart. I wish they were here, but I'm doing the best I can on my own."

"It will be said."

"Please tell all my old friends that I still remember them, and I think of them often. I have a little shrub on my desk; the closest thing to our old garden I can come to right now. Oh, tell Beth that the roses have never smelled sweeter."

She smiled. "Of course."

"Tell Teraan-" she faltered for a second, trying to find the right words. She then thought of something that she knew would make him laugh. "Tell Teraan that I miss him more than anything; and I haven't been able to eat a single dark chocolate truffle without thinking of him." She smiled. "My swords have never broken, just like he promised."

Lenore smiled. "I'll tell him, Artemis. Don't worry. I'm know that he misses you too."

"Tell Atalanta that I'm sorry, and that she was one the best friends I ever had. Please, tell her that."

Lenore bit her lip and looked away. "I cannot, Artemis. I'm sorry, but Atalanta is not with the rest of us, if you catch my meaning."

Artemis looked down sadly. She had feared that, but didn't she really expect for Atalanta to go to the underworld. It was too cruel a fate to wish upon anyone. "I- I see. I just hope she knows it anyway."

Lenore put one of her hands on each of Artemis' shoulders and stared at her straight in the eyes. "If you truly mean it, than I'm sure she knows. Now, Artemis, I have a job for you. Terra needs you right now, she needs you to be her sister. Can you do that? Do you forgive her?"

Artemis blinked. Do I forgive her? Can I? "Of course I do," she said. "It wasn't her fault. None of it was her fault."

Lenore smiled and hugged her. "That was the answer I was hoping for. Please, tell her that she's forgiven. Tell her that even though I am not there with her; I'm still watching over her."

"I'll tell her, mother, when she wakes up."

"Thank you. I have to go now, Artemis. If you have any other questions, ask them now, before I have to leave."

"Are you happy?"

"Yes, Artemis. I am very happy."

"Is Father happy?"

It took Lenore a second to reply. "I- I understand what he had to do, especially since it was for you. I should have known that he would have done such a thing; it would not have been easy for him to change. Please- do not hate him for what he did. Know that I will always love Aiden, and I want him to be happy. He has finally found his happiness again, and I would be a poor wife if I took it away." Artemis seemed confused by her reply, but she didn't question it. Time was precious enough as it is.

"Mother, one more question. What is it like, wherever you are?"

"Things are different where I am now. It's different, but a good different. Some day, hopefully many many years from now, you'll experience the feeling too." Lenore started to fade away, before resuming her regular form. "Stay strong, Artemis. Keep your friends close, remember to unlock the chest I gave you. The trials ahead are difficult, so stay wary. Please, you are my eldest daughter; don't do anything stupid." Lenore's voice dropped to a low whisper, almost fearful, but cautionary all the same. "Beware of the Ethera Yaharé, and the destruction she brings."

Artemis stared at her, confused. "Wait, beware of the who and the what?"

Lenore held up her hand, silencing Artemis. "No, not now. Later." She looked around sadly. "Well, I think that- Ah, wait," she held up a finger, "one more thing. I know that you let Slade escape. He is alive, and sadly, well. That does not mean however, that you go chasing after him again. You're done. No more revenge. I will know if you disobey me me; so don't even think about it."

Artemis sighed, feigning annoyance, remembering the mock arguments they had had when Lenore was alive. "Are you playing the Mom Card?" She waited to hear the words that she had always replied with.

"You betcha."

They both looked at each other, and laughed. Lenore smiled again at Artemis, although with a different emotion hidden in it. Artemis caught the meaning within the smile: that her mother was leaving now, for good. No words were spoken, but they merely hugged one last time. Lenore stepped back, with tears in her eyes.

"Goodbye, daughter. I'll be watching over you..." Lenore slipped away entirely, fading in with the rest of the fog.

Artemis stared into the grey fog with an inscrutable gaze. Her eyes were glassy with tears, but she refused to cry. "Bye, Mom." There was no answer, and she didn't expect for there to be one. She was alone again, with only her mother's words as comfort. Suddenly, the fog in the sphere condensed itself into one tiny ball, and disappeared. The sphere around Artemis shrunk, quickly becoming smaller and smaller, until it clung to Artemis like Saran wrap, which kept her from moving. It finally popped, sending a rush of cool air down her spine, and she found herself on the lake's shore once more.

Artemis looked around. "Aderes?" The clearing was silent. The surface of the lake still glittered in the moonlight. It was hard to believe that just a few short seconds ago, she was at the bottom of that lake, her mind, with the spirit of her dead mother. And the things that she's told me. Who is the Ethera? I've never heard that word before. Is it a person's name, or a person's race, or- something? And what in heaven's name did she mean when she was talking about Father? Artemis sighed sadly. Just the fact that she had had a few minutes with her mother, only to have her slip away, made it seem as though she had died all over again.

"Artemis?" It was Aderes. She had chosen to announce herself this time, instead of surprising her. Artemis said nothing, choosing instead to stare into the lake. Maybe if she stared hard enough, she would see her mother again. Aderes stepped lightly through the reeds and sat down next to her. "I know how sad you must feel now. Do not despair, though. Lenore is at peace now, and is still watching both you and Terra, as only a mother would." Aderes smiled, in an attempt to comfort her.

Artemis shifted herself, and crossed her arms. "I guess you're right," she said.

Aderes placed a hand on Artemis' shoulder. "I know that I am. I also know that the time for you to leave is fast approaching. Prepare yourself, for you are about to go back to your life, and I will return to my normal duties."

Artemis stood up and dusted herself off, and crossed her arms. "Do I just click my heels together three times, or is something more required?"

Aderes laughed faintly, and stood up as well. "At least your humor has returned. Just relax. You'll feel yourself being pulled away from here. Just sit back and let it happen. Before you know it, you'll be waking up to- well, I'm not really sure where you'll wake up."

Artemis closed her eyes. "That's comforting," she muttered.

Aderes sighed exasperatedly. "Will you just relax?"

Artemis took a deep breath, and uncrossed her arms. Already, she was beginning to feel a change. She could hear the faint lakeside breeze slowly becoming a full-on gale. The reeds at her feet rubbed against each other, creating a high pitched whistling noise. "Just keep your eyes shut," said Aderes. Her voice was beginning to grow fainter and fainter. The same wind that was whipping around Artemis found a way to wrap itself around her, and pull her up. She felt herself rising higher and higher, but she kept her eyes shut tight. She could barely hear Aderes yell words of farewell, before all the wind and noise suddenly ceased.

The first sensation she experienced was light. Even though her eyes were shut, bright light, the kind only found in fluorescent lighting, tried to worm their way through her eyelids. She lifted her hand and felt the area around her. She was definitely in a bed of some kind, the sheets of which were tucked tightly around her shoulders. She felt around a bit, trying to find out what was around her without opening her eyes. Tight bandages were wrapped up her arms, stopping just above her elbow, before continuing to wrap up her entire right shoulder. The skin that showed in between the bandages appeared to be normal, but she could feel raised, stippled scars here and there. She felt similar bandages on her knees. She could hear beeping, like the kind on those medical shows. She opened an eye, and saw the fuzzy image of an IV bag. Great. I hate needles. She blinked again, and took in her surroundings. She was in what looked like in a hospital room, but based on the view from the window; she guessed the room was somewhere in the Tower, one she had never seen before. She sighed. God, I need some Advil. Aderes hadn't warned her about the massive headache she would experience. She tried to sit up, but felt completely exhausted, so she just slumped back into the bed. She pulled the covers tighter around her, and tried to relax. Heh. I've been saved from death, and the only coherent statements I've made so far are about Advil and needles. Go figure. She coughed, a weak attempt at laughter.

From the bed, Artemis looked around at the room. It was tidy enough, clean and sterile as all hospital rooms should be. It was conservative and functional, but she could tell personal touches had been added, such as a bright, gaily painting of flowers; or a small shelf of books ranging from gaming magazines to books of poetry. Artemis was right, the numerous beeping noises were from heart monitors and other such machines, all of which were connected to her. As far as she could tell, she was the only occupant in the room. Then she saw a small door connected to an adjoining room. The door was closed, and someone was moving around inside it. Finally, Artemis heard the unmistakable sound of a toilet flushing, and the door opened.

Beast Boy stepped out of the bathroom, wiping his hands on his pants. After a few seconds, he looked up to see Artemis staring at him. "Hey, you're awake!" He ran over, grabbed a bottle of water from the nightstand, and handed it to Artemis. "Cy said you should drink this when you woke up. Take small sips though, because..." he trailed off as Artemis drained the entire bottle in seconds. "Um, never mind." He plopped down on a chair next to her bed and sighed. "So, how ya feeling?" he asked, resting his elbow on her bed.

She laughed. "Like I've been to hell and back. You?"

"Tired. Reeealy tired." From this close up, Artemis could see how bloodshot his eyes were, and the dark circles underneath them. In fact, he was paler than usual, and seemed very exhausted.

Artemis raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not really one to talk, but you look like death warmed over."

He laughed. "Thanks, doctor. I've barely gotten any sleep the whole time you've been here." Beast Boy yawned and rubbed his eyes to prove his point. "We had extra nightly patrols in case Slade came back, plus you were still at the Tower, and you needed a lot of supervision for a practically comatose person. We all had to pitch in and help, but I was pretty much your designated babysitter, not that I minded. Unconscious people are great to talk to, did you know that? After a while though, all the chores started to be a bit of a drag, no offense. It was always, 'Beast Boy, check the IV'; or 'Beast Boy, change the bandages'; and the ever popular, 'Beast Boy! Do not unplug the life support machine so you can put in your Gamestation!" He laughed at her horror-stricken face. "I'm kidding about the last one."

Artemis sat herself up. "Good to hear. So, how long have I been out, exactly? Can't be too long, right? And why did I need so much supervision?"

Beast Boy thought about it, and counted up the days on his fingers. "Hmm. I'd say around two weeks, give or take. Also, with Slade trying to kill you and all, the supervision was kinda necessary."

Artemis' eyes widened, and her jaw fell open. "Two weeks?!? That long!"

He shrugged. "Well, when you decide to get hurt, you really get hurt. When Cyborg and Raven took a good look at you, they said you had eight broken ribs; two broken kneecaps; nine broken fingers; a broken elbow," he stopped to catch his breath, "your right shoulder was completely torn apart; you had about two hundred and ninety three pieces of shrapnel stuck in you, and you had a punctured lung. Those were just the surface injuries. I don't even know what happened to you internally. They were both in here for days, operating. Cyborg pretty much cut you open, while Raven entered your mind and used magic to heal you from the inside. It was almost like- Harry Potter meets E.R., or something." Beast Boy drifted off for a second, trying to imagine what a cross between Harry Potter and E.R. would look like, before he started talking again, while Artemis was sitting there, completely dumbfounded.

"Raven didn't need any sleep while she was in your mind, and Cyborg's half-robot; so they pretty much never stopped working. After they were done, Raven slept for about three days. Raven woke up five days ago, and she feels fine, but we were worried about you. You're awake now, so, that's good. We had to give you blood transfusions, though. You can thank Robin for that; he's the only one around here that actually has normal blood. Your wounds are for the most part healed, but Cy needs to explain the rest, like why you're still in bandages and stuff."

Artemis didn't say anything for a few moments, but rather took in everything he had just said. She was amazed that they would do so much for her. "All that, and I stayed alive."

Beast Boy scratched the back of his head. "For the most part. You, uh, flat-lined twice, while you were being operated on. Also, Raven accidentally woke you when Cy was operating. You were only up for a few seconds before he injected you with some anesthetic. You were screaming, though. That window over there is new, because you cracked the other one, when you were well, uh, screaming your head off."

"Aderes didn't mention that,"she muttered. Dead? I was really clinically- dead? "Just one more question, though. Um, how do I- look, exactly?"

He exhaled sharply. "God, I wish you hadn't brought that up."

"What? What's wrong with how I look?!"

He chuckled nervously. "Well, I mean, you have to understand: You were hurt bad. It was really awful. Raven tried to heal up your scars and stuff, and we had a plastic surgeon- like, a good, straight-from-L.A, plastic surgeon- but there was nothing more we could do for your face. I'm sorry." He picked up a small mirror on the table. "Do you want to see a mirror?" he asked gently.

She snatched it away from him. "Give me that," she muttered. She held it mirrored side down, anxious and afraid. What do I look like? Scars, mangled facial features- She held up the mirror tentatively. With bated breath, she held it up to her face. And- nothing. Her face looked just as it did before: no scars, no mangled facial features. Beast Boy started laughing. "I'm sorry, really," he wheezed between laughs.

She gasped, and hurled the mirror at his shoulder. "You jerk! You are so mean!" She pointed a finger in his direction. "You'd better make this up to me. I mean really, making me worry like that." Beast Boy would have been a lot more ashamed of himself, had Artemis not been trying to suppress her laughter.

He held up his hands in apology. "Alright, alright. I shouldn't prank the deathly ill."

"Once deathly ill," she corrected him. "And you will make this up to me, right? I'm not going to have to chase you around the Tower again?"

He sighed. "Yes I will find a way, somehow." He smiled. "Although, in all honesty, you look fine to me."

She smiled back. "Thank you."

Beast Boy waved his hand at her statement. "Nah, don't thank me. Thank Cy and Rae when they get over here. They deserve the credit. In fact, I really should go get everyone. We were all waiting for you to get up. Robin hasn't slept at all, and Starfire's turned out more crazy Tamaranean remedies then when Robin had the flu." He turned to leave. "Be right back."

Artemis stretched out her arm and grabbed his sleeve. "Wait. Where's Terra? I need to know she's alright. I- I have a message for her. It's really really important."

Beast Boy moved his arm out of her grasp and avoided her gaze. "I'll- I'll let the others explain it to you. They, uh, know more medical terms than me anyway," he finished quickly. He opened the door, and ran out of sight.

"You're avoiding the question!" It was no use yelling; he was already gone. Artemis waited, helplessly, for him to come back with the others.

Artemis tapped her fingers anxiously on the metal bar of her bed. This continued for a few seconds, until, in her impatience, thought that Beast Boy was taking far too long. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she tugged off the sensors that gave the heart monitor her readouts. Without them attached to her, the monitor registered that she no longer had a heartbeat, and it began to flat-line. Satisfied, she leaned back into the bed and waited.

The Titans crowded into the room in seconds, pushing and shoving each other to get inside. They all stopped when they saw that Artemis was unharmed and very much alive. Robin stared at her. "How did you-", he trailed off as he saw the sensors in her hand. "Clever."

Artemis shrugged. "I try."

Starfire flew across the room and pulled her into a hug. "Friend Artemis! You are undamaged and not dead! Glorious!"

Artemis grimaced. "Star, I'm really happy that you're so happy to see me, but you're- crushing my IV!"

"Oh, sorry.." Starfire released Artemis and stood next to Robin.

"So, how are you feeling?" asked Cyborg.

"Tired, and," Artemis rubbed the place where her IV was, "a little sore," she replied. "Beast Boy told me what you and Raven did. Thank you so much."

Cyborg smiled, as did Raven, albeit a smaller one. "It was no problem," said Cyborg. "But we should talk to you about your, condition."

Artemis looked concerned. None of the other Titans looked surprised, as Cyborg had already briefed them on what had happened to her. "Condition?" she asked.

"Well," he began, "When we found you, you were pretty much on Death's doorstep. When we took you into surgery, Raven and I discovered that your kneecaps, elbow, and right shoulder bones were beyond repair. We had to replace the joints, bones, and parts of the muscle surrounding them with prosthetics."

"Like plastic, you mean?"

"No, cybernetics. They're one hundred percent titanium, so they won't rust or break. They'll also be stronger than the original body parts. It's the same tech that I have, but no crazy weapons or anything like that. I'm the only one with a sonic cannon around here, so don't even think about it. I'll still do a check-up periodically the next week or so, to make sure that they work for you. You should still be able to fight, it just might take you a little getting used to."

Artemis sat there for a few minutes, in silence. She may not have lost her arm, or any other limbs, but she still felt strange. Part of her had been- replaced. She wasn't fully human anymore. It was the strangest feeling she had ever been set with. I can only imagine how Cyborg must feel. "I- I see." She moved her arm again, and she could actually hear the minutest of clicks and whirs of the joints moving. Artemis grabbed her elbow. Even through the bandage, the bone was extremely hard, as was the muscle around it. Incredible.

"If you want us to give you a little alone time-"

Artemis cut him off. "No. I'll be fine. I've had two weeks of alone time; I don't need any more." She laughed lightly. See? I'm laughing. I'm.. fine.

"There was also something else. It might be a shock to you, but it might lessen the sting of the new "skin" a bit. Don't even thank me for this; it was all Raven's work." Cyborg took the top piece of the bandage and pulled on it, taking out whatever metal tabs that had been holding the strips together. He did the same to her other arm. The bandages slid down and fell in an disheveled mess on the hospital bed, leaving Artemis' arms wholly exposed. Artemis stared at her arm, disbelieving. She poked and pinched it a few times before she was truly convinced. "I don't believe it," she whispered. Her lower arms, which were once charred and black, were healed. Her skin was clear and unblemished. Her scars were gone, replaced with the muscle and skin she had lost that fateful day. She ran her hand over one of her arm, laughing with delight when she found that the skin was warm and soft; it was no longer appeared in rough, uneven black patches.

"You are pleased, correct?" asked Starfire.

Tears appeared Artemis' eyes. "I'm way more than pleased Star." She beckoned to Raven and Cyborg, and when they came over, she pulled them both into a huge hug. "You didn't have to do this for me, Raven. Or any of you, for that matter."

Raven smiled. "You didn't have to risk your life to save us, Artemis. You didn't even save just us. There are about ten thousand people in this city that owe you their lives, us being only five of them. Plus, I adhere to the saying: 'Anything for a friend.' "

She looked at Raven, awestruck. "A friend?" she asked shakily.

Raven nodded. "A friend."

Artemis smiled and looked at the Titans. "I- I don't know how I can ever repay you all."

"No repayment is necessary. We did this out of kindness, not for reward," said Starfire.

Artemis shook her head. "There must be something I can do for all of you. Anything."

Robin smiled. "How 'bout you get out of bed, so that we know that you're really all right."

Artemis tried to get up, but Cyborg stopped her. "Wait." He pulled out a cane that was propped up against the wall. "You should use this for a while, until you get used to the prosthetics in your knees."

Artemis took the cane from him and used it to stand herself up. She wobbled a bit at first, as her muscles weren't ready to move after two weeks of inertia. After a while, though she could stand without tilting. "I had tried to ask this question before, but Beast Boy wouldn't answer me. Where is my sister?"

They said nothing. "Well?" Artemis was growing impatient again. She had waited years to speak to Terra; she wasn't about to be held back now. Who knows how irreparably damaged their relationship had become?

Robin and Cyborg looked at each other, trying to come to a decision without actually saying anything. Beast Boy made sure not to look at Artemis directly, and became intensely interested with a spot on the floor. Raven remained as impassive as always, and watched the scene with a feigned disinterest. Starfire was twirling her hair around her finger nervously, resisting the urge to crush Artemis into another hug. Robin finally made a decision, and beckoned to the door that led out of the room. "Come on."

They walked silently out of the room, closing the door behind them. Robin led the way, and Artemis brought up the rear, limping on her cane. No one was speaking, and that filled Artemis with a growing dread. Could something have happened to Terra? Something that they wouldn't tell her about?After a short walk, they stopped at a door. Robin punched in a code on the small keypad attached to the wall. The door slid inward, and they stepped inside. Beast Boy let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Artemis hadn't noticed the sign on the door that read: Intensive Care Unit.

The room was definitely much more somber than Artemis'. The windows were smaller, as the person in the room wasn't expected to be awake to enjoy the view. There was a hospital bed in the far corner of the room. Huge amounts of floral arrangements were heaped by the door, making it almost impossible to walk in. They were the only bright things in the room. Artemis grabbed one of the tags hanging from a vase of sunflowers. It read: Get well soon, Dawn. Love, Murakami High School. "These are all from her school?" Artemis asked.

"No," said Robin. "Most of them are from her, uh, adoptive mother. Since no one is allowed to visit, she's sent at least two bouquets every day."

Adoptive mother? She has another mother now? Artemis dropped the tag and walked up to Terra's bed, in shock. "Terra, what's happened to you?" she whispered quietly.

Terra was lying on a hospital bed, with the sheets tucked firmly around her body. They weren't wrinkled or mussed in any way, so she clearly hadn't been moving. Her skin had sort of regained its normal hue, but it was still a few shades paler than normal. Her long bangs were swept over one side of her face, covering one of her eyes. Artemis bent over her and brushed them out of her face. Terra showed no signs of waking up, or even reacting to the touch. Her eyes stayed shut, yet her brow was furrowed, as though she was having a troubling dream. An IV bag swung over her bed, which gave her liquid nutrients since she wasn't awake to eat. The only indication that she was alive was that her chest was moving up and down, ever so slightly. Terra looks so peaceful, so quiet. She's never quiet; it's kind of scary. This whole situation is scary.

"She was poisoned," said Cyborg. "Slade poisoned her. First she slept for almost a day, and then she screamed and screamed; then she started gurgling and choking like she was drowning. All of her internal organs were failing, and so was her nervous system. It took us a couple of days to come up with an antidote for her. I've never seen this poison before; it was almost like it was custom designed for her body. We beat it though, finally. There's still some residual poison in her body, but we've been giving her the antidote I synthesized every 12 hours to combat it."

"If you've removed most of the poison from her system, then why is she still asleep?" Artemis asked.

Cyborg wrestled with the question for a few minutes. "Well, she should have awoken at least a week ago. But- she doesn't seem to want to get up. We've tried just about everything. If she doesn't get up soon though, she could slip into an even deeper coma."

Why? Why doesn't she want to get up? "But Cyborg, can't you force her to wake up?" Artemis' voice became higher, and she was almost pleading. "Can't you do something?"

Robin spoke after a long silence. "We can wait. Or, you can stay here. Maybe if you just talk to her, she'll wake up. You're her sister, after all."

Artemis thought about what her mother had said. She's right. I am her sister, and now is that time to act like one. Artemis stood tall, and looked straight at Robin. He could see the raw determination in her eyes. He knew then that she would do anything for Terra, no matter the cost. "Yes I am, Robin. And as her sister, I'm making sure she wakes up. I know she will." She picked up a folding chair and placed its next to the bed, then sat down, leaning her cane next to it. "So, if you want to see me, I'll be right here."

"For how long?" asked Beast Boy.

Artemis stared at him, almost sadly. "As long as it takes, Beast Boy"

So, for a day or two, Artemis stayed there, and she refused to leave. Not only that, but she didn't let anyone else in, unless it was Cyborg with Terra's medicine. He left her food and water every day, only to throw away the picked-at food and half-drunken water away the next day. Artemis only left once, to get a chair, a stereo and some CDs, along with a few notebooks. She would play some of Terra's favorite songs, and read to her from the notebooks. But Terra remained asleep. Beast Boy tried once to get her to leave, and join them in the living room for movie night, against the others' advice. He walked into the room without Artemis even noticing. God, Artemis looks so tired. It was obvious that Artemis had barely slept, despite Cyborg nagging her that she should get some rest. Artemis leaned over on her chair, and took a small gold notebook off of the ground. "Do you want to hear another poem?" Beast Boy was about to reply when he realized she was talking to Terra, not to him. There was a silence. I think she's actually waiting for Terra to answer her. "Good," she said softly, and began to read.

"A moon, shines bright white,

Wrapped in clouds of endless night,

A lake, a gleaming blue lake,

Moonlight shining diamonds on its surface,

The trees, ever silent, towers over all,

The sky, colorless sky,

The ebony black spotted with white,

The wind, ever graceful,

Whips through the trees, singing a whispering song,

The grass, teeming with life,

Gently teased by the wind, like emerald waves--"

Wow! Beast Boy clapped, startling Artemis, though she did not turn around. "It's a-- it's a really pretty poem. Did you write it?"

Artemis shook her head no. "She did," she replied, without turning around to face him. "You didn't know that Terra wrote poetry?"

"No," said Beast Boy. "I had no idea."

"Oh," she said, holding her notebooks in a new light. "I guess she stopped, then. She had notebooks filled with poems; one poem for every day. She had a beautiful way of seeing things, along with the patience to sit and write them all down. Writing was just one of those things that I could never do. I had always liked drawing, which is probably why I admired her writing so much. She gave me these notebooks as a birthday present one year. I thought maybe if she heard a few of her poems, it might trigger something that would make her want to wake up." She sighed. "But I guess not."

"Hey," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you just need a break. We rented a movie and--"

Artemis shrugged off his hand. "No. I can't leave now. I'm so close to getting her to wake up; I can feel it. I just need some more time."

"Are you sure? 'Cause sometimes I think that I need more time to do something, but then I..." He trailed off as he realized she wasn't paying him any attention. He frowned. "You are sure, aren't you?"

Artemis looked up at him, finally. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her cheeks were red. I feel so bad for her. For both of them. It's not fair for her to go through this; it just isn't.

Artemis stared at him, as though reading his mind. She smiled, despite his confused look. Her smile didn't reach her eyes, which were begging for one thing: sleep. "Don't feel sorry for me," she said, "Or her," motioning to Terra. "We're going to be great, I know it. And I'm fine. Honest."

Beast Boy just stood there for a few seconds. She wants me to leave, doesn't she? "That's a yes, then? You're just gonna," he motioned to the room around him, "Stay?"

Artemis nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm staying. Sorry Beast Boy." Her face brightened for a brief instant. "I don't think I'll be here for much longer, though. I'm getting through to her. I can feel it."

Beast Boy left the room, dejected. "Whatever you say, Artemis." As he shut the door, he could hear her continue to read the poem to Terra. Maybe she's right. Maybe she's getting closer.

Unfortunately, Artemis was nowhere near close. Terra was stuck in a dreamless sleep, and no matter how Artemis tried, she couldn't wake her up. It was another day before Artemis shut off the stereo, and put the CDs back in their cases. She closed all of the notebooks, and shut them away in the green box they came in. She sat down heavily in the chair, and dropped the box carelessly at her feet. Exhaustion pulled at her, reminding her that someone who had just undergone extensive surgery should spend the next few days sound asleep. She ignored it as best she could, instead trying to focus on the dull, rhythmic beat of the life support machine. Terra hadn't moved, and her eyes were still shut.

"Are your eyes glued shut?" Artemis asked. "Did someone sneak in while I was unconscious and glue them shut so that you couldn't wake up? Is that why you haven't moved?" Her voice became louder, and was filled with frustration. "I walked the earth for nearly two years, trying to find you! I wanted to apologize to you; I was prepared to do anything to see you! And now, now that I'm so close, you've lost the will to live? No. No! You are going to wake up, even if I have to wrench your eyelids open myself!" She stopped and panted, trying to catch her breath from her loud ranting. She stole a quick glance at Terra. Maybe there was something in her shouting that would have inspired her to wake up. She hadn't moved.

"Damn it!" Artemis buried her head into her hands. "What now?" she asked quietly. "What else is there to do?" She looked at Terra, not surprised in the least that she hadn't moved. Even though Terra was silent, even though she was making no gestures towards Artemis, Artemis could tell that she was being mocked. Even the IV drip seemed to be in on it, the steady drip drip of the fluid inside sounded like failure.

"I know," Artemis whispered, staring at the IV bag. "I know that I have failed, and I know I look crazy talking to an IV bag, but at least someone else gets it. How am I supposed to look the others in the eyes after this? They didn't fail; they protected Terra and me. Raven healed me, her and Cyborg kept me from dying. They could have left me, but they didn't. "Look at these," she said, holding out her arms. The metal was visible on her elbow, and on her shoulder. "That was Cyborg. He made these for me, so that my arm could work again. Robin gave me blood, his blood. And Starfire was so happy to see me awake and well. She barely knows me, and she was so happy. Beast Boy watched over Terra and I, and made sure we were safe. How can I even hope to match that?" She waved her hands about despairingly, almost waiting for an answer.

"Look at me, I- I can't even make my little sister wake up! What does that tell you about me? Huh?" She looked at the floor in disgust. "Why am I even asking you? You're a fracking IV bag for heaven's sake. You don't care; you're not even alive. You don't know what it feels like; you've never felt." She hung her head in shame. "I'm so sorry, Terra. I'm sorry that I wasn't there to keep you from being poisoned and kidnapped. I'm sorry I blamed you for something you didn't do. I'm just- sorry. For everything. For all the times over the past two years that you needed a big sister to guide you and I wasn't there. I'm sorry I wasn't there when Slade made you his apprentice. I should have told you how wrong the idea was, and how you shouldn't have done it." Artemis started to cry, silently. The tears slid off her cheeks and fell onto the floor. "I don't care if you never want to see me again, Terra. I just want you to wake up."

Artemis stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Maybe Beast Boy was right. Maybe I just need a break. I need sleep, I need to calm down. I just need to get away for a little while." She walked over to the door, and as it opened, she took a quick glance at Terra. And stopped moving entirely.

Slowly but surely, Artemis could see movement. Terra's fingers twitched, and she started to cough. Her breathing was raspy, out of thirst. Artemis ran to the bathroom to get a cup of water for her. While she was in there, Terra opened her eyes slowly, for the first time in two weeks. She groaned, trying to get a handle on her voice. After a few unintelligible sentences, she finally started to form actual words. "Ow, my head hurts. Anyone got Advil?" She looked around. "Anybody?"

Artemis ran back into the room, cup in hand. She choked back tears, seeing her sister for the first time in almost two years. She sat next to Terra, and gave her the water, helping Terra hold it in her hand. "Here. Just drink this, please."

Terra drank the water quickly. She sighed contentedly when it was finished. "Thanks, I was really thirsty," she said. Terra sat up, tilted her head confusedly. "Where am I?"

"Titans Tower. You know where that is, right?"

Terra scoffed. "Duh. Everyone in the city knows where that is." She stopped to think. "Wow, I must have been pretty messed up if I'm here."

Artemis nodded. Terra hadn't changed a bit. "I guess you could say that."

Terra looked at her. "Hey, wait a minute..." Artemis waited. Terra had to have recognized her.

"Are you like, a nurse or something? 'Cause you don't look like the Titans I see in the news and stuff."

Artemis let out a noise between frustration and anguish, making Terra recoil. "I'm your sister!" she yelled. "S-I-S-T-E-R. Why don't you remember me!?" This isn't right! She's supposed to remember! This isn't how it should be! While Artemis was struggling with this new turmoil, Terra stayed upright in her bed, stock-still. Finally, realization dawned on her, and she stared at the stranger in a different light. "Ar- Artemis?"

Artemis looked up, confused. Did she just.. I mean I think she really.. She did! "You.. You remember me!"

"You've changed. I barely recognized you."

Artemis was not fazed by her cold tone of voice, or the way that Terra's blue eyes seemed to bore right through her. "But I'm still the same. Not only that, but you remember me!"

Terra shook her head, confusing Artemis. "It's not remembering," she said quietly, "because I never forgot."

Artemis smiled broadly, and tried to pull Terra into a hug. Terra backed as far away from Artemis as she could, refusing to touch her. Artemis sat down, putting her arms back at her sides. "Terra--"

"I never forgot," said Terra, leaning forward and jabbing Artemis solidly in the chest. "I never forgot the last time we saw each other, sister. You- You blamed me for something I sure as heck didn't do!" She punctuated the last word with an even harder jab, which threatened to knock Artemis off balance.

Artemis backed away from her. "No, Terra, it's not like that..."

Terra wasn't pleased by her answer. "Yeah it is! You think I killed Teraan! You honestly believed that I was capable of murder. Murder, Artemis! Do you even remember what you did to me after that?"

"No, well, I try not to, but please don't bring that up! Terra please, I'm sorr-"

"Well, lucky for us, I remember! You attacked me, you insulted me, you wanted to kill me!"

Artemis' eyes started to fill with frustrated tears. This just had to be the biggest irony anyone has ever faced. "Terra, please, calm down. I never, I would never try to k-kill you. Never."

Terra stopped, her head tilting to the side, as though she couldn't believe what Artemis was saying. "You wouldn't? Then what do you call knocking me down, and throwing a rock at least half my size at me?"

Artemis stopped and thought. Terra had her at that. Artemis knew that her grief-induced, anger-induced, irrational outburst would come back haunt her, and her own mother had told her how hard it would be to beg for forgiveness. Luckily for her, though, her mother had also told what to say to Terra when the time for apologies came. "Anger," said Artemis, "and grief, don't forget grief. I had honestly thought you," she stopped to take a deep breath, "had been responsible. I wasn't ready to listen to what you had to say, and I lost my control. And I'm sorry. I know that apology is two years overdue, and I'm not just apologizing for," she gulped, "trying to harm you. I want to apologize for everything. I left you to live alone in the world. I don't know what you faced before you met the Titans, but I know what you did afterwards." Terra looked down, ashamed. "Why him, Terra? Why did you have to join him?"

"He lied to me," she said. "He told me that he would help me, like he did before back," she gulped," home. He said he would give me the control to fight back."

"Fight back? Terra, who would you need to fight back?"

Terra stared back at her, almost glaring. "You. I was terrified of you. Slade said that he found out you were trying to find me, so that you could get your revenge on me. He said if I joined him, you wouldn't be able to get your revenge. And, well, things went downhill from there. I tried to fight him; I thought he was dead, and I thought what I had done afterward was enough."

"What did you do?" asked Artemis.

"Did the Titans tell you what happened the last time we met? The volcano?" Artemis nodded.

"I used my power to seal the volcano off, the one I had made, accidentally; but I also used my power to trap myself in stone, so I couldn't hurt anyone else. I thought it had worked. I thought I could stay sealed away forever, but no. I woke up, with nothing. A blank slate, no words to my mind. The last thing I remember was- running from you. I didn't know where I was, or what I had done since. I was sent to a hospital, where they said that I would probably never regain my memories, and that I should just start my life up again. I was adopted, and sent to high school. I was happy, until Beast Boy showed up out of nowhere. At first I thought he was crazy, for saying that I used to be someone else. Up until the end, I believed that he was just plain nuts. But when Slade kidnapped me, I saw that he was right. I felt it. Every memory, every sound or scream; I could remember it all. I don't want him to know that, though. I'm happy with what I've done. I didn't want to be the who messes things up again. I just wanted to be normal. So, I went from Terra- superhero, to Dawn- cheerleader. And now there's- you. So what do you want? What do you want me to be? Who do you want me to be?"

"Terra, you went through all this because of me? All this because you were scared- of me?" Terra nodded. "Why? Terra, I'm not mad at you. Not anymore."

Terra looked up at her. "What made you stop? Why aren't you mad anymore?"

Artemis put her hand on Terra's shoulder. "Because I found out the truth." Shakily, at first, but slowly building up confidence, Artemis told Terra what Slade had told her in the warehouse. "So, you were never responsible for anything at all," she finished quietly

Terra crushed the cup in her hand. "That lying monster! Why did he do that to us?!"

Why did he do it? "I don't know Terra. But, the point is, that's why I'm not mad. I gave up on being mad as soon as I had found out that you ran away. I never wanted that, Terra. That's why we're here, you and me. You traveled the world to get away from me, and I traveled it to find you. To say I'm sorry."

"Do you really mean that?" Terra asked.

"I do, Terra. I really do."

"Then..." Artemis held her breath, waiting.

"I forgive you."

With that, Artemis hugged her sister for the first time in two years, and this time, Terra actually let her. Artemis was just so shocked that it was over. She had done it. She found Terra, and apologized. I'm finally done.

"Artemis?" Terra asked. The two had stopped hugging, and Artemis was sitting in her chair, still contemplating what had just happened. "Yes, Terra?"

"Now that you're not mad at me and all, can we go home?"

There it was. The one question she had hoped Terra wouldn't ask when she woke up. She had hoped that Terra would live out her life without finding out the truth. But then again, Terra had just forgiven her. Did she really want to lie now? "No, Terra. We can't go home."

Terra became indignant. "Why not? I just want to go back, and after two years, who wouldn't? I want to see Mother again; I want to see Atalanta and Master Gana, and Master Kuval. I want to see Cecilia again, or Erika, heck, even Jake, even though he's so annoying. Do you have any idea how much I've missed them? So why not? Let's go!" She actually started to get out of bed, before Artemis put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

Artemis was at a standstill. How can I make her understand, without emotionally destroying her? "Terra, it's not like I don't want you to come back. If I could, I would, really. But it's just- I mean-"

Terra looked concerned. "What? What do you mean?"

Ugh, there is no way of beating around the bush with this, is there? She started out slowly, trying to make her sister understand. "We have no home to come back to, Terra. It's gone. Slade destroyed it; he burnt it to the ground. After you left, he turned on us, all of us. The people we grew up with, they're all dead. Terra, we're the only Elementals left. I'm sorry that I have to tell you, and that-"

Despite the gentle way Artemis was explaining this, Terra still wouldn't buy it. "No! Artemis, that can't be true! How can we be the only one's left? What about Mom?"

"Mom's dead, Terra," she said quietly. "I saw it; I was there when she- passed. She said she was proud of us, both of us. And Terra? Mom said that you are one of the finest Teras that she ever met."

Tears shone in Terra's eyes, threatening to spill. They were sorrowful tears, but the last part of what Artemis had said made her smile, ever so slightly. "She said that about me? Really?"

Artemis nodded. "Really." Terra crushed her in a hug, one strong enough to rival even Starfire's. Terra started crying. "I can't believe she's gone," she whispered. "I can't believe that they're all gone. What are we going to do now?"

"You can be Dawn again," said Artemis. "You can be happy with what you have now. I won't try to stand in the way of that."

Terra sniffed. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Terra. I'm sure."

"B-but Artemis, what about you? What will you do?"

Artemis sighed. She hadn't planned this far ahead yet. "I'm not sure yet," she said. She thought of what her mother had said to her. "I still have some things I need to do. But I'll figure something out."

"So, we're separating again?" Terra asked.

"We can still stay in touch, we can even meet every once and awhile if you want. I know you have an adoptive mother and a whole school who are both worried sick about you, as you can see from all the flowers. Do you want to go back to them?"

Terra thought about it. "Yeah," she said, after a few minutes of deliberating. "I do. I really do."

What? Should I really be surprised? "O-okay then. I'll get the Titans. I'll tell them that you're ready to go home." She stood up with her cane, and walked towards the door.

"Artemis, wait." She turned around to face Terra. "Please, Artemis, don't tell them that I remember everything. I don't want them to get their hopes up."

"Don't tell- Terra, you want me to lie? To them? I can't lie to them, not even for you!" I can't do that. It just doesn't seem right considering what they've done for me.

Terra folded her hands together and put them in front of her chest. "Please? I- just- I've given up, Artemis. I'm no hero. I'm just an ordinary person now, just a regular civilian. Please, I don't want to hurt them. Not again. Please."

Artemis sighed. "But, Beast Boy; it'll crush him Terra."

Terra sniffled. "I know, but, please? I care about- him so much, but I never want him to worry again. He was my best friend, but he's gotta let me go."

"Alright. I won't tell," Artemis said, walking out the door. She took the nearest elevator downstairs, to the living room. All of the Titans were watching a movie, laughing at what they saw on the screen. Raven was the first to notice Artemis standing in the doorway. The others followed suit. Cyborg shut the TV off, leaving the room in dead silence. They all waited for her to talk, to give the news that they were all waiting for.

"She's awake."

Without another second to waste, they all leapt off the couch, whooping and cheering, and ran to the elevator, packing themselves in, and pressing the button to the infirmary. The elevator booth was crackling with anticipation, just waiting for the doors to open. When they did, all six of them bolted to Terra's room. Just as Robin was about to open the door, Artemis stopped him. Here it goes; I hope you're happy Terra. "Wait. That girl in there, I know you all think she's my sister, but the sad truth is; she says her name is Dawn, and that all she wants to do is to go home."

Beast Boy broke the heavy silence. "You mean, she doesn't remember?" He sounded sad, and disappointed. Starfire gave Artemis a hug, but it was nowhere as enthusiastic as normal. "I offer my apologies, friend."

Artemis shrugged off the hug. "It's okay, Star, really. Let's just get the girl home, okay?" Artemis sighed. This is harder than I thought. Lying shouldn't be this hard.

"Hey," said Cyborg. "I'll drive ya."

Robin nodded. "Alright then, uh, good. Well, pardon the joke, but I'll go alert the media. They've been raving about this 'story' long enough."

"I will assist you," said Starfire, and the two walked down the hall together. Raven put a hand on Artemis' shoulder, then disappeared in a burst of black energy. Cyborg opened the door and stepped inside, with Artemis trailing closely behind him. Cyborg started talking to Terra, explaining what had happened to her, and that it was nothing to worry about. Terra started losing interest, and gazed toward the door, which had been left open.

Beast Boy was still standing there , watching the scene. Their eyes met for moment. Just look away. Terra thought. Act like you have no idea who he is, and he'll go away. Instead Beast Boy stared even more intently. Go. Please... As if he heard her thoughts, he turned and left, his eyes downcast. Just that sight almost made Terra want to break down and admit that she remembered him. But she didn't. It was too risky; she'd probably end up ruining his life even more. Still, it hurt her to watch him leave like that. "You really are the best friend that I've ever had," she whispered. I'm so sorry, Beast Boy. Artemis noticed the both of them, but she said nothing.

"---So if you're ready, we'll leave right away." Huh? What? She looked at Cyborg, who had just finished talking. "Uh, right," she said, "Let's go."

Cyborg handed her a pressed stack of pressed clothes from a nearby table. "We fixed your clothes for you, so just change and we'll be on our way. Artemis and I will be outside."

As soon as Terra walked out, fully clothed in her salvaged school uniform, they immediately took the elevator down to the garage. The ride was silent, and uncomfortable. When they stepped off, Cyborg brought the T-Car over, and they all stepped in, Terra in the backseat, Cyborg driving, and Artemis in the passenger seat. Cyborg asked Terra for her address, which he entered into the navigation system. After that, it was a smooth twenty minute drive to Dawn's house. Except the twenty minutes spent in the car were probably the longest, most silent, apprehensive twenty minutes any of the them had experienced. When the car parked, they found themselves at a charming little duplex on what was considered the "nice" part of Jump City.

"Well, um, this is my house," Terra said lamely.

Cyborg turned to Artemis. "Do you want to walk her up?" he asked.

"Sure," she said, and Artemis hopped out of the car, and caught up with Terra. As they walked up, Terra leaned in closer to Artemis. "Did they buy it ?" she asked. Artemis nodded. "They bought it. You're Dawn to them now, the girl with no memories."

"Good. They won't have to deal with me anymore."

"Terra, I'm sure that they would have forgiven you."

"I don't care; I still don't forgive myself." They started walking up the steps, each one leading closer and closer to their separation. "Hey, Artemis?"

"Yeah?"

"Be nice to Beast Boy alright? He's a great guy."

"He was worried about you, Terra. I saw him back in the infirmary. He kept watch over us you know; when we were both unconscious."

Terra smiled sadly. "He was always so sweet."

Just as they reached the last step, Artemis whispered, "I'm glad you're my sister."

"Me too." As soon as she said that, the door opened and a woman crushed Terra in a huge hug, sobbing into her shoulder. Artemis examined her. She was tall, thin, with dark red hair which she kept in a tight bun. Her brown eyes were hidden underneath a pair of reading glasses. You're definitely not Mother, but I think you'll do. The woman looked at Artemis, awe struck. "Thank you," she said, through her happy tears. "You're a hero." Artemis blinked. Hero? That's a new one. Artemis gave her goodbyes and walked back to the car. As she closed the car door, she saw Terra looking at her from the doorway. She winked, and Terra smiled and went inside, where she could live out the normal life that she had always wanted.

"Are you ready to go?" asked Cyborg.

Artemis nodded. "I think I'm ready." Cyborg started up the engine, and the car roared to life. He pulled out a mike, and said "Tower." The car started driving itself, navigating around corners and other cars without Cyborg touching the wheel. Artemis was sitting silently next to him, too deep in thought to say anything. I just let her go. Just like that. When the two had parted, Artemis slipped Terra her cell phone number. I hope she calls. We have so much to catch up on.

Meanwhile, Cyborg was getting tired of humming songs to himself, so he turned on the radio, and began fiddling around, looking for a station. "Hey, here's a good one," he said, and began to sing along, albeit very, very off key. "Cyborg-licious def, Cyborg-licious def. Def def def-"

Artemis shot him a death glare. "No. Pop. Music."

He gave her the infamous 'puppy dog eyes'. "Please? What if I replace the 'Fergie' with 'Artie'?"

"Not a chance. I can take most forms of pop music, even "Sexy Back", but "Fergalicious" is definitely crossing the line."

"But-"

She folded her arms and glared at him. "You have to be nice to me. I'm ill."

He slumped. "Fine." He was scanning for any station imaginable, letting a mix of dozens of songs play for about a millisecond until...

"Hey, go back one! Go back one!" Cyborg complied, letting the speakers blare what Artemis considered to be one of her new favorite songs. Cyborg laughed. "I never would have taken you for a Journey fan." She shrugged. "The world could do with a little more believing," she said simply, "Plus, this makes a great karaoke song."

Neither of them spoke after that, and Cyborg was trying to come up with a way to break it. "So," he asked, "How are the prosthetics?" Eh, better than nothing.

Artemis looked down at her prosthetics. Her elbow and knees were replaced with thick, teardrop-shaped pieces of metal. They weren't polished like Cyborg's, but rather had a dull sheen to them. Under her shirt, an identical piece of metal had replaced her shoulder bone. "They work fine. Thank you for making them," she said.

"No problem," said Cyborg. "If you have any questions, just ask me. I'm kinda the master of prosthetics at the Tower." He laughed, but Artemis didn't join in.

"It just feels weird," she said. "I feel replaced."

"It's common for you to feel that way. I remember when I first got my- enhancements. I had a total nervous breakdown."

"Really?" she asked timidly. Cyborg mentally slapped himself for making her anxious. "Yeah, but that won't happen to you Artemis. You'll be just fine."

"I hope so." There was a silence, with the both of them thinking of their 'enhancements'. Artemis wondering how she would live with them, and Cyborg trying to remember what it was like before them. When she was staring out of the car window, she noticed a huge pothole in the road, which the T-Car was making a beeline for. Just as she was preparing for the huge jolt, the car passed over it without incident. Cyborg didn't even move the car out of its way. "Um, how did we not hit that pothole?" she asked.

Cyborg laughed. "Because we're not on wheels. There's a jet propulsion system under the car. The T-Car started out on wheels, but I couldn't resist giving my baby some upgrades."

"So, wait, this thing can fly?!"

"Not fly, but it can hover about six inches or so off the ground."

Artemis' yes widened. A hovercar... "Nice," she said. Hmm, I wonder what my bike would look like if it hovered instead of having wheels?

"Lemme guess. You're wondering what your bike would look like if it could hover too."

"How could you tell?"

He shrugged. "You've got the same 'What if I upgraded my ride?' look I have, and believe me, I see that look on me a lot."

She laughed, rapping her knuckles on the car door. "I can see that."

"Speaking of which, I saw your bike in the garage a few days ago when I was waxing the T-Car. It's a nice bike, how'd ya afford it?"

She shrugged. "I didn't pay for it per se, but I didn't steal it either, so don't stare at me like that. It was sort of a- trade. I kept a motorcycle shop from getting robbed, and the owner let me have the bike of my choice as a 'thank you'." She chuckled. "It came in handy when my other one was blown sky high."

Cyborg nodded. He remembered what had happened to Artemis' old bike. The loss of one's ride is always a sad affair. "Did he do the paint job on it? Y'know the crescent moon and the stars going across both sides?"

She shook her head. "It started out with red flame decals, but I repainted it."

"Oh, you know a lot about motorcycles, then?"

"Not really, but I got Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and I have it pretty much memorized." Ugh, all this talk about cars is making me really bored. "Hey, Cy, do you mind if we talk about something other than cars?"

"Sorry, one track mind." In fact, Cyborg was planning on changing the conversation eventually, but he just needed the right moment. Better now than later. Gotcha, Artemis. You thought I'd buy it,didn't you? Sorry, but you can't fool Cy. "Suuuure," he said, "Actually, I have something in mind. Why don't we talk about Terra?" You are so busted...

Artemis' blood ran cold, and she held her breath. I am so busted. "What do you need to know? Her memories are wiped, gone, remember?" She said shakily. Dammit, pull yourself together; he can see right through you!

He smiled, as one would towards a child who got caught stealing from the cookie jar. "Nice try, Artemis, but one of my enhancements is heightened hearing. And not only that, I come with a handy dandy tape recorder." As he said that, a small cable came out of his arm and attached itself to the speakers, replaying the conversation between Artemis and Terra on the steps of Terra's house.

"Did they buy it?"

"Yeah, they bought it. You're Dawn to them now, the girl with no memories." He pressed a button on his arm, and the recording stopped. The cable quickly retracted back into his arm with a snap. "Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked.

"Listen, I can explain, I swear!" she said frantically. "She gave up her powers. She wants to normal. I- I didn't want to lie to you guys, but she begged me to! Please, don't tell the others. She just wants to be left alone Cy; she just wants to-"

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, hey. Easy. I'm not mad at you. I just wanted to know the truth, okay?" She nodded. "Okay, then. Just calm down."

"But what about the others, I mean--"

"Shh! Easy. Deep breaths, in and out. Good. Now, about Ter- Dawn, whatever she wants to be called. I'm not gonna tell anyone if you won't."

Artemis sighed. "But won't that be just as bad as lying, Cyborg? I don't want you to get into trouble, either."

He thought about it, stroking an imaginary beard. "Let's not call it 'lying'. How about 'Doctor/Patient confidentiality'?"

Artemis nodded slowly. "Alright, 'Doctor/Patient confidentiality'. I like that." She smiled, relieved. "Thanks, Cyborg. Star was right about you."

He looked interested. "What was Star right about?"

"When the me and her first met, she was describing the rest of the Titans for me. What did she call you? I think she called you a 'large male sibling', but I'm pretty sure she meant 'big brother'. Like, how you look out for the rest of the team and things like that."

He smiled proudly. "Aww, she makes a good little sister."

Artemis smiled. "I'm pretty sure Robin thinks otherwise."

Cyborg laughed uproariously, clapping his hands together loudly. "Ah, man, the fact that you've already noticed those two makes it even funnier!"

"Just because I've only known you a few days doesn't mean I'm blind and deaf. They couldn't be more obvious."

"If you think what you've seen is something, you should've seen them when we were in Tok-" An artificial female voice broke the silence, speaking over the sound of the radio.

"Greetings, Cyborg. The drive to Titans Tower has been a success. Shall I park the car for you?"

Cyborg sighed. "Maybe I'll tell you the story another time." He pressed a button, and Artemis' door popped open. "Well, ladies first." Artemis stepped out of the car, with Cyborg coming up behind her. She slammed her door shut and started to walk to the elevator. Just remember, keep your story straight, and at least try to talk to Beast Boy. She rode the elevator silently, trying to think about what she was going to say. When the doors finally opened, she found herself in an empty hallway. After a few minutes of wandering around, she found herself in the hall that she had first walked in, back before the Titans had asked her to live with them. The doors to the living room were in front of her. She walked up to the doors apprehensively, and pushed the button to open them. The large crack in the button that she had made two weeks earlier was still there.

The door slid open with a hiss. Robin was leaning over a computer, typing furiously. Starfire was placidly watching a documentary on poisonous fungi, and Raven was sitting on the couch, drinking tea and staring out of the window. Artemis walked up to the couch silently. Raven looked up, and waved her hand slightly, before returning to her tea. Starfire was definitely more enthusiastic, and she jumped up to crush Artemis in a hug. "How did your journey fare?" Starfire whispered.

"Dawn's mother is very nice," Artemis said. "She was happy to get her daughter back."

"I am sorry your quest has failed, friend. I am sure Terra is still- someplace," Starfire said.

You're right, Starfire. She lives about twenty minutes away from here. "I'm sure," said Artemis.

"I believe that she lives on in you," Starfire replied. "In memory. If you wish to believe in the silvery edge to this, that is."

Artemis smiled. "I do like the 'silvery edging' of things, Starfire."

"That is good to know. It is a wise way to go through life."

Artemis looked over Starfire's shoulder. Robin was typing, with little indication of paying attention to the rest of them. He hadn't even moved for the past few minutes, save for his hands. "What's he doing?" asked Artemis.

Starfire shook her head. "I do not know," she said disappointedly. "He would not tell me, nor has he stopped typing since you left. I had hoped that he could join me in watching this documentary; but he has repeatedly said he is very, very busy. Perhaps you should ask him exactly what he is doing."

"I think I will," Artemis said, stepping past Starfire, who was returning to her documentary. "Hey, Robin, whatcha doing?"

Robin quickly minimized whatever window he was working in. "Just some case work," he said. "As of today, your incident at the warehouse has been officially closed."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? So, where's Slade then?"

Robin shut off the computer. "Right now, I'm gonna let the tabloids hash that one out." He chuckled. "Who knows, maybe he escaped to go play poker with Hitler and Elvis in their secret spaceship." He spun around on his chair. "How did your trip go?" Artemis was silent. "That bad, huh?" She nodded, looking down at the ground, refusing to make eye contact. He sighed, and the hard expression on his face softened. "Look, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said. "It's no one's fault."

"I guess you're right, still though, if there's anything we can do for you-"

She laughed. "You've done enough for me, please. Although, can you tell me one thing?"

"Shoot."

"Uh, do you know where Beast Boy is? I have to talk to him."

He nodded. "Right. I'm guessing you saw him after you said that Dawn wasn't your sister. Am I right?"

"Yeah. He was standing outside her room for a few minutes, then he left."

Robin didn't look surprised. "He was really hoping this time," he said. "If you really want to talk to him, he's probably in his room. It's the same hallway as yours, but go three doors down."

"Thanks," said Artemis. "I'll go see if he's there."

Robin shrugged. "He should be there. He hasn't been anywhere else."

She nodded. "Okay. I shouldn't be long. Oh, one more thing."

Robin looked at her. "What?"

Artemis pointed to Starfire, who had gone back to the couch. "She would really like it if you would get off of the computer and watch TV with her."

Robin looked at Artemis curiously. "She would?"

Artemis nodded. "Just something to think about." Artemis turned to leave.

"Oh, wait, Artemis? Ask him if he wants to get pizza or anything. Like, as a victory celebration sort of thing."

She smiled. Pizza... I haven't eaten real food in two weeks... "I'll ask. Thanks again, Robin."

He smiled back. "No problem, Artemis."

Artemis left, but not before seeing Robin walk over to Starfire and ask if he could sit down. To Artemis' delight, she said yes; and he sat down right next to her, then asked if she could explain the show to him. She smiled, a little too happy to oblige him. Artemis thought she saw her scoot a little bit closer to him, and she was this close to putting her head on his shoulder. She smiled. Kodak moment... I should get Cyborg in here.

She left the room and walked to Beast Boy's room, but not before stopping by her room. She cracked the door open, and Kahmet jumped out, and landed in her arms. He curled up into a contented little ball of fur, and began to purr loudly. "Hey," she said, cuddling Kahmet, "How are you? Were they feeding you, and brushing you, and stuff?" Kahmet mewed happily, and snuggled deeper into her chest. Kahmet licked her finger daintily with his sandpaper tongue. "Do you want to visit Beast Boy, honey?" Another mew. "Alright. Let's go."

Beast Boy's door was open. He was sitting on the windowsill, holding something in his hand. "Beast Boy?" Artemis called out. "I come bearing good tidings," she held up Kahmet, "and cats." Kahmet leapt out of her hands, and ran over to hop onto Beast Boy's lap. He started to idly pet Kahmet gently on the head, before pulling out a small cat toy from his pocket. He tossed it onto the floor for Kahmet to chase it around. "Hey, Artemis," he said.

Artemis waved. "Hi." She pointed curiously to the toy Kahmet was playing with. "Is that his catnip mouse?" she asked. "I thought it was in my room."

"It was," said Beast Boy, "He gave it to me as a 'present' a week ago. I've held onto it since, for whenever he wants to play with it."

She smiled at Kahmet playing on the floor. As aloof as he was, give him catnip, and he was in heaven. "It's better than the 'presents' he gives me sometimes. What exactly did you do to earn it? He's usually pretty protective of his toys."

Beast Boy smiled, but only slightly. "I watched him while you were- out. Made sure he was fed and brushed, and stuff."

She smiled. "Thank you."

He shrugged. "What can I say? Who can resist a little cat pawing on your door?" She smiled again. "How do you think I got him in the first place?"

Beast Boy looked up at Artemis, who was still standing in his doorway. "You come in, if you want."

Artemis walked into Beast Boy's room, up to where he was sitting on the windowsill. "Can I sit down?" Beast Boy moved over to make room. "So," she said, sitting down," How are you?"

He sighed. "I'm fine, I guess." He thought quickly of a way to change the subject. "Did you know the press came up with a name for you?"

Artemis lifted an eyebrow. "Really, what?"

He chuckled. "Avatar."

She laughed. "Oh, that's original."

He smiled. "Do you think you'll use it?"

"Not unless I want to be sued by Nickelodeon for copyright infringement."

He laughed quietly. "Good point." There was a silence after that, because neither of them wanted to talk about- her.

Artemis shifted to sit Indian-style in front of Beast Boy. He was avoiding looking at her though, choosing instead to look out of the window. "I'm sorry," she said, putting a hand on his knee. "I wanted her to remember too, but-"

"It's not your fault, Artemis. You don't have any power over what she remembers and what she doesn't. Only she can, and she didn't want to."

Artemis looked down sadly, and put her hand back on her lap. If only you knew. "I know," she whispered.

He sighed again, resting his head on his hand. "I wish I could forget. I mean, she forgot about us, right? Why can't I forget about her, then?"

How do you answer that question? "It's hard to forget. I know; I've tried it before."

"How did that work out?"

She shrugged. "It doesn't work. No matter what you do, that person, or people, just stay in your head." Artemis rethought her words though, when she saw Beast Boy's bleak expression. "If you want, I can help you forget," she said gently. It's the least I can do for you, after what I've done.

Beast Boy stared at her. "How can you do that?" he asked.

"Do you have anything that reminds you of her?"

Beast Boy got up, and started shuffling through his many drawers. "Hold on, I have something." After five minutes of harried searching, he came up with a silver heart-shaped box, and a blue, wooden barrette. He sat back down next to her, and handed her the two items. "Here, I have these." Artemis took the items, and examined them. The box seemed handmade, albeit a bit sloppily. There was a strip of photos hidden inside the box, which showed Beast Boy and Terra in one of those photo booths popular in malls and fairgrounds. They both looked so happy, and in one, Terra was kissing Beast Boy on the cheek. The barrette though, was what really caught her eye.

Her mother had carved it for Terra years ago, saying that her hair should stay out of her eyes. 'It makes you look like you've done something wrong', she used to say, when Terra fought with her over whether or not she should wear it. Their mother always won with that remark, though. Terra always hated doing anything wrong.

Terra had made Artemis a matching barrette of her own for her fourteenth birthday. It had been green, and made out of clay, which Terra had molded herself. Artemis remembered what had happened to it, too. She had broken it, throwing the pieces to the ground, during the last time she had seen Terra, before she ran away. She had regretted doing it, just like she did everything else that day, and here it was again. It was dusty and dirty, and the robin's-egg blue paint was beginning to chip, but it was the same barrette nonetheless. She turned it over and over in her hand, inspecting it. If she tried hard enough, she could almost smell sunflowers and wheat, two of her sister's favorite smells.

"Is this all?" she asked. Beast Boy nodded. "Alright."

Artemis placed the box in between them, and opened it. She took the film strip out, and held in the same hand as the barrette. "Hold your hands out like this," she said, cupping her own hands to demonstrate. Beast Boy did as she said, and held his cupped hands out. Artemis dropped the strip and the barrette into his hands. "Don't move your hands," she said, "And please, above all things, don't flinch." Beast Boy stared at her, but did as she said. Artemis placed her cupped hands directly under Beast Boy's, so that they were touching. "Close your eyes," she said, "And think of letting go." After she saw that Beast Boy had closed his eyes, she followed suit, and began to focus.

Small black flames crept out of the backs of Artemis' hands, stretching out into the air and curving back, as not to burn Beast Boy. As soon as the flames touched the two items he was holding, they viciously attacked, burning them from the outside in. Beast Boy felt the heat from the flames, but did not open his eyes. After a few minutes, the flames disappeared into the air, and Artemis opened her eyes. "You can open your eyes now, Beast Boy."

Beast Boy opened his eyes, and stared at his hands looking to see what she had done. Only ashes and paint chips remained of the barrette, and a tiny picture of Beast Boy's hair was all that remained of the photo strip. "What did you do?!" Beast Boy took a moment or two to think. "I think I get it. This is supposed to help me let go of her."

She nodded. "I can't wipe away your memories, but this was the best I can do for you." She raised one of her hands, and the ashes were picked up by a small gust of air, which whirled around to form a small tornado. It coiled around in the space between them, whipping their hair around as it slowly made its way to the box. As the ashes fell in, the tornado disappeared. "Close the box," said Artemis. As soon as Beast Boy shut the box, Artemis took a finger and painstakingly welded it shut using her fire. As it was cooling, she quickly burned a dime sized hole in the box's side. As soon as it had cooled, she handed it off to Beast Boy. "Does this window open?" she asked. He nodded, opening it for her. "You know what to do." she said. "You can say a few words if you want, if it would help you."

Beast Boy hefted the box in his hand. "Goodbye, Terra," he whispered, and he hurled the box out of his room, towards the ocean. He saw the twinkling silver object fall through the air, and hit the water. The hole Artemis made in the box allowed it to fill with water, and it sank to the bottom of Jump City Bay. "Wow," he whispered. he felt- lighter somehow. Like her didn't have to worry about her anymore. He had finally- he hoped- let her go. He turned around and looked at Artemis. She certainly didn't look like Terra, but she had her spirit. He felt Terra would have done the same thing, if she knew it would help him. She's so nice. It's like having Terra back, only different, because I don't think she'll leave me. He took a closer look at Artemis. She looked sad and guilty, like she had just done something wrong. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Artemis, what's wrong?"

Artemis looked him, concerned. Have I helped him, or have I just made him feel even worse? I just destroyed the last bits of Terra that he had left. Oh, what have I done? "Please tell me that what I just did helped you."

Beast Boy leaned over, and gave Artemis a huge hug. "It helped. You helped me a lot. Thanks."

Artemis hugged him back. "No problem."

After a little while, they let go of each other. "What do you want to do now?" Beast Boy asked her.

"Hmm... Well, Robin did mention pizza..."

He jumped up from the windowsill, and pulled Artemis up as well. "Say no more."

The pizzeria was crowded, but a table quickly opened up as soon as the hostess saw that the Titans were back. After sitting down and ordering, they started to chat amongst themselves. They congratulated Artemis on her recovery, and as soon as their drinks arrived; Robin lifted his glass of Coke in a toast. "We've been through a lot in the past few weeks. We've met new people-" he nodded towards Artemis-"and stopped old acquaintances from destroying the city-"

"Again," the others chimed in.

"-Again. So," Robin continued," in short, I'd like to thank Artemis for keeping us on our toes, and for willingly risking her life for the safety of our city." They began to drink, when Artemis chimed in. "I'd like to say something, too." Everyone at the table stopped.

She raised her own glass. "I want to thank you all for me being here today. When Starfire said I could stay with you for a few days, I didn't really know what I was getting into. I didn't know that all of this would happen, and that I'd have you all to thank for my life. I'd like to dedicate today to new beginnings. I want to dedicate today to all of you, for taking me into your home, and keeping me alive. You've given me a home again, and I am forever grateful for that." She went to sip from her glass, when Beast Boy cut in.

"I have something I want to say." The others sighed, but stopped drinking regardless. "I'm happy that we're all here, together, especially those we knew might not be here today. I want to dedicate today to the important things, like friendship. Like truth, justice, and-"

"Freedom?" asked Robin, who was not quite sure where Beast Boy was going with this.

"No!" Beast Boy replied, laughing. "Pizza!"

Artemis laughed. "I'll drink to that!" They all clinked their glasses together and drank- finally. They all started talking again, until the waitress came with their pizzas. "Alright, alright," said Cyborg, slicing a piece of chicken ranch pizza. "I think Artemis should get the first piece." He slid the slice down to her, who picked it up eagerly. "Mmm..." she said, taking a huge bite. "My first bite of real food in two weeks."

Beast Boy laughed, getting his own slice from Cyborg. "It's good, right?" He took a huge bite out of his slice and swallowed. Only a few seconds later did he recoil in disgust. "Cyborg! This is pepperoni!"

Cyborg laughed. "Oops, my mistake. Did it taste alright, BB? Do ya want any more? I've got plenty..."

Robin glared at him. "Really?" he asked him. Cyborg glowered at Robin, but gave Beast Boy a piece of veggie-only pizza regardless. "That's what I thought," mumbled Beast Boy, while taking a bite out of his new slice.

Starfire turned to Artemis, who was sitting next to her. "So, friend, will you remain here, with us?"

Artemis put down her pizza. "I have to let you guys know- I don't like to stay in one place for very long. Especially in a city; I've never liked cities..." They all looked disappointed.

She smiled. "But.. You've convinced me to stick around. I said I could never repay you guys, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to try."

"Are you sure?" asked Robin. "It doesn't get any easier from here." They all waited silently for her answer.

"I'm sure. I just can't see myself being anywhere else." The Titans smiled, and Starfire leaned over to give Artemis a hug. "You will enjoy it here very much."

"Well, then," said Robin, as Cyborg clapped her on the back. "Welcome to the team."

END

Final Author's Notes: Well, considering this started out as a sixth grade daydream; I'm amazed that I've made it this far. I went through about ten full rewrites of the story; and then started to write it down during class in seventh grade(Bad, I know, but I knew what she was teaching anyway). I'm happy and sad at the same time to end 'Artemis', because I've focused on it for so long. I am so grateful that you've read it to the end, and have been kind enough to review. I'm thrilled at how much attention this story has been given, especially since there are so many other stories out there. I hope that I will see many of you again, when I get around to writing the sequel(which should be sometime soon). Please, tell me, honestly, what you think thus far. Artemis' tale isn't over yet, and there is still so much to write about. I know I will see you all again, next time...

Artemis out... For now.