Well, I would've liked to have gotten this out last week, but I've been busy as usual. Don't expect another update this week, since I'll be very busy this week too. After that though, it shouldn't be as bad. For those of you reading "Tearing Me Down", it might be a while before that one is updated, since finishing this story is my first priority.

Good news is this story is close to being finished. After this chapter, there is only a few more, maybe five at the most. Thanks for your patience!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 25: Onward

Calabos stood in very large, circular, dark chamber. At the end against the wall was what appeared to be a dark altar, with torches flanking it on both sides. Behind the altar was a tall statue of a menacing-looking monster, probably an effigy of his father. As he watched, his servants were busy making preparations to the chamber.

"This will be where it happens," he said to himself. He was barely able to contain his excitement. He could practically feel the flesh of his restored body already!

He turned around to back to his chamber, but was met by Eutonos in the hall.

"Master, Scar Wing has returned," the evil Templar announced. At hearing this, Calabos's eyes lit up.

"Excellent, send him to my chamber at once."

"But master, I need to tell you-"

"Not now, just meet me upstairs. I will talk to you two there," the half-demon ordered. The templar watched as he disappeared through the ceiling, and hurried as fast as he could upstairs.

Moments later, Calabos was standing in his chamber, awaiting the arrival of his sky captain. Said creature arrived on the balcony shortly thereafter, with Eutonos arriving at almost the same time.

"Ah, Scar Wing! You are back. So tell me, did you find this 'Beast Boy'?" Calabos asked the monster. The creature narrowed its red eyes and bowed its head.

"Yes, master," it hissed.

"Splendid! So, what did you do with him?" Calabos asked hopefully. The monster hesitated before delivering its answer.

"My lord, we did not catch him. He is still out there."

There was a silent pause. When Calabos looked up again, his expression was absolutely furious.

"You didn't tell me downstairs?!" the half-demon yelled.

"I…" Eutonos was flung against the wall by the sorcerer's powers and held there before he could finish.

"I could throw you over that balcony, you know! Maybe I should!" he yelled again.

"I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't let me," the evil Eutonos replied emotionlessly.

The half-demon released him, allowing him to fall to the floor. In a rage, Calabos overturn a table with his powers and smashed it against the wall. He then proceeded to throw several books off his shelves, overturned several more items of furniture, and topped it off by shattering his mirror. He stormed over to the balcony, grabbed the rail, and hung his head as he breathed deeply. Eutonos and Scar Wing spent a moment watching his back, before he finally turned around and re-entered the room.

"Well, that was tiring," the demon replied in a tone that sounded as if nothing had just happened. He looked around, and seemed to be confused. "Eutonos, where is my table?"

"It's against the wall," the dark Templar replied, a little shaken. Calabos looked surprised, and turned his head to the overturned table that was still leaning against the wall. To their shock, the sorcerer let out a light-hearted chuckle.

"Goodness, you're right! My apologies, I really must learn to control my temper," he said in a polite tone. He turned and examined Scar Wing, who bowed his head.

"So, where is this 'Beast Boy' now?" he asked calmly.

"There were Zamoans in the area, master. They found him and attacked us before we could kill him. There were too many for us to fight. Our spies tell us that the changeling is in their custody now."

"Zamoans?" Calabos turned around and narrowed his eyes. "Those tree-loving banshees," he whispered. "They're probably after me as well."

"My lord, it was not completely in vain. I captured this." The creature held out its hand, revealing the torn, bloody shard of Beast Boy's uniform that he had caught earlier. At seeing it, Calabos's expression changed to that of amazement.

"Yes…yes!" he said as he beheld it. "This could be even better for us, after all! Good work! Now give that to me, please." Scar Wing held out its hand, and he took it. As he held it, a mischievous look crept onto his face.

Beast Boy stood frozen in shock for a moment before his brain processed the message. When it did, his expression lit up.

"You're going to help us? Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"When can we leave?" Robin asked.

"We start leaving now, if you wish. But you must guide us there. It is the fastest way. Do you remember the path?"

Beast Boy nodded. "I sure do." His animal blood allowed him to have a much better sense and memory of direction than most.

"We've been trying to find Calabos' lair for years," Worek said with a slight tone of amazement. "And now it looks like we'll finally find it. Do you know where it is?"

He nodded again. "It's in a mountain range north of here…at the top of one of the mountains.

Worek looked shocked. "The Sorgul pass? We've been up there numerous times and haven't found a thing! Are you sure it's there?"

"Oh, it's there alright," Beast Boy said confidently.

"Well, we trust you. Before we begin though, I need to know something. You said Calabos plans on using Raven for something. What does he want her for?"

Beast Boy paused uneasily. "Raven said he was going to do some ritual on her. Something about draining her powers to restore the flesh to his body so he can get his powers back."

A gasp quickly went through the crow and Worek's eyes widened briefly, but then he regained his composure. "I see. Well, I can look into this for you and determine exactly what he's doing. But it will take some research."

"Really? You can do that?" Cyborg asked. The Templar pointed to his pack.

"I carry books, too. Of course I can do it, but it will take some time. I'm not guaranteeing that I can find out, but it can't hurt to look."

"Great. Now, when do we set out?" Beast Boy asked hopefully.

"We can go now if you wish," Genia answered. "Just give my warriors some time to prepare."

"But how are we going to get there in time?" Robin asked as they packed up.

"We're not going to walk, that's for sure!" she replied. She gave a command in an unfamiliar language, and the Titans watched in awe as the fifteen or so other Zamoans transformed before their eyes. Now there stood a variety of majestic-looking beasts. Some were large birds, others were fast-looking four legged animals, a couple being the tiger-like animal Aalya used.

"Choose your mount, but remember, they lead, not you," Genia said with a smirk. She then became a bird that resembled a large, black hawk.

It didn't take long for them to get underway. Cyborg, Jinx, Robin, and the two Templar chose ground mounts. Starfire, who didn't need a mount, chose to fly. Beast Boy, now the leader of the group, became a wolf, and the Titans set on their way.

It was a tad after midday when everyone paused to take a break.

"Beast Boy! Everyone, come here!" Worek shouted.

"What is it?" Robin asked as the Titans gathered around him.

"I've found it! I've found out what Calabos is planning for Raven!" he said excitedly.

"Well what is it?" Beast Boy asked impatiently.

The Templar cleared his throat and picked up a rather old-looking book.

"What is that?" Cyborg asked. Worek and Phanos grinned.

"The Necronomicon. Actually, it's just a copy of it, and it's not even complete, so the darkest magic isn't in here. Even still, we're, uh, technically not supposed to have it."

"How did you get it?" Jinx asked.

"We lifted it off a warlock after we defeated him. He had a bunch of goodies lying around his lair," Phanos explained.

"Anyway," Worek said as he flipped through its pages, "I looked through it, and I found a ritual that matches what you described, Beast Boy." He held up the book for them to see, and everyone gathered closer. "Calabos plans to use a spirit transfer on Raven. It is an ancient, dark ritual used to resurrect daemons. It involves sacrificing the spiritual power of one daemon to bring another back to life. It's a very delicate procedure, and one must have an unresisting victim for it to work. Also, the spiritual energies must match."

"What does that mean?" Beast Boy asked.

"It means the sacrifice and the sacrificer must be of the same nature. In other words, only the flesh of a demon can replenish the flesh of another. Calabos however is only half-demon, so he in turn needs to use another half-demon to complete the ritual. Your friend Raven is a perfect candidate. Once he breaks her will, he will use this ritual to drain her of her powers and get his flesh and blood back."

"Peachy," Cyborg moaned.

"Indeed. And now for some more bad news. Ready?" Worek asked cheerfully.

"What?! You mean this gets worse?" Beast Boy asked exasperated.

"Yes. To connect her spirit to his, Calabos must link their charkas so the energies can transfer to him. However, in order for the affects to be permanent, he has to kill her."

"What? NO!" Beast boy shouted.

Jinx threw up her arms. "Well come on, why are we sitting around here while we should be-"

"We will get him, don't worry! But we needed to know what we are up against first. Once the power transfer is complete, Raven's life will end. However, if we can kill Calabos before it's complete, the transfer will completely reverse itself. He will be weak for a time after he reincarnates while his power slowly builds up, and then is when we must strike."

"Sounds like a plan to me. I've got no problem with it," Beast Boy said, with an icy undertone in his voice.

"We don't even need to kill him. His chakra stone will be the anchor of his spirit until the transfer is complete. If we can somehow separate his chakra stone before he completes the ritual, it will have the same effect and destroy him. However, seeing as it's embedded in his chest, that'd be fairly difficult," Worek explained.

"It's settled then," Beast Boy said to the rest. "Either he dies, or Raven dies. And I'm not about to lose Raven." Everyone else nodded silently. Beast Boy turned without saying a word and left to be by himself until they were ready to leave again.

He sat underneath a tree, staring blankly off in the distance, thinking of nothing but Raven. He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice Robin come up from behind.

"Beast Boy?"

Slightly startled, the changeling quickly looked up. Seeing who it was, he sneered and turned away.

"Beast Boy, can we please talk?" Robin asked quietly.

"Sure," Beast Boy said roughly. He knew Robin wouldn't go away until he agreed.

"Beast Boy, I'm sure you're furious at me and would like to strangle me right now," Robin began. He noticed a slight grin spread on Beast Boy's face, then disappear.

"But I just wanted to say that…" He never was good at apologizing. "I'm very sorry for what I said back there. What I said was terrible and untrue. Do you think you could forgive me."

Beast Boy let out an angry laugh. "You just don't get it do you, Robin? It's not just what you said. It's YOU! You don't care what we think; everyone's just a pawn to you! You never stop to think about the other guy's feelings! You treat us either like children or robots! And when we make mistakes, you have to makes us feel like crap! But oh no, when you screw up, it's never a big deal! Tell me Bird Boy, did Batman ever teach you any social skills when he trained you?"

Robin stuttered, and found he couldn't answer that. He knew he couldn't answer, because it was true.

"I thought so," Beast Boy said angrily, and with a tone that signaled he was through talking.

"Beast Boy, wait!" Robin pleaded, finally finding his voice. He paused for a second, but then, almost as if by miracle, it dawned on him. "I know you're angry. You have every right to be. But what I said back there…it wasn't because I was angry at you. It was because I was angry at myself."

That little part caused Beast Boy's ears to perk, giving Robin some hope that he hadn't completely lost him.

"I was angry at myself because I felt you guys getting kidnapped was my fault," he continued. "I was scared that I would lose you guys. I was so angry and scared that I tried to blame someone, anyone else to make me feel better, and that someone ended up being you. But that was wrong of me, Beast Boy."

The changeling didn't reply.

"You're right, Beast Boy. I am cocky, I am arrogant, and I am thoughtless. But those are all my failings, not yours. Beast Boy, you are a hero. Especially when it matters."

When Robin looked down, he saw that Beast Boy had buried his face in his arms. When he looked up again, his eyes were glistening.

"Beast Boy? What's wrong?"

"When you said that, you made me feel like a failure," the shape-shifter replied. "Cause I had been blaming myself for it all along. And when you said it, you sort of made those feelings seem real."

"You're not a failure, Beast Boy," Robin said encouragingly.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm cursed. I've lost everyone I've ever loved," Beast Boy said. "My parents, Terra…now I'm afraid Raven will be next in line. I don't want that to happen."

"None of us do. We will get her back, BB. I promise."

"You promise?" Beast Boy asked. Robin nodded.

"We're all here for you, Beast Boy. Don't ever forget that."

Beast Boy felt strangely better, as if something had lifted off his shoulders. He still felt resentment at Robin's earlier remark, but him apologizing and them talking felt way better than all the anger he was keeping pent up.

"Thanks Robin."

"No problem, dude," their leader said warmly. Taking a chance, he extended his hand. "We cool?"

Beast Boy looked at it for a moment, stood up, and shook it firmly. "Yeah, we cool."

A slight commotion rose from the rest of the group, signaling they were ready to move on.

"Well, we gotta get moving," Robin said. The shape-shifter nodded and went over to join them.

"Oh, and Beast Boy," Robin said as they returned. "You throw a wicked right-hook."

Beast Boy laughed, for the first time in a long time.

Raven paced around her room/prison cell, too anxious and worried to sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about Beast Boy and her friends and whether they would make it in time. God, she hated being like this. Being a damsel in distress wasn't for her, yet here she was, waiting to be rescued. She loathed being helpless, and she loathed being used even more.

The door to her cell was opened, and in stepped Calabos and two guards. Raven turned away, not even wanting to look at his face.

"What the hell do you want?" she asked, not even bothering to look back.

"Just came to see how my favorite guest was doing," Calabos said mockingly as he approached her. Raven turned around and looked him straight in the eye. Something wasn't right.

"Why so gloomy? Disappointed that your green prince hasn't come to rescue you yet?"

"Actually, more disappointed that you're still here getting on my nerves," she said flatly.

"Ha. You know, Raven, you should stop putting so much faith in your friends. They may let you down before you know it."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Raven asked.

"You know what I mean. Did you really expect your friend Beast Boy to succeed out there? Did you really think he had a chance?" Calabos continued.

Raven felt a sense of dread boiling up in her chest at that question. What was he talking about? And why did he look so triumphant, all of a sudden? Could something have happened to Beast Boy?

"What are you talking about?" she asked apprehensively. The sorcerer took a step forward.

"My scouts found him, Raven. He was alone." He paused, allowing this to sink in. "And they tried to take him back alive. Unfortunately, he would not allow that."

There was no questioning what he meant with that statement. Raven's eyes widened, but she refused to believe it.

"Yes, unfortunately, he chose to fight instead. They were forced to end his life."

All at once, Raven felt her heart speeding, her head swimming, and her legs weakening. It wasn't true! It must have been a trick!

"You lie!" she hissed, desperate to defy him.

"Do I?" he asked innocently. "Well, maybe this will convince you." He gestured, and one of the guards came forward. It reached into a pocket and pulled out an object, which it placed in Raven's hand. Raven slowly looked down, and in her hand she saw a very familiar piece of purple cloth. Beast Boy's uniform. It was torn, and stained red with what had to have been blood.

"Do not worry, Raven. They tell me he fought valiantly to his last breath. He even shouted your name right before they ate him alive," Calabos said in false sympathy.

The realization hit her harder than any blow she'd received in a battle. It felt as though someone had rammed her with a cement truck. She'd feared her friends dying before, but that terrible reality had never occurred. She knew them, lived with them, and that in a way had made them immortal to her. This couldn't be happening!

'No…no…' she chanted inside her head. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. She tried not to believe it, but the proof was right there in her hand. Beast Boy was dead. Beast Boy was dead, and it was all her fault. The only boy who had truly loved her was gone.

Raven felt herself growing dizzy, and a feeling of nausea crept up in her stomach as she stared at the bloody cloth. Her entire world felt like it had just collapsed. Rage, sadness, guilt…everything flowed through her at once. Had she still had her powers, they would have destroyed the place. Not caring about anything anymore, she allowed silent tears to freefall down her face. She was too heartbroken to notice Calabos's presence creeping into her mind again. Before she knew what was happening, her mind went blank, as if someone just shut off a switch. The violet-haired mage collapsed in a heap on the cold floor. With a look of what almost looked like sympathy, Calabos knelt down and traced a fleshless finger over her cheek that was still damp from tears.

"Rest now, my sweet Raven. I have big plans for you."

Woooh! I'm sure some of you about to go out of your minds. I know some of you really despise my villain right now, though I admit I sort of like him. Not because he's my character, but because to me he's what Raven could have been like had she not been raised the way she was. Sorry if the cliffhangers are driving you crazy, too. Have no fear though, this story will be finished. Thanks for all the great reviews, and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.