Chapter 2. The place of a Monster.
Beast Boy remembered the promise he made Robin like it was yesterday, like a story that once upon a time he was told to believe. He couldn't remember when exactly he left but it had to be at least five months ago.
So long.
Cy.
This place does things to you, he told himself. It was so obvious that Beast Boy hesitated every move he made but never hesitated to keep going. He had to, for her.
This place didn't look like the earth he knew anymore. He had travel from jump city to south then north then east until he found a perfect trail that matched the sound he followed. It was far, that was the only thing he could tell about the trip but to where it would lead… He was lost. Lost but knowing where to go.
It wasn't so hard for him to travel around continent to another continent with the nature of his persona. All he had to do was to choose and when he did, he only need to transform. He did that thinking of the fastest and the most fitted to the environment animal he could transform to get faster. He began with a cheetah, then with an eagle and when he got to sea, he went as a shark. Crossing every board and city without permission. Everyone dismissed him. He liked that.
He was exhausted at the end of a day of traveling it was exhausting and it wore him off so much, he was barely able to move at the end of the day if not days of traveling. He searched for shelter in every corner, with humble people he shared meals and he rested under shade of a tree. As an animal it was easy. As a human nobody help him.
When he went to sleep before shutting his eyes to dream of Raven he rendered the day he left the tower. When he left his friends without notice and trace, just like Raven now. Well at least she had the decency to say goodbye to her friends and say what she will do on her journey. But he left without notice in the night… crawling, literally, out. He liked to think that he hesitated on his decision but it was a lie and he knew it because all he cared for was to find her and he couldn't care less of his friends now.
But he was worried. How would Cyborg react? Would he ever forgive him? Had he forgave him the other day he promise to help Robin? Robin. Will he understand why he left? If anyone of them he wished Robin deduce it. He needed them to know why he left but not from him. How could he tell them and look at their faces? They will surely want to come, and he could not have that, if it didn't work he will never be able to face his friends.
His friends.
"I can't believe I did this" Beast Boy say rather lamely looking like a puppy, literally, he looked at the old dog he was curled up against, this one yawned and stretch when he heard his voice. "I'm starving for real food and I'm going to die!" He said sounding more childish than he wanted. The old dog blow his nose and reached for something at his left, when Beast Boy saw what it was he felt his eyes watery. It was a slice of pizza a little bitten but cheese was still there.
"Nah bro!" The dog lay it in front of him and then snuggle against the cheap fabric underneath him. "Pizza... And it has no meat! It's like if you knew me!" He sniffed it with his nose and then gave it a bite leaving only the crust that later the other dog ate. "Being a dog isn't that bad" Beast Boy said stretching and curled up against the other dog. "The flies are a dick move though... You should've told me you have... Hahaha" he laugh to his own joke, suddenly missing Cyborg.
The dog was almost drifting into a sleep but woke up when he heard the boy's laughter. It was a cheerful one but it turn to a very gloomy laugh.
"Where are we?" Beast Boy asked confused looking up to the sky, a blue reddish sky with big bright red and yellowish stars so clear he bet his eyes will be hurting later.
The tree he was leaning on was one of the weirdest things he had seen before. It was so twisted, its branches so big forming spirals and knots with others. The strangest though was the color, it was brown like every other but not quite... Because when he looked again it seemed to be darkish blue.
"Is this even earth?" He asked the dog who only puffed and continue with his resting. "And why is there no other being here other than us? I haven't seen any not even an ant. The only insect here are our flies... I think"
"I can't hear more..." he finally admitted with a pout. "I'M LOST AND FOREVER A DOG!" He then shifted into his human form startling the old dog who cried out.
"I'm sorry..." He said quickly and soft while he got up and rested against the tree. He closed his eyes and took of his gloves and felt the air. The currents were off, he could feel a mess, blowing to one place but then going the opposite. He frowned.
"You know what! I'm going to just follow it, like, fuck it! I'm already lost any ways" he muttered the last part and with his arms sticking out he follow the wind, his eyes shot closed. He heard the dog yawn and that was the last he heard off a living thing.
OOOOO
He felt like he had been going for hours.
Almost loosing hope to just lay down in the grass of this strange place. But the nonsenses he thought he was following actually lead him to a place, and what a place it was.
At first he saw a tree, a gigantic one by the way, with its wood being the color of the previous one, its roots were so thick and long. When he looked closer he saw that the tree was attached to the large stone wall it had behind it where he could make up a large cave, cover by the leaves and branches of the tree.
It didn't help that such cave and also the tree were next to a waterfall that didn't seem to have a top, obviously it was because of the mist, a cloudy weather at least that's what he wanted to believe, it was still really odd for him.
"She's there" He said to himself as he shifted into an eagle and flew towards the cave, once he was up the he transformed into his human form and carefully glanced down from where he was the long roots of the tree hid well the cave, but not entirely. It's too up' was the first thing that came across his mind as he took a step into the cave.
"Raven" he found himself calling out. He walked a few minutes when he heard something. Music. Something that sounded like jazz or a blues muffled beneath the sound of the waterfall behind him and the echo of this strange cave. With too much enthusiasm he followed the sound to the only place he could go. Further into that cave.
The music became louder and he heard someone, not the voice of the records but the sound of someone moving and singing. As he heard the music louder he notice that the sound of his step change; the stone where he had been walking on ended and a wooden floor begin.
"Wha…" He, confused, step in the wooden floor and continued his walk when he saw a light at the turn, he ran towards it feeling a little tickle in his stomach. He ran hard and hard and it was then at the end of the corridor that he turn quickly and then… he crashed against a wooden table. This one didn't move, it was oddly large and heavy. He grabbed his knee, which got all of the impact, and wince dropping on the floor.
But then he heard a surprise gasp from the dark corner beyond the big table and it wasn't a normal voice it was a deep voice, it sounded deep and strong almost unreal. The green boy managed to get up and take a look at that dark corner.
Beast Boy couldn't see it at first but then in all that darkness he began to notice a large figure, very tall and big almost twice his size if almost three; dark and covered in black feathers from head to toe for exception of its face. Its face was of the same color, black yet smooth the light of the room glistening in its skin and four golden eyes could be seen in its large head, beautiful and glowing bright.
"Beast Boy" The weird creature called out in its deep voice making contrast with the beautiful sound of the woman singing on the record that was playing next to it.
It couldn't be Raven, why she was so big and sinister? He squinted his eyes and saw a pair of large horns stinking out of the side of her… its head. It opened its mouth again, its dark and round lips moved gracefully as it made something like a smile.
"Is it really you?" Beast Boy finally asked, the beast… or so now suspected as Raven nodded enthusiastically with a smile and stood up softly form where she'd been resting only to later see the young green boy take a step back as he only stared at her in a mixture of fear, awe and confusion.
She regretted it inmedetly catching his fear, her expression quickly change to shock and regret, she stood there not coming closer and then looked at herself like if she had forgotten she looked like this. "Oh, I see…" She whispered to herself her expression going blank and not caring. "I forgot" She uncharacteristic said with a non-caring voice. Her eyes wide open.
Beast Boy felt silent, no longer caring of how she looked. He now felt anger slowly taking over the other feelings as he saw how she pretended that nothing happened. She turn away and sat and continued listening to her music.
"I never wanted you to see me like this" She finally said with that awful voice. He kept quiet as he saw her make a so fake smile that it nearly fell to the creepy line. "I never wanted you to find me…"
"Then why am I here?" Beast Boy finally spat out glaring at her, she picked up his tone and looked at his face seeing the anger. She made a soft 'hmm' and with her blank eyes she continued to pretend she was listening to music. Her eyes were psychotic looking.
"I suppose she left him a trail to catch on" She said more of like for herself and not for him.
"She?" He asked confused. She looked at him and wide-eyed and smiled, it appeared like she was trying to act human if you can say that, like if she'd forgotten all human interactions she'd had. Beast Boy felt a shiver go down his spine.
"I meant me, before this" She gestured to herself. "I really didn't want you to see me like this…"
"I don't care Raven! I DON'T CARE! RAVEN! WHAT HAPPENED?! DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING!? IS THIS REALLY YOU!? WHAT'S GOING ON!?" He yell at her feeling his eyes tear up, feeling a knot in his throat he was furious and even that felt short.
Silence took over as Raven continued to listen to the song till it go to the end and then she pulled the vinyl record out of the way and place it next to her where a bunch where pilled up. She smiled and then picked up a cup that was in the counter next to the record. In her hand looked comical; so small and silly.
"It is me but different, I'm no longer capable of living in the human world in such state… I've change so I ask myself: Am I still Rave?" She said poetically at, again, at herself rather that answering Beast Boy's questions, she drank out of her cup… left empty the tea cup in one sip. "I understand you came to find me… amm because you love me" The way she said it sounded as mockery, as nothing, as little and it made him feel at first flustered and shock then sick and full of revulsion. "And I let it happened because I still love you"
It was the first time she had said that to him, the first time it was so obvious to both of them and not wanting to hide it, the first time he didn't doubt that she loved him and that he knew that what she say was true. And it disgusted him.
"I guessed that that's why I let this go on for so long" She said with a smile, this one looked genuine. He couldn't believe her. "Yes! It is!" She said as if she was discovering something for the first time.
"Because you love me?" he asked unbelievable.
"Yes" She nodded with a nonchalant expression that wanted to express love but couldn't. "What's going on is that you've experience the first phase of my transformation" She said eagerly.
"Into what?" He asked a little uneasy. He heard that voice make something like a giggle that will only give him nightmares for the next nights.
"An improve Raven" She smiled. "Into a whole universe" Beast Boy blinked confused and surprise, not sure if it was to be taken seriously or poetically. "Let me explain, I will create my own place, my own dimension so I can be out of reach and I won't be of harm to anyone. I always wanted my own place" She whispered the last part. "Maybe not a universe… but it sounds better than saying a whole in space and time" She mutter that last part to herself and Best Boy couldn't catch it.
"Are you saying, you'll be like a god-goddess thing? Or what the hell?"
"No, unfortunately I can't create life, the only life I create is temporal and it doesn't last as long because it really isn't life it's an illusion. So it's universe Raven… population ME" She said pointing at herself. "Probably some other beings I find worthy but that's coming soon..."
"You're being crazy!" Beast Boy said pointing at her.
"Am I? Beast Boy. Am I really crazy? I can't really tell"
"Yes!"
"You won't understand" She sighed and then continued. "And what happened…" She said softly, Beast Boy looked up as those words came out of her, her eyes looking at the past. "A sign" She said softly. "That what I was doing… we were doing… wasn't worth it"
"What? Being heroes?" He asked in disbelief and surprise.
"If that's what you want to call it"
"What are you saying?!"
"It doesn't make sense Garfield" She called him. "They don't care, no matter how hard I tried to be strong for me and them, no matter how hard I tried to save them and be a hero… I was always the villain. I only ended being a weapon for villainy. They never understood that and that said we were the bad guys when they knew nothing" Beast clench his fist.
"Is this about us or is it just about you?" He asked in rage.
"Is about those ungrateful humans" The way she said humans made Beast Boy feel bizarre. "They don't care 'bout us they care of how we saved them and when we couldn't… they only cared of how to defame and get rid of us" She said.
"But we always made them see otherwise, we have always saved the day at the end…"
"And at what cost?!" She yell with her devilish voice that made Beast Boy looked away and want to cover his ears, she quickly relaxed when she saw him flinch. "How many times was I about to lose you?" She asked calmly then. "They don't care and nor should we. So when you asked what happened… is that I stopped caring for them" She said in a way that all of her seemed to be lost. There was no Raven there anymore. "I can't return to a life of fear"
Beast Boy stared down, feeling how a big knot was going to burst out, anger was blinding him but also sadness. Where was Raven?
He turn away, giving his back at her took a few steps and then stopped, looking back over his shoulder at her who stared at him amused.
"You know… I believe every one of the things you just told me and they hurt… I won't argue with you but there's one thing I don't believe you"
"Hmm?"
"That you are Raven" He said and began to walk his way out. "I'm leaving" He said sad. "I'll wait 'till morning if Raven…"
"I'm afraid that won't be possible" She said as she stood up suddenly feeling more menacing than ever, her sinister look approach him. "It's already night" She said coming so close to Beast Boy that he tensed up feeling Ravens feather brush against his skin, he shivered as he felt one of her arms scoop him and bring him closer to her. "At night it's impossible to get off this cave" She said with a smile. She could feel Best Boy breathe, raising.
"W-Why?" He strummer out.
"Because, I like it here at night" Beast Boy blinked confused as she pulled him at her. "Here grab tightly" She said putting him on her back, he did as she said putting his arms around her neck, she was very tall now, and big…
"Raven... AH!" He cried out as he saw and felt the wings on Raven's back move in position to fly and just as he cried out she jumped up and began to fly.
She turn into a corner next to her chair and then there was no floor but a fall, all the cave transformed into this room with a high sealing and he couldn't even see the floor but only darkness. They were flying so fast.
"RAVEN!" He cried out shutting his eyes.
"We're almost there" That made him open his eyes and then he began to see large door frames, golden with rubies and emeralds, in the middle of the rooms in which they kept going through and each one of them have something different on them, he was sure that in one there was just pink water and in another one there where golden chandeliers. Until they got to one. The largest of them all as big as a football field.
She began to slow down and that was when Beast Boy stopped feeling scared and let go of her, he slowly felt how he was sliding off of her and she notice quickly turning his way only to find him transformed into an eagle.
Beast Boy thought of leaving, but what point was there if he was lost, besides he wanted to be with Raven; although now that didn't seem possible. The hope of maybe finding her.
The dark creature started to set down and he followed her. Just as he was to reach the floor he saw what there was and decide to turn into his human form and drop in all of that.
The room was filled with large amounts of furs and silks, blankets of all expensive and exotic textures, all arrange in piles and piles, pillows stuffed with feathers and who know what more. It felt great under him, there were also flowers and a lot of nature around, big plant and trees with incredible aroma, so sweet and delicate.
"What…" Beast Boy said as he stretched out in those fine textures feeling incredibly relaxed and sleepy, he was losing it as if he was on drugs, so comfortable. "I feel bad" He admitted almost falling asleep. He was exhausted because of his journey.
"Why's that?" He heard that deep voice settle next to him. He was too tired to complain or do anything, he laid there feeling his eyelids heavy with sleep. Was he really drugged? Or why did he find an immense urge to fall asleep and forget what just happened?
"Because of the fuuur…" He almost purred out shifting in his place finding a comfortable place. He heard the creature giggle.
"It's not real-real" She said. "It all comes from my head…" She stopped when she her him mutter and nod but not really caring. "Good Night Beast Boy…" He fell asleep. "I missed you" She said to nobody as she also laid down to dream.
OOOO
He dreamt about her, Raven. The Raven he knew. Coming out from the mouth of that creature and with a smile she opened her arms for him and said: Take me away from this place. Beast Boy kept telling her that he will do it but she kept saying it as she hugged him and it was then when he notice she wasn't talking to him.
"Please gods just kill me" She said in a whispered, Beast Boy tried to tell her that there was no need for it that everything was going to be ok but nothing came out. "Go with her" She pointed at the creature that came out from the darkness. "I want to die" She said but with that monstrous voice.
He woke up.
He felt something in his lap and saw the face of a giant black wolf-like creature sleeping peacefully over him, Beast Boy smiled. He softly push it away but this one woke up stretching it self. It was big and had four eyes just as she. He turn away and next to him was something like a tiger also awfully large and again, with four eyes. This one purr next to him.
"Ah…" He manage to let out. "What the hell, where am I? Raven!" He called out alerting the creatures. "Raven!" He got up on his feet and felt the strange urge too just lay in those covers forever.
The boy transformed into an owl and began his search in that room. The creature wasn't there. He then went to the closest doorframe and went into the next room, it was dark but he could see and it was nothing more than a room filled with books.
"Well this does seem like Raven" He said as he continued to the next room, the one with bright chandeliers and well, that's what it was a room full of those; and crystal made lamps all over the room.
Next was the one that was just water, pink water, all over the place. "Maybe she likes to swim a lot"
Then he began to smell something, very delicious, he followed the scent trough the room to another until he found a hall, it was dark but at the end he could see a door a little bit smaller but still too big. He went to his human form and followed the smell feeling so hungry.
Slowly, he walk to the door and he felt his heart skip when he hear a familiar voice humming. He slammed open the door startling the person who was there. And indeed it was who he thought. Raven, the Raven he knew, normal size, normal purple hair, and black eyes all… she even had her cloak on. Only minus the black horns that still stick out of her head.
"Oh… sorry, I'm still getting use to this form again" Her voice was beautiful. "I felt like this will make you feel more comfortable" She said with her nonchalant tone. She smiled when she saw him surprise. She was nervous. "I-I tried to make food, but It got so messy and I got frustrated that I burnt it with my powers but manage to make something else-"
"RAVEN!" She was cut off by Beast Boy who quickly ran to her and hugged her tight. "It really is you" He hugged her hard. She stood there feeling the boy sob, she didn't know what to do… her blank face show it but she managed to put one hand over Beast Boy's head and hush him.
"I love you Beast Boy" She said softly as she hugged him back.
He sobbed like a child and she found it charming.
OOOOO
End of Chapter two.
Thanks for reading! I'm sorry it took so long to upload but I was quite busy but don't worry I'll continue it till the end.
Again thanks for reading, any questions, suggestion or ideas please let me hear them.
-Ike.
