Hehe, Raven is found, remember? Sure, Robin was pretty freaked and Raven barely remembered him, but how is BEAST BOY'S reaction to his GIRLFRIEND being like, six, going to be? Read and find out!

Also, I made things more fitting to Beast Boy and Raven's history, also making the 'story' sound more like BB. And, reminder, Aqualad is with his friends, and Terra's not half-dead, like Slade was. So, what's she going after?

Chapter 13
"Beyond the Clouds"

Beast Boy:

No way. No freaking way.

"Raven?" I gasped, moving my hand towards her.

The figure was definitely Raven. Just . . . smaller.

She was maybe five to eight, at oldest. No way was she ten or nine. She was really small, and seemed so terrified and innocent. My Raven was more understanding and calm. This girl . . . was the same one I'd seen when I was a kid!

Her eyes narrowed as I reached towards her and to my surprise, she kicked her leg out at me. Surprised, I clutched my shin and dropped the cloak I'd torn off her. This little version of Raven pulled it quickly over her shoulders before running away, or at least trying to.

"Raven! Wait! It's me!" I shouted after her, wincing, but ignoring my pain. I could fight monsters, defeat things at least three times my size and turn into a dinosaur, but I'd been bested by a five year old. How awesome was that?

But there was no way I was going to hurt her, and so instead of tackling her, like any other villain, I decided it would be best to stay in human form, so as not to scare her. Raven would never hurt me. I had no idea what was running through this kids head, at the moment.

Little Raven leaped onto a rock, far above even my head (because she was not even half my height), and crouched, looking over her shoulder at me worriedly. "Leave me alone!"

"I just want to talk to you!" I insisted, climbing quickly up the rock.

She shoved at a bolder, though it obviously took all her might, as it was half her size, "No!"

It tumbled over the edge, missing me by about two feet. I used it get momentum, moving to grab the rock and push myself upwards. It worked better then I'd thought it would and landed right in front of Raven. She gave a cry of surprise, falling onto her back before scrambling to her feet and taking off once again.

"Rae, wait, it's me, Beast Boy? Don't you remember me?" I shouted after her, keeping at a distance of about a yard away, so as to make her as comfortable as possible while still keeping her within my sight.

Also different about this girl then my Raven, she wore white, just like when I'd first met her all those years ago. When we were just really smart kids, with hard lives, running from people, whether we understood why or not.

She froze immediately, turning to glare at me, hatefully. "Beast Boy isn't as old as you are!"

I stopped too, glad I'd finally gotten her to stop. "No really, it's me. I'm right here, look for yourself."

Little Raven hopped down from her vantage point, standing on top of a rock, so she was at eye-level with me. She scrutinized me with her eyes before circling me, and I watched her, nervously, but also somewhat amused at her disposition. Raven was so weird, and I couldn't help but feel relief that she was still in there.

She stopped then, seeming surprised. "You're . . . not lying."

I got down on one knee, smiling warmly. "I wouldn't lie to you. Ever."

To my dismay, her eyes began to water. "I'm lost."

My ears drooped, and I reached a hand out to her. "I know. But I'm here to take you back."

Little Raven glanced down at my hand and up at my face again before taking it, tightly. She was ready to pee herself, at the very least. I couldn't blame her. If I was her age in this situation, I would be too.

"How did you find me?" She demanded, curious as always.

"A friend of ours," I said, despite the red flag at calling Terra our friend. She wasn't a real friend, just a user.

Raven was quiet a moment before saying. "I'm sorry."

I was surprised, my ears pricking up. "For what?"

Looking down at her, she appeared ashamed, staring down at the floor. "For breaking my promise."

"Which one?"

Raven looked up at me. "You don't remember?"

It took a moment.

I smiled at her, and she smiled back. "I like you," I said eventually, looking back to the water as she watched me. "Besides the man in my village, you're the only one who hasn't run from me."

"I'll never run from you," she promised.

"Thank you," I replied, very quietly.

The flashback was a shocker, as I had no idea why or how I remembered what she meant, but shook it off. "Oh, well, its not big deal. I understand, you didn't know it was me."

Raven eyed me, "How come you're so much older?"

I paused, deciding to think this over. Maybe ever be a bit sneaky. "Mm, how about a story, first?"

She shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

I saw her stumble, the toe of her shoe hitting a rock, and immediately steadied her, offering my back to her. She climbed on, hesitantly, and I carried her piggy-back, walking calmly. There was no need to panic her by running and alarming her. Little Raven, I guessed, would need to take this on slowly.

"So, there was this girl, right?" I began, mentally smacking myself at my horrible story skills. If Raven was really here, and I mean all of her, she'd know what to do. "And, she was my very best friend."

"Was she pretty?" Raven interrupted, at once.

I laughed, "Your definition or mine?"

"Both."

"Of course."

"Good," Raven seemed pleased, relaxing a little bit. "Continue."

"Anyways, this girl, she had lots of friends. And, even though I really didn't deserve her, she really liked me, almost as much as I liked her. But, her mother, she was hiding something from my friend."

"What was she hiding?" Raven asked, curiously.

"Hold on, I'm getting there, be patient," I scolded, with a smile. "Her mom was hiding that while they were traveling to all these far off places, all these brand new faces and things for her to learn, they were running away from people. People who could harm my friend, when she was little, but they went away."

"Oh, that's good," she said, relieved.

"Mhm. And we were separated when we were little, but of course, I found her again. But this girl, she would do anything to keep her friends and me safe, even if we objected to her way of 'fixing' things."

"How can something that fixes things be bad?"

"Because it means losing her," I replied, "Or, so we thought. She survived. And I don't know how, but-."

The ground rocked beneath us and Raven gasped. Realizing I wasn't the only one in danger, but someone far more important then myself, I thought quickly.

"Raven, hold on tight, okay?" I warned.

She nodded hurriedly, "Okay!"

I morphed into a bird, quickly, and heard her give a shout of surprise. Unable to calm her with words, I turned my head and nuzzled her face comfortingly with my beak before the ground gave way beneath us. I'd been quick enough not to fall, forcing myself upwards.

Raven, on the other hand, was not as enduring.

I felt her arms leave my neck, and I let out a caw of alarm, turning and looking down. Little Raven had her arms out, reaching towards me as she screamed, falling towards the lake of lava beneath her.

In my shock, I ran into a wall, turning back into a human and latching onto it. "RAVEN!"

Cyborg:

Heaven only knew where my friends were as I got knocked around once again by myself. I heard a loud boom, as I ran faster then ever, and looked up at the sky just in time to see Starfire, punched in the face, by her own inner demon. She hit the ground right in front of me, and I prayed I'd outrun myself, at least for the moment. With a loud grunt, Robin rolled over, down a mound of building remains, I assumed, until finally stopping near us.

I assisted a tired Starfire up. "You okay?"

Nodding furiously, she replied, "Yes, I believe so. But I cannot take much more of this."

"Agreed," Robin said, getting to his feet. "I didn't know I was this tough."

I snorted, "You're not. I could kick you butt any day of the-."

We froze, staring at one another.

Starfire broke into a mischevious grin, "If we cannot defeat ourselves-."

"Then maybe we can beat each other," I finished, proudly.

At that moment, a boulder was shoved aside, revealing our other selves, each seeming ready to move in for the kill. Immediately, Robin and I looked at one another.

"SWITCH!" We pronounced loudly, slapping hands and running towards the three, who seemed very confused at the moment.

I charged into Evil Starfire, sending her flying. She jumped back nimbly, of course, but I was already shooting at her. Starfire went after Robin, and Robin after me. Starfire grabbed Evil Robin, seeming apologetic as she rose into the air. Evil Robin seemed panicked, his eyes from under the mask huge. My hit landed solid on Evil Starfire, and she fell to the ground with a screech. I moved to where the boulder was, pushing it over and looking away before it squished her. Robin leaped nimbly onto my demon's back at once, shutting off the system I worked with. Only my friends knew how to shut me down, and how to fix me, just in case I wasn't able to. My Evil-Self twitched before falling over with a loud thump.

To our surprise, a red vapor shot up from the ground, from each place where our bad sides had died (Robin's having been throw beneath rubble, and mine having fallen into a trench), and rose into the sky. They intertwined a few times before shooting back into us, with an odd warm sensation filling my body, and probably theirs. Shortly after, we turned to see Kid Flash and Jinx stumble over towards us. Jinx seemed to have something wrong with her arm, as she was clutching it, but continued to wave Kid Flash off. We stood next to them, wearily readying ourselves to fight once again.

"I already know what you're trying to do."

We froze.

"He knows?" Kid Flash gasped.

My eyes narrowed, "He knows. And he was just messing with us."

The creature who called himself a father stood, and the ground shook because of it. Pissed off, we readied ourselves further.

Jinx:

The blow one of this asses creatures had managed to land on my arm now forgotten, I felt my whole body surge with both energy and fury at what this man (if you could call him that) had done to us. All of us. Including Raven.

"Go forth and find your friends." Trigon roared, with a chuckle. He sat back down, calmly. "Nothing I could do will crush your spirits more then when you see what fate has come to my daughter."

Fearing the worst for a moment, we warily stood our ground.

Robin suddenly barked out, "Come on, let's go."

And we reluctantly left, at first walking backwards before straight forward running.

Beast Boy:

Without any sense of well-being or concern for myself, I immediately dove after Little Raven.

She finally stopped screaming as she saw me going after her, and reached out towards me more. I neared her, and we were about halfway towards the ground. I finally saw my opportunity, reached out, pushing against the air that didn't want me to grab her, and did just that. My body partially relaxed when I grabbed her, securely in my arms. She clung tightly to me, and immediately I maneuvered towards the wall, grabbing it in my hands. We fell, with her screaming and burying her face into my chest a full ten seconds before we skidded to a stop, just a few yards above the lake below us.

The monsters came up from the ground, and she screamed once again. Few of them seemed to register she was there, and even fewer glanced our way. They instead soared upwards, towards some calling. The whole time, I kept one arm firmly around her, making sure she didn't budge so much as an inch. When it was finally quiet, I let myself relax.

I looked down at her as she seemed to relax as well, "You okay?"

Little Raven gave a shaky nod, not speaking otherwise. I nodded in turn, and with only minor difficulty, climbed down the rest of the wall onto the rock below. To my surprise, at the bottom of the trench, looking down, we could see the boat was there, as well as the crossroads Terra and I had separated at. A minor curiosity filled me at what she wanted that was so important, but immediately after wondering this, I felt Raven get out of my arms and walk over to the edge.

"Beast Boy?" She said, looking down below us, over the mountainous rock.

I felt concerned at her tone, "Yes?"

"Why did you come back for me?"

My eyes widened, taking a step towards. "You do remember, don't you?"

As if feeling my gaze, Little Raven stiffened. "Bits and pieces. Little memories and things. That story you were telling . . . it was me, in the story, wasn't it?"

I nodded, "Then, Raven, you must know how to-."

"To what, Beast Boy?" She shouted, turning with tears in her eyes. "Look at me! I can't help! My powers came from him, and now that he doesn't need me, I don't have them anymore." Her arms and head lowered in defeat, and her clenched fists went limp. "You came back for nothing."

"I came back for you," I corrected, kneeling before her. "We're going to get through this, Raven. We always have before, right?"

"There isn't any hope," she snapped, glaring up at me.

I smiled weakly, "Well, then I guess I'll just have to have enough hope for the both of us."

Again, I picked her up on my back and jumped down, easily, until we reached the boat. After placing her in it, we set off, with me rowing. And though she was a traitor, I couldn't help but look back at the pathway and hope that Terra was okay.

Terra:

Reaching the bottom of the trench, I saw the door. Of course, it had a guard, who dawned ratty pants, was gray, and had a Scath helmet and axe on his person. Immediately I jumped down in front of him.

"He said you'd come," It growled, the echo inside its own helmet making it sound all the more ominous.

I shrugged, with arrogance. It seemed irritated at that. "Nobody goes back on their word and gets away with it. I saw him, Trigon lied to me. Aqualad's alive, but not with me." I then lifted my hands, "But for now, we're just going to have to settle on your demise."

It lunged at me, and I rolled away. It didn't hesitate to flip its weapon, hitting me with the hilt. With a grunt, I hit the wall and felt something interesting about it immediately. But I didn't have time to react, as the monster was already charging me. It spun the axe, and immediately, to my surprise, it was one fire.

"Silly mortal!" It shouted, readying its weapon. "You can't hope to defeat pure evil."

"Actually," I corrected, smirking. "I'm not so nice myself."

The thing seemed confused before I grunted loudly, pulling the door made of earth towards me. It turned just in time to see what was about to kill it, two tons of rock. I didn't even flinch at the sound it made, and the axe rolled away. I stopped it with my foot before approaching the door that was not filling with light.

I walked right into it, blinded only a moment, and when I lowered my arm, I saw what I'd come for.

"Why are you here? How did you get here?"

On their knees, the person before me spoke to the floor. But in this white room, both sanctuary and prison, it looked more like a mental house in my opinion. Poor thing, how fitting.

"You're the only one that can help us. He wouldn't kill you, and I knew where he'd hide you." Holding my hand out to them, the person barely looked at me, ashamed. "Hey, I screwed up too. But there's time for pity later. Right now, we've got to help them."

They stood, waving away my assistance offering. "It's likely we're going to die. Did you except that fact?"

I shrugged, both of us heading towards the only barred, metal door in the room. "Yeah, but, I figure if I'm going to die, I'm going to do it with a purpose, right?"

"For Aqualad and your friends, then."

I froze, staring. "How did you-?"

"I figured out everything here."

Nodding wearily, I swallowed before continuing. "Yeah, for him and them. After what I did . . . I'm sorry."

"He's a deceiving person. You shouldn't blame yourself."

Smiling, I laughed. "Alright, let's get out of here."

But as I moved, their hand touched my shoulder, and I stopped.

"Something wrong?"

They smiled, "You're a good girl, Terra. Remember that."

Shocked, I could do nothing but nod. "Yeah . . . Okay."

Robin:

We stopped, breathing heavily, on what we were pretty sure was the other side of the city. There wasn't really a way to tell anymore, what with the signs decimated and all.

"Anyone have any more ideas?" Jinx panted out. Even Kid Flash looked pretty tuckered out. He fell to the floor, promptly, on his butt. Jinx reached out towards him, but he shook his head.

"Just . . . give me a second . . . to recharge," He explained, leaning against a rock for support and letting his head loll back. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think rest would be a good idea at the moment."

"We don't have time," I insisted. "We've got to find Beast Boy and Raven. Raven is the only ones who can help."

Everyone seemed to agree with me until a voice said behind us, "I don't know how much help she can be right now, Robin."

Shocked, the five of us turned.

Beast Boy:

Little Raven clung to my leg, like the child she was. I placed my hand behind her head as I watched the shocked expressions on my friends faces, all eyes on her.

Starfire's hands went to her mouth as she gasped, shaking her head. Robin set his jaw, eyes focusing as he thought. Cyborg seemed in disbelief, simply staring with a slightly parted mouth. Kid Flash swallowed hard, nodding in acceptance of Raven's form. Jinx sat down and placed her head in her hands, in thought, I could only hope. Seeing this, Kid Flash knelt and placed his arm around her, murmuring something in her ear before looking back at Raven.

The first to actually do anything was Starfire, who seemed to have calmed down. "Friend, what has happened to you?"

Her mistake was taking a step towards Raven, a hand out as if to touch her. Immediately, Raven gave a yelp and let go, about to run. I was quicker, and grabbed her arm, kneeling before her. She stopped, staring at my eyes.

"They're okay," I assured her. "They're friends, remember?"

Raven blinked a few times, looking over my shoulder before it seemed to register who they were. She gave a nod, but still seemed apprehensive about any of them. I sighed, my head bowed a moment before giving her a convincing smile. Little Raven no longer had empathy, and she couldn't tell just how sad I truly was.

"Stay here, alright? Anything bad happens, just keep yourself safe. Can you promise me that?" I felt like a parent, talking down to her like this. Not to long ago, she was the smartest girl anyone knew. Raven could tell you everything about anything. Now she was just . . . helpless.

After she nodded, I released her and fear filled her eyes for a moment before she relaxed. Little Raven pulled her cloak tightly around her small frame, sighing with relief or fatigue and sitting gracefully on the floor. She began to entertain herself with rocks (like most children could do pulling at grass) before I turned and walked over to my friends.

"So," Cyborg said, when I'd finished. "She really can't help us?"

I shook my head, "No, she can't. Her memory is train-wreck, at best. Whatever Raven knew, or could've known is gone. All we have left is us, because I have no idea where the hell Terra went. Or what she went looking for, either."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Jinx demanded. "Wait around until Trigon decides to kill us?"

"We're not doing nothing," Robin interrupted, sternly. "This is the last fight, him or us. All or nothing. I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to take him on. There's never been someone we couldn't beat before, and that's not about to change."

"Robin is right," Kid Flash agreed, with a look at Jinx, as if to reassure her. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Now let's make it hurt."

"Right," I said, before glancing over at Raven, who know had managed to turn herself so her back was to us. "But . . . what are we going to do about her?"

Everyone was silent. Nobody had an answer, really.

"We shall keep Raven safe for as long as we can," Starfire said, quietly. "When we win this fight, she will no longer be in harms way. Trigon will not harm her, not while we are here to help!"

"Exactly," Cyborg added. "Trigon won't know what-."

I saw Raven's head snap up, as did everyone else. She jumped to her feet, shaking and I ran over, picking her up in my arms before handing her to Starfire. Raven's former fear of our friends seemed to drown out with this new fear. Now I could hear the footsteps coming, and even see the two shadows heading towards us.

Robin's bow-staff snapped out of hiding, and he readied it. "Titans, prepare yourselves."

One shape was taller then the other, but both seemed very lean. I then narrowed my eyes, to get a better look. I was already crouched on the floor when I saw what was there.

"No way," I shouted, getting to my feet in awe. "That's not possible."

"What is it?" Jinx demanded, peering out. "I don't see anything!"

Everyone was looking at me, and so did not notice when the people finally stopped in front of us. One cleared their throat, catching everyone's attention. They gaped as well.

All except for Raven.

"Mother!"

Terra:

Starfire seemed caught of guard as the child version of Raven hopped out of her arms and raced towards the two of us, both traitors to all of the Titans. But Raven had little, if any memory of what happened. The alien took a step to fetch her back, but Robin stopped her, shaking his head. It was a look that said 'let her love her mother while she doesn't remember'. Starfire seemed to agree, stepping back and watching her friend with a saddened expression.

Beside me, Arella scooped Raven up in her arms, holding her tightly. The two had a moment, everyone knew, as Arella seemed to have regained her composure. She wasn't the psychopath Trigon had turned her into to make the Titans run. She wasn't the woman who only wanted to run tests on her daughter.

She was a mother again.

"Raven," Arella breathed, her eyes closing. "You're okay."

Child Raven nodded, pulling away so she could look at her. "Mother, I remembered. Why was I so mad at you?"

Arella stiffened. Child Raven did not notice.

"It's complicated, my dear child." Arella explained, running her hands through Raven's still short hair soothingly. "All will be revealed in do time, but until then Raven, I need you to do something."

"What?"

"Do you remember what you did to your friends?" Arella asked, slowly. The gravity of this question was visible to everyone, including myself. What was Arella talking about?

Child Raven's face scrunched up in confusion, voicing our question. "What are you talking about? I didn't-."

A rumble made us all stop. I lost my balance, and struggled to get back to my feet as the ground continued to shake. Arella simply looked up knowingly at a the wall of boulder we hid behind while Raven stared at the same spot as well.

To our shock, the rock moved, revealing Trigon looking smugly down at us.

"What strange vermin cower beneath my rocks," He mocked, with a smug expression.

Fury raged within me. "Cower to this!"

The very rock he held rammed into his face, thanks to a little assistance from myself. Trigon let out a shout of surprise or pain. I couldn't tell you for sure, but he stumbled backwards. Beast Boy suddenly growled, and we all looked just in time to see him lunge at Trigon. Mid-jump, he was the beast again, ramming into the back of Trigon's ankle before darting away, back into his own form. Trigon stumbled farther, onto his backside, and let out a shout. Starfire and Cyborg shared a look before both shot directly into Trigon's eyes. Another cry from the red-man before us.

"Stop it!" He bellowed, shoving his hands forward. A wave of lave shot up from the ground.

Terra:

I knew what to do. I had to do it. I owed it to them.

"I'm sorry," I shouted at them all before rushing forward.

"Terra!" Jinx shouted.

Robin then followed, "What do you think you're doing!"

I pushed out all my energy.

"TERRA!"

I screamed.

(?)Raven(?):

One down, but they were still fighting. How was that possible?

I stared in horror and shock. This . . . wasn't happening, was it?

"They're . . . hurting him," I gasped out, in mother's arms, watching them attack (from what little memory I had left) my memory's father. He cried out in pain, each time. I could . . . feel it?

"Yes," Mother said. "And remember, Raven, you're parents decisions didn't make you the person you are today. True, your father doesn't need you anymore, but don't your friends?"

"What are you saying?" I asked, looking back at her. "Mother?"

She smiled, some hidden emotion unlocking before my eyes. "Remember what happened, Raven. Remember you don't need you father anymore then he needs you. Your powers came from here," she said, touching where my heart was with my finger. Alarmed, I looked back up at her, captivated. "They just sprouted from him. You are the one who decides what you do, how you do it, and when. No one else. Powers or otherwise."

"I understand," I breathed. "Mother, I'm scared."

She kissed my forehead, holding me tightly until releasing me. "I know. Don't be. I want you to have this, Raven."

Arella took something off her neck, some type of chain, with a key on it. She handed it to me, dropping it in my hands. It filled both of them, and I was sure if I put it on, it would go to my waist.

"Please, mother, let me understand." I begged, as she set me down on the floor, the chain with a key still clutched in my hands. Tears began to well up in my eyes, fear overwhelming me.

What I was afraid of, I didn't know. But there was also a sense of acceptance and understanding. She knelt, wiping the tears away with a smile before moving to stand up again.

I grabbed her wrists in a vain attempt to get her to stay, but she gently removed my fingers, standing. The Titans were still fighting my father, but it was obvious he had gotten the upper hand.

"ENOUGH!"

A red light around him exploded, knocking them all backwards. They fell around me, and Arella, but she payed them no mind. She simply walked straight forward, her mind set on something. I felt certainty. Assurance.

"Trigon!"

He stopped, stopping his laughter to look down at her. His expression was unreadable. Then a small smile began to grow on his face and he knelt, mockingly, before her. Arella stood strong, though even kneeling, he was taller then a building.

"My lover seems to have escaped from her prison," he said, eying her suggestively. "For what reason, I wonder?"

Arella lifted her arms, "What you've taken from our daughter, you will give back."

"I've taken nothing, but I never intended for her to live. She should've died, as her friends should've." He then glared at my mother. "Arella, surely you aren't misguided enough to have tried something?"

"I did nothing." Her hands, continuing to rise above her head, clenched into fists. "Until now."

"NO!" I screamed, shooting to my feet. "MOTHER!"

Beast Boy:

At Raven's scream I jumped to my feet, however broken I felt, and quickly was behind her, holding her back from the explosion of white light that was creating a white wall between us and Trigon. Arella wasn't supposed to have powers. How had she-?

"My dad," Little Raven interrupted my thoughts, speaking more to herself then me. "When he did what he did . . . he gave her . . . she's been saving it, building it up. He never noticed. It never occurred to him to look at all."

Arella's hood flew off her head, and her back arched at the obvious strain releasing this pent up explosion had on her. Trigon seemed unaffected, simply watching like this was the most stunning thing he'd ever seen. Little Raven was right. He never even suspected he'd given her powers.

"She's dying." Little Ravens suddenly gasped. "She's dying! Arella, stop! Please!"

Arella was blazing now, turning slowly, it seemed. Maybe it was just the adrenaline shock pounding through my veins, but it was like she was right in front of me, though, in reality, she was about 60 yards away. Arella smiled weakly, mouth very clearly to me.

"Keep her safe, Beast Boy," I could practically hear her. This couldn't be real. "It's up to you now."

"MOM!" She screamed again.

Arella glanced down at her. "Remind her I love her. I always knew it would come to this. Whatever happens, keep her safe. Thank you, Beast Boy, for everything I've done. And I'm sorry." She then glanced towards her daughter, as if she could see her. "Restrain her."

Immediately, I grabbed Little Raven, having a feeling I knew what was going to happen. I cradled her against me, forcing her not to look at what was about to happen. She struggled until a piercing scream filled the air.

I looked up just in time to see Arella and my whole vision engulfed in white, and Little Raven hissed, jerking in some sort of shock. I looked down to see the light blinding others and going into Little Raven. Arella was doing something. Then I was blind too.

Jinx:

We all heard it, and regained our sight just in time to see Arella collapse to the ground. Beast Boy, some small distance away, was holding Mini Raven, protecting her from the explosion that had just occurred. Trigon was on his back, in a daze, it seemed. Mini Raven shoved out of Beast Boy's arms and ran to her body. We followed.

"No!" She begged, shaking her violently. "Please Mother, wake up! Wake up!"

Arella's eyes opened slowly, and we all held our breaths. It was a truly heartbreaking thing to watch.

"You have to help me," Mini Raven pleaded. "I can't do this on my own!"

"I love you," Arella said. "Whatever happens Raven, I'm sorry. And I'm very proud of you."

Mini Raven shook her head in disbelief, and all of us felt a somber wave overcome us. We were shocked. Arella couldn't die, that was just something that couldn't happen. She was like all of our mothers.

"You'll be okay," Mini Raven insisted, her voice cracking. She shoved her hands over her mother, closing her eyes tightly. "Heal . . . Heal!"

But nothing happened.

"Healing will do nothing, my child," Arella said, taking Raven's hands. "I knew this day would come. I could only hope you forgave me when it did."

"I forgive you!" Mini Raven shouted. "I forgive you!"

Arella smiled, "Then my work here is complete." Her eyes roamed over all of us. "Thank you, for everything you've done that I could not. You are all like my children to me. I love you as such."

We knelt to our knees, all at the same time, bowing our heads in understanding.

"We forgive you, too, Arella," Starfire said, sniffling. "We understand what the Trigon has put you through. We are sorry for not realizing it earlier, and staying, to listen to your side."

"Forgive and forget. Goodbye, my children. Know that wherever I am, I will be watching over you. Just because I'm not around doesn't mean you're to lose your heads."

Her mother raised a shaky hand, to touch her face. A hand which Mini Raven immediately clung to.

"You always had a home with me, Raven." She croaked out, quietly. "But help was something . . . I could not give you."

And then her hand went limp, her eyes closed, and she was gone.

Raven's face went into shock, still holding her mother's dead hand. I could tell she was trying to convince herself this wasn't real. That there was some other explanation for this.

We didn't have much time to think. Immediately afterwords, Trigon stood, getting to his feet with a roar.

"Insolent child!" He shouted, pointing a large finger at Raven. "I know not how you survived, but I will tolerate your existence no longer!"

"No!" Beast Boy shouted, blocking her with his body. "You won't hurt her!"

"Very well, you first, then."

My mouth was open in shock, but I noticed something. I felt a heat around me and looked down, at Mini Raven, who had a look of shock on her face, just like us all.

"Don't hurt him," Raven shouted, making everyone stop.

Trigon's eyes narrowed at her. "I am your father, you don't tell me what to do!"

Raven looked down at her mother. I noticed her hand clench into a fist, though everyone else (including Beast Boy) was focused on Trigon, and whether or not he would kill Beast Boy or anyone else at the moment.

"You may have created me," she suddenly looked up and I gasped.

Raven:

I felt it. I knew it.

I'd always had it.

The light evaporated, as did my friends shouts, and I finished my sentence, standing now.

"But you were never my father!"

A chorus of "Raven!" was heard, but I ignored it, stepping over my mother's lifeless body towards Trigon. He seemed apprehensive and unsure of what was happening.

I raised my hands, eyes narrowing with my mother's powers, and mine, coursing through me. "Fathers are kind!"

I shot at him.

"Fathers protect you!"

I did it again.

"Father's raise you!"

And again.

I felt my friends come up from behind me, and I pulled my powers that I'd used to protect them out of their bodies as well. I wasn't surprised they hadn't noticed it. Not wanting to overwhelm them, like my powers had with me when I was still learning, I'd made sure they hid within the recesses of their bodies. Unnoticed, but useful. Trigon could never have killed them with his powers.

"I was shown kindness by the people who hid me from your cult. I was protected by my friends. I was raised by my mother, Arella. This is my home, this is my family, and you are not welcome here!"

I flew up, so I was eye-level with him. Then I let Arella and a part of myself flow into him.

I fell down, onto my knees, panting. But looking up, my relapse in energy was worth it.

I'd won. We'd fixed everything. It was okay again.

"Raven, that was . . ." Starfire said, from near me. I looked up to see all my friends had surrounded me, in a circle, and we weren't in any city anymore. We were in a field.

"Unbelievable," Kid Flash finished, in awe.

I stood, getting to my feet and smiling at the person who stood before me. "No, it wasn't." Before that person could react, I threw my arms tightly around them. "Somebody believed."

Beast Boy smiled, I could feel, and pressed his hand against my back tenderly. "Welcome back."

And still clenched in my fist, I could feel the key, and the chain.

Yes, I killed Arella. I almost cried writing that part, and then got very irritated because I couldn't decide on what Arella's last words would be. That's why her dying monologue is so long. And, what happened to Terra? She turned to stone, but I shall remind you of something. If there's any of you are curious as to how Terra came back to haunt Beast Boy, as an amnesiac school-girl, let me bring you to a previous phrase used by Slade, and in my story, used by Terra.

"Flesh will turn to stone."

And what happened to the people when Raven won? Oh, right, ha, they WERE turned to stone, but came back.

Spoilers for next chapter? That was it right there!