Chapter 6 – Training

"Friend Terra?" asked Starfire, entering the common room "Would you like to accompany me to the mall to…?"

The Tamarean suddenly stopped, seeing her friend's expression. Terra was sitting on the couch, watching the News. At the moment, scenes of interdicted streets flashed on the screen, near the region they had been the previous night. There were a lot of building with broken windows, streets and sidewalks with deep cracks, and some places had water and sewer leakage. A lot of workers were needed to start the repairs. Every word that came out of the reporter's mouth made Terra's face wilt a little more.

"Oh, friend Terra, please don't be like this" asked Starfire, kneeling next to her "They are going to fix this very quickly, you'll see!"

"Star, look at all the damage!" said Terra, getting up "And it's all my fault!"

"It's not your fault, Terra!" said Beast Boy, coming from the kitchen "I told you a million times already! You had to do that, or else Slade…"

"And I already told you, BB. I totally lost it. I didn't have to do that, if I waited a little more you guys would get in to help me"

"But friend, you were under a huge pression! All of us know how Slade can be scary, especially to you, since you're not used to him yet" argued Starfire "Anyone could lose control in that situation"

"Raven couldn't…" she muttered, crossing her arms. Beast Boy uncrossed them and took her hands in his.

"Raven's been practicing for a lot longer than you" he said "She had those monks to help her. I wouldn't be surprised if she told me she practices even since she was like six"

"Ever since I was five" replied Raven, after quietly entering the room and making Beast Boy jump "Besides, that doesn't mean I don't still keep working to this day"

"So it is my fault!" groaned Terra, putting a cushion over her face.

"Of course not! That's not what you meant, right, Rae?"

"It's Raven"

"But Robin's been training you so hard!" commented Starfire, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder "This is surely helping you out, right?"

"Well, don't tell Robin, but…"

"It's not really working, is it?" asked Robin right behind her, coming out of the shadows.

"Where the hell did you came from?" yelled Terra, startled.

"I'm sorry, Terra" said Robin, sitting at a computer "I think I focus too much on regular trainings and didn't realize you need something special. I'll work on it, I'll start researching now!"

"Wow… Thanks, Robin"

"There's no need for thanks. You're a member of the team now, and we all are going to do all we can to help ya!" said Cyborg, placing his metallic hand over her head.

"… Are there secret doors to this room I don't know about?" asked her, but Cyborg only laughed and went to the fridge.

She smiled, looking around to all of her friends, also smiling to her. Well, except for Raven, already out of the room. She was probably meditating, thought Terra. How badly she wanted to know how to control her powers in such an elegant, complete way as her friend!

Wait a minute.

… Why not?

Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0

Raven was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed, reading a book, although she couldn't leave a specific line.

"A few of the tales were exceedingly picturesque, and made me wish I had learnt more of the comparative mythology in my youth."

It has been hard with Terra on the team. She was too irresponsible. From the empath's point of view, she wasn't really trying hard enough to control her powers. She went to the practice sessions with Robin, that's true, but even though she knew they weren't working, she did nothing to change, didn't try to focus or search for a reason to her loss of control.

"...were exceedingly picturesque, and made me wish I had learnt more of the comparative mythology in my youth"

Besides, on the field she was way too impulsive. She didn't stop to think about anything or anyone, least of all the consequences of her acts. She also let her emotions take the best of her. Didn't she realize how dangerous that was? It was dangerous for anyone on mission, most of all someone like her.

"...made me wish I had learnt more of the comparative mythology in my youth"

And there was Beast Boy, of course. Didn't he realize how ridiculous he got around Terra? Drooling all over her so obviously, doing everything she wanted. That was probably the reason why she got so spoiled, it had to be. Besides, obvious affection demonstrations like these only gave villains opportunities. Robin should control the situation. Not that this would go too far. She could feel their emotions; Terra barely felt half of what Beast Boy felt for her. He really shouldn't give his heart away so easily, he could get hurt.

"...mythology in my youth"

… At least Beast Boy didn't come disturb her anymore. The only good side.

Knocks on the door.

Raven quickly lifted her head, with an anxious expression, instead of annoyed, as usual. She noticed that and frowned. 'Looks like I celebrated too soon' she thought, because it could only be the annoying changeling. He was the only one that came to bother her at this time of the day. All of the others only came at meal times or the end of the afternoon, when they wanted to watch a movie or play a game, to invite her.

More knocks. Yes, like she thought. He was the only one that didn't wait a whole minute before knocking again. She closed the book and got up, going to the door. When she opened, however, she found something quite disappointing. I mean, unexpected.

"Terra?"

"Hi, Raven" the blonde said. She seemed embarrassed "Hmm, sorry to bother you"

"What is it? Some kind of problem?"

"Well, no, it's just… I kind of came to ask you for a favor"

Raven lifted her eyebrows. She couldn't possibly think of something the blond colleague would want for her.

"What is it?"

"Well, you know how Robin's training isn't really helping me control my powers, right?"

"Yes…"

"So, well, I thought to myself, who is the self control expert?"

"…Who?" asked Raven, not liking the path the conversation was taking.

Terra lifted her arms toward the empath, with a crooked smile.

"Oh. No" said Raven, realizing what her friend wanted.

"Please Raven" asked Terra, joining her hands "I think you're the only person that can really help me"

"But…" mumbled Raven, at a dead end. Inside the Tower, she was probably the best option indeed "But I don't know anything about teaching, Terra"

"Can't you at least try? Just once? If it doesn't work out we can stop"

"I…" started Raven, then she saw Terra's big and tearful blue eyes. She sighed "Fine. But just so you know, I won't give you an easy time, Terra. My way of power control is not fun"

"I know, I know!" Terra was delighted, jumping on the same spot "Don't worry, I'll give everything I've got! I really want to control my powers like you do, Raven"

'That's a good one' thought Raven. The fun and perfect Terra wanting to be like the weird and boring Raven 'Well, let's see how long she can take my training'

"Okay. Tomorrow, five o'clock, at the Tower's balcony" she said, going back to her bedroom. Terra gasped, holding the door before it could close.

"Five o'clock pm?"

"Obviously not, Terra. Five o'clock am"

"…"

"See you then"

"Oh, wait, Raven!" the empath turned to her again "I have good news, Beast Boy and I are dating!"

Raven stood there, staring at her for a few seconds. The hallway light blinked some times.

"Congratulations" said Raven, and door at last closed.

Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0

August 2nd 2004, Titan Tower's balcony, 5:02 am

Terra arrived at the balcony out of breath, after climbing the stairs in a hurry. It was still dark, but it wasn't hard to find Raven, she only had to follow her voice, saying her mantra over and over. When Terra approached her, she stopped talking, but remained in the same position: crossed legs and closed eyes.

"Hey Raven"

"Good morning, Terra" replied Raven, still with her eyes closed "Are you ready for your first training?"

"Couldn't be more ready!" said Terra with a little jump.

"Very well. Sit down by my side" ordered Raven, very calm. She started talking without opening her eyes "Terra, before trying to control your powers, you have to understand how they work. Otherwise, you'll never know what to control. For instance, my powers are moved by my emotions. If I lose control of them, I lose control of my powers as well. They will express themselves without my permission. In Starfire's case, feeling is the way she control her powers. Each one of them depends on a specific emotion, but only expresses themselves when told to"

Raven opened her eyes to see if Terra was paying attention. The blonde girl had her huge eyes glued on her floating friend. Okay, she was.

"The crucial difference: when Starfire feels sad, she can't fly, because that ability requires that she felt joy. When I got sad or mad, things exploded all around me, because my powers escape and manifest according to my dominant emotion. Got it?"

"Yes" said Terra, listening carefully.

"So, let's try to understand your powers. Move that rock" Raven pointed to a tiny little rock at the right corner of the Tower. She must have put it there before Terra arrived.

"Easy" answered Terra, and the rock lifted in the air and flew to the blonde's hand.

"What did you feel?"

"Hmm… I don't know" realized Terra, confused "I never pay attention to it, it's so natural…"

"You don't know what you felt, but I do" said Raven mysteriously "Put on the other side of the Tower."

Terra did. When she turned back, Raven was with her eyes closed again.

"Did you figure it out?"

"No… I don't think I feel anything, Raven. I'd feel the exact same thing if I got up and walked there to pick it up"

"Really? Then do it"

Terra got up and went to the rock, bringing it back.

"So?"

"Nothing special…" Terra shrugged.

"Okay, so this is your first training exercise" said Raven, and Terra got excited "There's four rocks up here, one at each corner of the Tower. I want you to take one, take it to the next corner, leave it and take the other, then do the same thing."

"How many times?"

"Until I tell you to stop"

"…"

"You're still here?" asked Raven, opening one threatening eye. Terra ran off to the left corner of the Tower.

Terra did this for about half an hour, at first quickly, and at the end dragging herself. She was starving, and she looked at her friend every five minutes, but Raven remained meditating, almost like she's forgotten all about her. The worst thing was that she didn't see a point on this training! So she was losing all interest on doing it. She simply didn't feel anything, why couldn't Raven accept that?

Finally, Raven called her.

"So?" she asked leaving her lotus position and putting her feet on the ground "Did you find out what you feel to take the rock?"

"No, Raven" answered Terra, sitting on the floor "It was the silliest exercise I've ever done, I couldn't see any purpose on doing it, and I was almost giving up when you called me"

"So why did you keep doing it?"

"Because you told me to, and you're my coach!"

"So, there is a reason, and if there's a reason, there's a feeling involved"

"…"

"Look, why would you pick up a rock?"

"I don't know, I find it pretty? I want to throw it at someone?"

"So you want to get it"

"Well, if I didn't, why would I picked it up?"

"Exactly, Terra. What you feel is determination"

"So… You're telling me what moves my powers is determination?"

"It's something you feel. We evolved"

"… Not really. Wasn't that a little obvious?"

"If it was obvious, why couldn't you tell me that when I asked you the first time?"

"…" Terra was left without words.

"So, we evolved" said Raven, covering her whole boy with her cloak as a gust of wind blow "Now we know your powers do have something to do with your emotions. What is left for us to know is…"

"If my emotions control them or cause them to be out of control" complete Terra, remembering the way Raven's and Starfire's powers worked.

"Yes. Let's go eat something, and we'll come back here"

Terra watched Raven disappearing in the stairs that lead back inside of the Tower. She looked around, saw the city, and remembered the destruction she caused.

Afterall, she still had hope her powers were like Starfire's.

Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0Oo0

**The text Raven was reading was taken from the tale "The Rats in the Walls', by H.P. Lovecraft. I can totally see Raven reading Lovecraft and judging his characters for the way they deal with the supernatural.