CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The storm had eased up a little, it was only raining softly now.

The heroes were all exhausted, the streets were a mess, but in the midst of it all, Changeling, back in human form, lay smoldering on the ground, weak, frail, and unable to escape.

The heroes all approached him and gazed down pitifully at him. "It's over, Changeling." Robin said. The others all glared down at him, and Applejack gave her rope a threatening tug in front of him.

Changeling had no choice but to go quietly.

He was tied up tightly, and kept under a close watch, as much as they all wanted to celebrate… a terrible sight was then found!

"Beast Boy…!" Terra cried, the others all turned and saw her looming over Beast Boy. He was in his human form again, his uniform was all tattered, but he didn't look so good as he lay on the ground.

(Familiar of Zero OST- Tragic Memory)

When Changeling had bitten him, the venom laced on his fangs entered his bloodstream. The poison was unknown to any Earth elements, and it was already more than too late to get any help...!

…He was dying, and there was nothing any of the others could do about it!

"Oh, no!" cried Robin.

"Beast Boy?!" cried Fluttershy, and she ran up to where Terra was looming over him.

The two girls gawked at each other with heartbreaking horror in their eyes.

He was still breathing as he looked up at them as he lay on the cold, wet street. "Te…rra…? Flu-r sha...?" he spoke so softly it was almost hard to hear him.

Tears were cascading down the girls' faces, "It's okay, Beast Boy…" Terra sobbed "I'm right here, I'm not going to leave you again!"

"Beast Boy... please..." wept Fluttershy. "Please hang on. We'll get you help!"

He raised his hand ever so weakly and held each of their hands in his.

"Ter...ra...? Flu...sha-?!"

His hands starting to slipping out of their hands… and just flopped down flat onto his chest.

Cyborg scanned him with his computer, and he sadly shook his head, and clenched his fists really tight as tears came to his eyes.

Terra buried her face on Beast Boy's motionless body, and let out all her emotion, while Fluttershy berried her face in her hands, crying so soft and hysterically! "I love you!" she peeped so softly, but no one could hear her.

Starfire began to cry and Robin held her softly, while struggling with his own outrage and sadness.

"Beast Boy…" Raven sobbed softly, "No… Please don't go! We we're going to make it up to you!" She was so upset and hurt that she pulled her hood completely over her face, softly crying to herself.

Spike let out a sad howl. All of the Equestrians had tears in their eyes. "No…" Twilight peeped "There was hope for him."

Everyone sat and stood where they were, bewailing the loss of their friend, while Changeling was somewhat amused as he thought "How tragic- They win the battle, but in way… they still lost the war."

Terra lifted her head up and looked down at Beast Boy's face. She wouldn't let him go without having at least one- she leaned forward softly and placed her lips over his, though he couldn't return her kiss.

Fluttershy felt her heart hurting even more now seeing this, but she was too upset to say or do anything. Not that it any of it would matter at all. Terra could not have him, and neither could she.

They gave Beast Boy a small funeral. His body, since it was already rotting from the inside because of the venom, was cremated, and his ashes were kept in a stone chalice Raven had in her room, which was kept in a niche in the wall over the table in the lounge, so it would be like he was still there.

Everyone was just devastated, and it would take time to get over all this and move forward.

Terra... She felt so guilty and hurt for remembering being so hard on him which practically led to all this. He was dead, and in many ways it was really SHE who killed him. Now she would never have the chance to make up with him... be with him... and it hurt even more to never know whether he was willing to forgive her- the way he set her down so gently and backed away from her!

Fluttershy was equally as hurt. She loved him, she knew it! His kiss still lay upon her lips, now like a scar that would forever remind her of all the things they could have been, but would never have a chance to find out now.

Twilight felt horribly crushed, not out of love, but for the fact that this was something she knew that Friendship could never make better- her limits were met, and they hurt so much to know she was powerless to do anything about it. "He didn't deserve it." she sobbed to herself. "Why?! Why do things have to be this way?!"

A couple of days later, the Titans showed the authorities the cave where Changeling had stashed all that he had stolen. Soon, the banks were restocked, and the businesses were all saved from their financial distress, putting the city at ease again… once all the collateral damages were repaired of course.

However, many of the citizens, when the found out about Beast Boy's death and how he helped to save all the assets and beat Changeling.

Many of them felt really bad. Then again, some didn't even seem to care. Not even Amber and Dionne, which earned them all ridicule and disrespect for their own nastiness.

"How can you be so cruel?!"

"He saved us all, and you don't even care?!"

"You're disgusting!"

"You're inhuman!"

All the hurling of insults wouldn't change much.

As for the Equestrians, the Titans escorted them back to Canterlot High, which was still deserted as there was no school that day because of the air show, where everyone was at this moment.

"Must you really go back to your world?" asked Starfire "There is so much we can learn from one another."

"I'm sorry, but we really have to go." said Twilight.

"Eeyup." added Applejack as she tugged on Changeling's ropes "We gotta get this bad apple into the slammer. There's many a pony waitn' to get their hooves on him."

Changeling only growled miserably.

"We only can't begin to apologize for all that has happened." said Rarity "Especially for… for Beast Boy." she dabbed her eyes with a hanky.

Everyone felt the same way, "It's not your fault." said Cyborg "...Things just happened, we weren't ready for it, we couldn't control it." But really, he felt awful, knowing that his and the Titans' negligence and harsh ways were largely responsible for Beast Boy running away, which led to this tragedy.

The Equestrians were more than understanding, but just like the Titans they wished it hadn't happened and maybe Beast Boy would still be alive.

For now, it was best they, the two teams, went their separate ways.

Robin approached Twilight and handed her a Teen Titan Communicator. "If you're ever come back and you need help, you can call us. We'll be there."

She accepted it and shook his hand, "Thank you… for everything. Maybe we'll see each other again... someday."

Smiles and thankful nods were exchanged, and then the girls bid their farewells as one-by-one they marched through the portal and were gone.

"Now that is cool." Cyborg said, and the others all agreed with him, but then they heard the sounds of police sirens as a couple of cruisers passed by.

Robin looked at his teammates, and they all nodded to get into the action. "How about you, Terra…?"

She smiled barely and snapped her goggles over her eyes, implying she was now a member of the team again, for keeps this time. It was where she belonged, and nothing would have pleased her more to help fight crime again, "…for Beast Boy."

Robin tossed her another communicator. "Titans, Go!" and off they all ran!

After the ponies all returned to Equestria, Changeling was handed over to their authorities and was immediately sentenced to life imprisonment and hard labor for all his crimes and murders.

The ponies then reported to Princess Celestia in person and turned in the Elements of Harmony, to send them back to the Tree of Harmony to recharge their powers.

"Well done, all of you." She said proudly to her subjects, but then she sighed sadly "…But I am very sorry to hear of what happened to Beast Boy."

The others all felt the same.

Rarity sniffled, "When I think of the poor dear, and how he- he went. Oh, this is so dreadful!"

Twilight hung her head low, trying to fight off her tears. "He was a very special friend. He had great potential, and a lot of heart."

Applejack didn't seem like the rest of them. She wasn't really crying, but she was upset on the inside. "Well, for what it's worth, at least he died a hero."

The others agreed with her. They probably never would have been able to capture Changeling without him.

"It's what a hero does." Spike said, repeating Beast Boy's philosophy, for the better.

Of course, Fluttershy was still visibly heartbroken. She just stood outside on the terrace by herself. Everyone felt just horrible for her, but all the friendship and all the magic in Equestria would never bring Beast Boy back.

"You okay?" Rainbow asked as she came out to her "Oh, what am I saying… of course you're not."

"I'll be okay, Rainbow Dash." she said turning to smile bravely but sadly at her.

The others came out and Twilight approached her "Look, we all decided you should have this…" and she passed her the communicator.

Fluttershy took it and clutched it close to her chest. "I wonder…" she said as she looked up at the sky "I wonder where he is now, and if he's found peace."

The others, even Celestia all wondered that, and some believe he was at peace.

Fluttershy then closed her eyes, and looked deep in her heart, remember all those times she and her First Love shared.

"I'll." miss you… Beast Boy…

Thank you… for everything!"

Author's Notes:

-Beast Boy is dead- for having given up on Terra, willfully letting her and the other Titans get away with their behavior and abuse towards him (Never standing up for himself in the show)

-Terra is punished- For coldly, selfishly, and horridly breaking BB's heart for her own gains.

-The Titans are punished for their harsh and negligent ways towards BB

-The MLPs... now they understand a bit more of the Dark Side of Friendship and Harmony (When it fails them)

...I look forward to the next time I teach them all these "Lessons"