Author's Note: The following chapter includes plot points from the actual comics, including action scenes and their outcomes, specifically involving Blackfire. No, I don't own the actual comics either. (Sobs).

Potential new story ideas:

"Tease" – Explores the idea that somewhere along the way, Beast Boy's teasing of Raven became flirting. (romance/humor)

"In Lust" – When Raven's powers begin to feed off the lust Robin and Starfire have for one another, one green Titan gets caught in the crossfire. (romance/humor/drama, the idea of Raven drawing lust from Robin and Stafire is cannon in the comics)

Let me know if either one of these stories would be interesting/worth working on! Both would be multi-chapters, but I'm not sure how long.

~0~0~0~

Raven screamed as Blackfire plunged her fingers into the gem on her forehead, further damaging her chakra. The villainess must have studied them well to know what inflicting harm could do.

Raven's chakra contained her demon self and all the evil desires that came with it. Sealing them to her forehead was the best way to contain them, but if tampered with, her demonic side could win over.

Raven heard Beast Boy cry out as he raced towards her, but Slade intercepted him. Beast Boy transformed into a bear, charging at Slade and slashing out with his claws. The villain dodged his attacks easily, while buying Blackfire time.

"Sister, please!" Starfire cried. "Stop this at…once!" With a yell, Starfire whipped her head around wildly, using her eyebolts to finally knock Blackfire to the side. The raven-haired girl collapsed on the ground, but rose just as quickly, too pleased with her work to care about being thrown.

"You're too late, little sister," Raven heard Blackfire say, and then everything went red.

The sounds of Slade battling Beast Boy became background noise. Raven barely noticed her friends chained to the wall. All she could sense was Blackfire's wrath, her greed, and her desire for revenge.

Raven fed off of it, wanting more.

"Demon Girl," Blackfire barked, approaching the empath. "Take us to the Citadel."

"No!" Starfire cried, but it fell on deaf ears.

Raven fell on her hands and knees, her voice possessed by that of her demon side. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" she screamed, and all seven of them were swept up in her powers.

When Raven collapsed onto the grounds of the Citadel, she clutched her head, fighting against her demon self. She could hear footsteps approaching her, and she could make out familiar purple shoes with black strapping.

"Stay away from me," she growled at Beast Boy, not wanting to hurt him. She tossed her head back and forth. Even in her agony she could still make out features of the place she had teleported them to.

It appeared to be a training grounds area spanning hundreds of feet from all sides. The sky above them was tinted in fiery reds and bright purples, the grounds a burnt orange. Large magenta mountains divided the area, and a massive boiling purple river ran out from under them.

Raven's head whipped around as she sensed her friends on the ground behind her. They rose to their feet, staring at her in horror.

"Raven," Beast Boy said, not moving away from her despite her orders. "It's okay. It's just me."

Raven's demon side prickled in pleasure at the sound of Blackfire's menacing cackle several meters away. "I damaged her chakra with my starbolts," the Tamaranean gloated, placing her hand on her hips. "Her demon side has overtaken her."

Sure enough as Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg went to charge the malicious alien, Raven threw up a shield, preventing them from getting anywhere close to Blackfire.

Blackfire turned her head as Slade came to stand beside her. "I believe I'm owed something," he said.

"You first," Blackfire said, narrowing her eyes.

Slade hesitated for a moment and then pulled out the clump of Starfire's hair he had torn from her head. Blackfire snatched the whisps from his grasp and in turn, tossed him a glowing, circular stone, which he attached to the front of his belt. Blackfire bent over and dipped Starfire's hair into the boiling water for just a moment. As the ends started to singe, she crunched the strands into a little sphere and swallowed it whole.

The Titans, sans Raven, watched in disgust as Blackfire screamed, the burning ball of fire filling her body. As the pain faded from Blackfire's features, she gazed at the other Titans, her eyes glowing a fierce purple.

"I propose a duel little sister," she said, cocking her head to the side. "A proper duel, here in the Citadel. Just you and me. Although I should warn you, the river's burning magical properties mixed with your DNA have made me invincible to your starbolts!" Blackfire grinned madly.

Starfire threw a concerned glance at Raven, before taking to the air, her eyes glowing bright. "This does not make a difference to me. I accept your challenge, traitorous sister. You will not hurt my friends any longer."

"Oh, I don't care about your friends," Blackfire replied, also rising into the purple sky. "My revenge only concerns you. Don't you worry though, there's someone else who's agreed to take care of them."

At that moment Raven's shield came completely down, and Slade began walking lazily over to the other Titans. The gem he wore glistened from his belt. "The Stone of Altarra Prime," he stated, and through her red haze Raven recalled Blackfire had told her that was where she had learned about chakras back when they had first met. Slade paused a few feet in front of Raven and Beast Boy, the latter coming in front her in defense. "Don't bother," Slade said, his smooth voice coated in scorn. "Your efforts are wasted!"

As Beast Boy transformed into a rhino and charged, Slade braced himself for the attack. When the green Titan finally collided with him, all the force that was directed at Slade came barreling back into the changeling. Beast Boy fell backwards, switching back into his human form and sliding beside Raven, his head spinning dangerously. Raven cried out in a mixture of horror and enjoyment at seeing him injured beside her. She gripped her head again, crying out and fighting her demon self the best she could. Meanwhile the battle of the Tamaranean sisters above them had begun.

Robin bounded forwards with Cyborg right alongside him. They raced in Slade's direction, the villain already prepared for their attack.

"Beast Boy, help Raven!" Robin cried as he passed them.

As Beast Boy steadied himself, he began to crawl towards Raven slowly. The empath hissed at him, not trusting herself to move from her current position. Her hands gripped the ground and her legs remained tucked under her. She could feel the tips of her shoes grind into the dirt as she fought to keep her hold on her sanity.

"Raven," Beast Boy said softly, only a couple feet from her now.

"Don't," Raven half-growled, half-begged.

"You can do this," he said, scooting closer, the sounds of their friends battling in the background.

I can't. I'm sorry. "Get away, now!" she cried, gripping her head once more. "I can't fight this." A swirl of black energy circled around the two Titans, blocking them off from the others.

"You don't have to fight it!" Beast Boy yelled over the noise her powers were making. "You're already stronger than it! You don't have to hide this part of you anymore!"

I…don't have to fight?

"You've allowed yourself to feel before, I've seen it!" he continued, kneeling in front of her and gripping her by the arms. Her red eyes stared back at him. "You can do it again. I know you're scared, Rae. I'm freakin' terrified too…but you don't have to fight anymore! You're stronger than that side of you. It will be okay. I promise!"

Beast Boy hugged her tightly as the powers surged violently around them. Very tentatively, Raven brought her arms around him, and the floodgates opened. Every emotion she had tried to conceal came pouring through. Rage. Happy. Timid. Fear. Jealous. Wisdom. Brave. Sloth. Rude. Passion. Hope.

I don't need to fight. I need to feel, she realized. Garfield was right. The power of her good emotions greatly overpowered the evil inside her. The tunnel of her powers ebbed around them, the wind starting to settle. Raven's eyes returned to her normal color, but when she pulled back from Beast Boy she noticed her hair had grown past her shoulders, and her robes were a stark white.

Beast Boy stared back at her, his eyes watering slightly.

"Gar," she whispered, not knowing what to say, "Thank you."

She would have attempted a more impressive sentence, but both Titans were startled by the noises around them. They rose immediately, discovering their friends were fighting for their lives…and losing.

The right side of Robin's face was coated in blood, and he ran with a slight limp. Several wires were poking out of various limbs on Cyborg's body. Every time they launched an attack at Slade, the villain used the stone to push the force of the blows right back into them.

Starfire wasn't fairing much better. Her starbolts were essentially useless due to the potion Blackfire had ingested. The redhead's body was singed badly along her torso and arms. Like Robin and Cyborg, she appeared to be mostly on the defensive.

"We should help Star first," Beast Boy said, his face taut with worry as their friend slammed into the mountainside.

Raven shook her head. "As much as I want to, we can't interfere. This is a duel between them. Starfire would never forgive us if we intervened in a challenge reserved for Tamaranean warriors."

Beast Boy looked like he wanted to argue, and Raven couldn't blame him. She thought rituals that involved fights to the death were barbaric, but it was this culture that Starfire was raised on. Since she was banished from Tamaran it probably meant more to her now than ever.

Besides, by the looks of things, Robin and Cyborg desperately needed their help. Raven levitated towards the battling trio, her white robes billowing behind her. Beast Boy followed in hot pursuit. Slade had just thrown Robin again, but Raven caught him in her powers and placed him gently down. The Titans' leader turned to her, surveying her appearance in disbelief, and then a wide smile graced his bruised features.

"It's good to have you back," Robin said.

Raven nodded, landing next to him. She gazed at Beast Boy. "Think you can keep Slade busy?" she asked. The changeling nodded, transforming into a cheetah and bounding over to aid Cyborg. Raven snapped her chin in Robin's direction. "What's the plan?"

Robin's chest heaved, and he placed his hand by his ribs. Raven pressed her hand to his wound, healing as quickly as she could while he spoke. "No matter what attack we use, he just uses the stone to deflect it right back at us. He's using all of our energy against us. He's not even tiring." Robin winced as Raven healed the rib that had been bothering him. "We need to change our tactics to restraining rather than attacking head on. Thanks by the way," he said, finding he could stand up straight without grimacing.

"Don't mention it," she replied, narrowing her eyes as Cyborg was knocked to the ground next. "Restraining you say? I think I can manage that."

Robin and Raven moved towards the action, so Beast Boy could get a break. The Titan had been dodging Slade's attacks as a cheetah, forcing the villain to actually throw some of his own punches instead of reflecting the attacks meant for him. When Beast Boy saw his friends approaching, he backed off, giving Raven a turn.

The pale girl summoned her powers, her longer than usual hair whipping around her. She levitated four boulders around Slade, boxing him in. She paused as he became obscured, landing on the ground to get a better look at her work. What she didn't expect was for the boulders to be absorbed in black energy and tossed back at her just as easily. Raven created a force field to deflect the attack, but she was stunned nonetheless. How were they supposed to restrain a villain without the use of their powers?

"We need to get close enough to grab that stone," Robin shouted over the crashing of rocks.

"Got it!" Beast Boy called back, morphing into a hawk and dropping down on Slade's shoulders in the form of a spider monkey. The changeling ran wildly along the villain's shoulders, making desperate grabs for the gem on his belt buckle. He was tossed off moment later, Cyborg catching him before he could hit the ground.

"Such pitiful attempts," Slade taunted, cracking his knuckles. "And here I thought you used to be marginally formidable."

Cyborg, not being informed of the plan yet, sprinted towards the criminal again, firing his sonic cannon at Slade's feet. The latter held out his hands, capturing the blue energy in his hands and then releasing it in a wave, sending all four Titans into the dirt.

Raven moaned, feeling her head spin again. When she opened her eyes it was hazy, but she could make out Slade approaching Robin. He heaved the boy to his feet, forcing him to stand.

"Get up," he said sternly, shaking the boy in consciousness. "I'm not finished with you yet."

Robin came to and flipped out of Slade's reach, clipping him in the jaw. Slade's head jerked backwards at the unexpected assault. As Robin held his fists out, prepared to fight, Slade slowly moved his head to the side, cracking his neck muscles.

"That's more like it," he said menacingly, and then charged.

Raven watched the two of them battle; using a series of combinations that she could never pull off in her dizziest daydreams. She attempted to stand up but the pounding in her head was too great for her to be of any use.

Robin, usually one for a little banter, was deadly serious. He grunted violently, twisting out of Slade's grasp and landing a few hard punches before dodging another attack. Slade fought with smooth expertise, not even seeming to tire in the slightest.

Raven gasped weakly as Robin finally slipped up and Slade slammed the boy's front into a rock wall, holding his arm behind his back.

"It's always been down to you, hasn't it Robin?" he whispered.

Raven rose shakily to her feet, Beast Boy and Cyborg doing the same beside her. Slade had their back to them, but she could tell from the way Robin's face muscles twitched that the Boy Wonder saw them in his periphery.

"I'll do anything it takes to stop you," Robin grunted against the boulder barrier.

He's buying us time. Raven glanced to Cyborg and Beast Boy and the two nodded, ready to execute what they had to in order to end this.

Slade slammed Robin back into the rock, and the teen cried out. "I've waited a long time for this," Slade said, placing his other hand on the back of Robin's skull, preparing to crush it into the rock barrier.

The villain jerked backwards in shock as black energy caused the ground to crack beneath his feet. Robin used Slade's distracted state to whip around and grab the stone from his belt, tossing it over his shoulder. Beast Boy jumped into the air as a hawk and grabbed it in his talons. The green Titan flew over the giant, boiling river and released the stone into its depths.

Effectively rendered far less powerful than before, Slade fell to the side as Cyborg shot him again with his sonic cannon, this time being successful. As he attempted to rise, Raven trapped him in her powers, which extended as a giant, black, hand. Slade struggled against her hold on him, but he was finally subdued. The other Titans, content that Slade could not escape his current imprisonment, turned their attention to the skies where another battle had been raging.

Starfire had burnt patches all over her body. Due to her starbolts being useless against her opponent, she really had no other attack methods except for her alien strength. This proved difficult to use, however, for every time she flew close to Blackfire, the black-haired girl would blast her down several feet.

"Give up pathetic little sister," Blackfire laughed, her hands rippling with purple energy. "Your demise is inevitable, and I will finally have my revenge."

"Your hatred is pointless," Starfire fired back, soaring higher into the air. "I have renounced Tamaran. I am no longer eligible for the throne."

Blackfire scoffed. "You think I still care about our pathetic home planet? You're mistaken. I merely came to finish what I started all those years ago." She shot her eyebeams at Starfire, who narrowly avoided them. Both aliens paused in the air as sounds of thunderous footsteps began to echo all around the Citadel training grounds.

"Uh…what is that?" Beast Boy asked his friends nervously. Raven looked around wildly with the rest of the Titans. Even Slade seemed to be a little unsettled.

Blackfire smirked at her sister as the latter's face turned from determination to horror. "That's right Starfire. Even if you manage to survive me,you and your friends will be torn apart for trespassing on the Citadellians sacred training grounds. Lucky for me, I'm planning to be long gone by then. So you see, there really is no point. After all, I always was the better fighter."

Raven's head shot up to Starfire. Robin must have understood the same thing because he desperately tried to get his girlfriend's attention. Raven realized his efforts were in vain, for it seemed Blackfire's words had already triggered a realization in Starfire.

The redheaded alien flew up higher, her eyes no longer glowing. "Perhaps, but I am the better flyer."

The other Titans cheered Starfire on as she wove quickly around Blackfire, thoroughly infuriating the villainess when she could not hit her mark. Starfire's flying patterns became erratic after a while and at first Raven thought that she might be tiring. As the girl twisted and turned closer to the boiling river and up by the mountainside, however, the empath discovered her friend's plan.

"You will perish by my hand!" Blackfire screamed, flying closer to the mountainside and harnessing a tremendous amount of energy in her fists. Starfire paused in front of a rocky ledge. Blackfire hurled her starbolts at her sister, but Starfire was too quick. She dove out of the way and landed on the ground next to her friends. Blackfire whipped around in anger, preparing to smite from her place in the air when a cracking noise snapped her attention back to the mountain.

The force of her starbolts had broken off a significant portion of the purple rock, sending boulders tumbling down onto the black-haired Tamranean. Blackfire shrieked as she was hit, plummeting into the purple boiling river and disappearing into its depths.

The Titans grimaced at what appeared to have been a rather gruesome demise. Starfire stared into the river where Blackfire had been only moments before. She had no time to mourn the loss of her sister, for at that moment the Citadellians finally broke into the clearing.

Raven released Slade in shock, startled by the amount of hideous creatures that stood before them, vengeance glowing in their eyes. They had sickly light blue skin with fangs and white hair. Their bodies oozed with pus, and with each step they made a significant indent in the orange dirt. They paused for only a moment, surveying the trespassers. Then they shouted something in their native language and charged.

"Quickly Friends!" Starfire yelled. "We must get to the mountainside!"

That's all the motivation Raven needed. She felt Beast Boy beside her as they all sprinted for their lives, most of them too weak by now to summon the flight they needed to escape. Raven could feel the vibrations of their footsteps behind her, and she knew if she slipped up she would be torn apart.

Starfire made it to the mountainside first, using her strength to pound hand and foot ledges into the rock for the others to climb after her. Cyborg went next, followed by Robin, then Beast Boy and finally, Raven.

As they climbed higher, the Citadellians began smashing their fists and weapons against the mountainside, trying to get them to fall. Raven knuckles turned white as she gripped the stone ledges, holding on for dear life.

"Beast Boy!" Robin yelled down to the changeling. "See if you can fly up and help Star over to the other side of the crag!"

"What'll that do?" Beast Boy shouted back over the sound of the Citadellians' screams.

"I might be able to summon enough energy to teleport us back," Raven called up to Beast Boy, "but I need somewhere stable to stand so I can concentrate!"

Beast Boy tried to twist his head down to look at her, but nearly lost his balance. "Whatever you say!" he shouted before taking a deep breath. No doubt it was difficult for him to change in his weakened state, but after a few moments, he morphed into a hawk and flew upwards to help Starfire.

As the Titans kept climbing, the Citadellians' screams and bashings against the rock wall intensified. Raven continued to clamor up by using the rock ledges, her forehead soaked in sweat.

She gasped as she felt her cloak tug against her neck, choking her. She slid down the rock wall slightly, almost losing her grip on the rock. She glanced down in horror to find Slade had a fistful of her cloak in his hand.

"Leaving so soon?" he hissed.

Raven struggled against his grasp, her eyes wide in terror. "Let go of me," she gasped, struggling desperately.

"I don't think so," Slade replied. "Here's what is going to happen. You are going to teleport the two of us back now, or I will throw you to be torn apart by these savages."

"I'd never leave my friends," she bit back, trying to reach for the ledge above her.

"Pity. What a waste that someone so powerful will die in such a pathetic way." Slade tugged forcefully at her cloak, and Raven lost her hold on the rock ledge, feeling herself fall backwards. A green gloved hand grasped her wrist before she could plummet into the carnage several feet under them. Raven looked up in gratification as Robin smiled down at her, saving her from certain death.

Slade cursed, refusing to let go of his hold on Raven's cloak. The empath glanced sharply to the side as a green hawk dove downwards at the villain, attacking his neck and shoulders. Slade yelled in outrage, swatting at the changeling and eventually releasing Raven's cloak. As he made a mad swipe at the green Titan, he stumbled and lost his footing. Raven watched in horror as Slade's eye widened with realization. The villain dropped several feet down, his body immediately disappearing in the churning sea of Citadellians.

Raven didn't have much time to dwell on what she just witnessed, for she discovered some of the lizard-like creatures had begun to scale the mountainside.

"Come on!" Robin screamed as he continued to climb.

One by one Beast Boy helped the others over the mountainside. When it was Raven's turn, his talons gripped her shoulder to steady her as she dropped down onto a relatively stable ledge. The other Titans looked to her in alarm.

"You'll have to hold them off as for long as you can," Raven told them, her voice calm despite the fear she felt. "I need time to summon enough energy to teleport us home."

"We got you, Girl," Cyborg replied, but she could tell he was a little unsure of their odds for success.

"We will fight as long as it takes," Starfire affirmed, despite her exhausted demeanor.

"You can do this Raven," Robin said, nodding at her before turning to face the ledge they had just climbed over.

Raven felt Beast Boy squeeze her hand. She met his eyes, searching his wildly. He gave her a smile, taking her hand in both of his. "Not that you'll need it, but I'm told this is lucky," he said, placing a small object in her hand.

Raven turned it over to examine the penny she had given him for his birthday. Beast Boy gave her one last smile before going over to join the others. Raven took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She gave the penny a squeeze, feeling a rush of happiness enter her body. She tried to ignore the clashing of the battle around her, an indication that some of the Citadellians had finally reached her friends.

Robin was right. Beast Boy was right. She could do this.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" she screamed, and a sphere of energy broke from her chest.

She felt herself leave the rocky ledge and become weightless for only a moment before landing harshly on a paved road in Jump City. When she opened her eyes, all of her friends blinked back at her. There injuries were plentiful, but thankfully none appeared to be too severe. They gazed at her in wonder, marveling at the power she possessed that was responsible for their return. They all seemed thoroughly exhausted and understandably rattled, but they were alive.

Raven turned to Beast Boy, holding out her hand containing the penny. "Here's your…" she paused, staring at the changeling. She could actually feel her energy draining from her body. She had pushed the limit on her powers, knowing it was her only option if she wanted to save her friends. She watched Beast Boy's face turn from happiness to horror. She wanted to tell him it was okay, that it would all be okay, but her vision faded too quickly and her world plunged into darkness.

~0~0~0~

Over the next several days, Raven was stuck in her healing trance. Occasionally she could hear voices and sense the others by her side, but her mind was too foggy to decipher who was who. When she at last opened her eyes she was in her bedroom, hovering over her bed.

She slowly drifted over the mattress, turning her body so her feet touched the floor. She noticed right away that her hair still fell past her shoulders, but she had on a fresh uniform. She smiled to herself. Starfire must have shoved the boys out as soon as they had gotten home, so she could tend to her.

Raven's head ached, her mind still muddled from her trance. She couldn't quite remember all that had happened, and for the time being she wanted to keep it that way. She moved to her dresser, pulling out a pair of scissors. She was no hairdresser, but she has cut her hair twice before; she could do it again.

She sighed, grasping the scissors and slicing the ends of her violet mane. When her hair was back to it's normal style, she exited her room and entered the bathroom down the hall. As she began to wash her face, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Raven turned, gazing at a white uniform crumpled up in the corner by the shower. It was stained with dirt and blood, and the cloak was torn around the edges.

Memories came flooding back to Raven. Her demon self almost taking over her. Blackfire falling into the boiling river. Slade plunging into the pit of furious Citadellians.

Raven ran to the toilet and promptly threw up. Flushing the toilet, she winced as the mess disappeared. She turned back to the sink.

A think a good brush is in order, she thought, picking up her toothbrush.

When Raven finished cleansing herself, she walked into ops, searching for her friends. Starfire was in the kitchen, whipping up Azar knows what. Robin was flicking through channels with Beast Boy and Cyborg. All four Titans looked in the direction of the ops entrance, their faces immediately lighting up.

"Raven!" they all said simultaneously, bounding across the room to her. Starfire got to her first, crushing her in one of her hugs. As soon as the redhead released her, Beast Boy grabbed her by the shoulders, kissing her full on the mouth in front of the others. As he pulled away, Raven tried to quell the blush rising in her cheeks at the open affection. Cyborg drew her in for a hug, Robin following after him.

"It's good to see you up," the Titan leader mentioned as he pulled away.

"How long was I out?" Raven asked.

"About two weeks. Gave us all a scare," Cyborg told her.

Raven winced. "Sorry."

"Oh it is quite the okay! All that matters is that you are safe," Starfire said, beaming at her.

Raven smiled at Starfire, and then her expression sobered. "Blackfire….and Slade. Are they really…?"

Robin frowned. "It's hard to say."

"Knowing Slade, he could pop back up tomorrow," Beast Boy added cryptically.

Raven turned to Starfire. "I'm sorry about your sister, Star. I know even after everything…she meant a lot to you."

Starfire smiled sadly at her. "Blackfire chose her path long ago. I always hoped she would realize the error of her ways, but alas, she never did. If it is true, and she really has entered the afterlife, I hope she finds peace under X'Hal."

Raven nodded, absently fingering her chakra. She smiled to herself, noticing the cracks Blackfire had created had healed. She glanced at Beast Boy. "Do you have your penny?"

Beast Boy brandished the small copper coin, winking at her in response. He glanced at the others briefly before stepping closer to Raven. "Can I talk to you for a sec, Rae?"

"Sure," Raven said, raising an eyebrow. She gave a small smile to the others before she and Beast Boy left ops. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked, as he led her down the hallway and into his room. When the door shut behind them, Beast Boy turned to her, wringing his hands. Raven crossed her arms. "What is it, Gar?"

The changeling scratched the back of his head. "Well I just figured…since Robin and I were gonna make the switch soon…and I haven't really tried on my new costume yet…I thought maybe you'd want to see it too?"

Raven smirked. "You want to model your new uniform for me?"

Beast Boy blushed. "Well it sounds kind of dumb when you say it like that," he muttered.

Raven stepped towards him, reaching out and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm honored that I'll be the first to see you in it," she said, smiling. She paused, tilting her head to the side. A mischievous smile crossed her face. "But you know, you'll have to change out of this one first."

Beast Boy's bewildered expression shifted to mirror her own. "Sounds good to me," he said, swinging her around and attaching his mouth to hers.

~0~0~0~

The following week Raven and Starfire pulled Cyborg into ops, bringing him over to the back of the sofa.

"What's up with you two?" Cyborg said, laughing as Starfire turned his body so his lower back rested against the back of the black couch.

Starfire giggled. "What do you mean, Friend Cyborg? Raven and I are acting as we always do."

Raven smiled a little. She couldn't help it; she was excited. "Care to do the honors Starfire?" she asked, floating to one side of the ops door.

"Oh yes, very much so!" the alien said joyously, flying to the other side of the door and turning to face Cyborg. "Behold, the two new members of the Teen Titans!"

The doors slid open and two male figures walked through. Cyborg straightened immediately, his face breaking into a wide smile. "Ah Man, I knew it!" he shouted, walking forwards to join his friends. He observed their costumes individually. One was a dashing combination of red and white, the other a sleek black with a blue symbol on the front. "Nightwing," Cyborg said, shaking the latter's hand. "Looking good. And Beast Boy, love the new look."

"It's Changeling now, actually," Changeling said, grinning.

"Cool, I dig it."

"Oh what a happy occasion this is!" Starfire cheered, gathering them all in an impromptu group hug. When she released them, Nightwing turned to address them all.

"I have an important announcement to make," he said, a little uncomfortably. "In light of Cyborg leaving, I've done a lot of thinking and well…I feel like it's best for me to..."

Changeling placed a hand on Nightwing's shoulder. "Dude, it's okay. We know."

Nightwing's mask widened. "You do?"

Cyborg chuckled. "I kind of guessed it myself. I always thought you'd be the one to leave first, if we're being honest."

"This will be good for you," Raven added. "It'll give you the chance to work on your own; to decide which you like better. Besides," she continued, glancing at Starfire with a smile, "Changeling and I figured we'd be left in good hands."

Starfire beamed at her friends. Nightwing looked exponentially relieved as they told him what they already knew. "Thanks Titans. I really appreciate it."

"Hey now, let's not get all mopey just yet," Cyborg cut in. "We've still got a couple months left of kicking butt together!"

"Yeah, and you know that means I'll have plenty of time to kick your butt on the latest version of Mega Monkeys," Changeling said mischievously.

"In your dreams, Green Bean!"

"Oh!" Starfire piped in, remembering something. "I have ordered a plentiful amount of the pizza," she said, flying over to the kitchen counter and pulling out dozens of boxes. "Perhaps we may gorge ourselves until we are sick?"

"Now you're talking, Girl," Cyborg said, racing over to the kitchen, Changeling close behind him.

Raven shook her head at their antics. Shooting a side-glance at Nightwing. "Where will you go?"

"Bludhaven. It's a rough city relatively close to Gotham," Nightwing replied.

Raven looked at him sadly. "That's pretty far."

Nightwing returned her melancholy expression. "Yeah. Hope you won't get too tired of teleporting to see me."

Raven smirked. "Just make sure you don't test me."

Nightwing laughed, and then the two of them went over to join their friends.

~0~0~0~

Later that day the five Titans sat on the roof of the Tower, watching the sunset together. Raven glanced down as a white gloved hand tangled with her own. The coloring looked foreign, but she knew in a matter of weeks Changeling's new look would feel completely ordinary.

Raven and Changeling glanced over at their friends, chuckling as Cyborg made a joke about Starfire running training regiments in comparison to Nightwing. When Starfire, Nightwing and Cyborg became enveloped in their own quiet conversation, Changeling turned to Raven.

"I guess everything's gonna be different now, huh?" he asked a little somberly.

"Yes, and no."

Changeling frowned. "What do you mean?"

Raven's eyes stared into his. "I think we might be pleasantly surprised at what the future holds for us."

"How do you know?"

Raven smiled. "I don't," she admitted. "It's just a feeling."

Changeling stared out at the horizon thoughtfully. He turned back to her after a few moments, looking at her affectionately. He began to take out his penny, but then paused before returning it to the pocket in his belt.

Raven gazed at him curiously. "What's wrong? This not happy enough for you to save in your penny?"

Changeling chuckled. "Actually, I just wanted to try enjoying the moment, instead of saving it for later."

Raven smiled. In a way, she understood him.

He grinned at her, his fang poking out. "Besides Rae, I have a feeling I'll have way more happy memories for that," he said, patting the penny beneath his belt, and then squeezing her hand.

Raven continued to stare at him, the smile never leaving her face. She turned her chin and watched as the sun finally disappeared. Funny, the future didn't scare her as much as it used to anymore.

She squeezed his hand back. If anything, it excited her.

The End.

~0~0~0~

Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who read this story and reviewed it. I put many hours into this FanFiction, and it really means a lot that others enjoyed it. I want to thank TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne again for acting as my beta reader and helping me make this story what I imagined it to be. Most of my other stories are Robin/Starfire fics, so this was a big change writing a long BB/Rae story, and I hope I did their characters justice.

I tried to make each chapter it's own story with connecting character arcs, which was the style of the original show. I thought it was important to write it this way if I was making a "season six." If I write another story about our favorite couples, it will be more romance based and light-hearted and will connect more from chapter to chapter. It will also most likely be a little shorter.

Let me know if either story I mentioned above is something you would like to see.

As of right now, this will likely be the last major story I write for at least a little while. Then again, I've gone on long hiatuses before, so I guess I don't even really know if this is the end. I'll certainly continue writing if they bring back the original Teen Titans, and honestly with how popular these characters are, anything is possible, especially if the rumors concerning a season six are true.

Until then, thank you to all my readers. Your support has made writing this worth it.