Teen Titans – Video Games Are Fun!

32. Epilogue: Slade is a Dooshbag

Mail Call!

Batmanismyhero – Thanks for the review. I'll be giving the answer as what the spell was at the end of this section.

TDG3RD – Thanks for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed those bits. I don't know why, but a lot of people get struck in the 'jewels' in this chapter. So, you'll probably enjoy yourself even more.

Hyper Speed Luke – Thanks for the review and the praise. The answer to what that spell was is at the end of this section.

Thesoral – Thanks for the review. The answer to what that spell was is at the end of this section.

Pimpofthetitans – Oh, it ain't over; not by a long shot! Behold the epilogue! Other than that, thanks for the review.

Mrbeans – Hey man. Oh, the job ain't over quite yet! Thanks for the compliments and the answer to what the spell was is at the end of this section. Oh, and BTW, I wouldn't worship you if you attained demi-god-like status; Senor Juevos!

Red Raven101 – Thanks for the review. You'll just have to read to find out about the arm. As for the spell; the answer as to what it was is at the end of this section.

RaeFox Oni – Thanks man! I'm glad you enjoyed yourself so very much and I hope you'll be back for the sequels.

Artemis85 – Thanks for the exuberant review. I'm glad you're so happy. I'm sorry to say that I do not speak Latin. I got that from a website; sorry. Other than that; which do you love more? Pissing people off or this story series? Keep that in mind next time.

Shikamaru's hot honey – Why do so many people think it's over? Epilogue Be-hatches! And, no; I was not trying to be either black or ghetto. Other than that, thanks for the review. I appreciate it.

Insanity'sCandy – Okay then—hope you're still alive after all this time. 'Cause here's the ending. Thanks; and hope to see ya' in the sequels.

Beforemidnite – The answer as to what the spell was is at the end of this section; though I would've appreciated a little more from ya'. Y'know, maybe telling me something about the actual fic; just maybe?

Metal Overlord 2.0 – I fuckin' love you! That was, like, the best review I've ever gotten! You just bought yourself a spot in the special thanks; just 'cause of that! I can't possibly respond to all that; so I'll just say thanks and leave it at that. Damn, I love your reviews!

Paul Pyro – Thanks for the review and all (that gets an answer) shall be answered in the epilogue as you have predicted. The answer as to what the spell was is at the end of this section.

Sunkistgurl10 – For the record, I can only just barely stand Blue Collar. No offense, but I just don't like them all that much. That Bill guy just pisses me off. As for the arm, I, too, could never be a lefty. Well, maybe I could—if I can write with my foot, I should be able to do it with my left hand. Well, whatever. Congrats on the nickel. I remember my first nickel… hmmm… good times. As for sequel-y-ness; totally yo!

Warprince2000 – So, we meet again…

OK ALL THE GOOD NAME TAKEN – I just barely understood what you said. From what I could catch; I'm glad you enjoyed it and I thought it would be funny to make Terra a perv too.

The White Ancient – I'm glad you liked it. The epilogue should be satisfactory all-in-all. Anywho, thanks for the review. As for the lizard thing; they can only regrow their tails as far as I'm aware. So, y'know.

CaldarBrokenhorn – Are you aware of how many different ways your name could be construed? Whatever. I'm glad you liked the fic and I hope you enjoy the epilogue just as much. As for the TxWB lemon; I'd be happy to send it to you. I'll let you judge whether the reasons are good enough or not; though in my personal opinion, I don't think they are. BTW; the game is for the N64, though I think they remade it(identical to the original) for the GameCube. So, check that out if you wish. Thanks for the interest.

Kaitlin Alexander – I never really thought my fic was worthy of people staying up all night to finish it; but I appreciate that you thought so. It really makes me feel good. Thank you. as for the spell, the answer as to what it was is at the end of this section.

MoonLitPride – I'm glad you like my stuff. My sense of humor is what keeps me sane. So, y'know. I live by it. Thanks for the review; and if I still haven't, I'll give your fics a quick peak. Whether I'll read anything or not is questionable(busy lately), but I'll definitely take a look at your profile if nothing else. I'm from the US. Rupees are what the currency in the video game this story takes place in is called. So, I was simply being loyal to the game. Sorry if I got your hopes up.

Futuremarine – The answer as to what the spell was will be at the end of this section.

The Mad shoe1 – Thanks for the review.

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BB's POV

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As the bright blue light faded, I opened my eyes. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw the cool metal walls of the tower. I could hear a groaning coming from slightly behind myself. Turning, I found Raven rubbing at her eyes. Arella had already stood.

"Is it over?" Raven asked, a true smile crossing her lips as she beheld her surroundings. "We're home?"

I was about to nod when my ears caught the nearly silent, yet high tones of a scream coming from beyond the nearest set of doors. I stood abruptly, causing the others to give me strange looks.

"Somebody just screamed in the other room" I said, gesturing for the previously mentioned doors.

Raven opened her mouth as if to speak, then shut it and shook her head slightly. She then started again, but did a tad bit better this time. "Alright. You stay here and we'll get her."

"No" I said, stretching my remaining arm. "Just 'cause I'm an acute lefty doesn't mean I'm helpless." I wasn't about to tell her that I had to come; because I'd remember that scream anywhere.

Raven finally gave in and rolled her eyes. "Fine. But you're not fighting."

"Then, what do I do?" I asked agitated.

"You find whoever screamed and make sure they're okay."

I Hesitated for only a moment before I heard the greatly muffled scream again and was forced to agree. I nodded and the two girls sunk into the ground, Raven creating an extra portal for me to use. Squaring my shoulders… shoulder, I leapt into the portal and found myself almost instantly beyond the kitchen counters.

Poking my head over the top of the improvised barrier, I could see Dr. Light shooting massive bursts of light energy towards a quickly tiring Terra. Her dodges were quickly becoming sluggish and I could see the sweat and blood on her body.

Without an instant's hesitation, I leapt over the counter and dashed over to Terra's side. I knelt beside her and was about to grab her arm when I heard laughter from Dr. Light. I turned to face him, only to find the barrel of his cannon aimed directly at me.

It was at this moment that I realized that I still had my armor from Hyrule on. I couldn't help the smirk which crossed my lips as I remembered what I'd kept a healthy supply of… just in case.

"Cover your eyes Ter!" I shouted, whipping something from my pocket and hurling it to the ground as near to the good doctor as I could. In the same motion, I covered my eyes with the same hand, blocking out the bright flash of light.

I looked up to see the villain rubbing his eyes frantically. I grabbed Terra's arm and pulled her to her feet and began to run, shouting "What's the matter? Afraid of the light?" as I ducked behind the counters once more.

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Raven's POV

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As I surfaced in the common room behind Dr. Light, I couldn't help but smirk slightly at Gar's little quip. I wondered briefly, if he was as clever as he'd shown me in Hyrule, why he didn't show it off more often.

My train of thought was interrupted, however, as Dr. Light was finally able to regain his vision and whirled around to face me. We just had a stare down for what he probably thought was an extremely long time, but was actually just over a second. Finally, he spoke. "So, it seems that the demon girl has finally embraced the light?"

I perked an eyebrow at him. "I'll embrace the light when you embrace modern fashion. Goatees are so 1692."

He growled and trained his light cannon on me. Arella picked this exact moment to rise from the ground directly behind him. Before he got a chance to turn around, I completely shrouded myself in a bright silhouette of flames.

Mother let out a short cough directly behind him. As he spun about to face his new attacker, she enshrouded herself in an icy blue aura. From his position it must've looked as if there were two of me; one of flame and one of ice.

My thoughts on this subject were confirmed as he said "Two?" before collapsing to the ground in a dead faint.

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BB's POV

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Once behind the counters, I continued to drag Terra along until we were in a slightly secluded corner near the fridge. I slid to the ground, my back against the wall and brought Terra down onto my lap. She hadn't looked at me once throughout the entire rescue.

But, she looked at me there, as we sat in that corner, and my heart clenched at the sight of her face. It was bruised and burnt from the battle. As horrible as it may sound, I took some slight relief in the fact that I only cared because of how injured she was; and not who she was.

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Terra's POV

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I finally looked up at my rescuer, to see Beast Boy looking back down at me. I was about to smile as a silent sign of my thanks when I noticed his arm… or lack thereof.

I gasped harshly and was about to say something when he placed his fingers over my lips, making a near silent shooshing sound.

We just sat like this as the sound of some rather anticlimactic battling raged to an equally anticlimactic halt and all was silent. We waited a few more seconds to be certain that it hadn't just entered a short lull before we climbed back to our feet.

I was still in a lot of pain from my wounds, so I allowed BB to lead me along. As we were back in the main area of the common room, I looked up into BB's face yet again.

He smiled slightly and asked "Are you gonna be alright?"

I can't tell why, but I was suddenly filled with so many emotions. I wrapped my arms about his frame even tighter than they were already. He patted my shoulder hesitantly. I looked up at him and spoke for the first time since he'd come back.

"Oh god, I've been wanting to do this for sooo long." With that, I moved my face towards his.

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BB's POV

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I could feel my eyes shoot open wide when I realized what Terra was attempting. For a moment, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't just shove her away, she was injured. Plus, I could only pull back so far before I'd fall. Finally, it hit me. I turned my face sideways. The direction I turned it just happened to be in Raven's general direction.

She had a hand over her mouth, her eyes unnaturally wide. There was a quick snort of laughter, which her mom echoed then they were silent again. Finally, Terra's lips collided with my cheek and rested there for a moment. She suddenly pulled back. I looked down at her and moved my face such that I could whisper in her ear.

"I'm so sorry Terra" I whispered, feeling terrible for her. "I loved you from the moment I saw you, but after all that's happened, there's nothing left. When I saw your face on the communicator, I felt… disappointed. You really didn't do my memories of you justice. In that cave, I told you I was moving on. I think I finally mean it."

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Raven's POV

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I watched, horrified as Terra began to move in to kiss Gar. I could feel a tear forming in my eye as I saw him just standing there, letting it happen. That tear, however, suddenly dried up and was replaced by pure pitty as Gar turned his head such that Terra's lips collided with his cheek.

I heard mother say "Ouch" which caused me to let out a single snort of laughter. I had to agree. Nothing hurts more than somebody turning their cheek on you.

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Terra's POV

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I listened closely to everything Beast Boy said to me, hoping that it would end with something I'd like. But, when all that needed to be said was said, I could feel a sharp pain in my heart. I pulled away from him only a little, fully aware that I couldn't possibly support myself. I moved up to whisper back. "Who is she?"

I could see the shock pass briefly over his face, before he loudly whispered "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"If there's anything I know about you, it's that your major fear is being alone" I replied, still whispering. "If somebody offered themselves to you, you'd never refuse them unless you already had somebody. So, who is she?"

With a small sigh, he replied "She's the one who's healing your wounds."

I was confused for a moment, but quickly took note of the small feeling of warmth which was moving to the various injuries I'd sustained. I looked to where the warmth currently was and found a hand. I traced the arm to which it was attached to find a slightly bloodied white cloak, with an equally as bloodied Raven dwelling within.

She was grinning up at me, the smugness in her expression powerful enough to send the average epileptic into shock. I just stared down at her as she smirked up at me, simply going about her work of healing my wounds the entire time. Finally, I spoke. "Oh… so you-"

"Yep" she replied, not even letting me finish.

"And BB-"

"Mm-hmm."

"Then you two are-"

"Uh-huh."

"Then, have you-"

"Not yet."

I was about to try asking some more partial questions when my communicator went off. I reflexively drew it but nearly dropped it when I saw the message it brought.

Having heard my gasp, the other woman moved closer to see what the problem was. Raven had also risen to a standing position while Beast Boy had allowed me to stand on my own.

"What is it?" Raven asked, not attempting in the slightest to hide her nerves.

"It's Robin" I replied breathlessly. "He needs our help."

"What?" Beast Boy nearly shouted. "Where is he? What's the problem?"

"I have the coordinates" I replied to his first question before flipping the device shut. "As for the problem; it's… S-Slade."

There was a collective gasp from Raven and BB. The other woman, however, simply looked clueless. Hesitantly, she asked "Slade?"

"Bad guy" Raven replied briskly.

"Real bad" BB finished for her, pulling away from the group. "Okay, we gotta-"

"We aren't doing anything" Raven interrupted. "You're staying here."

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BB's POV

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I took a step towards Raven. As my 'I'm coming rather you like it or not' strategy had been so effective the last time, I decided to try it again. "Was it not just ten minutes ago that I'd said-"

"This is different" Raven interrupted harshly. "This is Slade."

"Slade is the reason I've got fighting skills bordering on assenine!" This brought her to a dead halt.

She seemed indecisive for only a moment before deciding what to say. "Gar, please. Just stay here." We stared into each other's eyes for only a moment. With the slightest of nods from me, the girls quickly made their way from the room.

Then, they were gone.

I stood where I was for a short while, but suddenly shook my head as if to clear it. "What the hell am I doing?" I shouted at the empty room. "There's no way I'm staying here!"

I was about to run from the room when I saw the unconscious form of Dr. Light. Rolling my eyes, I decided that I'd better put him in one of the holding cells so he couldn't do anything while we were all gone.

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Slade's POV

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Everything was going perfectly to plan. Two Titans were down and the others were on their way. I was just about to laugh menacingly when a burst of blueish energy flew straight past my head.

I turned calmly to recognize the arrival of my next two challengers. At the moment, there were only the robot and the girl with the insect fetish.

"Ah, nice ot see you again Cyborg" I drawled casually, though never lowering my guard for a second. "I don't believe we've met. Bumblebee isn't it?"

"Don't matter who we are" Cyborg retorted, heating up his cannon for another shot. "Only matters how we gonna kick yer' skinny whigger ass."

"Ah yes," I said, closing my eye tightly as I listened to him speak. "The blackinese is like music to my ears." I smirked under my mask at the outraged reaction from the two before continuing. "Though, that sonic whirring isn't as pleasant."

Without another second's hesitation, I chucked a device at the cybernetic youth which attached magnetically upon contact. His eyes shot wide with surprise just before it sent an electronic charge through his systems, effectively deactivating the weapon.

After blinking a half dozen times, he trained his sights on me once more. "Close-combat it is then" he shouted, rushing me.

I was able to dodge his heavy mechanical movements with almost laughable ease. I allowed him to take the offensive for the bulk of the fight; only delivering an occasional, but always perfect strike.

Eventually, I noticed that the girl was about to join in. I knew that, although I probably could take the both of them on simultaneously, it just wouldn't be a very smart thing to try. So, in the blink of an eye, I was behind my current opponent with a small disc which I attached to the side of the arm opposite his primary sonic cannon.

With a fizzle and a hiss, it almost completely drained his power cell, leaving him immobile on the floor. The girl took this as her queue to fly in to help him. I didn't allow this, however, lifting the prone body and hurling it powerfully at the charging woman. The two collided in midair, the smaller being pinned beneath the larger and placing another mark on my mental checklist of 'Titans-to-Beast-in-a-Depressingly-Simple-Fashion'.

It wasn't long before I had to dodge to the side as an arrow whizzed past my head by mere millimeters. I looked in the direction from the which the attack had come to find that Speedy and Aqualad had arrived on the scene.

Speedy was already preparing another arrow as I spoke. "Ah, first it was the boy wonder and his alian lover. Second came the nigro couple-to-be, and now, the fags have arrived." I chuckled deep in my throat at the obvious expressions of rage passing across the two youths faces. "Oh, don't get me wrong; I have nothing against your lifestyle. I'm just an equal-opportunity bastard."

With that, I threw an explosive at the two which was intercepted by the arrow which Speedy had prepared earlier. The explosion caused by this collision was far greater than it would have been, having either object acted on its own. I took note of this during the millisecond required to draw another one of the devices and hurl it at the two once more. This time, however, I threw it in an overhanded arc, landing it smack within Speedy's quiver.

The two quickly realized what this meant as Speedy threw his quiver off, being pulled away by his atlantian lover. Their attempts, however, were far too slow as, although they evaded the initial explosion, they were both caught under the wall which the massive explosion had brought down.

I began to hum to myself at this additional victory. "Let's see" I muttered to myself. "Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Bumblebee, Speedy and Aqualad; that only leaves-"

"Us" came the interruption from the very wall I'd just blown in. From the opening came an extremely agitated looking group of four.

I looked briefly over the group before speaking. "Well, though the arrival of Kid Flash is a small variation from my original plan, I should be able to improvise."

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BB's POV

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Upon slamming the door to the holding cell behind me, I was on my way once more. I ran the extremely short distance from the holding area towards the garage. "Nice move guys" I muttered to myself, thinking about how close the two location were to one another. "Should a villain escape from their cell, the single length of hall will totally stop them from taking any variety of vehicles for their escape."

I then burst through the garage door and eyed the remaining vehicles. The T-car was gone, as expected. Other than that, however, all vehicles were present and ready to go.

I ran over a quick listing of the vehicles before my eyes fell upon the R-cycle.

I could actually feel myself beginning to salivate at the sight of the motorcycle. "Do I dare?" I asked as I approached it. Upon seeing the keys already in the ignition, I grinned maliciously to myself and said "I totally dare."

I wasted no more time as I pulled myself onto the R-cycle, noting, to my immense glee, that it could be easily operated with one arm. Turning might be a problem, but I just had to be careful.

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Raven's POV

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The three of us flew through the skies of the city. I was bothered by the fact that, upon returning to my home, I had to rescue my leader and teammates. Becoming slightly uncertain of Terra's navigational skills, I called over to her "How much longer until we reach the place?"

Terra immediately replied with "We're almost there!" There was a short pause before she continued. "So, you're sure that you can enter churches?"

"Terra?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a bitch!"

"Point taken!"

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Slade's POV

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I was only slightly surprised as only Jynx and Kid Flash approached to attack. They exchanged a quick glance before moving in for the fight.

Kid Flash instantly started to move about the room using his trademark super speed. I had to be on my toes just to keep track of him. My problems were immediately amplified as I had to start dodging hexbolts as they came. I held a façade of cold indifference and confidence in order to keep the two from seeing how on edge I actually was.

It wasn't long, however, before I thought up a strategy. I'd quickly realized that although the boy's body may move at super speed, his brain was just barely keeping up with him. As such, he moved in a predetermined pattern. Although the fact that whenever he came near me he'd throw a punch, adding to what I'd have to dodge, but it also allowed me to figure out exactly where I needed the two to be for my plan to work.

Finally, I had the two in position and dodged one last hexbolt. At the exact moment I'd dodged the attack, Kid Flash had ended up only a short distance behind where I'd been standing.

He was struck by the attack and was sent sprawling to the ground. My next landing was a far calmer and easier one for me. Jynx looked thoroughly shocked at what had just taken place, and I took her pause as the perfect opportunity pull out yet another device. In under a second, I'd already found the device and chucked it into the air, setting it off. It emitted a blinding flash of light, which I wasn't affected by through a simple action of covering my eye.

Instantly upon my 'flash bomb' taking affect, the disoriented girl began to thrash about blindly, completely unaware that she was shooting off her hexbolts at complete random. Eventually, the attacks had struck the ground in a complete circle around her and everything within the radius crumbled under the confused girl.

She never got a chance to recover as her head struck a chunk of the crumbling ground, knocking her out instantly.

I peered over at the opening from which my most recent defeats had emerged to find that the two stragglers were no longer, well, straggling. I could hear deep breathing directly behind me. With a roll of my eye, I bent backwards at my waist, performing a quick hand stand which brought my foot into the air, and straight into the spot where the light don't shine.

The massive creature crumbled instantly, sending the crystalline girl flying due to the momentum.

With a loud thud, the girl became imbedded in the ground. Not a second later, she'd returned to her natural state and began to look about herself slightly frantically.

She looked over at me for only a moment before shouting "Oh no! This is a dire and hopeless situation with no chance of escape! We need a hero!"

Suddenly, the massive stained glass window, which had remained unmarred until now was completely shattered inwards as… the A-team opening theme began to play.

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Terra's POV

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"Just down there!" I called over to the others, beginning to decend upon my boulder. Raven and the other woman followed shortly after.

I scanned over the gothic building to determine the best direction to attack from. I could see that the western wall of the building had been almost completely blown in. I turned back to the others to go through my plan. "Okay, he's gonna expect us to attack from either the blown in wall or from the doors on the opposite side. We should go in through the window!"

Raven and the other woman exchanged quizzical glances before Raven spoke. "Wow Terra. Who would've thought that under that blonde, preppy outer shell, there was a sufficient tactition?"

"I'll take that as a compliment" I called back, continuing towards the church.

Just as we hovered before the massive stained-glass window, I heard a scream coming from within the church.

"Oh no! This is a dire and hopeless situation with no chance of escape! We need a hero!"

Grinning slightly to myself, I separated two small cobble-sized rocks from the massive one I was currently perched upon and used them to keep me in the air. I needed to do this for the plan I'd thought up.

I moved forward with just enough speed to make the entire window and some of the wall around it shatter inward.

Just as the glass shattered, however, I could hear an unfamiliar yet extremely fitting tune begin to fill the air.

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Raven's POV

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As the music began to play, I glanced briefly at my mother to see a small smirk invading her visage. Rolling my eyes, I knew exactly what was the cause of the song.

From the collapsed window and wall came a massive cloud of dust and debris which kept us hidden from those within the ancient church. I could tell from Terra's position that she was the only one of us who was even partially visible. Being the ham I vaguely remember her being, she shouted "Did somebody say 'hero'?" with her arms on either of her shoulders.

As the dust finally cleared, I could see all the other Titans strewn about, with the only conscious ones being Kole; embedded in the stone floor, and Cyborg; apparently paralyzed from the neck down. I say neck down, because his mouth definitely wasn't paralyzed.

"It's Chuck No-" was all I allowed him to shout before I interrupted him.

"Don't do that!" I called, just loud enough for him to hear me.

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Slade's POV

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I just stared at the trio hovering in the window before me. "A mixture of the A-team and Chuck Norris; how interesting" I mumbled in a tone which I was certain carried through the entire building. Deciding to have a little fun with the unexpected newcomers, I spoke directly to Terra. "Are you ready to return to me Apprentice?"

"You can just shut the hell up" she replied in a tone so calm it actually sent a shiver down my spine. I didn't have much time to contemplate this matter, though, as the boulder of which she had been perched was suddenly flying at top speeds straight for my face.

It actually took some effort to dodge the massive projectile. This caused the dodge to be a bit less graceful than most and I ended up in a crouching position. Before I was able to regain myself, I was surrounded on three sides by the girls.

I looked around myself, retaining my façade of cool disconnection, finally settling my eye on Terra who was completely surrounded by rocks of varying shapes and sizes; all poised for… chucking or something.

"What's wrong Terra?" I asked, putting forth an aura of false concern. "Are you upset that I just beat all your friends?"

"No" she said without hesitation. "That may be pretty crappy, but the thing that's really got my blood boiling is the fact that you used your neurological interfaces on all those monsters; as well as the humans we've been fighting. I'm upset because you just surfaced to screw around with us when we're already going through enough problems as is. But, most of all, I'm pissed that you'd have the gall to think you could do all this… and not get your ass kicked in the process!"

She suddenly sent all her weapons flying at me at the same time as the other two women sent bursts of white energy at me. I dodged all the attacks at just the right angle and couldn't help but laugh as Terra was struck by Raven's attack, Raven struck by the other woman's attack, and that other woman by nearly all of Terra's projectiles.

All three fell to the ground, Raven being the only one to remain conscious. I approached her slowly and lifted her by the front of her robe. "Still conscious after that?" I asked her,eying her with some slight apprehension. "How?"

"Not everything about my destiny is bad, y'know" she mumbled, bringing her left hand into focus as it began to glow with a bright golden triangle.

"Well" I began hesitantly. "This is… interesting to say the least."

"You're telling me" came a voice from behind me. Before I was even able to move, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my head and I collapsed to the ground.

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BB's POV

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I rode at a quick pace, but didn't push the bike, fearing that I'd either stress it or send it out of control. As I rounded a corner, I noticed the sound of another motorcycle engine nearbye. I peaked in one ofhe rearview mirrors to see somebody in tinted helmet catching up with me.

I became slightly nervous as I increased the speed of the R-cycle. My follower increased their speed as well. That settled it. There was no more question that they were trying to catch up with me. Using a rather complex maneuver which Robin could probably execute in his sleep, I swerved such that I was suddenly next to them.

"Who are you?" I shouted at my pursuer. He was only slightly shocked, most likely not expecting me to be able to pull such a stunt. He recovered quickly, however, and tore his helmet off, revealing… a mask.

"X?" I called to him, my eyes shooting wide. I just barely dodged a traffic cone.

"B?" he shouted back, just as surprised. "Man, didn't know it was you. What's with the armor?"

"Long story" I shouted. "Why are you following me?"

"I saw that awesome sword you've got and decided I want it!" he called back. He would've sounded like a little kid if it weren't for the voice modifier. "Y'know, just 'cause it's you doesn't mean I'm not gonna take it!"

"Wouldn't have expected anything less!" I called back, shaking my head and chuckling. "But, I warn you, it kinda comes with a built-in destiny!" I could honestly say that I was in a good mood. It had never occurred to check for the Master Sword; I'd simply assumed that it would remain in Hyrule. Being proven wrong has never been so vindicating.

"Built-in destiny?" he called back, sounding disappointed behind the mechanical cover up. "You know I don't go for that stuff!"

"And," I replied somewhat more chipper. "That's why you aren't getting it!" With that, I zipped around a corner, thoroughly loving the fact that Gerudo armor came with a cape, leaving X stunned and surprised.

What? I'm not aloud to make friends with a fellow Robin hater?

I snuck into the building and found almost all of the others sprawled about, beaten and bruised. I briefly noted the overly exuberant music filling the entire building before noting the only standing figure. "Slade" I whispered to myself, making my way toward him as quickly and silently as possible.

I then noticed that he was holding Raven up by the neck of her cloak. At that exact moment, our eyes met for only an instant. She then looked up at Slade and said "Not everything about my destiny was bad, y'know."

She then revealed her left hand, which still contained the TriForce of Wisdom. This surprised Slade far more than it had myself. The only response he could muster was a dumbstruck "Well, this is unexpected…"

I took this as the perfect opportunity to sneak up behind him and hold the already drawn Master Sword over his head. "You're telling me" was all I said before bringing it down upon his skull with a resounding thud.

He collapsed to the ground and just lay there for a moment. I stared down at him as he floundered about to regain himself. "Slade" I muttered, smirking slightly. "You're such a dooshbag sometimes." Before he was able to recover, he was suddenly encased in a greenish aura and lifted into the air. He looked around frantically, attempting to escape from Raven's grip. Quickly tiring of his struggling, I held the blade up to his throat.

"You can stop that now" I said, pressing the edge into the flesh only enough to make my point without having to break the skin.

But, being Slade, he was egocentric to the very end. "Ah, it feels nice, doesn't it Beast?"

"You don't call me that anymore" I growled, narrowing my eyes.

"Ah," he began, faking disappointment. "You seem much less pleased for this little… family reunion… than I'd hoped."

"Well," I began, imitating his droll tone. "You definitely haven't lost your natural skill for manipulation. It's just too bad that you have to be alone with somebody for it to really work; isn't that right Rae?"

"For once we agree" Raven said, a small smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "Don't you think it's about time we finished this?"

"Punctual as usual" I quipped back, smirking viciously at Slade. "Now, if you don't tell me everything I want to know, I'm gonna tear out your spine and shove it down your throat."

I was actually somewhat surprised when he stopped all attempts to escape.

"Why are you doing all this?" I asked, adding some slight pressure to the blade immediately so that I'd be able to get this over with as quickly as possible.

Slade's eye was wide and he looked quite compliant for once. This look didn't last very long, though, as he regained his composure and began to speak in his regular calm and drawling tone. "It's quite simple really" he began casually. "I just wanted to show you all what I was capable of. I wanted to show you that no matter what you do, I'll always be just around the corner, ready to pounce." His voice had been growing gradually more and more intense until he was suddenly shouting his last words which were "And I wanted to prove Wintergreen and Rosario that I wasn't losing it!"

That last bit took both Raven and myself so off guard that she lost her focus and Slade was able to send me to the ground with a kick to the stomach. I was able to retain consciousness just long enough to see him run from the building. As far as I knew, the music continued to play long after I lost consciousness.

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Raven's POV

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Next Day; 11:57PM

I slid the bathroom door shut behind me and quickly made my way down the hall. I wanted to know how Gar was doing after all the abuse he'd sustained the previous night.

I would have to wait, apparently, as I saw Robin leaning against the wall. "Raven, can we talk?" he asked, pushing himself up and coming over to me.

"Sure" I replied slowly, eying him suspiciously. "What?"

"Over the past couple days, Terra's been showing a desire to repent for what she's done and-"

I finished for him. "You want to know what I think about letting her join the team?" He nodded slowly. I paused for a moment before asking "Have you mentioned this to her yet?"

"Yes, once" he replied.

"What was her reaction?"

He stopped to think for a bit before replying. "She seemed… hesitant."

"Fine" I said bluntly, turning away and continuing on my path to the infirmary. "Just one thing though" I added, pausing.

"Shoot."

"Tell her that she can join if she allows me to read her mind" I said slowly and carefully before rounding the nearby corner and leaving the boy wonder alone.

I thought I was done with everybody, but quickly found this not to be the case.

"Arella" I said, nodding to my mother.

"Raven" she replied, returning the gesture. "I need you to give me the sage's medallions."

I was about to ask why, but decided against it and handed them over to her. I'd taken all of Gar's things when he was placed in the infirmary for the procedure.

Exchanging one last nod, I continued past. The rest of my walk remained uninterrupted until I reached the room. I tapped lightly on the door. It slid open shortly after, revealing a widely grinning Cyborg.

"I could probably guess the answer from your expression" I began, having to divert my gaze as to prevent myself from becoming blinded from the brightness of the grin. "But, are you done?"

"Yep" he replied in an unbelievably chipper tone. "It's attached and the coloration you picked really does make it look real."

"You seem surprised" I muttered, eying him dangerously. It's so fun to watch him squirm. "Just because I tend to remain monochromatic, doesn't mean I don't have an eye for color."

"Fine, whatever" Cy mumbled, moving back and stepping fully into the hall before gesturing for me to go in.

I stared at him for a bit until he finally caught my drift and explained his actions. "Oh, I'm gonna let you be the one he sees first when he wakes up."

There was a long pause followed by me saying "Why?"

"God Rae!" he nearly shouted. "You and the green guy are almost as obvious as Star and Wonderbread!"

My eyes shot open wide and I nearly fell from the statement. "What?"

"Forget 'bout it" he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Just get in there and make sure he doesn't freak out when he wakes up."

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Terra's POV

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I was just resting on the couch in the common room when I heard the hiss of the main doors opening. I looked up to see Robin entering. He had a tiny smile on his face as he came right up to me and plopped down onto the couch directly next to me.

We just sat for a short while before I gave in and sighed. "Fine, I'll bite. What's up?"

"You remember when I mentioned the possibility of you rejoining the team?" I nodded. "Well, Raven agreed to let you stay on one condition."

"Which would be?" I asked when he didn't continue right away.

"She wants to read your mind—to make sure you aren't hiding anything this time."

I just stared, dumbfounded at him for what felt like forever. Suddenly, my expression of shock was replaced by one of obvious joy as I wrapped him in a tight embrace. "Totally!" I shouted before pulling back and taking a breath to calm myself. "Just as long as she promises not to go too far with it" I finished, conveying my point that I still have things that nobody deserves to know.

"Everybody deserves a certain degree of privacy" he replied, standing up once more and making his way from the room.

"Where are you going now?"

"I'm gonna wander the halls until I can ask Beast Boy" he replied. "He's the only one I haven't spoken to yet."

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BB's POV

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My eyes fluttered open slowly. Looking around myself, I could see that I was in the infirmary. Having come to this vague realization, I began to rub the sleep from my eyes. That's when I noticed something else. "What the hell?"

What I noticed was that I was rubbing each of my eyes with a different hand. The second, and slightly less dwelled upon discovery was the lack of Gerudo armor. I shot up in bed and began to look about frantically. It was only a matter of seconds before the door slid open. I looked over at the door to find Raven staring at me. But, there was something different.

"Raven; your cloak!" I shouted, confusion only growing. "What happened?"

She looked at herself before eyeing me distastefully. "I don't know what you mean" she said, holding back her annoyance. "It looks just like it always has."

"That's the problem!" I shouted; for, that was, in fact, the problem. "What happened to the white-ness?"

"I—have no idea what you are talking about" she said, suddenly looking worried. "I must have hurt you worse than I knew."

I stared at her as if she'd gone insane. "But—your cloak—Hyrule—my arm—our—"

She stopped me with a stern look. "I have no idea what you are talking about Beast Boy" she said in a calm and collected voice. "While playing that game, I lost control and you were injured. You've been unconscious for just over ten days." She sighed before finishing. "You must have had a dream. Judging from your level of stress, it must have been a good one."

"You have no idea" I muttered, laying back down and turning away to face her. Doing so, however, allowed me to catch sight of a loose strip of metal. Before she could stop me, I'd leapt from my bed and gripped the metal firmly in my hands.

"Beast Boy!" she called. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making another questionable decision" I replied, holding the object a good distance from myself. "I'm picking the dream."

"What the hell does that—?" was all she was able to get out before I brought the object down upon my head—

End Dream

I shot up in bed, panting harshly. "What the hell? A dream? Raven!"

It was at this point that I felt a hand gripping mine tightly. I turned to see Raven; cloak thankfully white, staring at me, concern evident upon her face. "Gar; are you alright?"

I didn't answer. I simply wrapped my arms around her neck. Then, I noticed something… again. 'Two arms? Okay, I'm confused.'

I pulled away from her, staring at her suspiciously. "Why do I have my arm back; and please don't mess with me. I don't think I can take it right now."

Raven seemed to be putting an unusual amount of effort into calming down. "I think the details would be best explained in full when Cyborg arrives, but I can manage the basics on my own."

I finally released her from my vice grip, adequately convinced that she wasn't going to play with me. "Thank you."

She nodded absently as she began to explain. "Simply put, Cyborg altered one of his replacement arms and attached it to you surgically. He even went so far as to make it look like the real thing."

I was about to ask the question which came to mind from her explanation when the door slid opened. We both glanced over to see that it was Cyborg. "So, how's he doin'?" Cyborg asked, grinning broadly as he took his place on the other bed in the room.

"I explained the basics to help him calm down" Raven explained in a rather business-like tone. "I think you should explain the specifics."

"Well," Cyborg started, stretching his nonexistent muscles. "I don't really know what to say either. There really isn't much to say past 'the basics'."

I hesitated for only a moment before asking the question that was nagging at the back of my mind. "Well, as most metals don't conform easily and change mass, I'm assuming that I won't be able to change anymore?"

Raven smiled at that one. "Actually," she began. "That's more my department. I cast a spell on the metal, attaching it to your will." Her smile grew as she saw the relieved expression on my face. "Not only will it change with you when you do, but you can change it into any organic or inorganic object you wish."

I stared at her for a moment, just digesting this information. "So, what you're saying is that—should I want to—I could go Mr. T on all your asses?" I was excited beyond all reason.

"You can thank the bastard dragon for that one" Raven replied, seeming much more calm about that particular subject. "I never would have learned that spell, had I never met him."

"Consider it the closest thing we were able to get to a birthday present, man" Cyborg said, grinning sheepishly. "We all got kinda distracted by your little field trip."

I was just about to comment when there was a knock on the door. We all looked over as it opened, revealing a vaguely timid looking Robin. "Is he available?" he asked in a hesitant tone.

"Come on in man" I said, forcing a welcoming smile. "What's up?"

Robin looked about as he entered the room fully. "Well, I was kind of hoping to speak with you in private."

Raven gave me a concerned glance. I smiled and nodded at her and she made her way from the room after Cyborg. I sighed contentedly, glad to know that at least one person would be able to back me up against the boy blunder, should I ever need it. "Beast Boy; I already had a discussion with Raven about what happened. But, I wish to hear your side of the story."

"Ummm… I'm not really sure what you're talking about, dude" I said, honestly not sure exactly which thing that happened that he was talking about.

"Your time in Hyrule" he replied simply, apparently trying ot be understanding or something. I may hate the guy with the fiery passion of a thousand suns, but he isn't all bad.

"I have a feeling she was able to tell you everything pretty well. I really don't know what to add."

"Just tell me everything" he replied. "I'm not looking for information to fill the gaps. I'm looking for your side of the story—the entire story."

'Okay, maybe he can be a pretty good guy on occasion' I thought, my smile turning slightly more genuine. I basically told him everything I could remember, ommiting certain personal and emotional events. But, I can honestly say I told him the majority of the events. It was really quite official sounding, the way I described the events. It took Wonderbread a few moments to get used to hearing me talk that way.

When I finished, Robin nodded shortly. "Okay," he said, standing to leave. "I have one last thing to ask."

"Shoot" I said, dropping the official tone in an instant.

Flustered for a moment by the sudden change in atmosphere, he continued. "I have discussed it with the others; and we have all agreed that we could allow Terra to rejoin. It's really up to you."

"What did Raven say?" I surprised myself by how quickly I'd jumped to such a point. "I find it hard to believe that she'd just let her back—with all that's happened."

Robin eyed me suspiciously before taking a deep breath and sitting again. "This is something I was hoping I'd never have to talk with you about, but it seems that such is not in the cards."

I became confused at this point. "What are you talking about, dude?"

"I know of your feelings for Raven" he replied bluntly. "I also know that you need a reality check. You and Raven; I'm not saying it won't happen, but I don't want you getting your hopes—"

"Robin?"

"Huh?"

"You're a real tool sometimes." With that last bit, I made my way for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To talk to Rae" I replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Though, it actually was; to everybody but him. "If you won't tell me what she said, I'll just have to ask her in person." Just before I shut the door behind me, I added a quick "Plus, we haven't had much of a chance to just talk in a couple days" just to keep him on his feet.

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Raven's POV

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I stared over the city, finally feeling the peace I'd been looking for since we'd come home. I could finally say that I was back where I was meant ot be. Up until this point, I couldn't help but miss Hyrule. That was a world where civilization had yet to consume; a world where magic was revered rather than shunned; a world where I could be somebody else—because nobody would question why.

My thoughts quickly turned to Gar. Maybe, just maybe, that was why he was acting so different. He had been acting slightly different ever since returning to the team after the last Slade incident, but this was different. I sighed, suddenly realizing that our relationship couldn't possibly be the same as it had in Hyrule.

"Hey Rae" came a sudden voice from my right. Although I was extremely surprised, I did not allow any outward reactions show.

"Gar," I began, not even bothering with a greeting. "What's going to happen with us—now that we're back home?"

He just stared at me for awhile before finally seeming to realize my point. "Not much."

'Not much?' "That's all you have to say? Not much?" I asked, becoming agitated.

"Well," he began again, apparently attempting to cover for himself. "I'm still gonna be clumsy on occasion and you're still gonna wanna hit me just as often. The only real difference will be that we'll be spending more time together; and less of that doing the above mentioned things—hopefully." There was a long pause where I absorbed the information and we both looked out over the city's skyline. Then suddenly, he spoke again. "Oh, and if either of us goes nuts and kills somebody, we'll have somebody to help us bury the corpse."

"Morbid much?" I asked, feeling the now familiar transfer of rolls. "So, what did you come up here for?"

"Can't a boy just wanna hang out with his girl?" Gar asked in mock offense.

"Yes," I replied simply. "But, that's not the reason right now. I've learned how you act when you just wanna 'hang out'."

"I'll take your word for it" he said, smiling briefly before turning serious. "Robin was just asking me what I thought about Terra rejoining the team. I just wanna make sure you're okay with it."

"I've made my conditions and I'm happy with them" I replied shortly, not wanting to talk about such a topic. "Plus, she's proved herself and I trust you around her. After that show last night, how could I not?"

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BB's POV

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I nodded, accepting that answer. Though, I still needed more information. "What were your conditions?"

I hadn't been expecting an immediate reply. I'd even prepared myself for a complete topic change. But, what happened took me completely by surprise. She turned and began to walk away. "Rae? Where are you—?" Once again, there was no answer and I was left alone on the roof. Realizing this fact, I shook my head and rushed after her.

I chased her until I found myself in the common room. What greeted could be accurately described as simply creepy. Raven and Terra were staring at one another. Robin Star, Cyborg and Arella were all watching them, transfixed.

I joined the group viewing the staring contest. Leaning over slightly, I asked Cyborg "Dude, what's goin' on?"

Robin, however, was the one to answer. "This is Raven's condition. She's reading Terra's mind; to make sure she isn't planning anything."

"Oh" I replied, standing up straight to watch the event unfold. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Raven began to smile—just barely. She held out her hand. Terra accepted it and the two shook. Pulling away, Raven turned to us. With a quick "All clear" she made her way to the doors to the hallway. Just before exiting, however, she turned her head to give Terra a pointed look. "Oh, one more thing," she said. "If you ever hurt me or my friends, I won't hesitate to kill you."

With that, she disappeared down the hall. Slowly, we all recovered from our various reactions to such a closing statement and went to do whatever it was we wanted to do. I, however, was stopped before I could go anywhere. I turned to see that it was—

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Terra's POV

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I approached Beast Boy quickly and laid a hand on his shoulder. He tensed under my touch and I released him. He turned around to hear what I had to say. Exhaling quickly, I asked "So, was that hate, or just Raven 'needing to get used to me'?"

I then noticed the way Beast Boy was looking at me. It seemed to be a mixture of confusion, doubt and—longing. We both shook our heads simultaneously; him to clear whatever emotions he had been experiencing and myself to rid myself of such a ridiculous notion.

When my vision refocused on him, he was grinning broadly. "Nope," he begn, grin turning into a sly smirk. "That's definitely hate." With that, he continued from the room. With a sigh, I made my way to the couch and sat down. It was only a matter of seconds before a closed fist appeared within my line of vision.

I looked up to find Robin cocking a brow at me. I looked back down to find that the fist was now open, and containing a small, round device with a 'T' on it. Now, I had been given a communicator to keep in contact, but it was only the kind given to reserves. The one which was being presented to me was a far more high tech version; much more detailed; much more meaningful. Slowly, almost hesitantly, I reached out and took hold of the device. Cupping it in my palms, I looked back up at Robin and smiled.

"Thank you—all of you—I don't know what to say…"

"Just say you'll stay" he said, turning to walk away. "We all need the closure."

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BB's POV

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I knocked on the door yet again, beginning to become slightly impatient. "Rae? I know you're in there!" I was just beginning to knock one last time when the door was engulfed by a black aura and I fell through.

My shriek of shock was broken off by a pair of lips pressing against mine. I instantly began to kiss back. I'd know those lips anywhere. Finally, we pulled apart and just stared into one another's eyes.

"What's the occasion?" I asked between pants.

"You realize that this is our story, and yet; we have yet to—y'know?"

I just stared at her, now even more shocked than I'd been prior. "Are you saying—?"

"You know it" was all she said as she pulled us onto her bed, tearing off my loose shirt(from the infirmary) as we went.

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Raven's POV

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He rolled off of me, flopping down with a plop. "Totally worth the wait" he sighed between deep breaths.

After that, we just lay in silence until we'd recovered enough to be able to speak comfortably. After a short exchange of pointless small-talk, I was struck by a particularly fitting question. "Gar?"

"Hmmm…?"

"Why didn't you—blink out—like in Hyrule? What does it mean when you do that anyways?"

He let out a breath, signifying that this would be a long one. "It's a lengthy tale; sure you wanna hear it?"

I paused for only a moment. "Positive."

He turned such that he was facing me. "Okay then," he began. "When I was a kid, I was abducted from my home by a pair of mercenaries or something. They somehow forced me to steal things for them. To this day, I'm still unsure how they managed it. But, as time passed, one of them started doing—unsavory things to me."

I almost gasped. The only thing that stopped me was a knowledge that Gar would not have wanted that particular reaction. "He—?"

"Let me finish" he interrupted harshly. "Sorry, I just hate telling this story and wanna get it done as quickly as possible." He released another breath before continuing with his story. "Every night, he would take advantage of me and at some point, I formed a weak form of resistance which allowed me to focus on something else when he came for me. After awhile, I was able to get away; another event that's somewhat unclear." He readjusted his position. "After that, I spent a time with my family's accountant; a real bastard, but he's not important right now. I ran away; was found by a man who called himself the Zookeeper or something stupid like that. Anyways, he hypnotized me at some point. I'm not sure of the details, but I know he made me hypnotize visitors to his show as well as acting as a type of bodyguard for him."

"How'd you get out of that one?" I asked, not realizing that I'd done so out loud.

Rather than snapping again, however, he simply answered the question. "Batman and Robin found out about the show—somehow—and came to apprehend the guy. The beating they gave me freed me or something. That's the main reason I basically idolized Robin when I first met him."

"Oh, how things change" I muttered, rolling my eyes. I smiled though, when I saw some of the tension leave him.

"Well, the last thing he did before I was able to get away was destroy all my mental barriers. He pretty much left me out to be taken by any outside mental forces. That's why I can't stand a second in front of one of Moddy's hypno-screens. Anyways, back on topic; that caused a loss partial loss of control over that defense mechanism I'd developed with the mercenaries. From there, we skip to after I'd left the Doom Patrol."

"Why's that?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Nothing really happened 'til then" he replied with the closest thing to a shrug a person can get while lying on their side. "Anyways, after I left the Patrol, I'd tried to get a job acting. That didn't really work out once I was killed off this shitty sci-fi series; so I ended up… whoring myself off for money."

He looked thoroughly ashamed of himself. "Why would you do that to yourself?" I'd asked, unable to hold back the disbelief.

"The same reason kids do everything they do" he replied slowly. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

"And, that's when you mastered your little 'defense mechanism'?" I asked, lifting myself slightly.

"To a certain degree" he answered, turning onto his back. Closing his eyes, he finished with "It would happen automatically unless I was really into whatever I was doing."

Though the words were left unsaid, they weren't really needed. 'It always happened.'

'Azar; he was only a child' I thought just as the twin sound of communicators going off was heard. Gar groaned, pulling the covers over his head.

"It never ends!" came his muffled call from beneath the sheets.

I smiled slightly as I grabbed my com and activated it. I blinked a few times, however as I saw Arella's face appear on the screen. "Mom?"

"I want everybody to come to the common room" she said in an admirable attempt at a business-like tone. "I have something important to tell you all."

The screen went blank. When I looked over to Gar, I saw that he was already forcing himself up. "I'm comin', I'm comin'" he groaned as he stood up slowly.

"You might wanna be careful what you show off if you wanna get any sleep" I said, eyeing the muscular green rump peeking over the mattress. "'Cause, that's just hot… in what's likely considered a perverted way in most societies."

He chuckled sarcastically as he pulled on his loose pants from the infirmary. "Very funny Rae; I'm flattered; truly flattered…"

As we made our way down the hall, I stopped him. "Gar, I think I can help you."

"Huh?"

"With your mental barriers problem" I said, leaning in as to avoid any prying ears. "I know of a spell. It allows me to create false mental barriers. The spell usually assumes that the mental barriers you're replacing were insanely powerful; so you could end up with a stronger will than myself in the end—if you'll accept the help."

He just stopped for the longest time before capturing me in a tight embrace. "Thank you so much Rae! You have no idea how much I appreciate this!"

When we'd finally arrived in the infirmary, we found all the others sitting around the couch. With a shared shrug, we made our ways for the open area to the left of the others. Taking a cursory glance at my team, I found Terra sitting at the far right with Cyborg next to her. Robin and Starfire were in the center, leaning against one another. Mother, however, was standing a slight distance from the couch, seeming as if to be arranging her thoughts.

I could tell that Gar was about to ask something when Arella nodded to herself and began to speak. "This dimension has been lacking in sages for just over 2200 years; ever since the Sage of Light; as well as the leader of the sages died. At the time, such wasn't a problem as their was no need to protect the TriForce from anybody in this dimension."

"Great," Gar muttered. "Another history lesson." I couldn't help but chuckle slightly at his antics. A sharp glare from Arella, however, stopped us both.

"This 'history lesson' as you put it is of personal importance to you all. So, pay attention!" She squeezed the bridge of her nose before releasing a previously held breath and continuing. "Anyways, now that two sections of the TriForce exist in this realm, the need for the sages has arisen once again."

Terra stood up at this point, a skeptical look on her face. "You're kidding, right? If you're about to tell us that we're the sages, I'm leaving."

"Oh," Arella replied, a small smirk making its way onto her face. "Well, in that case, you'd better get packing…"

It seemed that the effect had sunk in; as Terra sat back down, a slightly dazed look upon her face. Arella simply continued on. "As you all have probably guessed by now, you are the most convenient group to be declared the sages by destiny."

I took a brief glance at Gar. What I saw nearly made me break down. His eyes were bugging out, an expression of shock; though the good kind; plastered upon his face. He looked like he'd explode any second. "You might wanna get this over with" I said to Arella.

"Yeah," Cyborg chimed. "I don't think the lil' grass-stain can take much more suspense."

Arella just shook her head in silent mirth before she moved onto the next portion of her speech. "Some of you will recognize these objects; others won't." She then pulled out the six Sage's Medallions that I'd given her earlier. They began to levitate about her as she stepped forward. She stopped before Robin, the Fire Medallion settling in the air in before her. "Robin; you have the power to bring light and strength to those around you. But, when let loose, you become a destructive force to be reckoned with." The medallion settled into her palm which she held out to our leader. "Because of this—"

"And his nearly menopausal mood swings—" Gar provided, finally having calmed himself down.

"I grant you the power of the Sage of Fire." He accepted the medallion and Arella moved Over to Starfire. "You bring strength and happiness to those around you with your optimism and bright outlook." The Spirit Medallion made itself known by lowering itself into Arella's palm. "Because of this and your already powerful spirit, I grant you the power of the Sage of Spirit."

Starfire accepted the trinket gracefully, not seeming quite certain of what such a gift could entail. "Thank you, new friend."

Arella gave a subtle roll of her eyes as she then moved onto Terra. Terra was seemed somewhat surprised as the Shadow Medallion levitated front-and-center between Arella and herself. "Terra; through your time in this world, your sould has become darkened irrepably. But, due to the small light that still remains, you resist the darkness. The fact that neighter side has quite won, you are to receive the power of the Sage of Shadow." The medallion exchanged hands; one calm and certain, the other hesitant and unsure of herself. "Just remember; as long as you still feel remorse for your actions, the darkness can never be absolute. You must never allow this darkness to become complete; absolute blackness."

With those last words, she placed a comforting hand upon Terra's shoulder before moving on to the next person.

"Beast Boy; Garfield Logan; your natural understanding of the world around you as well as your light heart and hidden strengths all combine to form the perfect resipient for the Forest Medallion." She laid the medallion in his hands before continuing. "But, the fact that you conceal who you truly are is what keeps you in the deep thicket; rather than the wide open field; where I know you truly wish to be."

Gar, who'd been grinning maniacally as he received the medallion suddenly seemed to deflate. He became thoughtful and glanced about guiltily at the rest of us. When he realized that I could see him, he attempted to force a smile, but it didn't work out as well as he'd hoped.

"Raven" came the voice of Arella, breaking me from my reverie. "Until recently it had been questionable what side of your nature would win. No matter how much you fought for the side of light, your natural darkness always seemed to hold you back. But, look at yourself now. You glow with the light of the royal family of Hyrule as well as the TriForce itself. Now, you shall shine even brighter as—the Sage of Light." I took the medallion, glancing my fingers over the textured surface, taken aback. I'd honestly been expecting the Water Medallion or something. That isn't to say, however, that I was complaining or anything.

Finally, she made her way over to Cyborg, the Water Medallion hovering solitary between them for only a moment before she dropped it unceremonially into his hand; saying "Here ya' go."

The sound of a record player coming to a screeching halt could almost be heard as we all stared at Cyborg.

"Here ya' go?" Robin repeated loudly.

"What the hell?" Cyborg called to the retreating back of my mother. "Where's my speech?"

"Hey!" Arella shouted back at him, whirling on him. "Don't give me that crap! There are SO many other people more well fit to the position of Water Sage, but you just happened to be the closest one. I would've given it to Aqualad or maybe even Jynx if they hadn't had to leave in such a hurry!"

Cyborg was cringing by this point, obviously kicking himself for having said anything.

I simply rolled my eyes, making my way; along with the others out towards the room's main exit. Just before I exited, however, I noticed Gar glaring hardly out the main windows. Hesitantly, I inched my way towards, stopping shortly as he spoke.

"With the power of the Hero of Time and the Sage of Forest in my hands, I shall finally be able to rid this world of your evil puppy eating ways Jeb Bush!" Having heard those words, I rolled my eyes and continued on my path out of the room.

Just as I reached my door, I could hear the sound of running footsteps making their way in my direction. I stopped as to allow the person to catch up. "Rae! I gotta talk to you about something!"

I turned to face him, slightly uncomfortable. "Yes; you do" I said, thinking back to what my mother had said about him.

He began to scuff his boot as he spoke hesitantly. "I'd kinda like it if you wouldn't call me Gar—around the others."

I lifted my eyebrow at him, showing him that I wasn't certain of his request. "Why?"

He took a deep breath before looking around; as if looking for any spies. "Rae; you may have noted how different I've been acting lately. My life could be described best as an intensely choreographed dance; my attitude an intricately designed mask; one I'm not quite willing to take off around the others."

This revelation slightly unsettled me, though I refused to allow this to show outwardly. I was wondering who, exactly, was the true Garfield Logan.

It was strange; I still think he'd found a way to read my mind; but he took me in his arms and whispered something in my ear which both calmed my concerns while chilling me to my bones. "I'm the one who's gonna make you the happiest you've ever been; that's all that really matters right now."

There was a pause as the two remained trapped within their own thoughts. Finally, Raven decided to speak. "I'm sorry, but that was kinda corny."

Gar pulled back slightly and gave her a half-assed attempt at a glare. "You know I prefer being called 'cheesy' Rae."

"Point being...?"

"You're not a nice person."

"I reiterate; point being...?"

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Zelda's POV – (7 years prior)

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I smiled to myself as I spied through the window. It was that same day; in what could best be described as an alternate timeline, that I'd first spied on the dark man from the desert and met the boy from the forest. I knew that there would be no man from the desert; but I hoped beyond hope that such wouldn't stop the boy from the forest.

Yes. I did recall all that had happened—would happen—who cares. I remembered. So would the other sages as well as the outworlders. Whether the boy I awaited would remember, however, was for the fates alone to decide.

I waited for what felt like hours. Finally, I gave up all hope. I turned around slowly, planning on returning to my room. But, when I saw what—who stood before me, I had to catch the breath which had fled my lungs. "Link?" I asked, taking a tentative step towards the blonde boy.

Smiling impishly, he spoke. "At your service; your highness."

We just stood, staring at one another; him with that impish grin and easy going stance; myself with a hand upon my bosom, still trying to catch my breath. 'Oh Goddesses; I'm such a Princess sometimes!' I shouted in my mind before rushing at the fairy boy…

A/N: It's over; or at least… ¼ of the way there. This is the official end of the first addition of the Video Games series. I'm feeling a rather uncomfortable mixture of emotions at the moment. I posted the first chapter; the Prologue nearly eight months ago on my 17th birthday. Now, finally, after all this time, I'm posting the final chapter—and I'm not entirely certain of how I feel about that…

So, this is how it feels to end your first major fic… dude…

Special Thanks goes out to;

TDG3RD – You were there from the very beginning. You were my first reviewer; and the fact that it was a positive comment will always make me cherish it. Thank you for all your support and I hope you'll be back for the sequel.

Overactive Mind – You may not have been there from the very beginning, but I still consider your reviews to be the best. You were never afraid to give me constructive criticism when I needed it. At the same time, every one of your reviews was like a mini-advertisement for the upcoming chapters of my fic. I almost feel like, in the later portions, you were the one who kept me going—even if just to write something other than what you'd been hoping for. Thank you.

Rave-Widow – Don't think I've forgotten about you. You may have disappeared shortly into the fic, but I still remember how you'd supported me in the very beginning.

Warprince2000 – For your mass-produced reviews which succeeded only in increasing my review count to the greatly unexpected levels that they now are.

Mrbeans – Although you came into the picture rather late into the writing process; you and I have become friends—as far as I'm concerned and I just want to thank you for basically being there; nobody how far I went to screw something up.

Metal Overlord 2.0 – I would like to thank you once more for posting the best fuckin' review I've ever read in my entire life! Your review moved me to profanity. That's hard to do. I rarely swear other than in the actual story with a character's speech. So, you accomplished quite the feat.

Thank you; all of you. Reviewers and silent readers together; I thank you for all of your support!

Signed; as always,

The Cheese!