Chapter Seven

The earth rumbled around her as she ran. Unbidden tears blurred her eyes, evoking an anger inside of her. This was stupid. Why was she angry? It wasn't as though this was any of their fault; this was simply an accident. Still, the anger coursed through her veins, and the ground trembled just a little bit harder.

Soon enough, the geomancer found her way outside of the tower and onto the rocky shoreline. Despite the way the ground quaked beneath her, she was surefooted as she hopped along the rocky outcroppings.

With a sigh, Terra's legs collapsed beneath her and she dropped to her knees. A lone tear tracked down her cheek, unleashing the tide of emotions she'd been holding back.

Twenty-three years.

How had this happened? Memories of the lava bursting all around her bubbled to the surface. She could almost feel the blistering heat racing up and down her skin and the sweat tracking down her face and neck.

She should be dead.

That was a fact. She'd embraced that fact, knowing that her last act on this planet would be to save the city from impeding doom. That was what was supposed to happen, as the lava had risen too fast and she was too slow. The moment Beast Boy had disappeared into the tunnel, she had accepted it. Death was her fate, she was doomed to die as painfully as she'd lived. It was almost poetic, in a twisted way.

And yet, here she was. Standing on the rocky shoreline, gazing out at sea as hot tears poured down her face. She'd somehow been spared; Terra should have been grateful. But the reality of the situation and the fact that she would outlive her friends whom she had risked everything for was almost too much.

"I'm not a fan of sunsets."

Terra gasped and whirled around to see the boy, Crow, standing behind her with his gaze scanning the horizon. She quickly swiped at the tears staining her cheeks, jerking her head towards the water to hide her embarrassment. The water was stained an almost scarlet orange, with wisps of purple and pink dancing along the waves. It was a pretty sight, almost pretty enough to distract Terra from her dark thoughts.

"What do you want," she muttered harshly, shooting him a quick glance. He shrugged lazily, his black cloak rustling slightly in the breeze.

"Just getting some fresh air."

Terra highly doubted that. With a sigh, she resumed watching the ocean. There was very little activity at the moment, the only things floating out in the bay were what appeared to be fishing boats. It was a sight she'd seen many times before, back when she'd been a Titan. Before she'd royally fucked up. With a groan, the geomancer ran a hand over her face and dropped to the ground.

Quiet rustling met her ears, and Terra turned to see Crow settle beside her. She was struck once again by how much he looked like Beast Boy. The green skin was the biggest resemblance of course. Terra had always admired Beast Boy's green hue, it was beautiful, like the earth. Her gaze traced over the sharp points of Crow's ears, his nose, mouth, even his jawline. They were all features that this strange boy shared with her former flame. They could have been twins, that's how similar they looked. This revelation was not surprising in the slightest. Hell, maybe Beast Boy was his-

Terra looked away, her cheeks burning and her eyes watering. She couldn't bear to finish that thought.

She had liked Beast Boy. Technically, she still did. He was, as she had once said, the best friend she'd never had. He had accepted her despite her flaws and had forgiven her despite all she'd done. And how had she repaid his kindness?

Oh yeah. By betraying him and breaking his heart. Way to go Terra.

Terra let out a shaky sigh, blinking away the tears that threatened to escape. All of the emotions she'd pushed aside in order to save Jump City had bubbled up to the surface, unleashed due to the overwhelming revelation Starfire had laid upon her only minutes prior. Terra wasn't sure if she wanted to scream or curl up in a ball and never move again. A gentle hand on her shoulder made her jump, and Terra turned to see Crow's concerned gaze.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked quietly. Terra blinked and looked away. Even is she did wish to open up, she had no clue where to actually start or what to say. So, she simply shook her head.

Crow grunted in response, falling quiet. His presence, while unwarranted, was oddly comforting. The two remained there on the shore, gazing out at sea until the sun drifted down beneath the waves. As the stars began peaking out from the clouds, Crow stood.

"Come on, I bet Nightstar has some dinner ready." He held out his hand to her, which Terra hesitantly took. Crow pulled Terra to her feet with ease and started back towards the tower. She stood for a moment, watching him, when he turned to shoot her an inquisitive glance.

"Coming?"

Wordlessly, Terra clamored after him, her whirring thoughts slowing down for the time being.

The savory smells of cooking food drifted to Terra's nose, making her mouth water and her stomach gurgle expectantly. She honestly hadn't even realized how hungry she was until now, and she was really, really hungry.

The geomancer cautiously trailed behind Crow, allowing her blonde hair to hide her face. She hated to admit it, but she was intimidated by the unfamiliar faces that milled about the common area. Perhaps Crow was less intimidating since he was there when she woke up, or maybe she trusted him because he looked like Beast Boy. Whatever the reason, she stuck to his side like glue.

"Ah, there you are." Nightstar beamed softly at her, the Titan leader's ebony hair tied up in a ponytail. "Here, there is some spaghetti and meatballs on the stove." She gestured towards the twin pots on the stove top before floating off towards the couch. Terra shot a quick glance about the room, disappointment sinking in her belly as Starfire's absence became apparent.

"Where's Starfire?" she asked quietly, so only Crow could hear. The boy didn't answer immediately, instead levitating to better reach one of the higher up cabinets, much to Terra's surprise.

"She left," he said. "She had to meet Nightwing."

Terra's brow furrowed a moment before realization dawned on her. Nightwing was Robin. Right. She shot Crow a grateful smile as he handed her a heaping plat of noodles and settled at a nearby table. Crow sat beside her, and the two began eating in silence. Terra savored the taste of the spaghetti. Whoever made the dish certainly knew how to cook. She let her gaze wander as she ate, watching the other Titans with reserved curiosity.

She recognized Techno from earlier, his dreads bobbing as he played some video game. Nighstar sat beside him, the sound of flipping pages indicating the half alien was reading. A blonde haired girl she didn't recognize was perched on the top of the couch, shouting obscenities as she played along with Techno. Childish giggling caught her attention, and Terra turned to see two children running into the common area. Well, one of them was running.

The other was flying.

"Who are they?" Terra asked. The question slipped out before she could register she was speaking, and she flushed in embarrassment. Crow rolled his eyes, seemingly unaware of her blushing.

"The flying menace is Junior, and the brat's my sister Rachael."

Terra blinked. Sister?

"No offense, but she looks nothing like you."

Crow chuckled. "Not now she doesn't." His statement confused Terra, and she turned her gaze once again to the kids. Junior was now seated by the couch, staring intently at the game on the television. His black hair and golden skin matched Nightstar's, and coupled with the fact that he just flew, Terra could guess they were siblings.

Rachael however, looked nothing at all like Crow. She was blonde with fair skin; if anything she seemed to look more like the blonde-haired girl on the couch. Terra looked away a moment to stuff a meatball in her mouth, only to glance back at Rachael and nearly choke.

Her hair was purple.

Terra blinked. She could have sworn a moment ago her hair was blonde. An amused snort beside her interrupted her thoughts, and Terra turned to see Crow smirking at her. "What?" she asked, feeling very confused.

Crow shook his head. "Your face." He jerked his head to his sister, the amused grin lingering on his lips. "Rachael can change her appearance at will," he explained, pausing to take another bite. Terra caught a flash of fangs as he chewed, and she was once again reminded of Beast Boy.

Terra sighed and jerked her gaze down to her plate. The tumultuous emotions had left her exhausted, and she no longer felt very hungry. She was about to ask Crow where she could lay down, when she felt someone's gaze on her. The geomancer glanced up and locked gazes with that of a girl she hadn't noticed before.

A green girl.

Terra shyly flashed her a smile, only to receive an almost hateful glare as a response. Gulping, Terra looked back at her food.

Now she definitely wasn't hungry anymore.

Author's Note:

Uh oh! A new chapter! From Terra's POV! Sorry for the delay, this took a bit longer than I wanted. Oh well. I hope you guys enjoy!

Thanks for the support!

-vixensheart