Author's Notes:

The ending of this chapter may seem a little rushed, but I've got to keep the word limit acceptable so I can post it on Deviantart

Apparently, you can't submit text docs over 10,000 words long, or their system can't handle it and you get an error every time

So it looks like my word limit rule has solid ground after all

Inuyasha and friends made it back to Kaede’s village and explained to him of what they had witnessed.

“I see, he simply just collapsed and his eyes were as dark as night?” the elderly priestess asked “I fear that your friend had fallen to the powers of a curse, and a most dreadful one at that.”

“We know all that already.” said Inuyasha. He wasn’t trying to be rude, he was still pretty shaken by Nobunaga’s death himself, and still secretly peeved that Sesshomaru got away.

Kagome held up her jar of jewel shards, “Even the sacred jewel couldn’t work. Whatever it was that had him, it was as if it didn’t want him to be healed.”

Kaede was most disturbed to hear that, “The fragments of the Sacred Jewel of the Four Souls has the power to do unspeakable wonders, but this is the first time I have ever heard of the power being rejected.”

Shippo was still silent and motionless. He was still all upset and frightened about what happened to Nobunaga.

Kagome comforted him, “You okay?”

“I’m just worried…” whimpered Shippo “What if what happened to Nobunaga happens to me… or any of us?”

“He’s right.” said Inuyasha “It could happen again. How do we know it hasn’t happened to other people already?”

Shippo cried in fear and held Kagome tightly for comfort. Kagome was very annoyed with Inuyasha, and she pulled his ear forcefully, “HOW CAN YOU BE SO IDIOTIC!!” she shouted.

Inuyasha picked in his ear, “While I still have one good ear…” he grumbled “I’m just saying we still don’t what that was that got him. I’ve seen deaths before, but that was the strangest.”

“Inuyasha is correct.” agreed Kaede “Much I don’t understand it myself; I fear we haven’t seen heard the last of this mysterious force.”

Shippo felt more worried than ever, but Kagome hugged him warmly, “I won’t let it happen to you. I’d miss you too much.”

Shippo felt a little bit better and smiled at her.

Kagome then excused herself, “I have to go home. I’m sure I have a lot of homework to catch up on.”

Inuyasha sighed, “I don’t think I’ll ever understand that world she comes from.”

Kagome teased him, “I doubt you’d understand what any world is like if some strange creatures dropping in from it.”

He growled softly.

Meanwhile, Princess Tsuyu was playing with Hiyoshimaru in the palace garden. “Come back here you silly thing?” she cooed as she chased him to a tree. Naturally, the little monkey leapt up the limbs and tasingly danced at her from up high.

Tsuyu could only smile up at him, while her husband watched her from the deck, and sipped his sake tea. He was glad his wife seemed happier these past few days since Nobunaga died.

Little did any of them realize they were being watched…!

A mysterious, dark figure was observing them all from the roof of the palace. He sighed softly, and then began to slowl fade away like a ghost…

…Just as the Princess looked up where he was standing, just in time to see him fade away entirely. She gawked way up at the roof looking for whatever, or whoever it was she saw.

“Princess…?” Lord Kimo called, and he dashed out to his wife “What worries you?”

Tsuyu continued to look up at the roof, not even blinking her eyes positive she saw someone, “I thought.. I had seen…” she looked all over but could see nothing, “…Never mind.”

Hiyoshimaru leapt down from the tree, grabbing a little flower along his way. He landed on Tsuyu’s shoulder and put the flower in her hair, which she smiled at him for and pecked his little face.

However, that dark creature she saw, appeared way up in the skies above the palace. His face was hidden off screen, but a second creature, seemingly darker and more mysterious than he himself, appeared before him and placed a dark hand over his shoulder.

The creature spoke in a very unusual noise, like a hissing, errie winds.

“I understand…” the first creature responded “I know what I must do.”

His colleague hissed in that dark language at him again.

“I am aware of this, I shall not forget.” replied the first

The second creature then vanished out of sight leaving his collegaue to flying about through the skies and looking down over the lands below.

In the Digi-Destined’s verse…

Davis was rushed to the hospital imedeatley, and you can bet, his mother and his sister were devatsated to hear what happened to him when Kari had hit him.

“You just punched him, and he passed out?!” cried Jun.

Kari looked really frigthened and ashamed with herself. TK tried to hold her to comfort her, but she winced away from him.

Tai appraoched Jun, “Try to calm down. It’s not going to help if we all lose it.”

Just could barely hold her tears back for her brother, and Tai hugged her softly letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

Everyone feel silent and still all feeling really bad for Davis, but even moreso for Ex-Veemon. He wouldn’t be coming back at all, that was for sure. Izzy ran complete Digital Disagnostics, and found no trace of Ex-Veemon’s data anywhere. There was nothing left to reconfigure.

Davis’ D3 and D-Terminal were both still blank; completely dead, but that was the least of their problems.

Wormon glared angrily over at Patamon, and Patamon could feel Wormon’s building wrath for him for being the one who sent Ex-Veemon to his death!

Davis’ mom came out with the doctor. She looked pretty upset too.

“How is he?” asked Ken, but judging from Mrs. Motomiya’s building devastation, it didn’t look good, and the doctor confirmed it. “His vital signs are slowly droping, and as for his eyes… I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Everyone began to feel worse and worse, especially Kari. “Can’t you help him?” she asked softly.

“I only wish I could…” replied the doctor “But like I said; I’ve never seen symptoms like these before. This makes it impossible to know what to try on him. It could probably make things worse for him, but I’ll do all I can for him.”

The doctor allowed everyone to see Davis, but only for a few minutes.

“He looks so pale.” said Gatomon.

Davis just lay there in bed, very still and he had a respirator over his mouth breathing more air into him to keep him stable.

“My poor baby.” cried his mom “You don’t suppose… he’s doing this purposely; like he’s trying to get away from me for getting on his back?”

Nobody knew how to answer her. “It’s possible…” said Matt “But it’s really hard to say. So I don’t think we should be blaming each other.”

“I wouldn’t say that exactly.” said a familiar voice.

Everyone turned round and saw Young Gennai, and he didn’t look very pleased.

“Gennai, when did you get here?” asked Mimi, “I’d rather not explain that, especially considering why I’ve come.” He then looked over at Kari and TK, “I’m here to take your Digivices.”

Kari and TK’s eyes widened.

“Take their Digivices?” cried Patamon.

“What for?” added Gatomon.

Gennai had explained how he and the four guardians of the Digital World heard of the dysfunction occurring with the Digi Destined, despite it being petty, things got way out of hand when Titamon began to attack the Primary Village, especially how Kari and TK and behaved, as well as Patamon for sending Ex-Veemon to his doom.

“It has become quite obvious to me as well as to the guardians that TK and Kari are no longer capable of representing the forces of Hope and Light. I am here to take their Digivices.

Their days as Digi Destined are no more.”

A long hush fell over everyone, and then Gennai held out his hand for the Digivices.

“No! I won’t!” snapped TK “You can’t make me, and besides we don’t even know if it was really Kari who did this to Davis.”

Gennai sighed “Even if Davis were not in critical condition, that still does not excuse that you and Patamon are responsible for destroying Ex-Veemon.

Now, don’t make this any harder than it is.”

Kari had tears in her eyes as she slowly complied and placed her D3 in Gennai’s hand.

“Kari.” sobbed Gatomon.

TK still refused, “I won’t do it!” he cried.

“Please don’t make him!” added Patamon.

Gennai didn’t like it any more than he did, but he had his orders from the gaurdians, “Give it to me.”

“TK… just do it.” Matt shamefully said.

His brother really hesitated, but he softly handed Gennai his D3.

“That will be all.” Gennai said and he walked out of the room, down the hall, and vanished in a pixelating light, and no sooner had he gone did Gatomon and Patamon begin to glow and fade away.

“Gatomon!”

“Patamon, No!”

Their Digimon looked at them tearfully,

“Goodbye, TK…!”

“Kari… I’ll never forget you!”

Then they were gone.

Kari broke down and began to cry softly, and TK held her softly, feeling much like crying himself.

All the other Digimon couldn’t believe this was happening.

Tai and Matt walked up to their siblings and held them tightly.

All the others didn’t know how much more horrible things could get. All they could hope for now was that Davis would get better and maybe they could all work something out…

Unfortunately, he didn’t get better…!

A week had passed, and his vitals grew more and more unstable and weak.

Before anyone knew it, the Digi Destined, their Digimon, even TK and Kari along with the school soccer team were gathered at Davis’ funeral; just standing by the closed casket.

Ken was especially upset, not just that he lost his best human friend, but because he blamed TK’s wish for this. “I was worried this would happen.” he whispered sadly to Yolei. “First I wished my brother away and now this…”

“Shh… easy… just take it easy.” Yolei cried as she held her sobbing boyfriend.

“I can’t take it, Yolei.” he sobbed “I can’t…”

Wormon was so heartbroken for Ken.

Davis’ mother and Jun were the most devastated, and felt they would never get over this.

Easily, it was Kari who felt extremely guilty, feeling it was larlegy her doing that killed Davis, and it was!

Now that Davis was gone, and pretty much no longer on the market for eligible girls, she deleted the webpage she made but spent a lot of time in her room, alone feeling all upset.

Davis was gone…

Gatomon was gone…

She could never go back to the Digital world…

“Why is all this happening to me?” she kept asking “All I wanted to do was help a friend.”

In the Titan’s world…

Things were not going well for Beast Boy when his trial began. It was small, no jury, not many spectators.

The Titans were all present and actually representing him, and then there was Terra.

The Titans couldn’t believe their eyes.

“It’s really her.” Robin whispered.

She looked their way, and felt really distraught upon seeing them, but she didn’t her best to ignore them, pretending as if they she had never seen them before.

Starfire went over to her, “Friend, Terra… it is you? You have really returned.”

In order to keep up her act, Terra once again faked amnesia, “Sorry, but you’ve got the wrong girl.”

Starfire was shocked, and the other Titans were confused.

“You do not remember me?” Starfire asked.

“No, we’ve never met.”

Jackie and Jillian were there because Jackie’s mother was a lawyer and representing Terra and the Murakami school.

The two girls stepped in front of Starfire and snarked at her,

“Hey, back off!” Jackie growled.

“Stay on your own side, Star freak!” snapped Jillian.

“My name is Star… Fire…”

Robin came up to her and calmed her, and brought her back over to the Titans’ side of the courtroom, but they couldn’t stop staring at her.

“Can you stop looking at me, please?” Terra sneered at them.

Jackie’s mother, Jane, assured her “Don’t worry about them. I can handle all this myself. I haven’t lost a case yet. We’ll win.”

This worried Terra deeply. She already felt bad enough for lying to the Titans to keep her secrets and her normal life safe, but if she actually won the case… she was told that Beast Boy would go to jail for a long time, and she didn’t really want that, but she had no idea what else to do without risking anything.

“Are you okay?” Jillian asked.

“I’m fine.” she said and she made up another lie by touching her stomach, “Just feeling a little strange.”

“Don’t you worry.” said Jackie “When this is over you can get an abortion.”

Hearing that word made Terra feel extreme guilt deep down, but now wasn’t the time to worry about it.

As for the Titans, they were softly conversing with each other about the girl.

“It looks and sounds just like her.” said Cyborg “But how can she not remember us.”

Robin remembered what Beast Boy had told him, “She didn’t want to remember us, and didn’t want to come back.”

“If that’s true…” said Raven “Then she does remember us, but she’s lying to hide her past from others.”

The Titans could barely contemplate all this, but they were starting to understand why Beast Boy had been so upset lately.

However, there was still the matter of the rape and stalking case, and soon the judge arrived to begin the procedure.

“Silence in my courtroom.” The judge declared, and everyone took their seats. “Bring in the defendant.”

Beast Boy was brought out in chains by the bailiffs, and still wearing the anti-morphing collar. The first he saw was Terra, and she looked back at him with a nervous expression while he looked at her furiously.

“It’s end of the line for you.” Jackie called to him.

“Yeah, you’re toast, Bust Boy!” mocked Jillian.

The judge banged his gavel, “Ladies, quiet please!”

The girls sat down, and the trial began. The judge viewed the case, “Harassment, malicious behavior, assault, and rape. I must say, I am very surprised, especially seeing this coming from a superhero that helps to protect this city.”

Beast Boy felt a slight bit of flattery that at least the judge acknowledged him.

The trial proceeded, and Terra was called to the stand to plead her case.

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?” the bailiff asked.

Terra hesitated a moment, feeling her guilt kicking in, “I swear.”

“Be seated.”

Jane asked questions, and Terra answered them explaining the story…

“Beast Boy thought I was someone he knew, even though we had never met before.”

Beast Boy felt every word coming from her mouth as a burning knife slashing at him.

“He followed me around to try and get me to remember things I never knew before in my life, and I finally had enough and told him to leave me in peace.”

“That’s not what you said!” Beast Boy growled in his thoughts “You told me “Things Change, the girl you want me to be is just a memory.”

But he just couldn’t find it in him to blurt this out, knowing it would harm her normal life. Of course this nobility didn’t help him at all.

“And even after he agreed to quit stalking you, he ran into you again?” asked Jane.

“Yes.” replied Terra “He gave me a hard time. He called me selfish, cruel, and mocked me relentlessly, and then he just punched me. That’s when we fell into an alley, and he raped me.”

Beast Boy felt crosser than ever, and the Titans looked over at him with concern, because he still refused to provide much proof for the case.

“No further questions.” said Jane, and she took her seat, and Robin stood to begin questioning.

“What are you going to do?” Cyborg asked.

“Well, from the sounds of it, I think I’m going to have to try and discredit her.”

Beast Boy felt his heart skip a beat, but he wasn’t permitted to speak up, or even stand up for that, and the bailiffs held him down.

Robin began his questioning “Terra… or if that’s what you’re name is.”

“You can call me that if you want.”

Robin could already see the anxiety in her eyes and in the sound of her voice, but he decided to take it slow. “I’d like to show you something, your honor.” and he passed the judge a photograph of the Titans taken some time ago, when Terra was part of the team.

The judge compared the picture, of Terra, to the girl on the stand. “I see… the resemblance is uncanny.”

Jackie and Jillian exchanged confused looks, while Terra felt her nerves stinging.

Robin then showed the picture to Terra directly, “Do you deny that this could be yourself in this picture.”

Terra observed the picture of herself and the Titans standing together, and it really struck her hard deep down. “I… admit she looks a lot like me…

…No, that isn’t me.”

“Are you certain of this?” asked Robin.

“It is not me.”

Robin then looked back at Beast Boy “Before I continue, I must remind you that you under oath to tell the truth.”

Terra nodded nervously.

Robin continued “The defendant, Beast Boy, claims that what you really told him is and I quote: “Things Change, Beast Boy… the girl you want me to be is just a memory.”

Terra did her best to hide her nerves.

“Now if this is the case,” said Robin “That means that you DO in fact remember him and us, the Teen Titans, and that you are in fact the blonde girl in this photo.”

He didn’t mention about Slade and the crimes she committed, not wanting to hurt her.

“I didn’t tell him that.” Terra lied “I simply told him to leave me alone and quit stalking me. I also told him that “Maybe your friend is still out there… I hope you find her.”

Cyborg scanned her with his wrist-com and whispered ot Raven and Starfire “He nerves are going through the roof. She’s lying.”

This confirmed to them all that this girl was indeed their Terra, and it explained more of Beast Boy’s misery and insanity.

“We must do something!” said Star.

“How?” asked Raven “We can’t prove that it’s her. We have no physical evidence.”

The judge banged his gavel, “Quiet on the defense!”

Beast Boy was growing more irritable by the second. The way things were going it seemed that either he would ruined, or Terra would be ruined.

Robin asked Terra “If as you say you are not the girl in this photo, can you subtantiate your whereabouts at the time this photo was taken?”

Naturally, Terra could not prove anything. Even if she came up with a good story, just her word on it wouldn’t be enough.

Robin took her silence as the answer of “No”

“No further questions.” said Robin.

Terra was asked to step down, and Beast Boy was to take the stand.

“Go get him, Mom.” Jackie whispered to her mother.

Jane winked at her daughter, and Terra felt and looked worried, much to her friends’ confusion.

“Mr. Brat Boy…” said Jane.

“That’s BEAST BOY!” he thundered at her making her wince.

“There is no need to get excited.” said the judge.

Jillian snickered from her seat.

Jane cleared her throat, “You claim this young lady is someone you knew?”

Beast Boy looked at Terra, and he had no choice especially being under oath, “I don’t claim… I know she’s my… or rather almost.” he paused “Look, I know she’s my friend.”

Jackie and Jillian looked disgusted at what he had just said.

“I see…” said Jane “She claims she does not know you, and has never met you before. How do you respond to this?”

Beast Boy looked over at Terra again, as if he was trying to apologize since he had no choice, “She was lying. She only pretended to have no memory of me or the Teen Titans.”

“Can you prove this?” asked Jane.

“No, I don’t have any physical evidence.”

“Tell me, you stalked this girl because you thought she was your friend?”

“I was trying to help her remember, but that was before I found out she already remembered.”

Jane found this most confusing, “So you claim she remembers you, and she says she doesn’t remember you and told you to leave her alone, and why did you not stop stalking her?”

Beast Boy was losing his patience. He had a feeling this woman was trying to make him look like a real rapist and homicidal maniac. He really didn’t wish to answer, but the judge informed him, “You have been asked a question, young man… you are obligated to answer.”

“I did stop stalking her.” said Beast Boy, “She did tell me to leave her alone, but what she told was… “Things Change… the girl I wanted her to be is just a memory.”

A hush fell the courtroom, Jackie and Jillian were really growing annoyed with all this.

“She told me that, which confirmed she IS the girl I knew, but she didn’t want to come back to me because she wanted to live a normal life and forget her past.

I left her alone as best I could after that, but it seemed that wherever I went she somehow showed up.”

Jane didn’t feel too moved by any of this due to lack of evidence, “And did you or did you, or did you not punch her in the face and then force yourself on her?”

Beast Boy bolted upright “WHAT KIND OF A (BLEEPING) QUESTION IS THAT?!!!”

The judge shouted back at him, “SIT DOWN!! And you are to refrain from raising your voice again lest I find you in contempt.”

Beast Boy sat down, panting angrily much to the Titans’ worrisome, and Terra’s deep distraught.

“You sonava bitch!” snarled Jackie!

“Lock him up!” shouted Jillian “That creep’s as guilty as he is a bastard!”

“ORDER!!” shouted the judge as he banged his gavel hard “There will be no more interruptions!”

He waited until the room was quiet, “You will answer the question.”

Beast Boy had no choice, and he explained everything, including how he had saved Terra from being assaulted by three punks in the street. “As a superhero I’m obligated

He did hit Terra, “Only because she hit me first while I scorned her for being selfish and cold, and we began to fight in the street, we fell into the abandoned store house…”

“And that’s when you raped her?” asked Jane.

“I didn’t rape her!” snapped Beast Boy “If you want to know the truth… she made the first moves. She came onto me.”

Jackie and Jillian were totally steamed and wanted to march over there and pound the living daylight out of him, but they remained quiet, not wanting to make more trouble, but they noticed Terra was quivering softly, as if it was the truth they had just heard.

However, with no evidence, no way to prove it, that was just it.

“No further questions.” said Jane and she sat down.

“Would the defense like to question the defendant?” asked the judge.

“Yes, your honor.” replied Robin “Few questions…”

He approached Beast Boy and spoke to him gently, “Beast Boy, when you were grieving after Terra broke up with you, why didn’t you just move on and let go of things?”

Beast Boy’s features hardened “Because that’s all I’ve ever done; had to let go and move on, even if it means I lose something I love and never get back… like I have all my life.”

The Titans were confused, not knowing his full origin story. Terra was the only one in the room who knew the truth.

Starfire then stood “If you were truly grieving, why did you not come to us, your friends?”

The judge told her to sit down…

“It’s okay…” said Robin “That was my next question.”

Beast Boy didn’t have to think twice about answer, “I didn’t go to you guys because you didn’t believe me when I said Terra was back, and you also told me to just let go and move on, you scolded me… YOU SCORNED ME…!!” he glared furiously at Raven “AND YOU… YOU TREATED ME LIKE I WAS YOUR PERSONAL PUNCHING BAG!!!”

“Beast Boy…!” shouted the judge, but Beast Boy continued to thunder mercilessly at the titans.

“SOME (BLEEPING) FRIENDS YOU TURNED OUT TO BE!! YOU DIDN’T CARE ABOUT MY FEELINGS… YOU DIDN’T CARE ABOUT ME… NO ONE IN THIS CITY CARED ABOUT ME!!!

YOU’RE ALL A BUNCH OF ASSHOLES!!!”

“BAILIFS… DETAIN THE DEFENDANT!” snarled the judge and the two big cops tackled Beast Boy down and shocked him with their tasers, and he quieted down, groaning in pain.

The Titans couldn’t believe how hostile and angry Beast Boy just acted. “No further questions.”

The judge sighed, “I think I’ve heard and seen more than enough already.

Judging from what I have seen, and heard, it appears that this case could go in any direction. However, due to the lack of physical evidence or substantial proof on the defendant’s case… I must rule in favor of the plaintiff.”

Both Beast Boy and Terra felt shocked, while Jane and the girls cheered, and Jane stuck out her hand to shake Terra’s but she didn’t move or even look her way.

The Titans all looked worried.

“Order please!” snapped the Judge. Everyone quieted down, and he looked at Beast Boy “I judge you guilty as charged. Such a charge-- rape, assault, harassment, as well as abrasive behaviour-- is punishable by a sentencing of 18 to 30 years in prison.

The girls looked hopeful.

“However…” the judge declared holding up a document “Before the trial began I received a filed waiver by the Teen Titans declaring a plea of insanity on the defendant.”

“What?!” snapped Beast Boy, and he looked at the others.

“Sorry, man.” said Cyborg “It’s all we could do.”

Starfire look remorsefully at him, “You are not well, and we feel you need much professional help to recover from your illness.”

“But I’m not insane… I was telling the truth.” cried Beast Boy.

“I’m sorry, Beast Boy…” said the judge “But after what I have just heard in this case, as well as your continuing and baffling behaviour, I am inclined to agree with your, now, former teammates.

I hereby sentence you to the Jump City Mental Institution until sometime you can recover from this insanity and rejoin society as a respectable person, and I hereby declare that the plaintiff shall receive compensated payment of twenty thousand dollars.

I believe that concludes our business here.” he banged his gavel “Court is adjourned. Take him away.”

The bailiffs grabbed Beast Boy. “No!!” he cried “Let go of me! Don’t take me away!!”

All his shouting and tantrums earned him more zaps form the tasers, harder than ever until he was practically unconscious.

Tears were flowing down Starfire’s face as she watching him being zapped and hauled away.

Robin held her hand softly, but he too felt just as upset, “We have to let him go.” he said to the team “He needs help, and we’ve tried.”

Cyborg sighed softly, and Raven clenched her fists in anger, frustration, but a load of guilt. She never even got to try and apologize to him for acting on her demonic-period, but even she felt this was best for him.

As for Terra… she remained where she was, completely still and frozen with grief, even though her friends poked at her.

“Yo’ are you in there?” called Jackie.

“Come on! You just hit twenty thousand smackers!” added Jillian, but Terra still didn’t move and didn’t look the least bit happy. Her tears were sliding down her cheek and splashing softly down onto her motionless hands.

Jane was most surprised “Usually my clients are jumping for joy.”

The girls helped Terra up to her feet and tried to escort her out, but she walked out on her own accord, not wanting to be around anyone right now.

The Titans saw her walk off, and while it was extremely tempting to confront her for lying, they knew she was upset enough, and she had enough pain to deal with.

Even though they were heroes, and supposed to stand FOR justice, the judge’s decision was final, and unless they could come up with positive proof, nothing could change anything.

All that week, Beast Boy sat in padded, windowless room in the Mental Institution, still wearing that collar so he couldn’t morph. The staff didn’t allow him to come to dinner with the other patients or interact with any of them, feeling he was much too dangerous for social contact.

Instead they brought his meals to him, which consisted of mostly meaty meals, and chicken drumsticks. “I’m a vegetarian!” he would protest, but the staff refused to listen, resorting him to just eating the plain buns on the dinner trays and nothing else.

This made the nights extremely uncomfortable, and he would lay there on his padded floor, starving and miserable.

One night, the doctor knocked on his door, “Hey kid… you got some visitors.” the nurse called into his room “It’s the Titans; they want to talk to you.”

“(Bleep) them. I’m not interested.”

The nurse was used to patients rejecting it, so he allowed the Titans to come forth, outside the locked door to the room.

“Beast Boy…” Robin said to him, but he wouldn’t even look at them.

“Friend…” cried Starfire “Please, we have come to see you. It has been most difficult for us to think of you in here, by yourself.”

Cyborg shook his head, “Not helping, Star.”

Beast Boy slowly turned to show them his infuriated look and pointed with his finger, “Go… away…!”

Raven knew what she was doing was probably dangerous, but she used her powers to pass right through the door. “It’s kind of warm in here.” she said.

“Didn’t I say leave me alone?” he sneered softly at her, not even looking at her.

“No, you said “Go away” said Raven “I’m not going until you hear me out.”

There was a long silence, and Raven finally explained how she was on her period, and she finally understood how bad she had been treating him. “I’m really sorry, Beast Boy, and I’m sorry you’re stuck in here.”

He snickered softly, “You’re sorry… well… I guess everything’s fine now.

Do me a favor and get out before you make things worse.”

Raven sighed, and magically walked back through the door. She shook her head “He’s just not getting any better.”

The Titans all felt sorry for Beast Boy, and Robin looked at the nurse, “We’re doing all we can.” she said “But many of our patients just don’t get better, not even with time.

I think you better start thinking of hiring a new recruit for your team.”

Robin was hoping it wouldn’t come to that, “Maybe you’re right.”

“Dang…” said Cyborg.

Starfire felt like crying, “No can replace our Beast Boy.”

“I said MAYBE she’s right.” said Robin “I don’t like it any more myself, but we just may have to.”

“We should give it some time and thought.” said Raven.

The Titans all walked off and the nurse followed them leaving Beast Boy alone in his room, sulking himself to sleep on the floor.

As the sun set over Jump City, Terra was walking alone in the streets. She hadn’t been herself all week. She stopped going to school, yet still wore her uniform every day, without her tie. She didn’t even collect that big compensation money the court awarded her. She felt she just couldn’t take it, knowing that Beast Boy was suffering because of the lies she told.

She was also still pregnant. She had not gotten an abortion or even thought of it since the day of the trial. All she could think of was Beast Boy and only him!

“Hey…!” Jackie called as she and Jillian dashed up to her.

“What is up with you…?!” Jillian asked sternly “You haven’t called us. You don’t want to hang out. You didn’t even accept the money Jackie’s mom won for you, and why haven’t you filed for abortion yet?”

“SHUT UP!!!” Terra shouted. He friends winced at her as if they had just seen a monster. “I don’t want to think about all that right now.” and she ran off sobbing softly leaving her friends most disturbed.

“I think its official…” said Jackie “She ACTUALLY has feelings for that punk.”

Jillian felt sick to her stomach, “You don’t think she... really DID screw with him herself?”

“EWWWW…!!”

Terra ran down the street a few ways, and suddenly she could see the mental hospital building up ahead, and visiting hours were still open.

Her insides were shaking with guilt and nerves of regret knowing Beast Boy was locked up in there all by himself because of her. Though she knew this most likely wouldn’t end well, she had to see him and try to talk to him.

Beast Boy was looking a little pale due to lack of being in the sunlight for a while, and he just down in the corner of his room where he felt most comfortable, but hardly felt like getting up. He hadn’t eaten much or gotten much exercise since the trial.

The nurse knocked on his door telling him he had another visitor.

Beast Boy only groaned miserably feeling a bit too tired to complain verbally, until he heard her voice…!

“Beast Boy…”

His eyes bulged and he slowly turned to look at the small square hole in the door. “You!!” he thundered.

Terra winced.

His eyes narrowed squarely on her, “You sure have some nerve coming here!”

Terra felt deeply upset and ashamed.

Meanwhile, the Titans were walking through town, silent and rather down in the dumps.

“I cannot stop thinking sadly about Beast Boy.” said Starfire “I wish he had not to suffer alone in that empty room… and all because Terra had fibbed.”

Robin felt very frustrated that he actually let Terra get away with all that lying. “If the courts find out that she lied, she’ll get in real trouble.”

“I don’t think it matters much though,” said Raven. “Without proof we’re stuck, and besides, we agreed Beast Boy needs help.”

Cyborg sighed “I never saw anyone so miserable. He really thinks we don’t care about him, or that people don’t respect him.”

They passed by a window display of all the goods, that had Teen Titan’s merchandise in the window, or rather it seemed to have only Beast Boy items in the window while all the other spots for the merchandise of the other titans stood empty.

The store manager did come along with a big box marked “Trash” and he began to scoop all the Beast Boy merchandise into the box saying, “No one’s ever going to buy this, especially since that little freak is in the looney bin.”

The Titans sighed believing people only didn’t like Beast Boy for the trial. It was even still on the front page of the newspapers in every newsstand:

“How did this story even get out?” Raven asked. The others didn’t know, and it didn’t help anyway.

Suddenly, as they were passing by an alley way, Cyborg’s wrist-com activated and began to blink and beep.

“What is it?” asked Robin.

Cyborg checked, “I’m getting an electronic signal… coming from in there.” He pointed at the door to the abandoned store house, which was still all boarded up.

“Is this not the place where Beast Boy and Terra… um… did the thing?” asked Starfire. No one answered, but they all went through the loose door and into the building.

“Look!” cried Raven, and she pointed at a Titan’s Communicator on the floor.

Cyborg picked it up, “It’s Beast Boy’s… We never found it on him.” he brushed the dust off it and saw the red recording light was still going after all this time. “This thing’s been recording for a whole week now?”

The communicator was rather dusty due to not being moved from the filthy floor for all that time, but it still worked, and Cyborg just had to play back what it got from the beginning.

The first images he saw make his eyes bulge wide, “Yo’, check it out!”

The others saw the images… of Beast Boy and Terra on the floor of the store and gazing deeply into each other’s eyes, and Terra bent down placing her lips over his.

Then… it got pretty steamy as Terra sat up and removed her clothes.

The Titans’ just couldn’t look away and continued to watch.

“Harder! Faster!” Terra moaned with joy.

Cyborg finally gave in, and shut the com closed. He and the other four Titans were panting stressfully at what they had just seen.

“What the hell was all that?!” asked Raven.

“Either that was a porn show, or… I don’t know what else.” said Cyborg.

Robin snatched the com from him, “This clears Beast Boy entirely; he really DIDN’T rape Terra.”

Starfire felt really down, “Then that means our friend has truly been convicted unjustly!”

“Come on!” said Robin “We’re going back to the hospital.”

Everyone agreed and dashed out of the store.

Meanwhile, the nurse had left Beast Boy and Terra alone to talk, but the door stayed locked.

Beast Boy was growing angrier by the second. “Why…!” he sneered at her “How could you do this to me?!”

“I don’t know, okay! I don’t know!” cried Terra “So many things happened. They found out I was pregnant and they just assumed things.

How could I possibly tell them the truth?”

Beast Boy glared at her hiss panting at hard at her “So… I’M the one who has to take the blame? I’m the one who has to lick up all the crap?! I’M THE ONE WHO HAS TO BE SEEN AS INSANE LUNATIC IN THIS SHITHOLE LOCKDOWN?!!”

Terra backed away with tears of fright and shame in her eyes.

“How could you, Terra?!” Beast Boy cried “We agreed… we were going to try and work it all out, but that wasn’t enough for you was it!

You just sat there in that courtroom and told nothing but a string of lies and made me look to be a rapist and nutcase!”

“I didn’t want this, okay!” cried Terra “It was Jackie and Jillian who suggested I press the charges, and so did my school. I had no choice, or I’d have to reveal my secrets!”

“Oh, you’re breaking my heart!” Beast Boy growled at her being completely unsympathetic.

“You agreed not to tell anyone about me!” she snapped at him “And you almost did in court!”

“I WAS UNDER OATH!!” shouted Beast Boy “I had to tell the truth, unlike you! You also notice I didn’t tell them about you and Slade huh?!”

Hearing that name struck Terra hard like a huge blow.

“I guess it didn’t matter anyway!” he continued to growl at her “You got what you wanted! You’re secrets are still safe… even if it means I’M STUCK IN THIS PADDED ROOM!!!”

Terra held her head, unable to take any more of this. However, a doctor, the nurse, and two strong men, having heard enough of Beast Boy’s screams had come to subdue him.

“Stay back.” the doctor cautioned Terra as he and his team burst into Beast Boy’s room, and the strong men held him down!

“LET ME GO!! GET OFF ME!!” he screamed.

“Relax!” the doctor yelled “Calm down!”

Beast Boy continued to fuss about much to Terra’s aching heart.

The doctor helped his men hold him down and then yelled at the nurse “Stick him!”

The nurse nodded and held up a hypodermic needle to sedate Beast Boy. She had a hard time getting close, but managed to get in and hold his arm steady.

Suddenly, there was a huge flash before Beast Boy’s face “Uhn…!” he groaned, and he fell completely flat and silent.

“What the heck was that?” one of the men asked.

“You saw that flash too?” asked the other.

At least Beast Boy was quiet now, “Good job, nurse.” said the doctor “Gee, that sedative really works fast.”

The nurse looked up, “But… I haven’t even injected him.”

“What?”

Terra tried to move in closer to see what was happening when the Titans came along.

“What are you doing here?” Raven sneered at Terra.

Terra was too stressed out to answer.

“Beast Boy?!” cried Starfire.

“What happened?” asked Robin.

The doctor was confused “He was having a fit. We tried to sedate him and he just collapsed.”

Cyborg moved to get in closer, but the two men blocked his way.

“Don’t go near him.”

“He could rise up and attack in a fit.”

Cyborg just picked them both up off the ground and shoved them aside, “Out of my way!”

“Please, don’t!” cried the doctor.

“It’s okay…!” snapped Robin “He knows what he’s doing.”

Cyborg softly approached Beast Boy and softly touched him “Yo’ B’… you alright?”

Beast Boy didn’t respond. Didn’t open his eyes, and hardly made a sound except for a low-toned soft breathing.

Cyborg felt his hand to Beast Boy’s face, he felt a little warm. “BB?” he called softly, and then moved his fingers to pries his eye open, “Whoa!” he cried as he winced back “What the hell…?”

“What? What is it?” asked Robin.

“Take a look at his eyes!”

He softly pried Beast Boy’s eyes open again making everyone gasp and gawk in shock. “His eyes!” cried Starfire “They are… empty!”

Terra never saw anything so horrifying and mysterious.

“I don’t understand!” said the doctor as he examined Beast Boy’s eyes more closely.

“Hold on. Let me try something.” said Raven, and she moved in closer and placed her hand to Beast Boy’s forehead. She then closed her eyes and concentrated hard as her hand glowed in dark aura.

Everyone leaned in anxious to know what she was doing, and suddenly, Raven’s eyes snapped open and she looked very shocked!

“What is it?” cried Terra.

Raven hesitated at first, but she finally answered, “His soul… it’s… gone!”

Everyone fell silent and in shock.

“Are you sure?” asked Robin.

Raven nodded, “I can’t connect his spirit to mine. It’s not there. It’s gone.”

“He is… dead?” asked Starfire.

Cyborg scanned Beast Boy with his wrist-com. “He’s still got vital signs. Heartrate slow, brain activity high, but he’s not conscious at all.”

The doctor and his team were most befuddled, “I’ve never seen anything like this.” said the doctor.

“Uh, oh…!” cried Cyborg “Vital signs are starting to drop.”

“Let’s get him to the med ward!” said the nurse. The strongmen agreed and scooped up the motionless body, carrying him away, but Raven shook her head saying it was pointless. “Without his soul, he’s not going to make it.”

Terra put her hands over her mouth, “No…” she cried softly.

Starfire’s tears began to fall, but neither she nor anyone said anything.

Beast Boy was in the med ward, but the doctor and nurse had no idea what to do with him after what they heard Raven said.

“I don’t get it…” said the nurse “How can you just lose your soul and still have vital functions?”

“I don’t know.” replied the doctor, and he looked into Beast Boy’s dark, empty eyes. “Even if we tried to stabilize him, it won’t matter if he really has lost his soul.”

“You don’t really think he has lost his soul, do you?” asked one of the men.

“Are you kidding? Considering the crazy things that go on in this city; what’s really impossible?”

It got really quiet in the room, and Beast Boy didn’t look so good. The nurse couldn’t help but take a peek in his dark eyes again, and she shuddered in fear, but nobody, not the staff, or even the Titans had the foggiest of what was happening to Beast Boy.

Regardless, his health did not improve, and he died.

The papers soon heard of this, and a new front page story read: “Teen Titan Dead in mental institution.”

The hospital received bad reputation upon hearing said story, but they remained in business after a pended investigation proved it wasn’t their fault that Beast Boy died.

Sad to say, the Titans were totally devastated. They had already buried Beast Boy’s body in a graveyard in a quiet part of Jump City, but they held no service for him.

Every single one of them was too upset with themselves to really think of anything tasteful or meaningful to say or do. Perhaps they felt his death was their doing. Perhaps they were just too upset by his mysterious demise that made it hard to come up with anything.

Whatever the reason, they were all pretty downhearted. Starfire couldn’t stop weeping, and Cyborg and Robin both felt their angers rising at cruel fate for taking their friend and teammate away. Even Raven’s tears showed, but she did her best not to break out sobbing.

Easily, it was Terra who had it the worst. “Beast Boy!” she sobbed over the monument stone. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault…!”

The others couldn’t argue with her, and while they still had Beast Boy’s communicator with the footage of her willingly sleeping with Beast Boy, which would consequently land Terra in a whole load of trouble with the law for committing perjury…

…They decided not to out her. It wouldn’t make a difference now, and everyone was in enough emotional traumas already; Terra especially. She felt she could never go back to school or any of her normal life with so much shame and guilt on her shoulders. Not to mention she was still pregnant with Beast Boy’s child.

This made her decision about that all the more easier. “I’m keeping the baby!” The Titans all gawked at her, and she touched her stomach. She had only been pregnant a few weeks, but her mind was made up. “I can’t take it anymore. Too many people are suffering because of my bad decisions, my lies!

I’m not going to let this baby growing inside me suffer either!”

“Um… technically, it’s not a baby yet.” said Raven “It’s just a fertilized egg that’s barely grown yet.”

The others all gawked at her awkwardly for knowing such things. “What? I read more than just storybooks.”

That didn’t change anything. “I’m keeping the baby no matter what anyone says. I don’t know if Beast Boy would want me to or not, but I’m keeping it.”

“You sure about that?” asked Cyborg “I mean, you way underage to become a mom, and how exactly are you going to get through nine whole months. A baby is very expensive, and you don’t even have a job.”

“Which is why WE shall help her every step.” Starfire cut in, and Robin nodded in agreement. Then he walked over to Terra, “I know things have been hard with you and all of us, but…” he just held out his hand hoping she’d take it and accept his offer, and she did accept the offer, but with a hug rather than a handshake.

She rested her head on his shoulder and cried softly. Robin could only hold her tightly letting her cry. This prompted Starfire to join in the hug to comfort Terra. She even remembered to hold her strength back. Cyborg joined in the group hug too, and Raven… she sighed, “Just this once.” and she joined in too.

Terra could only shed tears of woe but a slight hint of comfort.

In Equestria…

Two whole weeks, and nothing went right, and it all started when Fluttershy confronted Discord to admonish him for saying all those things to Spike about his friends not caring for him anymore.

“I hope you’re happy!” she scolded him.

“I do so love it when you’re angry.” Discord teased “It shows out the cuteness in your eyes.”

Fluttershy blushed softly, but then shook herself back to the subject, “The point is… you had to tell Spike all that stuff about his friends not liking him anymore that he’s gone; left us.”

“He did? Gosh, I didn’t think he’d take it that seriously. I was just playing around with him.”

Fluttershy felt aghast, “Telling him that his friends won’t care for him anymore isn’t what I call playing around.”

Discord felt a little ashamed feeling she was right, “Well, I didn’t mean for this to happen…” he paused “In fact… I DIDN’T make this happen. You and the others are the ones that acted mean to him. You’re the ones who drove him off.

This is YOUR mess, and I’ll be darned if I’m going to clean it up. You’re on your own for this one.”

He snapped his fingers and vanished out of sight, leaving Fluttershy to understand he was right; she and her friends were responsible for pushing Spike into leave. So it was up to them to try to make things right.

Twilight also got a small reprimanding, from Princess Celestia. She was well aware of what was going on with Spike and the girls, and she wrote Twilight a letter stating her unhappiness.

Twilight hated it when Celestia was upset with her, but then again she couldn’t blame her.

All those two weeks, she and the girls had been dropping by Spike’s cave, bringing him goods and food.

If the barrier was up they would call to him…

Twilight and Starlight brought Spike his basket bed and his blanket and pillows. “Here’s some things to make you feel more at home.” Twilight called to him. Then she and Starlight would leave hoping that Spike would at least take the things.

Applejack and Pinkie came alone with trays of baked apple pies and cupcakes for him to munch. “Here, Spike! Come and get it.” Applejack called.

Then they left.

Only after they had left did Spike poke his head through the mouth of the cave and see the items, and it was very hard to resist them, knowing the girls were just trying to suck up to him, but then again he really did miss the solid comforts of home, and eating only fish and seeds was getting rather boring.

So, he at least took the items with him into the cave, but he still refused to return to the ponies, and he had his reasons of not wanting to…!

If the barrier was down, meaning Spike was out, rather than go looking for him, they would bring him something with a little note attached to it.

Rainbow didn’t bring him anything, but just left a note saying:

Then there was Rarity, who came with a lovely quilt she had made from an expensive and shiny cornflower blue fabric, and on the top were well done pictures of herself and the rest of the ponies, Spike included.

Her letter was just as sweet.

Two of her tears fell onto the letter. It was really that sweet to her, and she prayed that Spike would take it to heart when she left it there.

Spike came home with more fish he had caught and a bucket full of crystal spring water for drinking.

So far he had been doing okay on his own the past two weeks, especially thanks to the gifts from his friends, but he still chose to remain on his own.

All those two weeks he had often thought of going back, but only to be constantly reminded of all the mean things the ponies said about him, and worse than that: he thought of Rarity rejecting him over petty reasons-- just because he was a dragon and she was a pony, and while she did have her personal preferences, that didn’t make it any better.

“No! This is how it has to be.” he said to himself “I need to learn to grow up, and be more on my own.”

He only said that to himself, but deep down he was feeling a bit woozy, miserable and hopeless.

“Ugh!!” he growled, and angrily let off a blaze of fire, not even watching where he was aiming, and set something ablaze near his cave that he hadn’t seen.

“WHOA!!” he cried and quickly doused the flames with his bucket of water. He saw Rarity’s blanket, and how it was now badly burned and half crisped. All the pictures were barely visible but identifiable.

“Oh, no…!” cried Spike “What have I done?!”

Then he saw the letter by the cave entrance, that hadn’t been hit by his flames. Reading it and seeing the tear stains on the paper made his own tears fell, and he looked back at the charred quilt.

Not only was it heartbreaking for him to see, but he felt that if Rarity found out about this… she’d really throw a fit. He knew her, and he could see it now!

“MY QUIILT!!” she shrieked “Spike, how could you! I poured my heart and soul to making that for you in hopes you could find it in your heart to forgive us all for hurting you, and you just BURN IT UP!!!”

She began to cry, and it was in vain that spike tried to explain it was just an accident.

“HOW COULD YOU BE SO CRUEL?!!” the other ponies all shouted.

Spike found himself spinning in darkness with the ponies all taunting and hooting at him.

“You leave me no choice, Spike!” sneered Twilight “I hereby banish you from Equestria… FOREVER!!”

Her horn glowed brightly and she prepared to blast him, and everything flashed before his eyes.

HA-POW!! “AA-UHN …!!” Spike cried, and he just collapsed on the ground by his cave. Rarity’s letter flew out of his hand and fluttered away along with wind.

Meanwhile, the ponies were all at Twilight’s castle lamenting their situation.

“Well aren’t we a bunch of meanies.” said Pinkie.

Applejack sighed “We gave Spike our food, our blankets, and everythin’ and he still won’t come back.”

Rainbow sighed, “I can’t believe he is being so incredibly stubborn. Even Rarity’s not that stuck up.”

“Ah…!” snapped Rarity. She would have balked at Rainbow for that, but she just didn’t have the heart, nor wanted to lose focus.

“Well, we’re all agreed on one thing,” said Twilight “We want Spike back, and not just because of the friendship mission.”

The others all nodded “But what can we do about it?” asked Starlight “I’ve been like Spike before, and when one carries a belly full of hate, a few simple words or gifts won’t change his mind .”

“But there has to be some way we can convince him.” said Fluttershy.

Suddenly, the friendship map stopped showing images of their cutie marks, just like that.

“What happened?” asked Pinkie.

They knew they couldn’t have solved the friendship problem because their cutie marks would have been glowing, not to mention Spike still hadn’t returned.

“This has never happened before.” said Twilight. She inspected the map, and it couldn’t be broken or malfunctioning; she would know if it were.

“I think we better go check on Spike right now.” suggested Fluttershy.

Twilight and the others could agree more, and they galloped off…

…and when they got to Spike’s cave, they saw the terrible sight.

Many of them just gawked at the sight of Spike lying perfectly still on the ground, and Twilight walked over and softly turned him over, and put her off to his neck, “He’s still alive…” she said.

The others all sighed in relief, but it was only short lived as Pinkie walked over to Spike and softly tapped him, “Hey… Spike…” she called softly. “Spike, wake up.”

Spike didn’t respond, and Pinkie couldn’t resist prying his eyes open, “WHA--?!!” she cried.

Twilight gasped, and the others could see for themselves. “What’s with his eyes?” asked Applejack.

Fluttershy felt a shiver run down her spine, “What happened to his eyes?”

Starlight looked deeply into Spike’s dark eyes, “This looks like the work of some kind of curse. I don’t know, I’m just guessing.”

“We better get him help, quick!” cried Rainbow.

Twilight levitated Spike onto her back and held him steady with her magic, “Let’s go!”

She flew off, and her friends chased after her, but Rarity stayed behind a moment when she noticed the quilt she had made for Spike was all charred. There was no second guessing that Spike had burned it, though she didn’t know it was an accident. She could also find no trace of her letter to spike either and assumed he burned it as well.

Her heart ached and her tears began to fall, “Oh, Spike…” she sobbed, feeling maybe… just maybe he had done himself in, no matter how unlikely that seemed.

“Rarity… Come on!” Applejack called.

Rarity wiped her eyes and then galloped off with her friends.

Since Twilight knew pony doctors and vets didn’t know a thing about the physiology of dragons, there was only one pony she knew to ask for help…

She wrote Princesses Celestia and Luna telling them about their problem.

The two sisters teleported to the castle almost at once, and observed Spike, but they were most baffled, even Princess Luna couldn’t understand the darkness in Spike’s eyes. “I have never seen a thing like this before, but I fear you may be correct, Twilight; this seems to be some sort of curse.

…but exactly what it is and how it works… we cannot tell.”

The friends al felt worried.

“Isn’t there anything we can do for him?” asked Starlight.

Celestia leaned in over Spike and tried to give him a boost of magical energy to maybe snap him out of it. Unfortunately, the beam bounced right off of Spike’s body and bounced off the walls and floors making everyone jump and swerve about until the blast faded out.

“Whoa!” cried Rainbow “What was that all about?”

Princess Luna then tried to tap into whatever the darkness was within Spike’s eyes, but her power proved as ineffective as her sister’s. Whatever the darkness was, she couldn’t tap into it, couldn’t understand it, and couldn’t do much about it.

Spike was beginning to look a little pale.

“We’re losing him!” cried Celestia.

The ponies all gasped, and felt their hearts breaking.

“No…! He can’t be…!” cried Twilight “We’ve got to do something…!”

She raced to the library, and used a special spell on herself for Super Speed-Reading. This allowed her to comb through her every single bookshelf, every book, every page, but absolutely nothing she could find described what was happening to Spike.

It was beginning to look more and more hopeless by the second.

She returned to her friends.

“Oh, Spike…! Please don’t leave us!” cried Rarity.

“Come on, Spike! Fight… whatever it is!” added Rainbow.

“You better stop playin’ around like this, and snap out of it!” cried Applejack.

It was no use. Spike couldn’t seem to break out of whatever it was that got him, and his friends tried all they could, but nothing snapped him out of it.

He got worse, and worse… and he died.