Temptation Chapter 6

6. Back to Reality

Beast Boy's ees opened.  His mind was swimming.  Part of him just wanted to let go, live in this perfect moment with Raven.  But another part of him was screaming at him, trying to break free.  Then he saw Raven's eyes, how they were somewhat glazed over...and he pushed her back.

"Raven!" he shouted.  "This isn't you.  THis isn't natural.  Snap out of it!"

"WHat are you talking about?" she asked blandly.  "Can't we just have a happy moment between us, no interruptions, no distractions, just once?"  She leaned in to kiss him again.

Right then, Beast Boy did the only thing he could think of.  Turning into a pterodactyl, he seized her shoulders in his talons and took to the air.  As he gained altitude, his head began to clear, and he saw clearly just what had almost happened.

Suddenly he heard Raven scream in pain, and he dove back to the island.  CHanging back, he caught her.  "Raven!  Are you okay?  What happened?"

Raven was shivering.  She looked up at Beast Boy.  Her eyes were no longer glazed, but now they were filled with terror.  "Beast Boy, what's going on?  What happened?  Where am I?"  She looked down at herself.  "What am I wearing?"

He pulled her close.  "It's okay, Raven.  Something was manipulating your mind, and it nearly got me, too.  But I was able to snap you out of it."

Raven shook her head.  "Something's wrong...I can't..."  She stared at him.  "YOur emotions...your thoughts...I can't sense them."  She waves her hand around...but nothing happens.  "My powers...they're gone."

A cold breeze makes them both shiver.  Looking up, Beast Boy saw a cave enterance that seemed incredibly too sinister for this paradise.  "Where did that come from?" he asked, and started to walk towards it.

"NO!"  RAven suddenly tackled him to the ground.  "When we first got here...we went in there and...something was waiting for us."  She shuddered.  "Some sort of creature...or monster.  It...it got inside our heads and..."  She continued to shake.

Beast Boy pulled her into his arms, but his eyes were angry.  "Now it makes sense...Whatever is in that cave, this island is its feeding ground.  It must feed on certain kinds of emotions or something.  It must have locked onto you through your empathy, and used you to bring the other girls here.  Once you were here...it turned you into bait for the rest of us..."  A low growl started in his throat.  "It wanted us to...pursue our desires, so it could feed off of them."

"How...how can you know this?"

"...because now that it knows it can't feed on me, it's trying to push me away.  Whatever it is, it's parasitic, and I'm no longer a valid food source."  Beast Boy got up.  "And it has your powers, which means you can't go too far from it."  He began to walk towards the cave.

"Wait!"  Raven grabbed his arm.  "Where are you going?"

"To give it a piece of my mind."

"Don't...don't leave me alone!"  Raven suddenly clung to him.  "I...I'm afraid.  If you leave...what if it gets control of me again, and-"

He pulled her against him.  "Don't worry.  I won't leave you alone."  He headed towards the cave, his arm around her.

She looked over to him once they were inside.  "How...how did you know something was wrong?  To break me out of it?"

He was quiet for a time.  When he spoke again, his voice was bitter.  "Because my dreams don't come true."

Something in the cave stirred as they approached, angrily.