CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
When the light had faded away, everyone gasped and gawked in horror. There stood Changeling, but he was three times the size of any of they were. He had changed himself into a huge hulking creature-- a cross between a Dragon and a Bog Beast!
Fluttershy hid behind the others, trembling, while Rarity thought he looked repulsive as well as terrifying.
“Take a good look at me now…” he growled in his a deep monstrous voice, “It’s rare that I’ve had to rely on my own tricks, but in the end, I always win!”
Robin clenched his fists “Until now, you mean!”
“We’ve faced way bigger bozos than you before, and we always beat ‘em.” added Cyborg.
Changeling snickered gruffly, and then he took in a huge breath, “WATCH OUT!!” cried Spike, and everyone scattered about just as Changeling unleashed a huge breath of blue fire.
“Whoa! Talk about a hothead.” cried Pinkie.
“Seriously, you’re going to joke at a time like this?” grumbled Raven. Then she yanked off her dress revealing, instantly changing into her normal wear.
“Let’s get him!” shouted Rainbow.
The others agreed, and they all lunged forth, but Changeling breathed out another breath of fire. Sparks and explosions blasted all over knocking everyone away.
Cyborg got up and fired a huge blast from his cannon, and Starfire shot her eye-beams. The two blasts hit him square on, but Changeling hardly suffered much damage as his strength had greatly increased in this form.
He proved this by mashing several damaged cars and lampposts into a huge ball and hurled it hard at the team.
“WHOA!!” cried Raven, and she used all her might to try to hold the ball in midair, but it was far too heavy for her alone. “Come on, girls!” cried Twilight, and she and the Equestrians each blasted a beam of light from their elements at the ball and helped Raven send it flying out to sea, splashing extremely hard into the water.
“That was way too close!” cried Fluttershy, but she and the others felt very weary. That last blast combined from battling for so long, everyone was starting to feel a bit tuckered out. The elements of harmony were flashing, indicating their power was running low. They didn’t even have enough power to unleash their greatest attack and wouldn’t until they were left alone for a chance to recharge.
“What’s wrong, running out of steam?” Changeling mocked “Here, have a drink on me…!” and he spewed from his mouth a flowing wave of blue sludge.
Twilight gasped and screamed “…It’s toxic venom!!”
“Let’s move!” shouted Robin, and everyone leapt out of the way as a poison spread past them burning everything in its path.
The venom burned away quickly making it safe to tread along the ground again.
“We have to keep on fighting!” said Robin.
The others agreed, and they all charged forth.
“So that’s how you want to play it…?” scoffed Changeling, and he lunged forth as well, swinging his huge fists, and swiping his large tail.
CRASH!!
BAM!!
KAPOW!!
Everyone was hit really hard and knocked away.
He then grabbed Raven in one of his claws. “A pity it didn’t work out. We’d have made such a charming couple.” Then he threw her hard colliding her with the others.
Terra and Fluttershy were backed against a wall with Changeling glaring them down, and there was no way for them to slip around him.
“Terra!” shouted Starfire.
“Fluttershy!” called Twilight.
The trembling girls held one another whimpering nervously as Changeling loomed over them. His fangs drooling with venom as he sneered, “You two shall have the honor of being the first to go…!”
He raised his claws ready for the big swipe.
“NO!!!” the others all shouted.
Suddenly, BASH!! A green Rhino came in and rammed hard into Changeling, sending him rolling along the road.
The Rhino then transformed, and he stood tall and fiercely.
“Beast Boy!” cried Cyborg. Everyone’s eyes lit up, but not as much as Fluttershy or Terra’s. “Beast Boy!” they both cried.
He looked over at them both, “You two okay?” he asked.
The girls both smiled lovingly at him and nodded, but then the realized the awkwardness as they gawked at one-another.
Changeling could hardly believe his eyes either as he gawked back at him. “Impossible! You can’t be here!”
Beast Boy said nothing. He just gazed furiously at the wicked creature, and let out a scream as he rushed forth!
Changeling growled and unleashed a breath of fire.
Beast Boy changed into a cheetah and zipped to the side evading the fire.
Changeling spewed out a wave of acid, and Beast Boy changed into a falcon, and flew harmlessly over the burning stream, right towards Changeling. He then swooped down and changed into a huge Elephant and slammed him hard.
Changeling clutched his chest as he skidded back. Then he glared at Beast Boy, whom changed into a T-Rex and charged at him.
The two big brutes engaged in a struggle with their arms, while roaring and growling at one another.
The others, still too weak to lend much of a hand, could only watch in fear and astonishment.
Beast Boy head bashed Changeling in the chest.
Changeling socked him hard in the face.
The two then swatted each other hard with their tails, knocking one-another hard up the road.
Beast Boy changed into his human shape. Now he was madder than ever!
“You really should have remained where you were!” growled Changeling. “When I’m through with you, you will regret returning and facing me!”
“Wrong!” snapped Beast Boy “It’s who’s going to regret… regret messing with me…” he paused a minute, finding the courage for what he was about to say “…AND MY FRIENDS!”
Everyone felt heart-struck that he said such a thing, but in a good way. The Titans were relieved to hear that, and so was Terra, but it was Twilight who was the most impressed. “There’s hope for him yet.” she muttered.
Changeling laughed, “You don’t fool me. You know just as well as I do that Friendship is am empty force. It cannot save you from all things, and it can’t always make things right.”
All the Equestrians felt badly insulted. “Why you…!” Pinkie snarled, and she wanted to run out there and sock it to him, but the girls held her back.
Beast Boy was panting furiously, and his rage suddenly exploded. He clutched his head, moaning and groaning.
“Beast Boy!” cried Starfire.
“Ah, man, not this!” said Cyborg.
“What’s happening to him?” asked Fluttershy.
Terra was speechless as she watched Beast Boy start to grow in size that he stretched out of his clothes, tattering them all as he became a fierce werewolf-like beast.
“The Beast Within!” cried Robin!
The Beast roared furiously at Changeling, who actually seemed concerned, but still not willing to back down, he roared and rushed the beast hard, but the beast furiously swatted his huge arms away and tackled him hard to the ground.
The Equestrians and Terra had never seen Beast Boy fight like this before, and the others Titans explained that this was his most powerful form and it only happened whenever he got extremely angry!
“Cool!” said Rainbow.
“It is not cool!” cried Starfire.
“She’s right, Beast Boy has hardly any control of himself now.” said Raven.
Terra and Fluttershy gasped when they heard that.
Everyone watched as the beast actually flipped Changeling over his head and onto the ground, while Changeling bashed him hard in the face with his tail!
Changeling was starting to feel a little exhausted, but still not willing to give up. “This is it…” he said to himself “I’ve had so many battles and yet each of them was an easy win! This is what I’ve been longing for: A true challenge!”
He glared he beast dead in the eyes, and the beast glared back at him.
Changeling unleashed another wave of fire, hitting the beast square on and damaging him badly.
“BEAST BOY!!” Fluttershy and Terra screamed.
The Beast, burned, but not beaten, roared and charged forth, forcing Changeling to spew out more venom, but the beast leapt up high, and swung on a lamppost like a gymnast over the stream, launching himself at Changeling and two continued to brawl.
“Okay, we really gotta stop this somehow.” said Applejack.
“Ooh-Ooh…! I got an idea! Pick me Pick me!” squealed Pinkie.
“Um… Pinkie Pie…?”
Pinkie took in a huge breathe and spouted really fast, “By this time, Changeling’s probably getting tired from fighting so much, so maybe if we concentrate really, really hard and combine all our remaining powers and beliefs into the Elements of Harmony, they’ll glow so bright we can weaken Changeling enough for us to finally catch him.”
That was a lot to say, and lot for the others to take in, but they actually held onto every word. “Well, it could work…” said Twilight “I mean the elements have done stranger things before.”
“Except for one thing…” Robin pointed out “Beast boy will get hit too. We have to try and get him away from Changeling.”
“Yeah, that’s easier said than done.” said Rainbow, and she was right; the beast hardly seemed distracted by anything and just kept on brawling with Changeling… like it was ready to fight to the death!
“Let me try…” Terra suddenly said “Maybe I can get him to listen to me, and I can get him to stop.”
“Terra, that’s crazy,” snapped Robin. “I agree,” added Starfire “If you go out there, you might be badly hurt or worse…!”
“Look, I know it’s dangerous but it just might work.” protested Terra “Beast Boy and I still have a connection; I know that if I can just reach out to it he’ll listen to me.”
The others couldn’t argue with that.
As for Fluttershy, it was obvious even to her that Terra still harbored deep feelings for Beast Boy as she did, but as she was needed to power up the elements, and she could also see maybe Terra would be able to help just as she would if it were she going out there… she softly smiled and told her “Good luck!”
Terra smiled back at her. “I know how you feel about him, but…”
“It’s okay, just go.”
The others thought it was heart-warming and seeing no other way, they all gave Terra their support, and each told her to be really careful.
Terra then dashed off to wait for an opening in the fight for her to jump in.
“Darling, are you alright about this?” Rarity asked, and Fluttershy nodded innocently but she did feel a little down about it.
“Okay, everyone gather in close.” Twilight said.
“What can we do?” asked Cyborg.
“You need to concentrate hard.” replied Twilight “Think about all the positivity you can, that you want to share and want to give. It just may work.”
“That’s usually not one of my best traits.” grumbled Raven. The other Titans gave her a look to go along with it. “Fine, I’ll try.”
“Okay… concentrate.” said Twilight. The team all held hands in a ring, shut their eyes tight, and concentrated as best they could. Each of the Titans thought deeply towards Beast Boy.
Robin: “Beast Boy, I’m sorry I’ve been so hard on you. Please understand that.”
Starfire: “Friend, I wish not to be hostile with you anymore. I would do anything I can to given one final chance to make things right.”
Cyborg: “Don’t give up, BB. I’ve always thought of you as a bro… a real bro… always.”
Raven: “Beast Boy… I… I know we’ve had more bad times than good, you know how it is, but… I still love you, and I always will. Even if you don’t feel the same about me, I really can and want to understand you better, just how you tried to understand me.”
Their feelings of extreme honesty and pureness were already strengthening the elements, but they still needed more time, more power.
Changeling and the Beast were engaged in another struggle. The Beast bit Changeling’s arm hard, making him roar in pain. The Beast then bashed Changeling hard and sent him tumbling backwards through the air, but Changeling retaliated with another flame breath knocking his opponent up the road.
Changeling lay on the ground, weak and battered while trying to find his next wind, while the beast seemed equally as weak, but still wouldn’t stay down!
As he got up and prepared to lunge back for more fighting, Terra leapt out in front of him. “Beast Boy, stop!” she cried.
The beast took one look at Terra and roared at her, seeing her as an obstacle between him and his opponent he wanted to finish off.
“Beast Boy, please! Listen to me…” she paused “…I love you!”
The beast’s growls grew softer at those words.
“I love you… and I’m sorry… sorry for everything I did. I was wrong!”
The beast was hardly growling at all now, and he actually could think back to all those time, including Things Change and how she rejected him and pushed him aside. He also reflected to how mean and angrily he had treated her by telling her off when they ran into one another.
…But now, seeing her there and confessing these feelings to him. He picked her up gently and held her up over his head and he looked deeply into her tear-filled eyes, which melted away at his heart.
“Beast Boy… I’m sorry.” she cried “I can’t fight it… and I can’t change it.
...I love you!”
Two of her tears fell upon his face, and nothing could prove her heart more than that.
He softly brought her close and hugged her warmly, and she hugged him warmly, and planted a small kiss on his warm cheek.
If only the other could had seen, they would had bawled their eyes out by the sweetness, but the only sound that was heard was Changeling snickering. “Oh, that’s so sweet… I think I’m going to be sick!” and he spewed out more venom.
The beast, still clutching Terra, was forced to jump up to avoid getting hit, but Changeling leapt over towards then, and sank his fangs hard into the beast’s back. The beast roared and howled in pain and Terra screamed in horror!
The beast looked horribly injured, worse than before, but still gave Changeling a huge shove and sent him crashing to the ground.
“I’ll get you for that!” he shouted up at him.
“No!” Twilight called to him “…You won’t!”
Her eyes were glowing with a white light, as were the Equestrians, and their elements. The Titans stood by their side, continued to fuel the elements with their wishes for harmony and peace.
Changeling tried to breathe more fire and spew more venom, only to finally have run low on power form battling for so long. “No! No!! This can’t be happening!” he cried.
“Oh, it’s happenin’ alright.” Cyborg chuckled.
“You will now answer for everything you have done!” added Starfire. All the others nodded in agreement, and in a blinding flash, the elements unleashed multi-colored streaks of magic which combined into one massive beam that fired straight at Changeling, enveloping him and sapping the remains of his evil powers.
All this followed by the biggest flash of lightning and loudest thunder crash of the storm.
…But was it all good enough?