Titans Forever

by Blue Ten

Summary:

When the Titans defeat a mysterious assassin targeting Starfire, they are thrust into a journey to possibly save an entire system from destruction. Can the Titans' friendships and bonds survive in the harsh environment of war? RobxStar, BBxRae

Disclaimer:

I do not claim any ownership of the TV series 'Teen Titans', or any of its counterparts.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Episode Three: Brother

- - -

Act One: Meeting

A dense blizzard cloaked the landscape in a flurry of thick, white particles. In the midst of night, sparse moonlight managing to find its way through the snow storm, little could be seen of the heavily forested area. Intense winds battered the many pine-like trees that decorated the ground, rattling their leaves incessantly, shaking off and adding on equal amounts of snow. Though mostly covered by foot after foot of snowfall, the land was clearly very rough, as evidenced by several dark gray rock formations jutting out from the snow beside the forest, leading uphill toward currently unseen mountaintops.

In an otherwise colorless area, a faint orange glow could be seen beyond the many flowing sheets of flaky ice. A stark contrast to the gray rock, it appeared to be originating from the base of the mountainside itself. The light was housed in a small cave, whose entrance was parallel to the wind. A perfect shelter.

Taking refuge from the storm for a while, the Titans had found a spot within the cave where several flat rocks provided ample seating. They huddled around an open area, in the center of which Cyborg had set up a simple campfire. Though cloaked in their winter attire, the Titans each had a gray blanket draped over their shoulders to further fend off the frigid temperatures. However, since Cyborg had 'accidentally' forgotten one blanket, two Titans currently shared one, huddled close together by the fire, their situation being the mark of constant snickering.

"Warm enough for ya?" questioned Beast Boy from his position toward the back of the cave. He grinned, wrapping the blanket tightly around his form. He shivered a bit, cheeks somewhat rosy from the cold, but still couldn't resist one of his new favorite pastimes... embarrassing the resident couple.

Robin made no effort to shift his view, keeping his half closed eyes on the campfire. Starfire rested against his shoulder, holding on to his right arm as she breathed softly. She smiled in her sleepy state, mostly unaware of the goings on around her. "...Beast Boy. If it didn't work the first five times, what makes you think it'll work now?" Robin questioned honestly.

Beast Boy opened his mouth to say something... but immediately turned a pouting face to the fire. Raven, who sat on the flat rocks to his left, smirked a bit as she held her own blanket in place over her shoulders. Cyborg, on Beast Boy's other side in the circle, simply shrugged at the changeling, turning his attention to Robin at his right.

"Man, I liked it better when just the word 'girlfriend' would set you off," said Cyborg, lowering his eyebrows at the Boy Wonder. "Ah, well..." he conceded, looking up to the smooth, rocky ceiling. "Guess I'll just have to find someone else to poke fun at." Off to the side, Beast Boy could be heard swallowing hard.

"I guess so," replied Robin nonchalantly, actually enjoying turning things around on them for once.

Cyborg's amused expression suddenly faded away, leaving a blank, disappointed one in its place. "Don't worry, I'll get ya eventually..." he stated in reluctant defeat. Suddenly, his eyes caught a glimpse of the cave entrance.

For quite a while the wind had been a monstrous howl outside the cave; however, in the time the Titans had spent in the cave – without notice – it had been reduced to a low whistle. All conscious eyes were turned to the rounded cave entrance, beyond which was a forest draped in white beneath a dark sky, though brought to life by a silvery glow. The clouds had parted enough to allow the light of Okaara's moon through, the sudden wintry storm effectively diminished in a matter of hours.

After blinking a couple times in astonishment, Cyborg looked around at the others. "I'll never get used to this dang alien weather..." he said, rising to his feet, letting the blanket fall to the ground. Stretching, he fixed his blue scarf and ski cap into comfortable positions, and patted at his heavy coat of similar hue. Seeing Robin beginning to move, Cyborg held a hand out to yield him. "No need to wake her up yet... We'll holler if it looks like we can move on out there."

"Right," said Robin, relaxing back into place. He looked to his right at the girl resting against his shoulder, hardly able to imagine how much sleep she must have lost since witnessing her planet's destruction. Starfire needed rest more than anyone.

Seeing how Starfire looked, Robin placed a gloved hand around her shoulder, holding her a bit closer. He knew her people could endure harsh weather such as this... but she was pretty much naked compared to everyone else, wearing her normal attire. Robin couldn't ignore that, wanting to keep her warm – despite the facts. He felt more cold just looking at her.

"Y'know..." started Beast Boy as he, Cyborg, and Raven began to shiver their way to the cave entrance, "we wouldn't have to deal with the weather if we had just stayed in the ship," he stated, shoes crunching against the icy rock as he walked on.

"I told you," replied Cyborg, a bit of an exasperated tone to his voice, "we need to keep a low profile. Flying around in a noisy ship ain't exactly a good way to keep the crosshairs off Starfire," he concluded, pointing a thumb over his shoulder.

"If this really is a war we're dealing with, then I guarantee you they won't stop at just one assassin," added Raven.

"Points taken," conceded Beast Boy, holding his hands up. Moving closer to the opening, he could feel the cold air beginning to bite at his skin, even through the insulation of his heavy coat and cap. Teeth chattering, he pulled his snow goggles over his eyes for whatever extra warmth they could offer. "Wouldn't have killed you to pack us some warmer clothes, though," he blurted without thinking.

As the three Titans stepped out into the open, Cyborg stopped and tightened his shoulders. Reaching back with a growl, he began to shake Beast Boy by the collar.

"YOU THINK I PLANNED THIS OR SOMETHING?" he questioned loudly as he continued to throttle the changeling.

"Glotha!" came a heavy voice from nearby, causing the three distracted Titans to immediately turn their heads.

- - - - - -

Awakening from her short sleep, Starfire slowly opened her eyes to see the glowing embers of the campfire before her. Blinking the drowsiness off, she felt Robin's arm on her shoulder and turned to look his way. As of yet, he had not taken notice of her, eyes watching the fire closely.

He was clearly investing much of his thought in this mission, taking it as seriously as anything before... perhaps even more so. Starfire felt somewhat guilty because of this. The conflict between Tamaran and The Citadel was her burden, and her friends had decided to commit themselves to it – simply for her sake. She understood that Robin would be the most committed... which certainly made her fear for his safety.

After savoring the brief moment of alone time, Starfire decided to inquire about something. "Where have our friends gone?" she asked, having quickly taken notice of the absence.

Robin seemed a little surprised, turning to Starfire in response. "They, uh, went out to check on the storm. Looks like it's letting up," he explained. Now that Starfire was awake, he felt the need to ask her about her clothing situation. "Star... are you sure you're not cold--"

"Glotha! Thal non algath, rutha ordeks!" a heavy, male voice echoed off the walls of the cave as it barked through the entrance angrily.

"That doesn't sound good..." said Robin as he and Starfire eyed the shadows outside the cave.

- - - - - -

"Hehe..." Beast Boy chuckled nervously as he looked to the three heavily armored men ahead of him, swallowing a sudden lump in his throat. He, Cyborg, and Raven simply held their hands up to illustrate their situational surrender.

The tan-skinned warriors each brandished rather threatening spears, circular bladed tips poised dangerously close to the three Titans' upper vitals. Metallic, dark blue armor covered most of their bodies, aside from bare arms and faces. They were all of relatively the same build; long, scruffy hair of brown, black, and auburn, respectively, fell to their shoulders. One had a short beard; another, very bushy eyebrows... all three glared fiercely through green eyes. Simply from the look of the tall, middle-aged humanoids, identity could easily be discerned.

"We're on their side, right? So... we shouldn't have anything to worry about," stated Beast Boy quietly. Cyborg and Raven made no reply, paying more attention to the sharp objects displayed before them. "I'll handle this," said Beast Boy, voice disguisedly smug with an underlying tone of insecurity. Clearing his throat, he gingerly pushed the spear nearest his face downward with the tip of a finger – to the bewilderment of the three guards. "Uh, Zorka... Tubag plixing glorg throknar... grebnaks..." he spoke, finishing with an upward inflection, as though posing a question.

For a moment the three Tamaraneans softened their grips on the spears and looked to one another with startled faces, grunting inquisitively. Seeing this, Beast Boy almost wondered if he had done the right thing by stringing together random Tamaranean words from memory. However, within less than a moment, the spears were back in place, held steady before the Titans' faces.

"Thanks, BB. Next time, why not just tell them – in English – that you want a good stabbing?" grumbled Cyborg, eyebrows twitching as he attempted to distance his face from the blade without moving any more muscles than needed.

Keeping her hands high, Raven narrowed her eyes and looked to her right at the frozen changeling. "No. More. Helping," she spoke through her teeth, pausing for a long while to contemplate something. "...Did you say grebnaks?" she questioned in a whisper so as not to further aggravate the men with spears, squinting her eyes.

Before any more damage could be done, Starfire's approaching voice floated out from the cave. "Friends? What is--" she began.

The three men became wide-eyed at the mere sound of the voice. Turning to face the cave, their assumptions were confirmed and the three warriors promptly knelt down low, resting their spears on the snowy ground.

"X'hal. Rala-Koriand'r... Landath gro kura?" said the middle guard, eyes averted to the ground in a show of respect. His voice was rife with astonishment.

"Phew," said Cyborg, letting his arms fall down to his sides. "Now that you know we're all friends here, we can--" he started, moving forward a step. Without exiting their kneel or moving their eyes, the three guards reached down, retrieved their spears, and pointed them outward with blinding speed. Shocked, Cyborg backed away, hands quickly in the air again, right along with Beast Boy and Raven. "I guess not..." He gulped.

Starfire glanced at Robin for a moment. He could tell from the look in her eyes that she was glad... well, shocked, but also glad. Cyborg's sensors had picked up a small cluster of life signs before landing, though he advised that no one prematurely raise their hopes. Robin could only imagine Starfire's relief.

"Please, do not kneel," said Starfire, reverting to her native language as she stepped forward to meet the three warriors. Placing a hand on the middle one's shoulder, she gestured for them all to stand. They, of course, complied without question. "And... kindly do not hurt these people," she added, turning a worried eye to the spears. "They are all my friends."

In a matter of seconds, the three Tamaraneans' expressions shifted from surprise to confusion, and finally regret. Lowering their spears at once, they nodded apologetically. Having been repeatedly at the sharp end of the conversation, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy kept their distance – despite the turn of events.

"Please, you must tell me... Are there any more with you?" Starfire questioned hopefully.

The black-haired guard immediately replied, seeming to snap back to reality. "Of course, princess Starfire," he said, turning to face the patch of forest to the left of the cave. "There is no danger!" he shouted.

As soon as the guard spoke, three more figures emerged from the forest, pushing the low-hanging branches out of their way.

One, a tall and barrel-chested man, armored just like the others, stepped out first; his lengthy, unkempt hair and heavy beard were dark blond, eyes a deep shade of gray. Face and arms decorated by numerous battle scars as well as characteristic wrinkles, he was clearly of ascending age, nonetheless strong in appearance. As soon as his eyes caught sight of the princess, he suddenly became aware of the situation.

Second came a younger man of similar stature to the first. His short, brown hair seemed out of place on a Tamaranean, but everything else about him described a warrior of that race. The look on his face was rough and focused, though progressively softening due to the surprise presence of royalty. His dark gray eyes began to examine the Titans with curiosity.

Lastly, stepping out from beneath the low branches was a much... much younger Tamaranean, who couldn't have been any older than Beast Boy. He stood at about half the height of the previous two men. His outfit was strangely similar to Starfire's in design – and could best be described as the male counterpart: pants and a sleeveless shirt, form fitting and specular, all in a muted blue color. The boy's silvery armor consisted of heavy looking boots, long wrist bands, a belt, and – once again, much like Starfire – a neck and shoulder adornment, carrying an oval-shaped blue jewel front-and-center.

Strangely enough, the remarkable resemblances ceased not. As the young man moved further from the shadows, his lengthy red hair could be seen; a pair of bangs resided over his forehead, and the rest was tied off in a pony tail behind his head. Finally, as if the Titans hadn't seen enough already, the boy opened his eyes to reveal an undeniably familiar shade of green.

He seemed unsure of himself as he walked forward, somewhat hesitant, eyes regarding the snow covered ground with their wandering attention. At his right side, hanging from his belt, was a rather heavy, ornate looking battle axe; he tapped at its hilt absentmindedly.

As soon as the young man took notice of the Tamaranean girl on the path ahead, he froze in place. Starfire followed suit, simply standing still for an extended period of time. The Titans found themselves looking from the boy to the girl repeatedly... trying their best to make sense of things.

"Brother!" Starfire gasped, finally breaking the silence, an elated tone to her voice. Rushing across the way, she promptly locked the surprised boy in an embrace. "I have missed you so," she said, squeezing tighter before pulling away to examine him. "It is simply a joy to see you have grown so much!" Her eyes gleamed proudly.

At first, the boy seemed just as happy to see her... However, as soon as he took notice of the two older warriors looking his way, the brightness faded from his expression. Seeming somewhat embarrassed, he held Starfire away from himself and forced a smile.

"It is... pleasant to see you as well, sister," he spoke, eyes obviously avoiding the scrutinous glances of the warriors. His voice was fitting for his age... presumably the early teen years. It was polite, somewhat reserved, and deep enough in tone that he did not sound entirely like a child. However, it couldn't be denied that his mannerisms, as well as some small part of his speech, described a transitional stage between child and young man.

Hearing this, Starfire was taken back... perhaps even a little hurt to receive such a cold greeting. He had changed in more ways than one... Shaking off her reaction, Starfire reformed a smile on her face. "Come, I must introduce you to my friends!" she exclaimed, taking the boy by the hand and pulling him along to the Titans.

In her current state of happiness, Starfire had forgotten entirely about any previous vexations. The thought of her planet's destruction faded from the forefront of her thoughts, replaced by the blissful knowledge that there were survivors, her brother among them, and hopefully many more.

Starfire stopped in her tracks for a moment to tilt her head inquisitively at the deathly confused looks plastered across each of the Titans' faces. Grinning widely, she took a step closer. "Friends. This is my younger brother--"

"You have a brother now?" Beast Boy cut in with a flabbergasted question, pointing a limp finger forward. He blinked several times, given a chance to see the two up close. It couldn't be denied... the resemblance was uncanny. They were almost like twins.

"Forgive us for being a little confused, but..." started Raven, trailing off to compose her thoughts.

"You went all Tamaranean on us for a while there," added Cyborg, unintentionally finishing Raven's sentence.

"...I did?" questioned Starfire, covering her mouth with the tips of her fingers. She looked over her shoulder to see her brother was fairly baffled by the situation as well. Realizing what she had done, Starfire giggled embarrassedly. In her excitement, she had absentmindedly began speaking Tamaranean. "Much of Tamaran was never acquainted with other languages. So my brother has not yet learned yours," she explained with a smile. "Perhaps it would be best if he did – from an Earth being."

"Oh," replied the Titans collectively, most of the situation cleared up for them. A long pause ensued. "...Oh," they repeated, eyes wider than before, finally realizing the further implications of Starfire's statement.

The boys backed away a bit, leaving Raven slightly ahead of the pack. Whatever was about to happen, they didn't want any part of it. Without thinking, Cyborg and Robin nudged Raven ahead from behind. Caught off guard, the empath stumbled forward several steps, standing up straight to glare angrily over her shoulder at the three.

"Consider yourselves cursed..." she spoke under her breath. After coming to a realization, Raven let out a low sigh, turning back to Starfire and her... until recently, unknown brother. It would have to be her. There was clearly no other other way – without scarring one of the boys for life.

Expression as far from enthusiastic as could be, Raven pulled back her hood and pointed to herself. "Go ahead... lay one on me," she said, keeping her eyes to the dark clouds above. She had nothing against the boy, but a kiss was still a kiss... no matter what the mechanics were behind it. In all honesty, she couldn't understand why she was thinking about it so much... It wasn't as though there was anyone else she thought she receive such a gesture from...

"Hey," said Cyborg, elbowing Robin over Beast Boy's head. "Ten bucks says the poor kid gets a one way ticket to the mountaintops," he whispered behind his hand, chuckling. Robin refrained from laughing, but couldn't keep a small grin from his face – one that showed he felt a little sorry for Starfire's brother (the existence of whom he was still getting used to). Beast Boy simply stood low to the ground, feeling smaller by the second.

Looking to Raven, Starfire nodded in appreciation, knowing full well what the act of lip contact meant to the people of Earth. "She is offering an exchange of language," said Starfire, looking down to her brother, who seemed miles out of the loop at the moment.

"Ah, of course," responded the boy, light flickering on in his mind, not thinking much of the situation as he began walking forward. "That will make communication much simpl--" he stopped, Starfire having taken a firm grip on his shoulder. Leaning forward with a worried expression, she whispered something into his ear. After waiting a few moments, the boy pulled his head back in surprise, face pale as the snow around him. Looking much more hesitant than before, he cautiously ambled over to a good distance from Raven.

Beast Boy stood still with his jaw slowly drifting down as the Tamaranean boy began to lean toward his friend. Oddly, Raven looked as though she was bracing herself for a punch in the face, or something of that nature, keeping still as a post, eyes closed... At his sides, the changeling could see Robin and Cyborg were getting about as much amusement out of the situation as a couple of ten-year-olds in a PG-13 movie. He... on the other hand, felt strange... uncomfortable, legs numb and nearly giving way beneath him.

'...Must be the cold,' he thought, shivering, letting his eyes wander, looking anywhere but... there.

However, as soon as the lips made contact, Beast Boy found his eyes wide, locked in place. His heart sunk low, its beat slowing to agonizing, drawn out thumps as the seconds lurched on. What the hell was happening? Beast Boy couldn't understand his own reaction for the life of him. Before long, though, the boy pulled away from the still frozen Raven.

As Beast Boy looked on, watching the two separate, he noticed something peculiar about Raven. Was that blush in her cheeks? There was little time to ponder about it, though, as Raven quickly pulled her hood back on and rejoined the others. As she moved closer, he did the best he could to compose himself, standing up straight.

"...Guess I owe you ten bucks, Robin," said Cyborg quietly, astonished that Raven hadn't leveled the whole area.

"What?" questioned Raven, peering up at Cyborg from under her hood.

"Nothing!" he pleaded guiltily, holding his hands up in front of his face.

Starfire's brother cut in by clearing his throat and stepping forward to face the Titans. "I... thank you..." he started, clearly getting used to the language. "Any friends of my sister... are friends to all Tamaran," he stated with a welcoming smile. Despite what his face and words may have implied, the boy found it hard to trust the aliens. His own experiences in the past, some more recent than others, had led him to be wary of those from other worlds. Not only that... but there was something about the way the masked boy now stood by his sister... something that caused his eyes to narrow with suspicion.

Moving away from Robin, Starfire placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. "I would like to introduce my younger brother, W--"

"Ryand'r," the boy quickly cut in, stepping in front of his sister. He didn't know quite why, but it felt strange to have his name translated to their language... Starfire stood behind him now, confused, but smiling nonetheless.

"...Ryand'r," Starfire corrected herself, not wanting to offend him right off the bat. Repositioning herself, she floated over to the others. "These are my friends, the Teen Titans," she smiled brightly. "You have met Raven. This is Cyborg. And that is Beast Boy," she finished, gesturing from left to right.

"Hi," said Raven simply, waving a little with a hand. At this point, she was just trying to settle her thoughts... She had loathed being the center of attention like that. Some meditation would fix things right up.

"Nice to meet ya," said Cyborg cheerfully. He thought the idea of Starfire having another sibling was great... mostly because he clearly wasn't a 'Blackfire'.

"...Hey," said Beast Boy unenthusiastically. The changeling had himself slightly turned away from the conversation, arms crossed, barely able to look at anyone.

"Greetings," said Ryand'r, forcing that smile once again. Curiosity peaked, he turned to face the masked boy, examining him carefully. Starfire stood close to him... almost shoulder to shoulder. "What of this one?" he asked, squinting. "You are... his... bodyguard?" he questioned, finding only one reasonable explanation for the closeness.

Robin's face faltered. Was that really how their relationship appeared to others?

Starfire giggled at the interpretation. "No, brother," Starfire shook her head with a smile. "This is Robin. He is my..."

- - - - - -

"WHAT?" Ryand'r's voice echoed over the open area. The boy suddenly shifted from his initial soft spoken attitude... to a frantic, almost angry tone... which, ironically, didn't seem out of place for a Tamaranean. He paced back and forth between the Titans as they each watched in surprise. Starfire clung a little to Robin, shocked by her brother's reaction.

"No! This is not proper!" he continued, looking to the two in disbelief. "Entering into union with an out-worlder. It is unheard of. Galfore would not approve!" he said, turning to Starfire, trying to make sure she had not lost her mind.

Letting go of Robin, Starfire seemed to suddenly become angry herself. She stomped over to Ryand'r and glared down at him. Seeing this, the surrounding warriors on the other end of the area seemed ready to shield themselves at any moment. "Galfore did approve!" Starfire growled.

"What?" Ryand'r calmed himself, stepping back a little.

"When I spoke of my feelings to him, Galfore said I should do as my heart tells me," she explained, relaxing her expression a little. "And that is precisely what I did." Starfire closed her eyes and looked down. The last thing she expected was to enter into a verbal fight...

"You were thinking about us back then?" asked Robin, surprised. He hadn't realized it, but their feelings for each other had gone back far... He now wondered if she felt the same way he did, on that day, when they first met.

In reaction, Starfire blushed heavily, a nervous giggle escaping her mouth.

Still having a difficult time believing it, Ryand'r couldn't let the subject go so easily. Starfire was the only real family he had left... Serious doubts began to rise in his mind about Robin's true intentions. He looked to the boy distrustfully. "I have heard of this... human race," he stated, causing Robin to open his eyes wider. "Weak, greedy beings, who believe themselves greater than they are. Had they the strength, they would surely rise up and attempt to make the outer worlds theirs. If you are seeking my sister's hand, then it is power you are after, correct?"

Robin narrowed his eyes, about to respond. However, Starfire quickly stepped in between the two.

"Robin is nothing like that. Nor is he weak," she spoke, her voice was deathly serious and atypically low toned. "He and my friends have seen many battles. They are all strong, and you do not have the right to--"

"That's enough!" Raven shouted, to everyone's surprise. All the noise was beginning to make her lose concentration... and she couldn't ignore it any longer. As everyone turned her way, she felt the need to pull her hood further over her eyes. "Look... there are bigger things to worry about than who your sister is dating. Starfire came all this way, looking for you. She worried herself sick wondering if you were alive and safe," she said, watching as all three people relaxed their stances. "Now is not the time to be fighting amongst yourselves..."

Ryand'r looked across the way to the empath... realizing the pointlessness of his actions. His feelings weren't what mattered at the moment. In fact, in comparison to the current situation, they were nothing...

After letting the words sink in, he let out a heavy breath. "You are right..." he said, looking down to his feet. He suddenly felt the eyes of every soldier behind him boring holes into his back. Losing his composure, forgetting about duty... he had once again given them no reason to believe he was fit to lead. He still acted like a child...

"Brother... we can discuss this another time... perhaps with less shouting," said Starfire, Raven's words bringing her attention back to the present as well.

"Forgive me," started Ryand'r regretfully. "I am... too quick to judge," he said, glancing over to Robin for a moment. He still couldn't bring himself to completely trust the boy, but he realized that if Starfire saw something in him, then there couldn't be much to worry about.

Robin looked to Starfire's brother, regretting now that he had almost snapped back at him. Ryand'r was clearly just trying to protect his family... "It's all right," he said, the 'bodyguard' comment still getting to him, however. He took a moment to nod at Starfire, reminding her of the bad news they had to bear. "There's something you should know..."

Starfire stepped forward, eyes scanning the area, regarding each of the five guards, then stopping to focus on her brother. "It is concerning Tamaran..." she started, sadness saturating her voice.

"I know," replied Ryand'r quickly, to everyone's astonishment. He took a few steps back and looked to Starfire and her friends, a much more serious expression on his face. "You must have seen it happen..." he stated, taking in a deep breath. "There is much we need to discuss..."

Looking over his shoulder, Ryand'r nodded at the two guards standing by the forest. Receiving this gesture, they turned back to the trees, taking hold of several thick, low branches which cloaked the shadowy woods from view. With ease, they pulled the obstructions outward, causing clumps of snow to fall from the leaves.

Looking beyond the veil of shadow, the Titans stood awestruck.

- - - End Act One - - -

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: I got some comments about the length of the chapters, and I completely agree with you guys. So I'll be releasing the chapters as acts from now on, instead of full episodes – which means three parts to an episode. On the bright side, this means I can release more writing in a shorter period of time, plus have some of those nifty cliffhanger moments that everyone likes :P. Also, maybe these things won't be quite so daunting to read anymore, lol. Some future episodes might be released in full – if they happen to be short enough XD.

I've never really read the comics, so I don't know much about Ryand'r's real personality. But, here, I wanted to portray him as someone who holds family very close to his heart. Blackfire aside, Starfire is the only real family he has left, and so he's somewhat suspicious of Robin right now. His character will be developed on in this episode, and you'll see just why he seems so preoccupied.

Man, this chapter was longer than I thought it'd be XD.

Thanks for reading :).

Next Chapter Preview: Ryand'r reveals his purpose on Okaara and the whereabouts of the wayward Tamaraneans. He faces the challenges of a leader, but, even with the Titans' help, is this burden too much for him to bear? Stalking their prey, a pair of twin shadows may test his resolve to the limit. "Brother, Act Two: The Path Ahead."