So those of you who read my story Light in the Dark, do not fear! I am merely having an issue with writers block, but had some great ideas for A New Beginning. I have Christmas Break coming up next week, so there will definitely be a lot more coming from both of my stories!
The way that they refer to each other will be different. Starfire now thinks of Robin as Nightwing. Cyborg and Beast Boy still know him as Robin. But Raven had come to know him as Dick after Starfire disappeared. Raven is the only one who calls Beast Boy Gar or Garfield as of right now.
-Carmen :)
Starfire emerges from around the corner, showing herself to Raven and Beast Boy.
"Oh…holy…shit… is this for real?"
At the sound of Beast Boy's voice after all these years, Starfire can barely keep her feet off the ground. He sprints toward her, and transforming mid-air into a small green kitten, and jumps into her arms. He purrs wildly as he rubs against her hands, arms, and face. Starfire holds him tight. Oh how she missed her playful little brother. But she looks up at Raven, now adorned in a white cloak rather than the familiar blue, to see her eyes wide but mouth set in a straight line. She appears to be frozen solid, expression unchanging. Starfire sets down the green kitten, who transforms back into Beast Boy.
"Raven," says Starfire, taking a step towards her and reaching out her hand. Raven's eyes take on a glazed look, shaking her head. Starfire, confused, drops her hand back down to her side and cocks her head. Raven continues shaking her head as her face puckers and a tear falls down her cheek.
"I told him," she says, letting the tears fall. "I told him that I could still feel you. Your soul was not gone, but distant." She frantically wipes at her face. "I knew that you weren't dead but he wouldn't listen!" She launches herself into Starfire's arms. Starfire is surprised as Raven sobs in her arms. What happened to her emotionless friend? She remembered that Raven had to keep her emotions in check in order to control her powers. Starfire herself had experienced the difficulty when they switched bodies.
Starfire steps back, but holds Raven at arms length. "I do not understand."
Raven shakes her head. "Dick gave up. He gave up so quickly after I told him you had disappeared. But after I still didn't feel your soul leave, I tried to tell him that you hadn't gone. He just told me to shut up and let it go."
"Dick?" asks Starfire.
"It's a nickname for Richard." Starfire nods. She forgot that Batman/Bruce had often called him that, as Alfred had as well.
"All this time, Starfire, I could sense you. But you were so far away."
"In Tamaran," says Starfire. "I do not know how, but I was there."
"We can figure that out later," a few more tears fall down Raven's cheeks. "You're here now."
Starfire nods. "You are different, friend."
"Everything's different," says Raven. Starfire nods sadly. Raven gives her a small smile. "But yes, I am very different."
"Good different," says Beast Boy as he steps toward Raven and puts and arm around her. "After you left, she went through a whole lotta shit with her emotions. Had an issue with Trigon."
"After you disappeared, I felt the loss of a loved one. My sister." Raven takes her hand. "And then I opened myself up to loving Garfield. Trigon isn't the biggest fan of love. But we shouldn't have to worry about him anymore."
"I am sorry that I could not be here for you, Raven."
"Well honestly, if you hadn't disappeared, I would probably still be… well… the
old me. And I like this me." Raven smiles up at Beast Boy. "But Starfire, what exactly happened on Tamaran?"
"I'm not quite sure. I woke up, and they told me that I was injured and put into a coma after the Gordanian's tried to take me. They said that my parents were dead, and my siblings had gone missing. I had no choice but to believe them, for I could not remember a single thing. Not the Citadel or the Psion's… what my father and sister had done. I could not remember how treacherous Tamaran truly was, and so I continued to trust them. The And'r rule was overthrown, Galfore put into prison, and Karras being put up as King. I knew him from my training from the Warlords of Okaara. We were betrothed and planned on marrying in, well, about two Earth months from now." Cyborg and Beast Boy gasped. "Friends, keep in mind that I did not remember who Robin was." Starfire fiddled with her hands. "I was not that Starfire that I used to be, and that I am now once again. I was… heartless. I shunned Galfore. But then he requested that I see him, for he was dying. And for some reason, I was drawn to him. It was then when he was able to remind me of my life, my true life. Who I really was. They killed him and I escaped."
"Galfore is dead?" asked Cyborg. Starfire nodded sullenly.
"You say that you just woke up? And you lost your memory… come here." Starfire steps closer to Raven as she places her hands on her head. "I see. A lot of damage was done to the right side of your brain. Nothing life threatening that I can tell. But I understand the memory loss now." She releases Starfire. "You had been hit on the side of the head during and explosion. That's when you fell into the ocean." Starfire nods, though she can't remember any explosion. "It's okay, Star. You'll remember someday. I would like to heal you, but it would take a lot of energy to do it all at once, especially because of the amount of damage. I can only maybe do it once a week." Raven took Starfire into her and Beast Boy's bedroom, leaving the boys to catch up in the kitchen over beers. Starfire was jubilant in the presence of Raven. Besides Nightwing, Raven had been one of her best friends. She was the sister that Blackfire never tried to be.
"Now, memories aren't going to come flying back in with these little healing sessions. If your memory does completely return, it'll take some times. But you might remember some more little things like you have been."
"I thank you, Raven."
"No problem, of course. I don't even feel that weak. Gunshot wounds are more difficult than that." Raven widens her eyes, jolting slightly, and turning to look at Starfire. Maybe she shouldn't have said that? If she couldn't remember the Titans before, then she probably doesn't remember when Dick was shot during a bank robbery, jumping in front of Starfire. But she just looks back at Raven, not even realizing what she meant. "Can I ask you something, Starfire?"
"You may."
"Do you still love Dick?"
Starfire feels a lump in her throat. She looks down, considering what to say. "I remember how much I loved him. How happy I was. I remember the laughter, the fun, and the intimacy we shared. I cannot believe that I forgot him. If I was so in love with him, how could I possibly forget everything we had?"
"You couldn't control that, Starfire. You didn't mean to get injured."
"Yes. I realize that now. But these past few days on my own, I've had a lot of time to think. And I feel that nothing has changed. My feelings for Nightwing have not changed. And if he would have me again, I would not hesitate." Starfire wipes away a stray tear. "But I fear that his life is so different now. That maybe he no longer misses me. While I want him to know that I am alive, I will not bother him to love me again."
"He was different when you left. He completely changed. The Dick that he displayed to us was different from what he was feeling on the inside. I know because I felt his pain. Literally. His sadness was such a strong emotion that it poured from him. I felt it all over the tower. But he turned cold and ran away from us. I don't know how he is now. But I believe that he still needs you to be himself again." Raven walks over to Starfire, reaching up to place a hand on her shoulder. "And if for some reason he doesn't love you and he doesn't miss you, I'll kick his ass. And I'm sure Cyborg and Gar would be happy to join in." This made Starfire giggle.
"I just need to see him again, Raven. Even if he never wants to see me again after. Just one last time."
"I understand. But it is 3:00 in the morning, Gar and Cyborg have probably already gotten drunk in my kitchen, and I just got my best friend back." She grins at Starfire. "Quite the overwhelming night, I must say. So I'm going to make a bed up for you in the spare room and put Cyborg on the couch. We can find Dick tomorrow."
"Sounds wonderful." The two walk out of the bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen. Empty beer cans litter the kitchen sink, but the guys are no where to be found. Suddenly, laughter is heard from the living room. They go and find Cyborg and Beas Boy side by side on the couch, gaming controllers in hand. They two are shouting back and forth at each other, back into their competitive gaming style.
"You know what," says Raven, nudging Starfire in the arm. "I missed this."
"Oh man, you so did not just run me off the road, you cheat!"
"You bet your sorry ass, I did. And I won!"
Starfire giggles. "Yes. I missed my family."
I am writing the next chapter literally right now! Next up, Nightwing!
