Author's Note: One of the goals of this story is to have MONTHLY updates, taking place on the 19th of every month. This is to ensure that I can build enough of a buffer so that chapters get uploaded on time, I don't get overwhelmed (taking into account my full time job and other activities), and that readers will be able to enjoy the story without waiting too long for updates.

Thank you for your support and feel free to review. Enjoy.

Chapter Three

The sun continues setting as the T-Ship sets down upon the landing pad. A ramp descends from the ship and down walk the Titans, with Starfire leading the rest.

All of them, including Starfire, cannot believe what is lying before them.

The planet Tamaran is far different from what they remember since their last time here.

At that time, the planet was still reeling from all the damage of the Gordanian invasion.

Say for the palace, precious little of the planet was anything to write home about, thanks in no small part to the ineffective and disastrous rule of Blackfire, Star's older and corrupt sister.

But now, under the rule of the far more competent and trustworthy Galfore, Tamaran was hardly recognizable. Skyscrapers dot the landscape. Vegetation can be seen everywhere.

Plus there is water. Just from where she is standing, Starfire can see at least three rivers flowing through the palace to the rest of the city.

Her world looks much like the one from her days as a child.

If only her parents could see this.

She doesn't have long to ponder such sad thoughts as the welcoming committee approaches.

One person is among the welcome party. As soon as Starfire sees him, she flies like a jet towards him. The one person who means the most to her: her former guardian and current ruler of Tamaran, Galfore.

She rushes for him and the two embrace each other.

"Oh, Galfore! I have returned!" she shouts.

The two give a Tamaranian roar, then laugh together as they hold each other.

The other Titans observe this reunion with joy in their hearts. To see Starfire, their friend who gives so much joy and happiness to all of them, receive some happiness of her own seems just so right.

As Starfire and Galfore separate from their embrace, the guards behind Galfore kneel before Starfire. As they rise, they make way for a group of older Tamaranians who approach. They are the Ministers of Government on Tamaran.

Each of them are wearing outfits similar to that of Galfore, except their jewels are smaller and each one has different colors. This signifies not only which ministry they oversee, but that they are also lower in rank to Galfore.

"Welcome home, Princess K'oriandr." Heldar, the Tamaranian Prime Minister and Minister of Science, spoke. "We are so delighted that you have returned."

"Indeed," Worak, the Minister of State, continues. "Galfore is an excellent ruler, but the people cannot wait for your time to assume the throne."

Bright red fills Starfire's cheeks, embarrassment pulsating through every fiber of her being. Galfore slaps her on the back and lets loose a roaring laugh.

"Soon enough," he bellows, "soon enough the Princess will return!"

"Well, I…uh…." Starfire mumbles, trying to find the words to dissuade the current situation.

Sensing her predicament, Robin steps in.

"Galfore, Tamaran looks so different than we were last here."

"I'll say," Cyborg continues. "Y'all have done a real number on this place."

Starfire gives a slight nod in Robin's direction, her eyes whispering her gratitude.

Galfore addresses Robin, satisfaction evident in his voice and manner.

"The people have worked hard. The ministers and I have merely helped show the way."

Heldar comes alongside Galfore, meekly lowering his head. "You are too modest, sire."

Starfire looks around. Seeing that someone is missing, she tugs on Galfore's fur coat.

"Galfore, where is Zarkar, the Minister of Defence?"

Heldar steps in front of them and gestures to the inside of the palace.

"Shall we all enter? We will take you to your rooms, then to the Great Hall where we have prepared a great feast for you and your friends, your highness."

Starfire's eyes bulge out, hearts displaying in each as the thought of her planet's culinary delights fire through her synapses and stir her stomach. Galfore licks his lips, he too also eager to feast.

The two blaze past the guards and the ministers straight through to the inner sections of the Palace leading to the Great Hall. Several of the guards and ministers follow inside.

Prime Minister Heldar, and few attendants, and the other Titans are all that remain.

"If you wish, we can still take you to your rooms and then to the hall." Heldar gestures inside. "But we best hurry or there might not be any food left for you."

The Titans quickly grab their luggage.

"Tamaranean food." Robin groans.

"I can't wait." Raven whines.

Cyborg and Beast Boy, on the other hand, return with two giant ice chests. They open them, revealing all of their favorite foods from Earth, ice covering them to keep them cool for their trip.

"Let the feast begin!" they shout, then race into the palace with their attendants in tow.

Robin and Raven look at each other, shrug, and then follow Heldar and his attendants to their own rooms.

And resigning their bellies to their fates.

Within the Great Hall the Tamaranean Ministers of State, Galfore, and Starfire are gorging themselves at a large circular table.

Robin and Raven are watching in terror as the food looks and smells even worse than before.

It takes all of Robin's mental toughness and Raven's mental discipline to resist the urge to vomit.

Cyborg and Beast Boy, meanwhile, are eating their hearts out at the mini buffett table they've made out of the lids of their ice chests.

Cyborg has set some mini grills next to the chests, heating some of the hot food items.

Cyborg is downing rib sandwiches and chips like there's no tomorrow while Beast Boy is swallowing entire bowls of vegetarian mapou tofu.

Robin glances at Cyborg's ice chest. He reaches towards it, but Cyborg's hand grabs him before he can even touch one of his rib sandwiches.

"Nuh uh! This trip was BYOM: 'Bring Your Own Meal.' Not 'Grab Your Friends' Meals." Cyborg admonishes.

Robin retracts back into his chair, sulking. "Hard to bring anything when you're busy helping Starfire pack."

A bowl of food appears in front of his face, the giver of it being Starfire, food covering her face.

"Eat before it's all gone!" she commands.

Robin reluctantly takes the bowl and musters all his strength to help him down the contents of the dish before him.

Raven is watching Beast Boy, whose sole focus is downing Mapou Tofu.

Though she's not one for vegetarian food, it's far more appetizing than the local cuisine.

Beast Boy notices her staring at him while he eats. He growls at her then turns away and continues eating.

Raven scoffs and turns away from him. "Nice manners." She mumbles.

An attendant enters the Great Hall and walks towards Prime Minister Heldar. The attendant leans in towards him and whispers in his ear. Heldar nods and sends the attendant away.

Robin sees this and it grabs his curiosity. He also notices how a number of the other ministers at the table react to this scene. Some look nervous. Some try to ignore it altogether.

But the one thing he senses in all their reactions is a sense of…guilt.

Why? What about that interaction would bring about such a response?

Robin is pondering this when a dish flies past his face and crashes into the wall beside him.

"You selfish, immature, little brat!" Raven is standing across from Beast Boy, her body ready for a fight and dark energy charging up in her hands.

"You said you wanted to eat, so eat!" Beast Boy grabs another bowl and throws it at her.

Raven grabs the bowl with her telekinesis and bounces it back towards him.

He ducks and the bowl hits the Minister of Sewage and Waste, who is none too happy about getting caught in this shootout.

"Now hold it!" Cyborg jumps in between the two feuding Titans. "You two need to…." A bowl hits his face, splashing him and interrupting his attempt to make peace.

"Oops! Sorry, Cy." Beast Boy bites his nails.

"Nice aim." Raven quips.

"I'll show you aim. Try and miss this!" Beast Boy morphs into a giant gorilla and grabs two bowls.

Raven seizes several bowls with her telekinesis and aims them at Beast Boy.

The two leap into the air and aim at each other, readying to unleash their salvos at one another…

"STOP!"

The two stop, landing on their feet and turning to the source of the command: Robin.

The ministers and Galfore are watching the situation with great confusion. Cyborg has a look of disappointment on him, Robin is furious, and Starfire…

Starfire's face is expressing pain and anguish, all from the sight of seeing two of her closest friends quarreling with one another during what should be a joyous time.

Robin notices Starfire's reaction. A deep rage fills his soul and he turns and addresses the source of her anguish. He has had enough.

"Both of you to your rooms. Now." He orders, a deep anger in his voice.

His order brings Raven and Beast Boy back to reality. They look at each other, the room around them with the results of their feud all over, a messy Cyborg, and Starfire.

Starfire. Tears are flowing down her face.

Shame fills the both of them. Beast Boy glances up at Cyborg, receiving only a glare similar to that of Robin's.

"I'm sorry." Raven and Beast Boy say, a great sadness hanging on their words. They then leave the Great Hall and head to their rooms, their heads hanging in shame.

Raven is beside herself as she walks behind Beast Boy. How could I lose control of myself like that? She ponders.

Control. That is the one thing that Raven prioritizes in her life above all else and maintains it consistently.

Except when it comes to Beast Boy. Lately her interactions with him continue to show less and less control, culminating in that explosive fight.

This has to end. Raven contemplates. Someone has to be the mature one here, and guess who that is going to be.

She looks up as they both approach their respective rooms. As Beast Boy reaches for the panel that opens the door to his room, Raven breaks the silence.

"Beast Boy…"

He stops. Everything seems to stop and Raven finds it difficult to finish her sentence. The tension between them thicker than the very walls of the hallway they're in. Moments that seem like a lifetime pass before she continues.

"…I'm sorry."

"Forget it." Beast Boy responds, his voiced teeming with sadness but he doesn't turn to look at her. Instead, he opens the door to his room.

"Wait," Raven interrupts. "We need to talk."

Beast Boy stops. He turns around to face her, crossing his arms. "You wanna talk with a 'selfish, immature brat?'"

"Maybe if you didn't act so immature, I wouldn't call you that." Raven spoke, her voice steadily rising.

"And if you weren't such a cold-hearted little…uh….uh…meanie, I wouldn't be immature!" Beast Boy counters, his own voice matching Raven's.

"You sound like a five year old. When will you grow up?"

"When will you grow a heart!?"

"When will I!?" His last comment sets off Raven's nerve. What was an attempt to broker a peace has now become a war of the ages as she shoves a finger into her opponent's face. "Who's been there to listen to all of your stupid jokes!? Who's been there to listen to you whine about mopeds!? Who was there to comfort you after The Beast!? Who was there after Terra…"

Raven's voice falls off, her body language changing from one of attack to surrender.

"What was that?" Beast Boy's stance grows more aggressive.

"Why can't we move past this?" Raven asks.

"Because it's always been like this."

Raven looks up at Beast Boy, his face emanating a steely determination.

"This is how you've always been." Beast Boy continues. "Five years, for five long years all I've ever tried to be is your friend. And all you've ever done is insult me, put me down, and shove me away."

Raven stiffens up her posture. "Are you deaf or were you not listening to me earlier?"

"Four things. Four things in five years. Out of billions of smacks, whacks, and insults." Beast Boy walks up and closes the distance between their faces.

"And you deserved every single one."

Beast Boy's eyes fill with rage at that sarcastic barb, and he explodes at her. "See! You hate me!"

"I do not…"

Beast Boy interrupts her response. "You've always hated me! You're close with Robin, meditate with Star, and help Cyborg in his garage. But me? All I ever get is used as target practice."

"Beast Boy, you're as close to me as…"

"Liar!" Beast Boy punches the wall beside them, causing a slight rumble. "You're not my friend! Would a friend have done what you did three months ago!?"

Raven stops completely. Her head falls, her body withdrawing entirely. "I…"

"I'm tired of always feeling like dirt around you! You hate me that much?! Then why don't you fry my brains or send me into another dimension!?" Beast Boy exclaims.

Raven does nothing. Her entire body is frozen in guilt and despair.

Beast Boy turns around and opens his door. "You want me out of your life? Fine, you win. I'm done."

With that, he enters his room, leaving Raven alone with guilt and shame as her only companions.

"Garfield…"