When Robin woke up, it was nearing sunset and he was starving. His headache was gone, but his body felt stiff. Starfire was still sleeping by him, and he smiled. He moved a strand of hair away from her face, and it woke her up. She saw him sitting up and looking much better.
"Robin? How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Better," he smiled. "I'm really hungry, though. Starving, actually!"
"Then we shall feed you! Um, what memories did you acquire?" she asked, as she stood up to help him. He was a bit uneasy, as he stood, and she supported him.
"A lot. Star...um...thanks for being with me. I don't think I could have fallen asleep without you. I barely remember anything when we got back."
"You would not let me leave. You begged me to stay."
"I thought I did. But...well...thank you."
"There is no need to thank me, Robin. You needed me. So, I stayed to help you."
He would have said more, but his gut rumbled fiercely. She giggled at the sound and helped take him to the main room. Beast Boy was playing a game on the big screen and paused it when Robin was helped in. He jumped over to him, and Robin chuckled.
"Dude! Are you okay?" Beast Boy frowned.
"I will be after I eat something. What's Cyborg up to?" Robin asked, as he was eased into a chair. "I feel like I ran a marathon three times! It really hurts to move!"
"Here, Robin," Starfire said, and she started to set bowls of cereal and milk in front of him. He started to inhale the food quickly, as Beast Boy filled him in.
"Cyborg was busy making spots for the moon crystals to protect the Tower. Raven hasn't contacted us yet. It's really all I know. No one else has contacted us, either," he said.
"Odd," Robin thought aloud, as he pulled up another bowl of cereal to consume. "But, it's okay. I need to recover, anyways. I have never been this hungry before!"
"Dude, what happened to you?" he asked.
"Jericho had to give me some memories. Over five hundred years' worth of memories. Most of them are battle tactics, strategies, various ways to handle the Unseelie Court...it's all very in-depth," Robin frowned. "And he warned me to remember that these memories aren't mine. I may act strangely from time to time. You guys will have to remind me of who I am. He said it was risky. I can see why."
"But why you?" Beast Boy frowned.
"I'm the leader of the Titans. The memories he gave me were about being a better tactician. Making better decisions. More confidence in my actions. Things that I need to know that I never would have thought of on my own. I'm only going to use these memories as a guideline. If I try to think of them as anything else, well, that would be harmful. Not only to you guys, but to my health," he sighed.
"Okay. Weird. Anyways, um, Star, where were you last night? When we got back?" Beast Boy frowned. "Silkie ended up sleeping with me last night."
"Oh...well, Robin needed my help. So, I was with Robin," she said with a soft shrug.
"You slept with Robin?" Beast Boy blinked.
"Just sleeping, Beast Boy," Robin sighed. "It was important. I was told that only she would be able to help me. That no one else could. If she wasn't there, I don't think I would have survived the night on my own. It was brutal."
"It was nice to share Robin's personal space," she said with a soft blush. He blushed hard and refocused on eating when Cyborg walked in. He got himself some cereal to eat, and he looked at Robin funny. Starfire waved at him with a grin on her face.
"You're eating more than me," Cyborg said, as he eyed the mountain of empty cereal bowls.
"Yeah, I know. Side effect from the mind link," Robin sighed, as he finally pushed away the tenth empty cereal bowl. "I think I'm good now."
"Any word from Raven?" Cyborg asked, as he started eating.
"No. Nothing from the others, either," Beast Boy said. "Jericho looked pretty beat up, too."
"He was, wasn't he?" Robin sighed and took out the communicator. Jericho was still sleeping deeply when it went off, and Ambrosia answered it. She had changed into a soft, blue nightgown. She was up the moment she started to feel restless from her pregnancy and was doing some mild cleaning of her jewelry. The dream she had during the night didn't help, either, and she really didn't want to remember it. She had reached over her husband's body to get the communicator and flipped it open.
"Robin? Oh! Are you feeling better? Jericho still sleeps," she said, as she sat up fully in the bed.
"I woke up with an appetite that rivaled Cyborg's!" Robin chuckled.
"Starfire was able to help you?" she smiled.
"Yes. She helped greatly," he nodded.
"I am relieved. Your body is still sore?"
"Very. I know I'll be fine later."
"You will need to eat heavy meats throughout the day, or you will need Fae honey. Either food will help sustain you. Your body will crave it later. You should be fine after several hours. But, expect to eat every hour on the hour. Do not be far from any form of nourishment!" she warned. "I should have told you last night, but I needed to get Jericho to bed."
"Okay. Good to know. When Jericho wakes up, have him call me. I have some questions for him. Is that All right?"
"Of course, Robin," she smiled and nodded. Then Jericho groaned, as he blinked awake and saw the communicator. "Ah. He just woke up..."
"Love, get me something to eat and I'll talk to Robin," he muttered, as he sat up now. She conjured up a jar of concentrated Fae honey and let him get the finger full he needed to satisfy his voracious appetite. A sigh of relief was given, a kiss to her lips was next, and the communicator was picked up. "Robin. I trust you slept and ate?"
"Yes, I did," Robin grinned, as he sat back in his seat. "I haven't heard from anyone yet."
"You won't. Not until an hour from now. Most of them are sleeping, from what I can sense. It's daylight here and turning night-time where you are, so nothing from the Unseelie Court on this end. How much do you remember? What can you recall?" Jericho asked.
"Ah...a lot. I'll need to start putting some of it to good use, too," he nodded.
"Good. We'll have to...Ambrosia! Not again!" Jericho winced, as the sound of her retching was heard in the background. "I gotta go!"
"Call me back later," Robin nodded. The communicator line went dead, and he sighed.
"Wow," Beast Boy chuckled. "Rough kid!"
"I know," Robin sighed. "It's why he gave me the memories. He can't leave her side."
"I can see why," Cyborg nodded and went to get more food. "You ate all the cereal!"
"Sorry," Robin grinned and shrugged. "Anyways, I'm going up to the roof. I need to check out the landscape now. See if there's any good positions for moon crystals and such."
"I could bring up a hologram," Cyborg said.
"I need to see for my own eyes. And that reminds me, I want to go to the place the grove was at. I know it's gone now, but I can detect things that I couldn't before. Call it a hunch," Robin said.
"Should I go with you?" Starfire asked.
"Always," he grinned. That made Cyborg blink, and Beast Boy seemed to grin. Now he thought and seemed to pale. He looked at the communicator and called back Jericho. It took a bit to answer, but Jericho was there to receive the call.
"Robin. I was about to call you back. What is it?" he asked.
"The Unseelie Court. Will they try to gain recruits?!" Robin asked quickly.
"Um...it's possible. As long as they don't know who to recruit. They aren't mind readers, but they can research very well. Wait a minute! You don't think..." he paled now.
"Cyborg!" Robin said quickly. "Anything we have on our enemy database must be encrypted! Now! Anything in the evidence room that we have has to be secured with moon crystals! I know how to set up the defenses, but you have to place them!"
"What did you find out?" Cyborg frowned.
"There were a lot of...friends...that we froze up," Robin said carefully. "We don't want them to thaw or reclaim various weapons, right? What do you think?"
"No...way..." Beast Boy frowned.
"They agreed not to do anything for two months. It's a good thing you thought of this now," Jericho said. "What made you think of it?"
"I was recalling what the Unseelie Court would do to help 'test' others. The memories you gave me are quite valuable," Robin grinned. "Starfire, is your sister still...contained?"
"Blackfire? Oh. I think so," she thought.
"We'll need to find out and make sure," Robin sighed.
"What do you mean?" Cyborg frowned.
"Well, the Unseelie Court may try to make their own 'alliances' with our enemies," he said.
"You have got to be kidding!" Beast Boy gaped.
"No. He's not," Jericho nodded. "If any of them still exist, they could become part of the tests."
"Oh, boy," Cyborg muttered. "This could be fun."
"We'll need to beef up our defenses and harvest as many large moon crystals that we can," Robin frowned. "Jericho was right about one thing. We may not be able to stop them from appearing at night, but we will be able to detect them and keep them from attacking unfairly."
"Exactly," Jericho nodded. "Ambrosia? Okay! Okay, love! I have to feed her. I'll have Raven contact you when she's able to. We all have a lot of work to do now."
"That we do. I'll talk to you again soon," Robin said. When the connection went dead, Jericho looked at Ambrosia with worry.
"Love, you were awake before me. Was something wrong?" he asked, as he fed her a finger-full of the concentrated Fae honey.
"No. Just restless from our son," she smiled and took in the nourishment.
"Is that so?" he smiled and pulled her close to kiss gently. "Hmm. I keep getting that feeling that you're not telling me something. What is it?"
"Well..." she frowned, and now he narrowed his eyes.
"Tell me, dearest. Let me protect you," he urged.
"Last night, I dreamt something...bad," she said. At his intense gaze, she shivered and continued, "I was standing in darkness. Sinlus was in front of me. He was pointing at my belly, and he kept saying that he was going to become my son. He was actually...able to touch me...and..."
"Keep. Going," Jericho growled and tensed.
"Aelfric appeared before me and drove him off. He was screaming that he was my son right now, and that I could not be touched by any while he was in my belly. Sinlus...admitted his current defeat, but he vowed to be ready when the next child was to be made," she trembled and got crushed to his chest. "Aelfric is able to keep his memories of me until he is born. Once he is born, his memories will be gone, and his soul will be within our son. He told me this. He promised to protect me with everything he had until such a time happened."
"At least he can protect you in sleep, and I can protect you when you're awake," he frowned. "But, only until he is born. We need to set up more protective measures for you. I don't want to call Robin again, but I have to."
"He needs to know," she nodded. Once again, the communicator was grabbed.
"Jericho?" Robin frowned. "I just talked to you."
"This is important," Jericho growled. "Sinlus reached my wife in her dreams. Aelfric's soul drove him off. He's waiting in the background."
"The Unseelie Court said that he wasn't free! That he wanted to be free!" Robin argued.
"I know. This means that he just messed up and proved that the Unseelie Court isn't playing fair. You know what this means. Right?" Jericho grinned wickedly.
"We don't have to, either," Robin grinned back.
"Talk to you later," Jericho smirked. Robin was clearly amused now, as he sat back in the seat.
"Cyborg," Robin said with a grin.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I know of a way to keep us safe while we sleep. It's only temporary until the crystals are harvested, though. Ready for this?" Robin asked.
"All ears!" he grinned.
"Get a piece of clothing and turn it inside out. Keep it around where you sleep. All of us need to do this. For some reason, it keeps creatures of the mystic realms away. Something about it being unclean. Something along those lines. It may make my skin crawl for a bit, but I'll get used to it, since it's all memories. So, if we can relay this to the other Titans, it will help buy us some time until proper defensive measures can be done. Spread the word?" he asked.
"I'm on it!" Cyborg said and got up. "Inside out clothing? Weird!"
"Clothing is that powerful?" Starfire asked.
"To an extent, yeah. We can also use a crust of bread, but I don't want crumbs in my bed," Robin chuckled. "Beast Boy might mistake it as a midnight snack."
"No, I wouldn't! Well...okay...maybe if I change into something while I sleep. Dang it...!" Beast Boy grumbled with defeat. "You all know me too well! No fair!"
Robin grinned and blinked at the communicator. On answering it, he saw Raven.
"Robin. Good to see you. Jinx's robe opened up to her when she accepted it as being alive. Herald has a robe that has accepted him. Everything is going good. Do you plan to go back to that place where the grove was today?" she asked.
"Yes," he nodded.
"Take a moon crystal and crush it up. Uncharged, mind you. I did a bit more research on that rune. If you sprinkle the dust you make over the spot where it was..."
"It will make that grove come back temporarily!" he finished for her. "It will reactivate the powers that used to be there! Brilliant!"
"Um...yeah. How did you know?!" Raven blinked. Robin told her about the mind link Jericho did with him and now she glowered. "That was a stupid thing to do! You could have died!"
"Starfire helped me," he said.
"She...oh. Well then, it's okay," she shrugged. "You know what that means, right?"
"I know what it means," Robin admitted. "I'll do something about it soon."
"Something about what soon, Robin?" Starfire asked, as the connection was closed.
"You'll find out when the time is right. I promise," he grinned at her. Beast Boy frowned at this, but would have to see what they were talking about when the time came. "Right now, I need an uncharged moon crystal, and we need to get to that spot in the forest. Anything going on in the city?"
"It's been pretty quiet," Beast Boy shrugged. A small, green moon crystal was found, and Robin placed it in his pocket for later use.
"Okay, then. Let's go!" Robin said. As they started to leave, Robin mused over a few of the memories when he made his way to his motorcycle. Then he paused at one memory in particular. It was a very specific memory of Aelfric and Ambrosia. It was incomplete. That meant that he wasn't supposed to have received it, but he did. It was the memory that slipped through when he got the duplicates from Jericho. He had a heavy frown on his face, as he drove his bike out. The pain he felt in it was so real that he was grimacing. He muttered to himself and took a deep breath.
"Robin? Are you feeling okay?" Starfire asked, as she flew next to him.
"I have to remember that these memories aren't mine," Robin grimaced. "But...this one was...really, really bad. Why would she do that to him?!"
"Do what?" she asked and continued to fly with him. Beast Boy had already flown ahead from the excitement. Robin stopped the bike on the side of the road and sighed.
"I'll catch up with you two. I really need to ask Ambrosia something. I promise, it's nothing serious," he said. Starfire frowned and looked hurt. "It's an incomplete memory. She knows more about it than I do. She hurt Aelfric, and I need to know why."
"You are not Aelfric! You are Robin! Just...remember that. For me," she sighed.
"I know," he smiled and actually pulled her close to hug her tight. "You are really important to me, Star. You are my best friend, and you're someone special. I will never forget that."
"Okay. I will see you in the forest!" she nodded and flew off feeling better. He took out the communicator and called Jericho. With a stroke of luck, Ambrosia answered it.
"Robin?" she frowned. "Is everything all right?"
"Not really," he frowned. "Ambrosia, where is Jericho right now?"
"He is setting bath water. It will take some time before he can talk to you. Why?"
"Good. I actually need to talk to you. Neither of us have much time right now, so I'm going to get right to the point. Jericho gave me a memory I probably shouldn't have gotten since it was cut in half. Maybe not half, but it's incomplete. You slapped Aelfric. Why?"
"Oh!" she gasped and rose a dainty hand to her mouth. "Yes. Okay. It was when we were first announced to be betrothed. He wanted to see me, remember? It was the very first time we met. We were both fourteen, so we were very young. Here is what happened. I was playing my harp in one of the gardens around the castle, and he approached me. He declared I was the loveliest thing he had ever seen in his life, and that I was to be his betrothed. I didn't know who he truly was at the time.
"I only knew that I was betrothed to someone that was well-loved and kind, but he did not come off that way to me. At first, that is. He appeared to me as someone arrogant and full of spite. He...tried to kiss me right away, and I slapped him. I told him I was not something that could be easily swayed by affection alone, and that I had to be proven to. I told him that I would refuse anyone that only saw my beauty and not who I truly was. After I slapped him and scolded him...it made him see reason. He stayed away for a week to think things through. When he approached again, he apologized and wanted to start over. That was when our true bond developed. That was when our love blossomed."
"I see now," Robin sighed. "He saw only your beauty at first and not for who you were."
"Yes," she nodded. "It is...also why he never kissed me and was waiting for my wedding day."
"Thank you for clarifying that," he said.
"Of course, Robin," she smiled. "Oh! Jericho is calling for me!"
"Go to him. We'll talk again soon," he smiled back. The connection was cut, and he pocketed the communicator. Now that she told him everything in full, the memory was revealed to him with exceptionally sharp clarity. The arrogant declaration of love. The haughty attempt at a kiss. The mind-numbing slap of her hand striking across the cheek to protect her virtue. Her cruel, yet valiant words of reason as she fought for her dignity. He grimaced. The slap was justified. He sighed and muttered, "Aelfric, you really were a moron! Idiot! But...he was also young. Like me. Okay. I am Robin. I am the leader of the Titans. I am not a prince of the Fae! I'm a human! This is going to be harder than I thought! Okay. Deep breath. Refocus. The forest. Get there to meet up with Starfire and Beast Boy."
He started down the path to the forest again, and now his mind was comparing fights that he had before in the past to the massive battles that Elvey fought to protect his kingdom. He stopped the motorcycle again at his memory of his battle with the hardened enemy, Slade. The man tricked him into becoming his apprentice once and Robin escaped him. Now his wizened mind replayed through every battle he ever fought with the man and was working furiously. It was possible that the Unseelie Court would make me fight this man again.
He was dangerous. He was critical in everything. But, there was one thing that baffled him. The man may have never quit, but why constantly beat himself up over gaining me to be him? He would have to think it through even more. Yes, he and I were very much alike, yet, we were also very different. What was the catch? He was building an empire for Robin to rule at first. Why? To continue in his footsteps. Why?! He would need to find out, but now was not the time. He looked up to find Starfire flying over to him with worry. Okay, think up something else about Slade. Then he figured out something else. Slade was...funny to him now!
"Robin! We waited for you!" Starfire frowned, as she hovered over him. "Are you...Robin?"
"Yes. Just thinking over an old battle with Slade," he admitted. Then he chuckled.
"Oh! You may fight him?" she asked with a worried tone.
"It's possible. But, I have one thing up my sleeve that he doesn't have. I have experience. Over five hundred years' worth of experience. I know I'll be okay," he grinned. "I...just realized how...funny it all was. I know, I shouldn't laugh at someone like him, but I honestly think I might. Right in his face!"
"Laugh?! At Slade?!" she blinked.
"His approaches to me were bad before. Calculating and sneaky. Manipulative most of the time, and, yeah, ingenious in various ways. Even how I reacted to them before were bad. Straight forward and arrogant. Self-centered and forceful. Now...I just find them amusing," he grinned again and shrugged. "Anyways, we'll worry about that if it happens. Let's get to the area the grove was at."
Starfire was gaping at this new change in him. Laughing at an old battle that caused him pain?! To laugh in the face of a powerful enemy?! How could he say such a thing and mean it?
Robin could only reflect in his own thoughts as to why he would think such a thing was funny, but the reason was actually quite simple. Elvey was known to laugh at danger. He found the confusion and frustration on his enemies' faces completely amusing, and that was how he made them weak. Even the sound of confusion in their voices made him laugh to tears as he fought in battle! He forced them into thinking that something was wrong with their strategy. Then he crushed them with everything he had while they replayed their plans in their heads. He distracted them with thoughts of dismay and indecision. This was why his enemies cringed at the very sound of his name on the fields of battle. Elvey's name to his enemies was known as the Laughing Battle Mage.
Robin was going to use this tactic in most of his battles from now on. He was still giggling with certain things he remembered that Slade did. Usually, he would be distraught, upset, and fretting over how he was going to beat the man. Every time the one-eyed masked man vanished, or was presumed dead, he miraculously came back to life to torment the Titans. Now, Robin was going to be the one waiting for him. He wanted to show Slade that he was nothing compared to what he was now. He was going to mock Slade and thoroughly enjoy the torment. He may even decide not to fight him just to piss him off. The man deserved every bit of it and would have no idea what he was in store for.
He pushed the thought back in his mind and refocused on the spot the grove was. Beast Boy was already waiting with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Dude! What took so long?!" he demanded.
"Sorry. Various old memories came up, and I had to think about them. But, I'm here. Let me crush up the moon crystal, and we'll see what we can find out," Robin said, as he took out the uncharged, green moon crystal. Starfire was still confused over Robin's new personality, but he did warn her that he would have lingering side-effects. This had to be one of them.
"Beast Boy," Starfire whispered to him. "Robin...was laughing about Slade!"
"Wait, what?" he asked.
"Yes! He said he was going to laugh at Slade if they fought!" she frowned.
"Laugh? At Slade?! Dude, are you serious?!" Beast Boy gaped.
"Why not?" Robin grinned. "Elvey's memories showed that laughter can cause havoc to an enemy. I'm going to try it, if I have to face him. I may even try it if we have to fight crime!"
"Elvey? Who's Elvey?" he asked.
"Oh, right. Elvey was Aelfric's father," Robin grinned and crushed the moon stone with expert precision. Starfire and Beast Boy stared at him curiously. "Remember, guys. I was given a lot of old memories. I may act strange from time to time, but I'm still me."
"Are you Robin right now?" Starfire frowned. He sighed and shook his head.
"Yes, Star. I am," he said confidently.
"I hope so," Beast Boy frowned now. "I'm keeping an eye on you!"
"I'm sure you will," Robin muttered, as he sprinkled the powder over where the rune was. The grove came back with a quick shifting of the earth. At first, the grove caught him by surprise at how peaceful and serene it still felt. Even Starfire was awed by it. It was as though the curse was back in effect, and he realized why Ambrosia was lured to this spot. When he saw it before, it was just a pleasant grove. Most of the feelings of calming serenity were gone. He refocused and remembered why he was there. He had to act quickly before the magic wore off. The burned stump stood before him, and now he examined it closely. He plucked a shard of ash from it and sealed it away in a vial. He did the same with the mossy ground, the stream water, and any flowers that bloomed.
"Robin, what are you doing?" Starfire asked.
"I'm gathering up any residual magical energy," he said. "The more I get from various things, the more we'll understand Sinlus's power. Elvey's memories show that each member of the Unseelie Court has a distinct energy pattern in their magic. We find out his energy pattern, we can charge up the crystals protecting the Towers with the command to 'block' this type of pattern."
"So, it would be possible to completely ward off his attack?" Beast Boy asked.
"Yes. To an extent, that is. The crystals would need to 'taste' this magic. Almost like how your bloodhound form can smell things. The crystals will not allow anything in with this type of smell," Robin nodded. "I may not be able to use old magic, but I now understand how it works. This will be our defense system. The more members of the Court that appear and leave things for us to find, the more 'smells' we can have the crystals block out. I know that there are hundreds of thousands of spirits that make up the Court, but every little bit counts.
"This is something that Jericho would have done if he was here with us. We'll need to come back here during the day to do the same thing. The pattern could be different, if the grove was hiding during the day. As it is, the moon crystals will at least help us detect the Unseelie Court members if they appear. This will help us even more by forcing them to appear before coming into any building. They would need our permission to come onto our turf, and they can't appear unannounced or uninvited."
"You really did get a lot of memories. Didn't you?" Beast Boy blinked.
"Tons," Robin sighed. "I'm trying to be a better leader and defender of the Titans. We don't know what we're up against. Now that I have a good idea, I'm better prepared. We'll come back here during the day and harvest more samples. I'll need to crush another moon crystal, but it needs to be done. The next few days after that, we need to see to harvesting them. I can show you all how to do that now."
"Okay, Robin," Starfire nodded. "I trust you. I will follow you."
"Thank you, Star," he smiled genuinely. "I know I seem strange to everyone right now. It will pass. It's just a lot to process. Give it time. Please."
"Oh, what did Ambrosia say about you needing to eat again? And when?" Beast Boy asked, as he blinked at a thought with a bit of surprise.
"Every hour on the hour. Heavy meat or something with lots of protein. Why?" Robin frowned.
"Your hour is almost up," Beast Boy said and tossed him a burger. "Eat that. It's a tofu burger. It's one of my emergency rations when we're on the road. Don't complain! Just do it! It will keep you going until we get back."
"How did you...?" Robin blinked, as he unwrapped it.
"Ambrosia warned me. Just now," he said. "She and I have this bond now. Since she became Queen. It's crazy! She can reach me from places. It's weird. I was told by Jericho to just accept it, and I did. Since I broke the first part of her curse, it's like a privilege I gained. Normally, she can't talk to humans like this. Only animals. Since I can change into a human and an animal, it kinda...bridges something. I think. Whatever. Anyways, she told me to have you eat that."
"Can you talk to her from anywhere?" Starfire asked.
"No. I can't talk to her, or contact her. She can contact me, but it drains her. She only wants to do this for emergencies like this, since she was a bit concerned about Robin's health from the mind link thingy. I was a bit surprised when it happened just now! But, this is important," Beast Boy sighed. Robin nodded and actually found himself devouring the tofu burger. He didn't even taste it when it was inhaled. It wasn't enough.
"We need to get back," Robin grimaced. "You're right, Beast Boy. It won't hold me for long."
"Okay," Beast Boy said and became a falcon to soar off. Robin got back on his motorcycle, and Starfire hovered over him while they moved back to the Tower. Back in Ireland, Ambrosia was dressed in a light, airy purple gown. Jericho was dressed in his usual clothes, but he kept the cape-like cloak, since it grew on him, and he was walking along a hallway with her. He just had some Fae honey to keep his hunger down, and he was watching her with concern.
"I got ahold of Beast Boy, and we were lucky that he had a tofu burger for Robin," she smiled.
"Good. Darling, I noticed that you were...distraught in our bath," he said.
"I was waiting for you to bring it up," she sighed and leaned into his arm. "Robin contacted me, as you were preparing it. You let a memory slip to him. A partial one. Of me slapping Aelfric. He wanted to know what it was about."
"You slapping...oh. That one," he frowned. "It was justified. You were defending yourself."
"I know. He knows now, too," she nodded.
"But, why did that one reach him?" he frowned in thought now. "I made sure no other memories could get past the ones I specifically selected! This could be bad, love."
"Possibly. But, you are at my side, right?" she smiled. He grimaced and knew that he would punch out his friend if he tried anything. Ambrosia is my wife. She is carrying my son. Robin knew this and would likely have to constantly remind himself. Now he was very concerned.
"Are you hungry, darling?" he asked, as he changed the subject of his thoughts back to her.
"I am," she nodded. He brought out the jar of Fae honey and gave her a small taste. It was enough to help her keep her strength up. She touched his throat again, and he coughed. Her crown gave the soft, yet rather strong, blue glow of successful healing and he grimaced.
"Don't do that!" he growled, as his voice got stronger.
"Don't argue with me!" she growled back. "Your voice is almost back now. Two more touches and it's done. You know this as well as I do."
"You put so much power into that touch! Just...limit it to once a day?" he frowned.
"Very well," she nodded. He squeezed her, and they looked over a railing. Many of the Titans had to leave, but the few that stayed were enjoying the short time off. They would likely be doing this in small shifts to keep their cities safe. Jericho's mind kept going back to the memory that was slipped to Robin. He had a foreboding feeling, and he hated it. She leaned into his side, and his arm tightened securely around her. She is my wife and the mother of my growing child. I won't let anyone forget it! When the communicator went off, he actually paused before answering it. He wanted to throw it away with disgust. Then he remembered his alliance. I can't do that. I'm also a Titan. He frowned, but he answered it grimly. He already knew who it was.
"Robin," he said carefully in his nearly healed voice.
"Jericho," Robin sighed. "I'm...guessing she told you."
"She did. Don't think for a second that, while I value our friendship, I won't punch you in the face if you try anything," he warned. "Now, what did you find out?"
"Right," Robin said, as he cleared his throat from the threat. "I got samples of the residual magic from where the grove was. We'll go back there during the day to collect more. Cyborg is analyzing it and processing it now. The moon is starting to get weak on my side of the world, so we have to chart where we are going to harvest more crystals."
"And we can't have Herald do it, since the moon has to shine on the designated spot all night until early morning. We don't want to exhaust him," Jericho thought. "We could have him strengthen the crystals after they are harvested, though. That would be needed."
"What about sun crystals? Should we have some as a precaution?" he asked.
"That's not a bad idea," Jericho mused. "When the Unseelie Court is ready to test us, we can have a specialized arena. If any of them try to help, they get blasted with sunlight. What do you think?"
"We'll definitely work that in," Robin grinned. "All of the new Towers being built are getting spot checked for future crystals to be placed in. From what I can gather, we need over a thousand giant crystals in all. It's going to be tedious."
"It will," Jericho sighed. "I can harvest what I can when the moon comes back to me around the hill. Ambrosia can help, too. It shouldn't have even been here on my wedding night, but it was part of the curse. It had to appear for us. It's pretty much back to a normal rotation now, come to think of it."
"Can't she conjure up moon crystals?" Beast Boy asked over Robin's shoulder.
"It's possible, but remember," Jericho warned. "It costs her strength to do things like that. She's already healing my throat and her legs. If she strains herself too much, she could hurt my son and herself. She can probably conjure up a few here and there. But, I won't let her strain herself."
"Emergency backup, if we're a few off," Robin nodded.
"Exactly," Jericho nodded. "Ambrosia was thinking of holding a gala soon. Likely when my son is starting to show. That could be in two weeks."
"You know we'll be there," Robin nodded. "I'll start up a treaty of alliance, too. To make it official. We can have it at the gala, and, for those that want to be part of our alliance, they can sign it."
"That would be wonderful!" Ambrosia smiled.
"Only Elvey could think of that," Jericho chuckled. "Okay, so, what is our next course of action? You have a general idea?"
"When daylight hits here, I go with my team back to the grove for more residual magic. After that, we harvest crystals like crazy," Robin said. "The guys are going to hate me with how early they'll need to get up. I hope they forgive me."
"How early we talking about?" Cyborg asked.
"An hour before dawn. The moment the sun hits the horizon and the moon is still showing. That is when the dew forms. That is what makes our crystals. We have to carefully collect the drops and gather enough so that they form six inches around in full with no gaps in the drops. It doesn't matter how thin they are, but it needs to be a solid mass. They need to be exposed to the moon after we make them in that window of time. It will be the only time to do it before they evaporate. Kid Flash and Mas y Menos will be important, since they will be the only ones fast enough to collect what we need in time," Robin frowned. "We'll be pushing them to the limit each morning, but they can sleep when it's done."
"I'll have to make special platforms and holders," Cyborg thought. "Use materials that won't let the dew evaporate so quickly to buy us more time."
"It's a shame that we don't have any mithril," Jericho grumbled. "That would be perfect."
"Mithril? What's that?" Beast Boy asked. "I think I've heard of it in games. But...it really exists?! Um...what is it to you?"
"Mithril is a legendary silver metal that is flexible, strong, and reflects back magic as well as contains it," Ambrosia said. "It's incredibly rare and only really powerful Fae have access to it. It's...practically unheard of now. The only way it is made is if silver grows on special quartz and diamond crystals in a natural formation under the moon. It can take a whole millennia for one mithril lump to form. The crystals, themselves, are highly prized, as they are a major focus point for magical properties. They can amplify a magical effect by a tenfold. I could try to conjure some up, but it would drain me greatly. In a sense, I would prefer not to."
"Wow," Cyborg frowned. "I don't think I can make something that generates time in seconds!"
"No one can. And we are on a time limit, as it is," Robin muttered. "I need to get some sleep. I'll make sure I have plenty of food on hand every time I get up. Hopefully, by the time it becomes daylight here, I'll be able to function better."
"You will," Jericho smirked. "Get some rest and eat well. I'll talk to you soon enough."
"Same," Robin nodded and closed the connection. "Star, I'm going to need your help again."
"Oh? What for, Robin?" Starfire frowned.
"I can't sleep without you. Um...I know it's a bit...weird...but..."
"Robin, if you need me, I will help you," she smiled. "You know that."
"Okay. Guys? If you're tired, sleep now. I mean it," Robin said.
"Sure, sure," Cyborg grinned. "I'll research what I can about that mithril stuff, and I'll see about making holding devices for the dew. What kind of food will you need?"
"Heavy meat or tofu at this point," Robin frowned.
"What would you prefer? It's gotta be meat, right?!" Cyborg grinned.
"No! It's tofu!" Beat Boy argued.
"I think I gotta go with Cyborg on this one," Robin admitted. "I need something really dense and heavy. The tofu burger I ate before just barely cut it. Even though it was only one, it won't do the job. I'm sorry Beast Boy, but I'm going to need steak. A lot of it."
"Ugh! Fine! I know it's for your body and all...but...dang it!" Beast Boy grumbled. "I'll be in my room! Oh, wait! I still have that game on pause!"
"I finished your game. You died," Cyborg grinned.
"NOOOOO!" Beast Boy shouted with despair.
"I'm kidding! It's still on pause! Geez, BB! Get ahold of yourself!" Cyborg sighed. Beast Boy made a monkey-like squeal of joy and jumped back over to the giant screen to turn it back on and play. As the green Titan started up his game play, Cyborg set various meats in front of Robin to eat with a child-like joy. Starfire made sure every plate was cleaned before helping Robin get back to his room.
"Tell Cyborg to have more of it ready for me in an hour. Or at least when I get up," Robin sighed, as he lay back in the bed. "I know I'm going to need it the moment my eyes open."
"Okay," she nodded.
"When you get back...um...lay down with me? Please?" he asked.
"Okay," she smiled softly. "Robin, ah..."
"Yes?" he asked, as he looked over at her.
"Why do you need me to lay down with you all the time now?" she asked. He grimaced and sighed, as he tried to figure out the easiest way to put it.
"Because you are someone special to me," he started gently. "You are the only one that can help me 'be myself' now. With all of these memories running through my head...you're my focus. Without you...I'm lost. You have no idea how badly I..."
"What, Robin?" she asked, as she sat on his bedside. He placed a hand over hers and sighed.
"I can't put it into words right now. When I know my body is well, I'll be able to talk more clearly. Will you...trust me in this, Star?"
"I trust you, Robin," she beamed at him and patted his hand. "I will speak with Cyborg about your eating needs. Then I will return to you and help you sleep."
"Thanks," he smiled softly. When she pressed a kiss to his forehead, he let out another heavy sigh. Life mate. That's who she is to me. Ambrosia hit it right on the nose. When Starfire left, he winced. Ambrosia. He was forced to recall how lovely she was from Aelfric's memory from seeing her the first time. She was only fourteen at that age? It was impossible! She was already a blooming young woman! Her face and form were perfection in that gown of silvery green. The way she sang with the harp was...
"I am back, Robin," Starfire smiled and lay down next to him. He had no idea how fast time zipped by when he thought of that memory, and he cringed with shock.
"Thank you!" he shivered and hugged her tight. "I was...losing myself again..."
"Robin!" she cringed and hugged him tight. "I will not let you lose your mind!"
"Please don't, Star! Please...help me be me..." he gasped. "Help me remember...who I am..."
"You should not have these memories if they are hurting you, Robin!" Starfire whimpered.
"But, I do need them..." he gasped again and rested his head against her arm. "I do need them...to be better at protecting everyone..."
"Despite the risks, Robin? Despite the danger?"
"Yes. Despite all of that. I just...if I don't have them, we know nothing of the Unseelie Court. Jericho can't help us the way he wants to! And Ambrosia...none of this was her fault. She blamed herself for so long..."
"How do you know?"
"I just do," he frowned. "She hurts so much now. The memory I told you about that I needed to talk to her about...well..."
"Tell me of this memory?" she asked. He nodded and told her what it was all about. Starfire was in shock that she slapped Aelfric, but then nodded when she realized why it had to be done. "She protected herself from him. It...does make sense."
"I know. I shouldn't have gotten that memory, Star. But I did. I see Ambrosia and Jericho as valued allies and members of the Titans. They are husband and wife. They're going to have a kid soon. In less than three months, if that! Jericho said that giving me these memories was risky. He warned me. I know he made sure that I got all of the ones I knew I would need...but this one memory...I shouldn't have gotten it! It's too personal!"
"It was Aelfric's first meeting of Ambrosia, was it not?"
"It was. I don't know why I got this memory. I actually felt the sting of her slap..."
"Robin! The memory is not yours!" she said sternly. He trembled and nodded.
"It's not mine," he said with a heavy sigh. "It's not mine..."
"No. It's not yours. You are Robin. My Robin."
"Your Robin?" he whispered. At her smile and soft nod, he kissed her hard. She will bring balance to my thoughts and bring me back to the present all the time now. I need her at my side. He grimaced as his head ached, but he was comforted by her. All of this was mental stress now. I need to sleep. He knew he would be extremely hungry when he woke up, but he knew she would help him. She wasn't going to leave my side. Knowing this, and feeling her next to him, was all he needed to finally fall into a rather deep sleep.
