Nothing Lasts Forever
By: Darien Ravier
Part I: The Fading of the Lavender Crown
Part 10: A Matter Between Sisters
"When the socket's not a shock enough
You little child, what makes you think you're tough?
When all the people you think you're above
They all know what's the matter." – Elliott Smith, "Speed Trials"
No one could describe how eerie the hush that filled the battlefield as Starfire and Blackfire stood facing each other. Both sides didn't dare move a muscle because they knew that this war could come to an end with the fate these sisters held. Not even the Justice League or her friends the Teen Titans moved because they knew what everybody else knew, that this fight was between the both of them and any interference would only prolong and deepen the war's bloodshed. Silence. Silence on a battlefield can be even more chilling than the actual war itself, but neither sister broke their gaze at each other. Starfire and Blackfire just stared coldly at each other. Starfire was still in awe as to the size of Blackfire after taking the Psion's serum. Blackfire was now twice her size in both height and size. Blackfire was always bigger than her, but never by this proportion. Soon, Starfire's eyes softened for a moment as she remembered their childhood and hoped for a reconciliation between them. Starfire yelled across the field to Blackfire, "Sister, I beg you to put an end to all of this."
Blackfire merely laughed and said, "Things really don't change, do they? Even when we were growing up, you were always trying to stop me from doing what I wanted."
"I was trying to stop you from hurting others," Starfire yelled.
"If that's what you call it."
"I did not want us to get into trouble."
"You mean you were trying to tell me what to do."
This made Starfire's blood boil. For years, it was her sister bossing her around, now she was trying to turn the tables on her. "You always told me to come with you, to follow you through dangerous cities, to start fights with complete strangers. You were always telling me the wrong things to do."
"And you enjoyed every minute of it, didn't you?" Blackfire said with an almost seductive evilness to her tone.
"No, I did not," Starfire spit back, "Once I saw that our fun hurt others, I could not do those things any more."
"Ever daddy's little girl," Blackfire yelled, "always trying to do the right thing when you know full well you and I share the same spirit."
"Silence," Starfire yelled. Blackfire was getting to her. "I am nothing like you!" Starfire's eyes grew cold again as she knew there was no reconciling with her.
"Sure you are," Blackfire instigated, "we're both sisters and that sense of pride runs deep within us both. You had banished me from so many places, had me banished from Tamaran, thrown in jail in Centauri, you even made me an outlaw on Earth. Every place I ever knew, I was no longer welcome. What do you think that would do to my sense of pride?"
"So, you wish to fight with me, then," Starfire said with conviction, ignoring her sister's new strength.
"Please, little sister," Blackfire said dismissingly, "you wouldn't last five minutes against me."
"Why don't you find out what kind of surprises I have up my sleeve," Starfire said, balling her hands into fists.
"Your funeral, sister."
"One condition," Starfire said.
"What? You want a condition?"
"Just one," Starfire said, "if you lose, your army surrenders to mine."
"Very well," Blackfire said confidently, "but this fight this fight will still be to the death."
Starfire stammered at this request, but she quickly recovered and replied, "Agreed."
In the audience behind them, The Flash leaned over to Wonder Woman and said, "You just knew it was going to come to that." The Justice League and the Teen Titans were all watching with baited breath as Blackfire threw an underhanded star bolt directly at Starfire. Out of the corner of her eye, Starfire caught the treacherous attack and in a split second, dodged the bolt by flying directly up in the air and threw a starbolt of her own that Blackfire didn't even see coming. It impacted on her head, causing her to take a few steps back and blink as to what happened. She looked up and saw her sister hovering in mid air, tossing starbolt after starbolt in a hellacious barrage that Blackfire, who was astonished at the speed of her sister. Blackfire looked up and fired a gigantic blast from her laser eyes that Starfire dodged, but Blackfire kept on her, chasing her across the sky with them.
Starfire maneuvered left and right to get away from the eye beams from her sister, but she didn't see the purple starbolt that blasted her in the chest. The impact was so powerful that it caused her to plummet to the ground. Before Starfire hit the ground, she looked up to see her sister flying towards her in a violent rage. Starfire did a mid air summersault over her sister and planted both of her feet into her back, driving the giantess into the ground. Starfire pulled back and charged up a powerful starbolt with both hands when Blackfire quickly turned around, grabbed Starfire by her ankle and yanked her to the ground. Starfire landed with such force that all the wind in her was temporarily knocked out. Blackfire then pulled her sister up by her long red hair and raised her fist back, ready to strike her. Starfire looked over and everything went slow, giving her enough time to react to what she saw. Starfire blasted her arm with her eye beams to prevent the punch. As Blackfire's arm recoiled, Starfire unleashed a flurry of jabs and crosses to Blackfire's head. Blackfire looked unharmed by Starfire's punches.
"My punches are not fazing her," Starfire thought to herself, "but I've got to keep my speed up before she can get a hold of me."
Starfire lifted her hand up and let a small starbolt flash in her hands, blinding Blackfire. Blackfire began to swing wildly. Starfire dodged and ducked each of them with tremendous speed. Still, Starfire could feel the force wind over her head, making her realize how she doesn't want to be on the receiving end of one of her powerful punches. Starfire was getting a good rhythm going, Blackfire would swing wildly, giving Starfire enough time to let loose three good hits. Starfire even began kicking the mid section of Blackfire. Blackfire doubled over.
Starfire smiled, thinking that she had her sister. Then Blackfire quickly looked up and tossed purple starbolt after purple starbolt, hitting Starfire, who recoiled in pain as the heat of her sister's attack began to burn her.
"Even her starbolts have become more powerful," she thought as she flew back up in the air to avoid any more pain. Blackfire looked up at her sister, who looked ready for anything. Blackfire popped her shoulder back into place and looked up at Starfire. Starfire's eyes went wide as she realized that for as much as she just let loose on Blackfire, it didn't hurt her one bit. Blackfire laughed.
"Oh, little sis," Blackfire cackled, "you're smart to avoid me. But there's now way you can hurt me."
Starfire balled her fists as Blackfire's arrogance was beginning to anger her.
"O-o-o, looks like I hit a nerve. Why? Was that the best you had," Blackfire said, curling her index finger towards herself, taunting Starfire to return to her. Starfire charged at Blackfire with tremendous speed. Blackfire planted her right foot behind her as Starfire approached her. As Starfire pulled her arm back, ready to punch, Blackfire's foot came shooting up at blinding speed and connecting with Starfire's face. Starfire's head cocked back as the impact made her temporarily lose her center of gravity.
Blackfire grabbed her sister by her collar and gave her a powerful uppercut to Starfire's chin that lifted her off of her feet and sent her crashing to the ground. Blackfire jumped up in the air and landed with both feet square on Starfire's chest. Starfire grabbed her ribs and began to cough for air. As Starfire crawled to her hands and knees, she coughed again and spit something up on the ground. Her eyes focused on what it was and saw a small pool of blood that came from her mouth. She ran her palm against her mouth and looked at the blood that was coming out of her mouth. Starfire's eyes looked upwards as Blackfire's boots stood in front of her and pulled her back up to her feet.
Blow after blow that Blackfire delivered to Starfire began to make her head swim. Soon, Starfire began to see spots in her eyes that made it hard to see anything. Starfire swaggered on the field as Blackfire aimed for her sister, spun around and connected with a powerful spin kick that nearly took Starfire's head clean off of her shoulders. Starfire sailed across the battlefield and landed on her back.
"I have got to catch my breath," Starfire thought, "I can't keep this up." As Starfire looked up, she saw a purple streak fly towards her and pick her up off of the ground with remarkable strength and wrapped her arms around her. Starfire's arms were pinned as Blackfire began to squeeze what life Starfire had left in her.
"I can feel the life escape you, little Starfire," Blackfire taunted. Starfire struggled to break free, but the more she did, the tighter Blackfire squeezed. Starfire groaned in pain as she began to feel her already sore ribs begin to buckle under the strain.
"I told you," Blackfire said, "you wouldn't last five minutes against me." Starfire shook as she began to muster up her strength. She looked her sister in the eyes and said, "Then why do we not just go into overtime!"
With that, Starfire let loose a powerful blast from her eye beams into Blackfire's eyes, blinding her and causing her to let Starfire go. Blackfire rubbed her eyes and swung blindly at nothing. When Blackfire's eyes focused, Starfire was nowhere to be seen. Blackfire screamed out of frustration and took off flying into the air.
Blackfire glided through a heavy forest terrain, looking behind each and every tree. From higher up, Starfire looked down at her sister as she tried to catch her breath and regroup her energy. Every time she inhaled, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. "She's too strong, now," Starfire thought to herself, "She has used too much of the Psion serum for me to match her in strength." Starfire tore part of her cape to tie a tourniquet around her arm as she took in another deep breath. As she did, the pain in her chest returned.
"Control it," Starfire thought, "use the pain you feel to your advantage. Fight her with the pain you feel and do anything to keep from feeling any more. The more pain you feel, the more you know that you're still alive."
Starfire took in a few more sharp, deep breaths to psych herself up. Her eyes squinted as she traced Blackfire's path through the tree line. She no longer saw Blackfire as her sister anymore. Blackfire had now become prey for Starfire. For her planet, for Tamaran's survivors, for Earth, for her friends, for her brother… and for her parents, Starfire let these thoughts release the anger inside her to get ready to fight her sister. Starfire's eyes looked further down the field as she saw a Centauri army-training course about a mile ahead. Starfire studied the terrain before she looked to the left as she saw a thick branch nearby that she severed from the tree with her laser eyes and grabbed it as it fell. She raised it back like a baseball bat, took another deep breath and jumped off of the branch at her sister.
C-R-A-C-K!!! The branch came down heavily on Blackfire's head, knocking her to the ground. Blackfire got to her hands and knees and looked up as the giant branch came down on her head again, knocking her back to the ground. Starfire landed on the ground and swung the branch again like a golf club, connecting directly with Blackfire's chin, lifting her up off of the ground and towards the obstacle course.
"Keep her disoriented," Starfire thought, "if she can't get to her feet, then she can't fight back."
Blackfire was balancing herself on a tree and was almost to her feet when she looked to her right to see Starfire charging full force with the branch cocked back, ready to strike again. Blackfire tightened her grip around the tree and snapped it off at the base. Blackfire quickly swung at Starfire and connected, knocking the branch out of her hands and sending her soaring into the obstacle course. Blackfire took off after her sister.
Starfire got to her feet quickly and caught her sister trying to charge at her. She smiled as she saw Blackfire get closer. Blackfire charged her hands with a powerful amount of starbolt energy before Starfire leapt upwards. Blackfire looked up and saw Starfire grab a nearby pull-up bar and swing herself onto the obstacle wall. Starfire stood on the top and wrapped her foot around one of the climbing ropes. Blackfire took off after Starfire, who snapped the rope from its base and began to fly circles around her sister, wrapping her up in the rope. Blackfire struggled as she was tied up in the heavy rope, which was being held by Starfire. Starfire garnered a sly smile as she dangled her sister helplessly.
"Ready for a ride, sis," Starfire said as she swung Blackfire into the obstacle wall, putting a hole in it. Starfire still held on and spun Blackfire around in a quick circle. Blackfire's eyes began to roll as the g-forces from Starfire's speed began to disorient and sicken her to her stomach. When Starfire finally stopped, she flew through the treeline, swinging her into tree after tree. Starfire then swung the rope over her head and launched Blackfire directly into the ground. Blackfire's head spun so much, she didn't notice Starfire coming straight at her like a spear, driving her sister three feet into the solid ground.
Starfire crawled out of the hole and fell to the ground, breathing heavily. But before she could react, a giant purple blast came from the ground that fried Starfire's back. Starfire turned around to see Blackfire, still tied up, rise out of the hole and snap the ropes. Starfire looked closer and saw that Blackfire was bleeding from the side of her mouth and was grabbing her right shoulder. Blackfire stared daggers into Starfire as she said flatly, "That hurt."
Blackfire then reached down and grabbed Starfire by her head and drove it into the nearby base of a swing platform. Blackfire stood up on the platform, grabbed the swinging rope, snapped it from its base and began to swing it over her head. Starfire got to her feet, but only to have Blackfire swing the rope like a whip at Starfire's chest. The giant knot connected and made Starfire double over. Blackfire began to whip Starfire's exposed back with the rope. Starfire fell to the ground as her sister continued to beat her mercilessly. Blackfire swung again, but this time, Starfire caught the rope and pulled Blackfire off of the platform and into the pool of water underneath. Starfire flew into the branches again. Seconds later, Blackfire emerged from the pool and looked around for Starfire, who was nowhere to be seen. Blackfire crawled onto the ground and got to her feet. Blackfire was breathing heavily. She was obviously hurt as she took a few minutes to regather herself before she took off after her sister.
Starfire was hidden in a nearby brush pile, completely covered by greenery. Starfire was retightening the tourniquet around her arm as she gritted her teeth out of pain. Starfire's head was swimming back and forth as she put her hand on her back, which she couldn't feel any cloth from her uniform, but her bare skin, which was now cut from the rope and burned by starbolts. Starfire lay her head back on the ground as she tried to regroup when a voice broke out from outside.
"Hiding again, sister," Blackfire called out, "I'm sure Tamaran would love to see that their leader is hiding from her opponent."
"Do not go out there," Starfire told herself, "She is only trying to fight you in your weakened state."
"I can't believe the people of Tamaran actually turned to you to save them. You can't even defeat me, what makes you think that you can save your planet?"
"It is a lie," Starfire thought, "I can beat her."
"I must congratulate you, though, you lasted longer than I thought you would have. I figured I would have broken and destroyed you so much earlier. Maybe that violent side of yours that you fought so long to keep buried is finally coming out. You know, that side that you let out when you and I would sneak out of the castle and start fights with the commoners. Ooo, you were bloodthirsty then."
"You brought that out in me," Starfire snarled inside her mind, "If I have that side, it is because I just wanted my sister to love me. I only did those things because I thought we would be friends."
"Not anymore, though." Blackfire turned her head at the sound of hundreds of people crunching through the forest. "You hear that, Starfire," Blackfire called out, "they want to see the rest of this fight, are you going to disappoint them by hiding?"
"Just keep talking," Starfire said, "I'm only getting angrier and stronger as you do."
"I hope you do come out soon so I can finish you, you traitor. We could have had so much fun together, Starfire. Stealing from other planets, no one would have been able to stop us, but you chose to stay and be raised by that weakling Galfor."
"Do not go there," Starfire said, "you will only make me more angry."
"Maybe it was for the best that he died, so when I defeat you, I can lead the rest of Tamaran to victory by crushing this planet, then moving on to your precious Earth. We'll destroy their heroes, all except your friends."
Starfire shook with anger. Her heart began to pump wildly as more blood came out of her wounds. The sound of the armies getting closer could be heard.
"I'll use your friend Cyborg as spare parts for my armies, but keep the rest of him alive to see how his mechanical body is being put to better use. The weak green thing, oh, he'll be thrown into the animal cages where he'll fight for our amusement. That witch friend of yours, she'll be my personal mystic. I'll have her brainwashed to serve me and tell me the future so I can rule more of this pathetic galaxy. Then, what to do with your precious Robin? He is very cute though and if I am going to be the leader of the galaxy, then I doubt it would hurt to have my own personal man servant around to…"
"Blackfire!!" Starfire yelled at the top of her lungs as she leapt out of the bushes and speared her sister out of the forest. Just as they left the forest, the armies came through to see them leave the forest clearing.
"Jeez, can't these girls stay in one place," The Flash said as he ran towards the forest clearing, closely followed by the Titans, the Justice League and the thousands of other soldiers struggling to keep up with the heroes.
Starfire was using all of her strength to keep her sister in the air before Blackfire brought down both of her fists like a sledgehammer on her back. Starfire crashed onto the solid concrete ground of an airplane hanger. She quickly rolled away as Blackfire planted her foot into the concrete where Starfire laid. Starfire threw starbolt after starbolt at her sister, blinding her. Before Blackfire could see, Starfire began swinging wild punches that knocked her head from side to side. Starfire kept punching as she saw her sister's face bruise up and start to bleed.
"Keep it up," Starfire said, "you're finally breaking through her." Blackfire threw a wild jab, which Starfire ducked and kneed Blackfire in the ribs. Blackfire threw another jab and Starfire did the same thing. She began working on Blackfire's midsection, trying to keep her from getting her breath. Starfire threw a left hook at Blackfire's head, but Blackfire caught her sister's hand and began to squeeze. Starfire swung another punch at Blackfire's ribs, but she caught that one as well and began to squeeze.
The army broke through the clearing to see Starfire and Blackfire locked in a test of strength, which Blackfire seemed to be winning as she pushed Starfire closer to the ground.
"Looks like you're running out of energy, little sister," Blackfire said.
"I…will not…let…you win," Starfire struggled to say as Blackfire pushed her closer and closer to the ground. Soon, Starfire was down on one knee, trying to hold her sister up.
"Doesn't look like you'll be winning after all," Blackfire said as she brought her leg back and kicked Starfire directly in the gut. Starfire started to fall, but Blackfire kept her up by her hands. Blackfire began to deliver a series of powerful kicks to Starfire's already sore ribs. Starfire began to sway as the pain in her sides began to pulsate loudly and make her ears ring. Starfire looked directly at her sister and fired a blast from her laser eyes at her head, but Blackfire countered with an eye blast of her own. Soon, the duel laser blasts were even fighting for supremacy as the two sisters' hands were still joined in their test of strength.
"Got more strength in you than thought," Blackfire said, "but it still isn't enough." With that, Blackfire let her hands glow purple with starbolt energy. The heat from her sister's hands made Starfire scream in pain as the laser blast in her eyes weakened and Blackfire's blast hit her square in the face. Starfire flew back into the airplane hanger behind her.
Starfire grabbed on to the wing of a nearby plane to pull herself up as she was having a hard time standing on her own. Starfire got to feet in enough time to see her sister flying directly at her. Starfire ripped the wing of the plane off near her and clocked her sister right in the face with it. Blackfire dropped to the ground as Starfire began to club her sister wildly with the plane's wing. Blackfire struggled to get up, but Starfire was all over her, hitting her in the face, the neck, the back, the arm, everything that Blackfire was using to get up. Finally, Starfire let the wing drop as she tried to catch her breath. Blackfire was on the ground in a heap as Starfire struggled to breath. The pain in her ribs was excruciating, as she feared that her ribs might be broken.
"You still got it," Blackfire said with a mouth full of blood, "that bloodthirsty side is still in you, isn't it?"
"You always…brought the best…out in me… sister," Starfire said between breaths.
"Now, I'll just take it out of you," Blackfire said as she swept her sister's feet out from under her. Starfire fell onto the ground as Blackfire crawled on top of her and began to choke her.
"Having a hard time breathing," Blackfire said, "here, let me help."
Starfire hit Blackfire with a powerful bolt from her laser eyes that sent her flying back onto a plane, which collapsed under the weight of the gigantic Blackfire. As the plane fell, the weapons underneath its wing struck the ground and detonated, exploding around Blackfire. Starfire put her arm to her face as the flames swept over her. Once the flames died down, Starfire looked back to see Blackfire charging at Starfire. Starfire jumped up with blinding speed as Blackfire crashed against the wall. The building shook as the flames began to spread throughout the hanger. Starfire pinned Blackfire against the wall and began to work her midsection again with a flurry of super-quick punches. Blackfire shook off the pain and grabbed her sister by the arm and swung her into the walls, repeatedly, making the structure shake again. Soon, a loud bending sound was heard as the roof began to cave in.
From outside, the armies saw the hanger, already encompassed in flames, crumble into a heap until there was nothing left standing. Where the hanger once stood, a pile of rubble now replaced it. Robin ran towards the flaming debris, screaming, "Starfire!" The Titans stood in shock, as they wondered if their friend survived. Soon, something began to move from the inside of the rubble. The armies stood back, waiting to see the victor as Starfire emerged, her clothes burnt and torn, her body battered and her face bloodied, but she stood tall as she crawled out from the debris. Robin began to walk towards her as another stir came from the rubble. Before Starfire could react, a powerful fist connected with her back, making her scream out in pain. Blackfire stood up and began pounding away on her sister.
Starfire was so weakened by the fight that she couldn't even put up a defense as Blackfire pounded her mercilessly. Starfire struggled to stand up, let alone, raise her fists in defense as Blackfire hit her with a straight jab that made everything slow down for Starfire as she saw the blood fly from her mouth. Before she could turn her head around, she was hit hard again in the gut that made her double over.
"Do not fall," she told herself as Blackfire continued to punch away at her, "do not allow yourself to fall. No matter what, do not go down, do not let…"
Blackfire spun around and kicked Starfire in the head, which almost seem to take it clear off of her shoulders. Starfire went limp and crashed onto the debris of the hanger.
"NOOO!!!" Robin screamed from the field as Blackfire picked her sister up and held her high over her head as she looked at the army.
"The fight is over and Tamaran must now surrender! As my first act as your ruler, I will break her in half right in front of you!"
To Be Concluded…