"I know I have much naivety in the ways of earthlings. But love is universal. The way she looks at you…it is quite obvious." - Starfire

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

INTO THE RABBIT HOLE

Bard puffed away nervously at his cigarette, but he barely tasted it as the smoke entered through his mouth and slide down his throat into his lungs, only to rewind and escape the same way it entered. With Zillah and Raven staring holes into each other, he knew he was in the middle of an incipient explosion. But try as he might, he couldn't think of anything he could do to resolve it.

"What do you want with Bard?" Raven demanded of the mystic.

"He is needed for a great task. One that will change the world forever."

Raven's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What kind of task?"

"I cannot impart that knowledge unto you." Zillah replied, his tone just a trifle smug. "My master forbids me."

"And who is your master?"

"That, also, in none of your concern."

Raven sighed in frustration.

"Perhaps I should put you in a jail cell." Raven threatened. "We'll see exactly how high and mighty you are after staring at cold concrete for a few days."

"Uh…we can't arrest her, Raven." Bard said hesitantly.

"Why not?" Raven asked him, but her eyes were still firmly locked into Zillah's.

"Well…she hasn't broken any laws!"

"Sure she did. She's trespassing."

"Um, not exactly…" Bard told her meekly. "I…kinda invited her here and-."

Finally, Raven broke her gaze from Zillah and swiveled her head to start balefully at her half brother. Now her wrath was directed at him.

"You invited her?" She spit out between clenched teeth. She was obviously having some difficulty in restraining herself. "You invited her?"

"Silence!" Zillah boomed at her, her feminine voice strangely authoritative. It was so commanding that it actually made Bard jump. "In the name of God Almighty I command you to step aside!"

Raven looked at the girl with wide, surprised eyes, but then she shook her head with an ironic smirk on her lips.

"I should have known you were a delusional, religious fanatic. But listen to this: Fictional beings can't control me. I live in reality and you live in an ideological fantasy land. Let me give you some advice: Wake up!"

Zillah's violet eyes narrowed dangerously and Bard could almost see the steam billowing out of her ears. She drew herself up, almost as if to strike at Raven, but then she turned to Bard.

"Now do I see the true extent of your holiness." She told him. "Were I to live in such close proximity to that witch, much less if the same blood coursed through both our veins, I would be forced to wreak retribution on her for cause of her disrespect." The girl looked spitefully at Raven as she said the word 'witch'.

This was going too far, Bard decided. If he didn't step in now, he was afraid that their 'discussion' would escalate into something more than an exchange of lightly thinned insults and threats.

"Raven," he said to his sister quietly as he stepped over closer to her. "Maybe you should let me and Zillah talk alone…" He suggested.

"No," she replied almost automatically. "She's not to be trusted."

"Please, Raven," Starfire cajoled her. Bard was slightly startled. With the war of words going on between Raven and Zillah, he had all but forgotten that Starfire was there with them. "I think it might be best for all if you were to leave. I will stay behind to guard your brother, so to ease you mind."

Bard blinked. Starfire had just offered to protect him. Sure, she was an alien with superhuman strength, flight, and the power to sling fiery bolts of energy at will…But she was still a girl. Though he appreciated her concern, it didn't do much for his ego. Not to mention the fact that she would be protecting him from another girl…

Meanwhile, Raven had been mulling over the Tammaranian's offer silently.

"Fine," she finally clipped reluctantly. "But call me on my communicator the first moment something goes wrong."

"I will, Raven." Starfire assured her.

Nodding, Raven gave one last hateful look at Zillah before the ground beneath her feet grew black and opalescent. She sank into that inky darkness and was gone.

Suddenly, something clicked in Bard's mind. He knew how his sister had figured out about his impromptu meeting.

"You can take back the black hole you put in my coat, too, Raven." He said a little louder than normal. He had remembered her doing the same thing when he first arrived at Titans Tower, so that she could overhear his and Kitten's conversation at the Juvenile Prison.

"My souls feels much lighter now." Zillah announced to them then with the small, content smile back on her lips. "I could almost feel the darkness of her spirit seeping into me and trying to taint me."

Bard threw away his cigarette after one last long drag and decided to ignore that particular comment, despite the fact that it immediately heated up his blood.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, Zillah, but I called you here so I could ask you some questions."

"I will answer what I can."

"Thank you," Bard said gratefully, but then he got down to business. "How sure are you of this prophecy of yours?"

"It came from my master's mouth. Thus, my trust in it is absolute."

"Who is you master?"

"That I cannot say." Zillah answered him.

Bard looked disappointed.

"However," she continued. "I can take you to meet him."

Jackpot! This would probably even be better than learning his name!

"What about Starfire? Can she come with us?"

Zillah turned her violet eyes to observe the alien. Starfire fidgeted under her gaze.

"I will vouch for her presence before my master." She told him finally. "She is not a believer, but her heart is good and pure."

"Great," Bard said, clapping and rubbing his hands together like a man preparing himself to lift something heavy. "Let's go, then."

"Merely escort me across the water, Holy Bard, and I will show you the way."

"I'd be glad to," Bard smiled. Zillah smiled back.

"One moment, friends." Starfire said, already reaching for her communicator. "I must inform Raven of our departure."

Bard gently caught her wrist.

"Ah…maybe it would be best to tell her after we've left, Star." He suggested, hoping desperately that his sister did in fact take away the black hole in his coat like he had told her to. This was not the time for her to be eavesdropping.

Starfire looked up into his face for a moment, studying him with her large, emerald eyes. Finally, she nodded.

"V-Very well, friend Bard." She relented. "I will trust your discretion."

"Thank you,"

Bard offered his hand to Zillah and, when she took it, he picked her up and cradled her gently in his arms. Then, humming softly, the wind lifted them up into the air with Starfire not far behind. The cowboy noticed right off the bat that Zillah hardly weighed anything at all. She was quite small and petite, but her figure was hidden beneath the folds of her robe. Halfway across the water to the mainland, he also noticed that she was hanging on to him much tighter than necessary. It made him nervous, for some reason…

The three of them finally reached the mainland and landed on the first rooftop available. The mystic seemed a little reluctant to disentangle herself from Bard's embrace.

"Now," Zillah said after Bard had let her down. "Follow me, and I shall lead you to my master." There was an barely audible 'pop', and she was gone.

"Where'd she go?" Bard asked quickly.

"There," Starfire pointed at a rooftop perhaps a block or so away. Bard looked and was actually surprised when he was able to see her as well. Those new glasses Cyborg had given him were…frosty!

The two Titans took to the air again.

"So she is a teleporter?" Starfire asked from where she flew beside the cowboy.

"It seem that way, doesn't it?" Bard agreed. "She can do some telepathy, too, I think."

As they neared the building Zillah had been waiting for them on, she teleported and reappeared further away on another rooftop.

"I perceive, friend Bard, that this Zillah girl had taken a liking to you." Starfire commented.

Bard coughed nervously.

"I, uh, think you're mistaken, Star."

"I know I have much naivety in the ways of earthlings," she admitted. "But love is universal. The way she looks at you…it is quite obvious."

"…."

"What is the matter, friend Bard? Do you not return those same feelings?"

"…Can we not talk about it?"

"As you wish," Starfire murmured.

Bard thought about that as they continued to follow Zillah through the city. He wasn't ready for love right now. Sure, he had had some feelings for Starfire when he first came to Titans Tower, but he did not love her. At least, not the way Robin did. The cowboy had simply been attracted to the brightness of her spirit on a planet that became darker and darker each day.

No, as far as Bard was concerned, he only had one love.

Not long later, Zillah appeared on a rooftop at the outskirts of town and waved the two flying Titans in.

"Is this where your master resides?" Starfire asked after she and Bard had landed.

Zillah shook her head.

"No, he does not live in the city. For all cities are the concentration of sin."

Bard, having recognized that phrase from the bible, decided not to ask her about it.

"So where is he?" He opted to ask instead.

"There," Zillah turned and pointed to the mountains outside the city. "Unfortunately, I cannot teleport and lead your way, since the foliage of the trees would mask my visage from you. Instead, I must oblige upon you to carry me once more, so that I may direct you."

Bard hesitated for a moment, but then he nodded. If Zillah noticed his hesitation, she chose not to comment on it.

Back in the air next to Starfire and holding Zillah as he flew over the forests and mountains, Bard found that Autumn had snuck up on him. The trees below held leaves that were multicolored: Golds and reds and everything in between. And they were beautiful. Back in his hometown, Bard had often drifted away from the city into the countryside at this time of year just to look at them.

But the cowboy quickly reminded himself that this was a pleasant stroll, (or more accurately, a flight), with friends to appreciate the scenery. He was going to some unknown place to hear a prophecy, one that proclaimed his half sister to be the Antichrist, straight from the mysterious horse's mouth.

Experimentally, Bard tried to hold Zillah a bit further away from him, but his fears were confirmed when she clung to him all the tighter. Of course…She could be afraid of heights or something…

Yeah, right. This girl wasn't even afraid of the person she believed to be the Antichrist!

"There," Zillah said, pointing at a cliff face. "Do you see that branch protruding from the rock?"

"Yeah, I see it."

"Fly us inside it."

Bard blinked.

"Uh…inside it?"

"Yes," Zillah told him calmly.

"But…we'll crash!"

"Have faith, Holy Bard. Do you not trust me?"

Bard admitted to himself that he did. Taking a deep breath, he grit his teeth and aimed for the cliff face, with Starfire just behind. Just before the inevitable collision, Bard clenched his eyes shut.

The only problem was, there was no collision.

Bard opened his eyes and found that he was standing beside Zillah and Starfire in a narrow cave. He looked to where they had entered, but all he saw was a damp, rock wall. With narrowed eyes, he walked over and hesitantly reached out his hand to touch it. But his hand sank into the wall as if it were water. The image of the rocky wall shimmered slightly around his forearm.

"A hologram," Starfire said.

"You are most perceptive, Starfire." Zillah told her. "Now, please follow me and I'll take you to my master and show you my home."

Side by side, Starfire and Bard walked down the passageway with Zillah leading the way. As he walked, Bard carefully examined the walls. They were sharp and irregular, but he could also see the tool chippings in the rock face. That meant that this cave had been cut out…by hand. The cowboy shuddered at how much labor, not to mention the number of years, it took to complete such a thing.

It grew darker as they walked deeper and deeper into the cave and Zillah pushed the hood of her robe back over her shoulders. Bard realized something then. The first two times he had seen Zillah, her hood had been down. But then again, it was night on both of those occasions. The second two times he had seen her, the hood had been up and it had been daylight. Then it hit him. If Zillah lived in these caves, then she would be used to the dark and, vice versa, her eyes would be sensitive to the light.

"Ah," Zillah intoned without breaking stride. "It seems your companion is not the only perceptive one among us, Holy Bard."

Bard was a bit startled at that. He had forgotten Zillah's ability to look into his thoughts…And what other thoughts of his had she seen?

When it grew too dark to see, Starfire summoned a star bolt and held it up over her head, casting a green light over everything. Eventually, they reached the end of the passageway and Zillah turned to them.

"Behold," she said, a little pride in her voice. "This is my home."

Bard and Starfire, both quite a bit taller than Zillah, stepped forward and looked over her shoulders. They had reached a wide cavern, and there was no doubt that what lay before them was indeed a community. There were houses, buildings and streets. Although there were dim lights spaced apart regularly, the whole place seemed to be covered with shadows. It was abnormally quiet and Bard soon saw why. There wasn't a soul around.

"Where is everybody?" He asked.

"It is the hour of service. My master is teaching." Zillah answered him.

"Everybody here attends church?"

Zillah nodded.

"The entire purpose of this community is to worship." She said. "Attendance is universal."

"Neat trick," Bard grinned. "There's no way you could do that in a regular city."

"Yes," Zillah said a little forlornly. "I know."

Suddenly, a chorus of voices suddenly rose from the deep silence. Bard did not recognize the language in which they sang but, being a musician himself, quickly heard that it was a complex and beautiful melody.

"Glorious," Starfire breathed, agreeing with Bard's thoughts.

"I have always found it so myself." Zillah told her. "Now, allow me to show you to suitable quarters while I go and speak with my master."

The mystic led them down into the subterranean town and Starfire and Bard looked all around them, amazed that a place like this actually existed. Suddenly, Bard laughed.

"What is it that is humorous?" Starfire asked him.

"It's just that humans are slaves to conformity." He answered, smiling. "Look at the houses. All of them have roofs on them. It's not like it's going to rain in here, right?"

"That is true, friend Bard." Starfire replied. "But I believe you are overlooking something."

"What's that?"

"It is true that the weather means nothing here, but I believe it will become cold. Would it not be difficult to keep heat inside a house with an open roof?"

Bard scratched his cheek a little sheepishly, noticing again that he could use a shave.

"I reckon I didn't think of that…"

"Here we are," Zillah announced, stopping before a small, stone building and turning towards the two Titans. "You may rest here while I go inform my master that you request his presence. Make yourselves comfortable." With that, the mystic turned and went deeper into the city.

Bard shrugged.

"I reckon that means we should just make ourselves at home then." He opened the door to the building, held it open for Starfire and went inside behind her.

The interior was simple, but it was a cozy little place. It was one big room, but there was a low, cushioned divan sitting against a wall in front of a fireplace where a fire was glowing cheerily. On the other side of the room was a small, wooden table with two chairs. Bard pulled one of them out and sat down, even as Starfire sank herself down onto the divan.

"Bard…Why are we here?" She asked.

Bard sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He knew that this would be coming sooner or later, but he wasn't exactly sure how much he wanted to tell her.

"Well," he started hesitantly, still wondering how much he wanted to explain to her. "Zillah…I met her a couple of days ago and she told me that her master had come up with a prophecy."

"And what is the nature of this prophecy?"

"It says that Raven is, uh, evil." Bard was trying to keep it as simple as possible. He wasn't sure if he'd have time to explain some of the more complicated parts of the bible.

Starfire's eyes widened.

"But that cannot be true!" She told him passionately with widened, emerald eyes. "True, Raven is sometimes reclusive and unsociable, but she is a good person!"

"I know that, Star." Bard replied with more confidence in his conviction than he actually felt. "I'm just here to…make sure that they aren't up to no good."

"You expect the foul play?"

"Maybe," Bard admitted. "I don't want to make any accusations yet, though. For now, let's just go along with everything they say."

Zillah didn't keep them waiting for long. Perhaps fifteen minutes later, there was a brief knock at the door and she walked in. Behind her was a young man, perhaps sixteen years old, with pale, colorless hair and large, almost black eyes. Strangely for a person living underground, his skin was exotically dark. He wore a simple, cheap even, white linen robe and plain sandals adorned his feet. The last of Zillah's company entered behind him, and there was no doubt that he was the one the mystic referred to as 'master'.

He was a tall man with wispy, snowy hair and a saintly face. He had kindly, deep blue eyes and wore an immaculately white, flowing robe. He was obviously very old, but he had a vitality within him that belied his age.

"And this," Zillah introduced him. "Is my master."

The elderly man's eyes first fell upon Starfire.

"So this is the girl in which you told me about?" He asked Zillah.

The purple robed mystic nodded, even as her master peered intently at the Tammaranian.

"You were correct." He said, not breaking off his direct gaze. "Her heart is pure, and there is a kindness within her that is almost…inhuman." He smiled. "Well met, child. You have my blessings."

Starfire thanked him nervously.

"And you must be Bard."

And now the old man's direct gaze was directed at him. Their was a strength in his wise eyes. They seemed to be looking directly into his soul.

"Ah," he said, as if he had found what he was looking for. "Zillah's lavish praisings of you were not unfounded. There is a great strength in you, and I see many great things in your future. You also, have my blessing, though I see that you do not truly need it."

The cowboy nodded awkwardly in acknowledgment.

"Oh! A thousands apologies, friends. I have yet to introduce my self. My name," he said. "Is Brother Blood."