Damn, love the Review turnout for last-chapter, and that was only from Day 1. Well then, let's get to it! Ah-heh-heh-hem!
CrimsonGeist: ... I'm gonna guess ***you like a pig was a spelling error? Cuz of not... I mean, I won't judge Raven. Also, super excited to start seeing more updates to this story. This is one of the stories that has me writing, albeit on Wattpad because of ease of use, and a bigger audience for what I'm writing in comparison to FFN. started reading this in my freshman year of high school, and I graduated this year. Love the story, can't wait for the next part.
Re: "I will f*ck you like a pig" was actually an "How to Be An Adventurer" (Danmachi Abridged) quote; one of the lesser-known ones compared to the heavy-hitters on YouTube, but I've always really liked it. Glad I'm inspiring others to write, and that I have long-time readers like this.
LoamyCoffee: Oh god, it's wonderful~ I'll be honest, I'd forgotten about Interlac and since you didn't have Starfire say anything last chapter, I imagine she wanted to enjoy what time she had left with her friends. Plus, I wouldn't say Ventus learnt the language for nothing, especially how he learnt it. Plus, now Star can teach him Tamaranean songs.
Good changes, in that Blackfire actually took precautions for the Titans whereas in the show, she was overconfident.
You continue to brighten the day for me~
Re: Yeah, I only learned about it relatively recently while reading stuff on DC Universe; their online streaming site, not the MMORPG by the same name. And yeah, I can see Starfire wanting to stretch out the time she had with her friends; admittedly, something I wouldn't have been able to plan unless I wasn't banking on Ventus acting as Translator. As for the Tamaranean songs, I can definitely see that happening, though I'm unsure if on Earth that might not make paint peel. At the very least, now he'll get some of Starfire's jokes; and more-specifically, when she's belting out random bullshit and making people think it's alien humor like Javik did in Mass Effect 3 to Jacob.
As for the precautions, she was dealing with LITERAL superheroes, whose powers she'd ACTUALLY seen; why didn't she take precautions in the Canon?
LuxYin: Hey teamfourstar cooler reference
Re: They are hilarious and I will quote everything they say.
Chimamire009: I can't wait for the climax! DBZ ABRIGED & JOJO MEMES/QUOTES AHOY!
Re: I'm surprised anyone caught that Jojo's reference I snuck in there~
Kalbario: Ya know what? I just realized how scary Ventus can possibly be.
Last chapter you wrote that he was able to manipulate the ATMOSPHERE from Robin's pod. Not just Oxygen. If he manipulated JUST the oxygen, he could have potentially killed Robin since breathing PURE Oxygen is toxic to humans, causes fluid build up and essentially causing you to drown just by breathing air. That's why our own atmosphere is only 21% oxygen and a mix of other gasses.
I read online that Tamaraneans absorb Solar Radiation for energy and the reason Starfire can 'breath' in space is because the is able to take in that energy and emit a force-field around herself to let her breath. Kinda like a natural Environs-suit. My main point is that Tamaranians have to breath SOME form of gas since Starfire CAN'T breath underwater. So as you've wrote, Ventus OWNS the atmosphere.
So YES, he can possibly isolate the air in a small area of someones lungs and effectively 'Force Choke' someone like Beast Boy said. As long as it isn't a liquid that they need to respire, it wouldn't even take much effort. Just an area the size of a paper cup would do. If his control is as good as you wrote it is? He could have possibly WIPED. EVERYONE. OUT. With just a bit of power...
Here's a short list of what Vent COULD do with finer control and how:
1) Flame/Heat manipulation via exciting air molecules in an area
2) Ice Manipulation via slowing down the movement of air molecules in an area
3) Wind Manipulation, either something big like a Tornado or something even more dangerous like a wind needle.
4) Air isolation or 'Force Choke'
5) Super speed(flying or running) By making the air in front of him less dense and supplying more oxygen to his lungs.
6) Air Bindings via making the air More dense in a small area. That is how vortex and air pressure guns can knock over walls.
7) even more
Good thing he's still a kid and a good guy huh? What a monster you've made!
Oh! I'm just positively GIDDY for the next installment! here's hoping I won't have to wait another two months though.
Re: Yeah… And he acts the way he does because his past weighs heavily on him.
I largely based his powers on what an Airbender could do, with a bit of Red Tornado and Wind Dragon as inspiration. Not pure oxygen, but atmospheric gasses. Its possible he could manipulate pure Oxygen, but he would need massively refined control to separate individual molecules from the other 79% of ambient atmosphere, since we're talking full-on Molecular Control.
As for his 'Force Choke', actually closer to what Zaheer did, albeit inspired well before that time by the concept of using [Air Manipulation] to cut off a person's air supply.
And now onto what you think he could also do.
1) A little out of his reach. Only reason he could emulate Roy Mustang's [Flame Alchemy] was because he was manipulating the "oxygen concentration" of the space around his spark cloth gloves. The same way that Roy's [Flame Alchemy] works since he's feeding the fire, not creating the fire itself with Alchemy.
2) He did that in the Christmas Special by blowing really-cold wind, like Wind Dragon against those magma monsters. Slowing down air molecules by itself, he could probably lower the temperature, but not to the point that it'd induce total freezing. For that he'd need a subset of [Temperature Manipulation] like Uiharu Kazaku from Certain Scientific Railgun; she can keep computer components warm, and Taiyaki from getting cold, but that's stopping the change in temperature associated with heating and cooling, she can't change temperatures like with a thermometer on an AC.
3) He already does Wind Tornado-like stuff. As for a 'wind needle', also possible, but with diminishing returns, and he doesn't have much opportunity to use a move like that on 'softer targets'.
4) Yeah, he can do that. Issue with his team is it isn't very "heroic".
5) Did that back in the very first chapter of the prequel the same way Aang has done without his Air Scooter.
6) He can't make [Solid Air], his power doesn't work that way, so this one'd be a bit of a reach.
7) Quite.
And like I said before, his past weighs heavily on him, so he adopted a more free-spirited persona to ease that burden, though after his secret got out he could get away with being a little more serious. Albeit, because he started acting more serious, he got "saddled" with more responsibility when it came to the division of labor.
As for the "two months", well, I'm trying to put out my main stories on a rotation (Teen Titans – Legend of Korra – RWBY – Young Justice – My Hero Academia – repeat.), and you should've seen how-infrequently I updated before I implemented that system to keep me from procrastinating in favor of only one.
*TEEN TITANS*
"So what exactly did you say to those guys?" Beast Boy asked as the Titans made their way to the Contraband Locker.
"That the Grand Ruler wanted more guards at the royal wedding, when they said no I told them they were undermining her authority and asked for their names. You know, the usual BS," Ventus waved off. "Glad to know it isn't just Earth that trick works on. Guess we aren't so different from aliens after all."
"Where'd you get the uniform?" Kitten asked. Unlike what the civilians wore on that planet, the guards were garbed from head to toe, yet was still rather slimming.
"You would not believe how cheap this outfit cost," he said with a cheeky grin. "I stole it~"
"Rrrrrgh…" Robin grumbled.
"Hey, by all means, do try and escape without me, your cell's still waiting for you if you want a do-over."
"What about the other aliens?" Cyborg asked.
"I'm sure at least some of them are in there for legitimate reasons," Raven stated as they rounded a corner, only to come into sight of a cluster of guards huddled around the Contraband Locker, the two guards from before rounding on them with pointed fingers.
"Well shit," Ventus grumbled as they went for their spears. "Beast Boy! I choose you!"
Grabbing the green-skinned teen by his belt and collar, with a mighty heave Beast Boy was sent flying through the air. Arms flailing before he righted himself, Beast Boy suddenly transformed into the quadrupedal beast-like creature from the entrance hall, the guards squealing like small children and running away, completely discarding their weapons.
"How did you know you could do that?" Cyborg gawped as he wrenched the door open.
"Lucky guess?" Beast Boy shrugged.
"Alright, team, load up," Ventus said as he undid the Restraining Bolt inhibiting Cyborg's weaponry, Robin and Kitten grabbing their weaponry while Terra found the keys to Raven's own ensorcelled restraints.
"Think we should grab some extras?" Beast Boy asked reaching for what looked like a rocket-powered sledgehammer.
"Sure," Cyborg said with a sarcastic nod. "If you're okay with wielding a possible murder weapon and getting your prints all over it," he added, causing Beast Boy to retreat.
"Cyborg, were you able to compile a map?" Robin asked.
"Half the castle at least. I have a pretty good idea of where the wedding's taking place," he said drawing up a wireframe map on his forearm screen, a large chamber filled with heat signatures highlighted.
"Alright, then, you guys go and stop the wedding, we'll handle the Drenthax fleet," Ventus said drawing an arm around Terra's shoulders.
"Wait, shouldn't we all go to the wedding?" Beast Boy asked.
"Beast Boy, the fleet is automated. Even if we did tell everyone it was a farce, that won't magically make the fleet disappear into thin air," Ventus deadpanned.
"But, how will you stop an entire fleet?" Kitten asked worriedly.
"We play fast and dirty, hitting them while they're still on the ground," Ventus answered. "Besides, I know Tamaran more-intimately than I know my own planet. Trust me, Tamaran can handle the two of us cutting loose."
"But what if Terra loses control again?" Raven asked with a raised brow.
"Hey, I've been re-training my butt off so that wouldn't happen," the blond pouted. "And where do you get off questioning my ability when you got slimed by a nightmare elephant tentacle monster?" she asked causing the mage to bristle.
"Girls, girls, you're both pretty, but we've got more-important shit to deal with," Kitten said finding her plasma whip.
"How will you get to the outside without a map?" Cyborg asked.
In response, Terra opened a new doorway with a wave of her hand, the earthen material giving way like clay.
"Oh… Right…"
*TEEN TITANS*
Elsewhile, Starfire holding the hand of Galfore made her way up the aisle toward the throne, hundreds of Tamaraneans standing in attendance for the wedding that would end the pending conflict. The royal chamber hadn't been decorated overly-lavishly, though the green moon of Tamaran was visible in the sky out of the massive windows that dominated one side of the room between the pillars, the Drenthax fleet visible on the plains down below.
At the head of the room, Glgrdsklechhh was situated at the foot of Blackfire's throne and to the right. When he and Galfore were side to side, a fierce growl from the larger alien had the mountain of snot reeling pitiably.
"Grand Ruler… Where are my friends?" Starfire asked looking about. On Tamaran, it was impossible to lose sight of her extratamaranean peers.
"Guess they had better things to do. Now smile pretty for your new hubby," Blackfire cooed, her younger sister barely getting any teeth to show as the alien's hover-bowl pulled up alongside her. "My humble servants, we meet at moonset to bind my sister to this handsome, young Schlurch in joyous betrothal. Can any among us offer reason why these two lovebirds should not be together… forever?"
Some in the crowd shifted uncomfortably, averting their eyes from the gelatinous mass beside their princess, but offered no words of protest.
"Didn't think so," Blackfire smirked mockingly. "Then… do you, Glgrdsklechhh, take Starfire to be your wife, as decreed by the Grand Ruler of Tamaran?"
Glgrdsklechhh in turn made a noise resembling what a bull might sound like after ramming the Hoover Dam head-on.
"And do you, Starfire, take Glgrdsklechhh to be your husband?"
"I… I…"
"Yes, sister dear?" Blackfire asked with a smug grin, only for her sister's continued reticence to draw out her ire. "Princess Kori'andr! Do you wish to do what is right and take this thing to be your husband?!" she demanded firmly.
If Glgrdsklechhh took any offense to the "thing" comment, it made no show of it.
Starfire, about to open her mouth in protest, was cut off as the doors to the throne room were suddenly blown off their hinges; one by sheer mystical might, the other by technological innovation in the form of a propellant being detonated at the speed of sound.
"I OBJECT!" Robin shouted as he stormed the throne room, the other Titans, sans two, at his heels. At this the gathered congregation erupted into hushed murmurs, the alien dictator bristling where she stood.
"Silence! SILENCE!" Blackfire shouted, eyes coming alight.
"Starfire! You don't have to marry him!" Robin said ignoring the planet's ruler.
"The whole thing's a hoax!" Cyborg added. "No pilots, they're all automated!"
"Ha. Hahahahaha!"
The burst of laughter that erupted from Blackfire's lips, was the last thing any of them expected to hear once they'd made her duplicity known.
"You really must be from a backwater planet if you didn't know that from the very beginning," the grand ruler taunted with a wave of her finger. "What savage race would have sentients fight in orbit when automated drones or remote-control are so much cheaper?" she questioned aloud, a few in the crowd chuckling at the Titans' ignorance.
The gathered Titans unfortunately, had no answer that would annul the marriage. The existence of legitimate automated or RC fighter drones out in the universe, was not something they'd been banking on in the planning stage.
"Now then, with that ignorant and uninformed objection out of the way," Blackfire hummed brushing the Titans off completely. "Princess Kori'andr, your answer, if you will."
"I… I…" Starfire stammered, before finding her steel. "I challenge my sister. For the crown!"
"Hm. I see," Blackfire hummed contemplatively, drumming her fingers together for a few seconds before speaking again. "Glgrdsklechhh," she said turning her head. "It seems that if you want my sister to be your bride, you will have to fight for her."
"What?!" Starfire gasped as the green alien's eyestalks glinted maliciously, tentacles extending toward a number of dials on its hover-bowl, priming the automated fleet for battle.
"Titans! Stop him!" Robin shouted, he and Cyborg whipping out their "Sonic Boom" tag-team straight at the alien. The accelerated cone of cryonic gas washing over the alien completely, a moment later a personal forcefield shattered the sphere of ice from within, the hideous alien chortling at them.
"Sister, you cannot do this!" Starfire shouted as the royal guard once again rallied itself against the Teen Titans.
"I am the Grand Ruler of Tamaran. I can do, whatever, I damn well please!" she roared, eyes shining.
Cue The Legend of Korra OST - Avatar State Soundtrack
Before the two factions could come to blows, a sudden draft pulled at Starfire's hair, the tension abating as everyone's attention was drawn to the balcony overlooking the invading force.
The enormous glassed plain, scorched from combat years hence which was host to the Drenthax fleet, was imploding on itself in a massive sinkhole, countless ships falling to the abyss. The specks of metallic green vanishing beneath churning earth that actively devoured them like something alive, the cricket-like ships that didn't fall in immediately began to rise, fear and panic beginning to spread through the gathered populace, a self-satisfied smile on Blackfire's face as her sister's eyes filled with despair.
Before the ascending ships could begin to lay waste to Tamaran however, the source of the draft made itself known as a massive cyclone had drawn enough mass into itself to become visible.
The white glassy particles hewn from war giving way to pitch-black stone beneath, the tornado was a veritable mountain in of itself, rivalling the height of the royal citadel in its entirety. Two enormous silver eyes bursting open on the "face" of the tornado, large conical arms made of swirling wind reached out toward the ascending ships. Atmosphere and gravity both working against them, the automated vessels were inhaled, drawn into the vortices inexorably like detritus down the drain. The tornado lighting up with explosions as the devoured ships collided with one another at gale force speeds, within mere moments the entirety of the Drenthax fleet was destroyed, either entombed beneath the earth, or given a "sky burial" as shards of metal were belched from the top of the wind pillar.
"What devilry be this?!" Galfore gawped, countless in the congregation prostrating themselves before the veritable force of nature bearing down upon them, muttering prayers of supplication while others ran for the depths of the castle.
"Those eyes… I know those eyes…!" Starfire gasped, eyes wide as her hands went to her mouth.
"Wait, you mean that's…?" Robin gawped.
"Holy… fucking… shit…!" Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Kitten gasped.
"The… The entire fleet…?!" Blackfire gasped, taking an involuntary step back, Glgrdsklechhh warbling in terror as his instruments proved completely unresponsive, the gelatinous alien floating backwards before beating a hasty retreat altogether.
Though the fleet had been destroyed, the mountainous cyclone did not abate. Its eyes focusing on the throne room, the cyclone's tail pulled away from the ground before a long black tendril shot out the top and sailed toward the throne room like a thrown spear. Those supplicating themselves buried their faces into the floor, even as the lance of wind impacted the space between the two sisters, dirt and debris scattering in all directions. All lowering their arms from their eyes, were beholden to an extratamaranean whose body was wreathed in ribbons of silver energy, flowing off of him like strips of cloth. Veritable wings of the stuff spilled from his eyes, giving him an almost angelic look as the silver light cut shadows across the darkened stone.
Slowly rising to his full height like a jungle cat stretching, right finger extended across his body, drawing it up and forward in an arc, the end of Ventus' finger found home towards Blackfire as he shouted- "OBJECTION!"
END OST
"We already did that!" Beast Boy whined, the tense atmosphere cut like with a knife.
" . . . HOLD IT!" Ventus amended, idly brushing away the aforementioned comment.
"You… You didn't have that kind of power last I saw you…!" Blackfire hissed, transfixed between spite and awe.
"What can I say? Tamaran's a lot sturdier than Earth, I could really cut loose," Ventus replied with a smile as the last of the silver light around him abated.
"You mean you've been holding back?!" Robin gawped. "This entire time!?"
"Robin, do you know how strong that wind was just now?" Cyborg gaped looking down at his instruments.
"How strong was it?" Raven asked, awed and even humbled by the sheer power displayed.
"My instruments say they were a Level 6 on the Fujisaki scale, and that's the highest my instruments will go," he said staring at the numerous [ERROR] prompts across the board.
"Fuji-what-I scale?" Beast Boy groused.
"A storm as strong as a Level 2 will send an egg through a barn door. Two barn doors if one of them's open. Level 3 will send an egg through a brick, wall."
"Humpty's Revenge…" Kitten gasped.
"It wasn't all me. Terra got to cut loose too," Ventus hummed. "She may not have the same unconditional love for this world as was imparted unto me by the Holy Matron, but I assured her, Mother Tamaran could handle a little rough-housing, though I wouldn't bank on turning the ships she buried into salvage any time soon."
"Holy shit… It's like you two are living natural disasters…!" Kitten gasped. "That's awesome!" she gushed, eyes lighting up with stars like an anime character.
"Now then… I believe your sister was challenging you for the throne?" Ventus asked snapping his T-Comm. shut.
"Tch!" Blackfire clicked angrily, seeing that Glgrdsklechhh had left her high and dry once the writing was on the wall. "Fine then! You leave me no choice!" she growled angrily as she drew something from her pocket, a diamond-shaped ruby in a gold pointed setting, before affixing it to her royal mantle. "Behold! The-"
"Red Stone of Aja!" Starfire gasped, hands to her mouth and eyes wide.
" . . . What? No! It's the 'Jewel of Charta'!" Blackfire said, almost sounding affronted.
"Are you sure?" Starfire asked with a tilt of her head, eyes squinted incredulously.
"Of course I'm sure!" Blackfire hissed, her eyes glowing a furious, radiating crimson.
"As a guy whose eyes glow when he uses his powers… that is so not good…" Ventus gulped nervously as the alien ruler's hands glowed a chaotic crimson to match.
"Oh, you're going to find out just how 'not good' this really is!" Blackfire hissed, flinging a jagged crimson Starbolt at him.
"VENTUS!" Starfire gasped flying forward, the dress slowing her down.
"NO!" Galfore bellowed, swooping in at amazing speed and popping Blackfire's Starbolt like a soap bubble. "Your sister has lawfully challenged you for the crown! You must either answer her challenge, or abdicate your position as Grand Ruler!" he said standing protectively between his ruler and the airbender.
"Galfore, your hand!" Ventus gasped.
"Do not worry, it will heal with time," the giant of a man said with a reassuring smile, even as his skin crackled and flaked away.
"TREASON!" Blackfire roared, charging a giant Starbolt and glaring at Galfore.
"NO MORE!" Starfire roared, her eyes glowing brilliant green before with a shout of- "FIST OF THE REALM KING!" -, a blazing aura of emerald vaporized her wedding gown, revealing her normal vestments underneath, the younger sister shooting forward and blasting Blackfire's attack into quarters with a powerful cross-chop. "YOUR FIGHT IS WITH ME! AND I DEMAND THE SATISFACTION!" she thundered, emerald aura blazing brilliantly.
"Oh look, the little cry-baby can put on a light show~" Blackfire crooned mockingly, a blazing aura of crimson all her own blazing around her, her cape whipping upwards. "Guess what. SO CAN I!" she roared, the carpet at her feet burning at the power she was displaying.
"Titans! Go-"
"Hold!" Galfore said as he and Ventus interposed themselves before Robin. "If anyone interferes, the challenge is void. The princess will lose."
"Besides," Ventus said with a smirk. "Starfire's got this. Chauvinist pig," he muttered.
"Hey!" Robin scowled, only for the lot of them to be blown back by the shockwave of the sisters' collision, forearms interlocked in a classic DBZ mid-air clash.
The clash ended with Blackfire's smirk as she grabbed Starfire's arm, executing a textbook Dragon Throw and sending her younger sister crashing through a wall and deeper into the citadel.
"Hey guys! What'd I miss?" Terra asked floating up on a boulder.
*BOOOM!*
"Uwagh!" she yelped as the shockwave from deeper in knocked her off her rock, a plasma whip snaring her waist and pulling her onto the balcony.
"Don't lag behind, or you won't get to see any!" Kitten chided, only for Ventus to whip up a wind wall before the departing Titans.
"You aren't seriously going to put yourselves out there, are you?" he asked incredulously.
"And why wouldn't we?!" Robin demanded.
"Because if you did, Blackfire could take pot shots at us forcing Starfire to take hits she'd normally be able to avoid?" he asked rhetorically. "A-duh. It's only been used in every battle anime ever."
"He… brings up an excellent point," Raven admitted after a moment.
"Yeah, and plus I've already seen this episode," Beast Boy said looking into the hole, his hand subconsciously making a channel-surfing motion as though he were holding a remote.
"That reminds me for whatever reason, OI! ALL OF YOU! STOP PROSTRATING TO NOTHING AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Ventus shouted at the bowing aliens in Interlac, before repeating the same in Tamaranean.
Amazingly-enough, they actually got the memo and cleared out the throne room just in time for Starfire to plow her sister through another wall, back into the throne room after wreaking untold havoc on the citadel, the elder kicking her sister away causing her body to dig a trench in the floor. In the time that Starfire got to her feet and Blackfire caught her breath, those that remained took in the state of the two combatants, the fate of the crown still up in the air.
Even though the Red Stone of Aja-I mean, Jewel of Charta, was obviously a power multiplier, with how-equal the distribution of burn marks on their costumes and singed hair were, it was obvious Starfire gave as good as she got; it was just a matter of cheesing her off enough to finally get her to go full-frontal. And so-intense were the auras still enveloping them that it actually looked like their hair had come aflame, the tips of Starfire's long hair glowing with tongues of ruby red, while Blackfire's ebony tresses glowed a deep violet.
"I don't like the looks in their eyes…" Kitten said nervously as the energy spilling out their eyes glowed anew. "RUN FOR IT!" she cried, Galfore throwing Ventus and Robin over his massive boulder-shaped shoulders as they all proceeded to vacate the throne room, Blackfire rising into the air imperiously over her still-held throne.
"Give up, baby sister! With the Jewel of Charta, I am invincible!" Blackfire proclaimed. "With this sacred relic, defeat is impossible!"
"'Impossible' only means something hasn't been done yet," Starfire said rising to her feet.
"Play as many word games as you like. You'll always be my little sister."
"I am not so little anymore!" Starfire shouted launching a Starbolt, only for her elder sister to tilt her head to the side.
"Looks like you missed, sister dearest," Blackfire mocked. "Try again for a darsek?"
"HRAAAAAAAAGH!" Starfire shouted as she began firing off a vertical deluge of Starbolts at her elder sibling. The first few Blackfire dodged with contemptible ease, but eventually Starfire's shots began to fly so wide she didn't even have to move to dodge them.
"Um… I stopped dodging," she said one-part mocking, one-part confused as Starbolts flew all around her. "Seriously, are you even trying to hit me?"
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Starfire bellowed.
"The hell do you mean 'noooo'-oh… my… X'hal…" Blackfire said with wide eyes as she looked around, the air around her positively littered with Starbolts floating in midair all around her like celestial bodies around a star.
"Zone Grenade of Hell!" Starfire shouted as she clapped her hands together, the once-stationary Starbolts winding up with a backspin before, all at once, the emerald orbs struck the Grand Ruler from all sides like a meteor shower, the antechamber rumbling and smoke filling the air as the Grand Ruler of Tamaran was caught in the middle.
The cloud of dust and debris building, after several seconds, Blackfire fell from the smoke landing back-first with a loud *THUD* that shook the throne room. The dust slowly clearing, Blackfire rose to a standing position, her royal vestments singed and damaged beyond all repair, her crown the only thing that survived the battle unscathed. The alien dictator raising up a hand and priming a blood red Starbolt, before she could fire it off, the energy suddenly petered out, the alien queen's eyes rolling in the back of her head before she passed out, laid out upon a throne of rubble.
Walking up to her a moment later was Starfire, the younger sibling pulling free both the Crown of Tamaran and the Jewel of Charta.
"The challenge is won. Tamaran has a new Grand Ruler," Starfire proclaimed, the assembly gathering anew now that the fighting was done, the masses cheering as the Crown of Tamaran was now borne by the rightful heir.
*TEEN TITANS*
Blackfire's blissful unconsciousness was broken as a bucket of water was overturned on her head, the former Grand Ruler of Tamaran sputtering indignantly as she pushed herself free of the rubble she'd landed upon.
"What…?! What is…!?" she demanded, her eyes clearing and going wide as her sister bore the Crown above her. "NO!" she roared as she stepped up, her forward lunge halted as two of the royal guards crossed the shafts of their halberds before her throat, the points of several spears pointed towards her from those flanking her sister. "Damn, you, little sister…!" she growled, her body beaten and bruised from the battle prior. "Damn you to-"
"Kom'andr of Tamaran," Starfire spoke over her imperiously, emboldened by her truest victory. "As my first royal decree as Grand Ruler, henceforth, you, Kom'andr of Tamaran, are banished from the Homeworld."
"What?! Banished!? Are you joking? Where am I supposed to live?" Blackfire demanded.
"As I believe the old Earth saying goes… 'You do not have to go home, but you can not stay here'," Starfire answered, the barest of smiles at her lips causing Blackfire to rage impotently.
"Rrgh! Unhand me!" she demanded as a guard took hold of her arm.
"Princess Kom'andr," Galfore spoke as-kindly as able. "Please… depart this planet with some measure of dignity. As a former Grand Ruler, a courteous exit is owed, but you should not overstay your welcome," he said a bit more firmly, his voice like grinding stone.
What made it worse, at least for her, was there was no true malice, only the tone of a man obeying his Grand Ruler.
" . . . I will not forget this, sister dear," Blackfire growled, wrenching her arms free and bulling past any who stood in her way.
The moment Blackfire's ebony tresses rounded the corner, Starfire spoke again.
"Ventus of Planet Earth, please step forward," she said unto him, Galfore giving the silver-haired teen a nudge on the back, the wind-wielder taking the customary knee as one would when addressed by the Grand Ruler. "For services rendered unto the crown in moons passed, I present to you, this boon," she said turning up one of his palms with a ruler's hand.
"The Jewel of Charta?" Ventus blinked as the weight pressed on his palm. "Why give it to me though? It's not like I was particularly helpful or anything. Hell, you didn't even need my help-"
"The help you gave was given long before this day," Starfire replied. " . . . Back when my sister first arrived on Earth, you were the only one who made time for me when all others had unintentionally forsaken me," she elaborated, the others awkwardly scratching their heads since in retrospect, that was really shallow of them. "Even though Blackfire was better than me in almost every way, you remained steadfast in your friendship to me. Even when I questioned my own worth in relation to her, you stood by me and listened to my woes, going as far as to show me the animated story of the Dragon's Balls about an alien warrior besting his betters through determination and hard work, even and especially when they were stronger than he," she said with a fond smile. "If ever there were anyone I would trust this relic to, one capable of bestowing so-much power, I believe that person would be you."
" . . . Thank you, Queen Starfire, but I don't need some shiny jewel to know you appreciated our friendshi-"
Before the wind-wielding teen could force the jewel back into the newly-minted alien queen's hands, the pointed ends of several alien halberd made their presence known around his neck, the royal guards scowling at he who would refute a gift given to them by their planet's Grand Ruler.
"I mean… I will humbly accept this boon you have given me," he reiterated as he closed his fingers back around the powerful alien artifact, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple until the spears retreated, the guards now satisfied that their new ruler was not being slighted.
"If I might inquire," Robin said carefully, in light of the previous slight he'd born witness to. "What now?"
"Now… I must do what is right for Tamaran," Starfire said somberly.
*TEEN TITANS*
'That little brat! I'll make her pay for what she did to me!' the black-haired Tamaranian hissed as she stomped her way down the hallway, making her way to leave the planet. A few seconds later the sound of footsteps came from in front of her, the alien girl readying herself for battle as the figure made itself known.
"Blackfire, wait!"
'Ventus?' Blackfire questioned seeing him come after her. "Ugh, what do you want?" she then growled with her nose scrunched up in disgust. "Isn't it bad enough I got beaten and exiled from my own world by my little sister? Do you really have to rub it in as well?"
"I'm not here for that," the brunette argued with empty hands raised, causing the black-haired girl to look at him in surprise. "Blackfire… Even if I don't understand everything about your planet, the Holy Matron's gift… It gave me some insight as to why you did all this," he said, the raven-haired alien blinking in surprise. "For all I know, the Drenthax incursion was legitimate, and you decided to wed your sister to that thing so you could kill two birds with one stone; even if morally you were in the wrong."
"Is there a point to all this?" Blackfire asked, not wanting to get tried for refusal to leave her planet.
"Look, I know your sister banished you from your home planet, but that isn't any reason to burn your bridges," the brunette argued, the alien girl bulling past him. "Listen, you can't choose who your family is, but you can choose whether or not you can be a family to one another."
"Would you hurry up? I kinda have to be anyplace but here," Blackfire argued bitterly over her shoulder.
"What I'm trying to say is… You may have a bit of a track record, but it isn't too late for you and your sister to make amends. I mean sure she banished you from your home planet, but that doesn't mean you can't come to Earth later and just reconcile with one another," he urged. "I've already made my choice with my family, and I can't take that choice back, but you… You can still reconnect yourself to yours. And hey, keep your nose clean and I'll give you that tour of Jump City I promised you during your first visit," he said rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What do you say?"
"You know… There's something that's been bothering me for the longest time," the black-haired girl, arms crossed as she turned to face him. "I had the other Titans absolutely wrapped around my little finger when I visited, and yet you weren't swayed like the rest of them. I have to know... Why?"
"Why?" he blinked. "Well…" he said scratching his head. "I guess because if you really did join the team instead of trying to replace Starfire and let the girl take your place in Space Jail, then there would've been all sorts of time for us to hang out. That, and when you came out with Star's clothes on, I sorta felt like something was up," he added at the end. "Purple… Not really your color," he said shrugging his shoulders. "Neither is lightish-red for that matter."
"Hmmm… You're very intuitive aren't you?" she asked poignantly.
"I read a whole book on Peach Farming on the way here, you tell me," the brunette returned just as poignantly crossing his arms.
"While that was very… random, you do have a unique charm to you," the black-haired beauty said as she leaned forward with a mirthful gaze, a shudder running up the male's spine as cat-like eyes rolled over hi. "Maybe I'll take you up on that offer~ Until next time, ciao~" she said walking away, taking flight towards the double doors at the end of the hall leaving the former brunette on his own.
" . . . Why do I feel like this kindness is going to bite me in the ass later?" Ventus thought to himself worrisomely.
Shrugging his shoulders, he decided to get back to the main chamber where his friends were before they began wondering what was taking him so long.
But hey, if they did ask, he could just say he was looking for the bathroom.
Unfortunately, any plans in that direction were quickly aborted when a panicked yell reached his ears through the massive double doors, the familiar flash of discharged Starbolts hastening his steps away from whence he came.
*TEEN TITANS*
Following Blackfire's departure from the royal citadel, Princess Starfire, now Grand Ruler of Tamaran, had presented herself before her people. With their dictator now overthrown, the people of Tamaran had expected the true heir to the crown to lead them into a new age of prosperity. It was to their surprise however that mere moments after attaining the crown as her own, Grand Ruler Kori'andr abdicated the crown, instead passing it on to Galfore, the k'norfka who had raised her from the time she was very small.
The successor bidding farewell to the succeeded, before the alien princess could remedy the "sick home feeling" for her "real" home…
"Friend Ventus has been gone a much long time. Do you think he is alright?" Starfire asked worriedly amidst the cheering of Emperor Galfore's coronation.
"What? Do you think he fell in?" Beast Boy asked.
"Well, that is a distinct possibility…" Raven hummed, since she had no clue how bathroom fixtures worked on this planet.
" . . . Maybe I should go check on him," Cyborg said-
*BOOM!*
"What was that?!" Beast Boy yelped, he and the other Titans bolting for the nearest balcony.
Looking down at the castle grounds far below, away from the gathered citizenry, their eyes went wide as they witnessed a litany of aliens in monk-like clothing pouring out of swirling portals. All of them were clad in indigo robes, sashes, cloaks, and garb, with long lantern-like staves in hand that looked like they were carved from stone. Embossed upon their clothing and foreheads were symbols drawn in tribal paint resembling a Less-Than and Greater-Than sign flanking a circle in the middle, oriented vertically.
However, it wasn't the incursion that caused their eyes to go wide. Instead, it was whom they were attacking; Blackfire, the now-banished former Grand Ruler of Tamaran.
Though the disgraced noble was putting an impressive show of it, her Starbolts and Eye Beams were far weaker than when she'd fought Starfire, her ultraviolet attacks bouncing harmlessly off the personal shields wielded by the monk-like figures. Whenever one of their shields seemed at the point of failure, they would pull back, place their fists upon the glowing head of their staves, and would instantly be recharged to full strength while another of their kin took their place on the frontline.
In only a few moments, Blackfire was overwhelmed by a phalanx of indigo energy blasts assailing her from every angle, her attire scorched and burned further until she was dropped like a sack of bricks.
And if that wasn't enough, Ventus surged into the scene riding a whirlwind faster than any of them had seen before, a large stone in his hand which he smashed into the face of one of the monk-like aliens. Stone shattering and forcefield cracking, the silver-haired teen delivered a rain of joint locks, throws, and pressure point strikes on a half-dozen alien morphologies as he made his way toward Blackfire who had been lifted by her biceps and was being carried toward an indigo-colored portal. Ventus was thusly caught in the side as the aliens beat a retreat, their abduction now successful.
The Titans leaping from the balcony, hoping to intervene with Starfire leading the pack, were powerless to do anything but watch as Ventus blasted himself toward the last remaining portal as it closed behind him, the former Grand Ruler plowing into the ground unceremoniously as all evidence of the incursion vanished.
"He… He is gone…!" Starfire gasped at the empty space the portal once occupied, the battlefield once more silent.
"They're both gone," Raven said holding one hand forward, the other to her temple as her eyes glowed.
"So… What do we do now?" Beast Boy asked.
To Be Continued…
*TEEN TITANS*
AN:
Betcha didn't see that coming, now didja?