A/N: Whoo, chapter number two! I'd like to thank all of you for reading this, and to extend double thanks to all of those who took the time to review. Feedback is food for starving artists, dontchaknow. n_n The chapter is now complete; hopefully it'll make more sense with the second part attached. Enjoy!

--Manny PenPen

Chapter 2

Afternoons on Earth, Starfire decided, were undoubtedly the closest thing to Heaven she had ever experienced.

Maybe it was these "birds" that gave her so much joy. These tiny creatures, with their delicate plumage and twittering beaks, crowded about her hand eagerly, each one chirruping along to its own tune. Amazing, she thought. Breadcrumbs did not seem very appetizing to her, but the funny little creatures fought over them like they were delicacies.

After a few moments of jostling its fellow birds, one particularly ruffled looking avian creature fluttered angrily upward, then disappeared through the flowering boughs of the cherry blossom tree. Starfire watched it go, her green gaze trailing after the creature and towards the sky. That was beautiful too, she realized. The heavens were a celestial shade of cerulean that was marred only by the snow-white clouds that drifted lazily along. Such a strange planet, thought the alien. Personally, she delighted in the appearance of clouds, especially ones like these; their delicate blue bellies made her long to reach up and tickle them.

"Starfire?"

Moving out from behind a tree in a swirl of cherry blossoms, Robin stepped forth into the golden sunlight. He seemed. . .radiant somehow, like an angel in his first steps upon the earth. Everything else seemed to dull around his luminous aura. With his boots treading softly upon the verdant floor of the park, he stepped out of the sunlight and seated himself besides Starfire. "Sorry about that," he commented smoothly. "I couldn't find you for a minute there."

Starfire giggled gently. "It is alright, Robin. These bird creatures have kept my company most nicely." The young woman held out a tanned hand towards one of them, and it cocked its head at her curiously. After a moment's hesitation, it hopped onto one of her fingers and clung there. "Robin," she said, her lilting pleasantly, "what sort of bird is this?" As if offended at her ignorance, the little creature puffed up its red breast and chirruped at her. "I remember that some birds have different names here on Earth. . ."
In response, a slow grin spread itself over Robin's face. "That," he replied with a point of his finger, "is a robin. He's probably got a nest near here."

A look of puzzlement showed in the young alien's face, and she rested her head down on her knees to look sideways at her friend. "Robin? But I thought you were Robin, Robin." Gently, she laid her hand on the on the ground, allowing the robin to detach itself from her hand.

"I am Robin," was his response. "It's just. . .,well, a name. Lots of things have the same name. Besides--" he shifted himself to a more comfortable position, "--it's something I chose. Because of this." His fingers brushed across the crimson front of his uniform. "Part of the costume."

Ahh. This she could understand. "I see." Question satisfied, the young woman leaned up against the tree again, although her eyes continued to rest upon the red-breasted bird. "It seems to be apart from the other birds," she continued. "Do you think he is lonely?"

"Lonely." There was a long pause from him, so long that she turned away from her bird-watching to look at him. "Maybe," he said at last. "He might just. . .be waiting." Though his body shrugged, his tense tone of voice betrayed a deeper emotion between that calm exterior.

"Waiting? For what?"

Another pause. Their faces were very close now, and if she squinted a little, Starfire thought she could see a pair of eyes behind Robin's mask. "Sometimes. . .they're waiting for someone," he replied slowly. "Someone. . .very special."

"Special." Without realizing what she was doing, Starfire found herself leaning closer towards her closest friend. She could feel a soft, whispering breath on her face and lips; their noses kissed each other even though their lips were still an inch apart. Behind her, the young woman, could feel a rush of cool wind, and the delicate patter of cherry blossoms against her skin. Robin leaned towards her, the inch became a hairsbreadth- -

And then the rain came.

It was as if some heavenly deity has rent the skies apart and let an ocean come surging in. Before one could say Klor-Back Varbler Nelk, Starfire was drenched from boot to auburn hair. "What is this?" she cried, levitating away from Robin and into the air. "I did not think rain was coming!"

"Me neither." Though Robin got to his feet quickly enough, his voice was decidedly glum. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning cracked over their heads, causing both of them to jump in a rather startled manner. "We'd better head back towards the tower!"

"What?" The wind had risen with the rain as well; the maelstrom now drowned out all but the loudest and most strident of voices. How could anything be this wild? thought Starfire frantically. The park had been so peaceful just a few moments ago! Even the peaceful cherry tree seemed enraged, its branches beating at her and the birds perched upon it. "There seems to be something--mmph!" A wayward branch connected with her face, and she slammed back into the ground with a mouthful of cherry blossoms.

"Starfire!" Robin was by her side in an instant, reaching to help her sit up. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "Mmph. I am well, Robin." Coughing a bit, she spat some petals out of her mouth and into her outstretched palms. "It is strange, though."

"Yeah, I know. Storms don't usually--"

"No, I mean these." Starfire pointed at the crushed petals. "If they are cherry blossoms, why do they not taste like cherries?"

". . ."

"Robin?"

"Let's just head home, Star."

*****

"Dude, I told you, I'm just fine!"

Beast Boy lay sprawled out on the couch in the common room, his legs akimbo and his pride mortally wounded. If it weren't for the bruises on his sides, he would have been out of there in a heartbeat, but as it was. . . "It's just bruises, man. Stop with the poking already."

Cyborg, his metal and mortal body draped over the back of the couch, sighed irritably. "I ain't even touched you once. I just said you prolly shouldn't move for a while. Now, I ain't no doctor, but. . .I know when people're hurt. And you--" here he tapped the smaller Titan on the forehead, "be hurt, little man."

This elicited a scowl from Beast Boy. "Look, I'm so totally not hurt." As if to prove this, he shifted himself into a sitting position, although the sudden twinge of pain in his right side made him gasp. ". . .okay, maybe not so totally not hurt. Still not enough you gotta string me out like this." Carefully, both so that Cyborg wouldn't see and so he wouldn't touch a sensitive spot, he massaged his side.

Unfortunately for Beast Boy, however, the half-human did notice. "Toldja you were hurt. Don't you go touchin' it now. Bet she broke a rib or two."

"A rib? You're kidding me!" The small green human pouted a bit, crossing his arms over his chest. "She so totally likes me. She'd never do something like that."

Cyborg's response was a deadpan stare. "If it had anything to do with liking you, you'd be dead, little guy."

"Oh yeah?" Beast Boy drew himself up to his full height on the couch, which put him nearly on eye level with the larger Titan. "And you're saying you'd be any better off, tough guy? Least I'm all animal."

"There ain't nothin' wrong with bein' a Cyborg, Don't go there."

"Dude, you started it!"

"Dammit, this's the last time I'm saving your god-forsaken life if you're gonna act like--"

WHAM!

Both men jumped, argument forgotten in their surprise. The door leading to the outside had been blown open by a massive gust of wind. In the gloom beyond the entryway, only two horrific shapes could be seen. The larger one seemed with an acid fire, with hair raised in a terrible tangle on her head; the other had blank white eyes that stared and chilled Beast Boy deep in his soul--

That is, until the figures stepped into the light and revealed themselves to be Starfire and Robin. While they certainly looked the worse for wear, they were hardly monsters. "Storming out there," remarked their leader, moving towards the kitchen so he could wring his cape out in the sink. "Caught us by surprise."

"You? Surprised?" remarked the Cyborg, who had now turned rather pointedly away from Beast Boy. Fine, the green teen thought. Be mad at me. I got another one've those balloons stashed away. . .

"It was a surprise," offered the alien teen. At the moment, she was threading her fingers through her hair, attempting to purge it of both tangles and stray petals. Beautiful. "There was much surprise, and the cherry blossoms were most distasteful."

"Cherry. . ." began Cyborg.

". . .blossoms? You guys went to The Park?" ended Beast Boy, his jaw dropping. "Dude, that's so Lover's Land!"

"I know," muttered Robin. "It's not that big of a--"

Beast Boy interrupted him however, a wide grin cracking open his face. "You were so totally getting it on! Bow chicka bow wow!"

Starfire, however, only gave him a befuddled look. "Getting it on?" she queried, now picking the last of the petals of her clothes. Pink and purple didn't go all that well together. "I do not understand. Is it similar to getting on a ride at the fair? Robin was not riding me, I believe."

There was a loud cough from the kitchen. Beast Boy opened his mouth to speak, only to find himself silenced by Cyborg's metal hand being slapped over his mouth. "'Course not. Don't worry about it," said the tallest of the Titans. "Ask Robin sometime."

In response, the alien girl nodded. "I will. Until then." She hazarded a glance around the room, obviously looking for something. "Where is Raven?"

Silence. Behind Cyborg's hand, Beast Boy thrashed wildly, willing himself to change into a different, smaller animal. Every time he tried, however, that same twinge of pain returned, and he returned to human form. Had Raven really hurt him? That thought scared him on more levels than he cared to admit. For one thing, he'd seen what she'd nearly done to Dr. Light. For another, he didn't particularly care to end up like that book. Dismemberment was generally painful.

At that moment, Robin returned to the common room wet, but looking far more composed. "Star's got a point. Where is she?" he asked.

"Prob'ly in her room." Cyborg released his smaller teammate at last, then let that arm rest on the back of the couch. "She. . .got angry this afternoon."

"Angry?" Robin's frame tensed up immediately. "At who? A villain?"

"Nah." Cyborg's gaze slid towards Beast Boy, causing the smaller teen to sulk sullenly. "Just him." Then his voice dropped in tone, and his words had a serious edge to them. "But she nearly killed him."

"Yeah right. I was so gonna be bustin' outta there all kung-fu like in just a minute," retorted Beast Boy.

"Only thing you were gonna be was chop suey, man!" yelled Cyborg, "What's your problem?"

"May I go check on Raven now?" interrupted Starfire, who was now hovering anxiously a few feet above the floor. "If she is not well, then. . ."

"That'd probably be a good idea, Star." Robin's brows were creased as the Titan was clearly deep in thought. "Just. . .privacy, remember?"

The alien nodded. "I will remember, Robin." And with that, she floated across the living room and towards the stairs leading down towards Raven's quarters. Man, why don't I get that kinda attention? thought Beast Boy, watching Starfire leave. No fair.

Robin too watched Starfire go, although it was hard to tell behind his mask. Eventually, however, he turned back towards his teammates--and then saw the mess of papers all over the floor. Uh oh, thought Beast Boy. Don't let him say the c-word, don't let him say the--

"C'mon, guys. We've got some cleaning to do."