Chp.2: Blood is thicker than water…right?

"Yes, indeed. You heard me, didn't you?" Lyss said.

"Y-yeah…but-" Robin said, unable to find the words to say.

"We didn't know you were a princess, Star," Beast Boy said.

"Yeah, why didn't you tell us?" Cyborg asked.

"Well, I-"

"Starfire, my lady, you received your orders from your father this morning, saying specifically to return to Planet Tamaran, didn't you?" Lyss asked.

"What?! Y-you're leaving?!" Beast Boy looked shocked.

"No, you can't!" Robin said then grew silent, afraid he had said too much.

"Starfire…You're part of our team….Are you really leaving?" Raven asked with a slight bit of emotion in her voice.

"I-I have to think about this…" She looked desperately at Lyss.


"Yes, well-I will explore this planet. Take as much time as you need, my lady," He said, bowed, then left the room.

"I need to be alone…" Starfire said and ran off to her room.

"Starfire, wait! Let us…" Robin stopped. "Help you…."

~~~~~~~~

Starfire lay on her bed, her uncomfortable shoes on the floor. She hugged a heart-shaped pillow and stared at the ceiling.

"Father is dying….They need me to become queen…..but I….I don't want to leave……I want to stay with my friends….I don't want to marry Lyss!" She thought and shut her eyes tight to keep from crying. "He's always been so-so-I don't know…"

"Father, why must I marry Lyss when I am older?" A young Starfire asked, her shoulder-length red hair blowing in the wind with the purple skirt to her dress.

"He is perfect for the job. He's smart, brave, loyal, and a wonderful leader. Haven't you been paying attention at school?" Her father asked, his beard and hair black at the time.

"Yes father, but he does not see me as anything more than a princess," Starfire said sadly. "It is as if I have no feelings, as if I am nothing more than something to take care of, like a plant or animal."

"Dear Starfire…Do not be this way. You will learn to love him."

"No, father! I will know when I fall in love, and it will not bewith Lyss! Why can he not marry Blackfire instead, father!? She is older than I am! Therefore, she should be in line to be queen!"

"Now, now, Starfire, you know we can't keep your sister on the planet long enough to-"

"But-"

"Starfire, you are to do as told!" Her father boomed. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Father, why must you be cruel because I look like mother!" Starfire screamed and ran off as fast as she could.

Starfire opened her eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Why must I never have a choice?" She sniffed as more tears ran down her face. "I want to stay…but my father needs me…I have to choose family over friends, right?"

She stared harder at the ceiling as if it would give her an answer. "-but….I'll never see my friends again if I go….Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg……Robin…." She remembered what had happened when Warp carried her to the future and the titans had split. "Will it be the same? I have to rule the kingdom at the cost of my friends…..It's not fair!" She slammed her head into the pillow she had and then burst into loud sobs that were muffled by the pillow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Starfire continued to weep, her dress thrown onto the floor, her wearing nothing but a bath robe that she had found at the "mall of shopping". Her crying was interuppted by a slow, almost hesitant knock on the door. She rose up and looked over. "Wh-who is there?" She asked in a choked-up tone, wiping her eyes. Please don't let it be Lyss, she thought.

"It's Robin…" came the muffled answer through the door.

"Oh, R-Robin….Come in!" She said quickly as she wiped her eyes and tried to look happy. The door slid open, and he peaked in before walking in.

"Hi…"

"Hello," She answered back as he leaned against the door.

"Star I- Are you---are you really gonna go? Do you really have to leave?" The ever-confident Robin the Boy Wonder seemed to be having a bit of trouble with his words for the first time in a while.

"My father---He is dying, Robin. He says that I must take over as queen but---" Her eyes filled with tears again. "I-I do not want to….I want to-- I want-" She flung her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. "I want to stay with you!"

"Starfire…" Robin almost whispered as he hesitantly stood there. A pink blush spread slightly over his cheeks.

They stood there for awhile until Starfire began to settle down a little and loosened her grip on him slightly. She looked up at his face that had always been hidden by that mask.

"I must go…." She said.

"I know…" He muttered looking down at the sweet, green-eyed girl. Suddenly, a feeling of hurt spread over him. He half-heartedly smiled and said, "So this is what it's like, losing your best friend."

"I know," She said picking up her stuff.

~~~~~~~

"So, you've decided to come?" Lyss asked.

"I have…" Starfire said slowly, holding her bag full of things. "-but I must have a night more with my friends…to say---goodbye…." Goodbye. The word stung her heart.

"As you wish, Lady Starfire," Lyss said and bowed. He stood again and left to explore the planet beyond the island, the way he did earlier.

~~~~~~~

That night, they all had a big dinner of Starfire's favorite foods. She acted nice and happy as usual, but deep down, the food didn't really taste that good anymore. After dinner, they played video games, watched movies, and had fun dancing to their favorite music….well, Raven stayed out of that last one.

The night was slowly coming to a close…Starfire knew that this was where she belonged….but what could she do?! She'd made a decision to go to her planet. Blood is thicker than water….right?