She found him outside, on one of the many walkways found throughout the palace, gazing up at the stars. As she was wont to do, on some of the clear nights. She smiled, drifting over towards him.
"Friend Galifore, how are you this night?" she asked in Tamaranian. "I did not see you at evening feast, is something troubling you?"
"Oh no Princess, nothing…" he replied, smiling a smile that did not touch his eyes. Then, seeing he wasn't fooling her in the least (she'd always been a rather perceptive child), his smiled dropped and he sighed, his mighty shoulders dropping. "Yes, something troubles me Princess. I am sorry that the burden has to fall on your little shoulders as well."
Her bright emerald eyes opened wide, fearful for herself and for the man who had taken care of her since the death of her parents. The King and Queen of Tamaran, direct descendents of X'hal and father and mother to Koriand'r and Kormand'r. Myand'r and Lunad'r. They'd perished in the war against the Gordanians, driving back the alien intruders and convincing them to seek other worlds to enslave. Galifore had been there as well, he'd fought at their side. It had cost him his eye, and cost him his friend the King. Now he raised Koriand'r and Kormand'r, his penance for failing to protect the royal family during the war. But a burden he bore gladly.
"What troubles you?" she asked again, floating up to his eye-level. A great bear of a man, Galifore was at least twice the height of the young princess, and almost three times as big. He could wrestle with fully grown dracon sand-panthers but he was as gentle as a baby silkworm around the Princesses. And especially Koriand'r, his favorite. He smiled, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"I am worried for you Princess. Things are… rather delicate right now, here on Tamaran. And after barely managing to rescue you from the Psions I feel you and your sister are not safe here. That you're in danger," he said. He sighed then, wishing with all his heart he could find an alternative, but there was none. "I fear I must… send you away."
"Send me away?" she gasped in shock.
"It is the only way I shall know you and your sister Kormand'r are safe," he said. "Until one of you is old enough to assume the throne the council rules, and I will be honest with you… I do not trust them. Particularly their southern representative. He has a shifty-eyed view about him," Galifore added darkly.
"I… I understand," said Koriand'r. "I know you only do this because you care for me, friend Galifore. I thank you."
He smiled down at her, flattered by her trust in him, and she smiled back up at him. They embraced, he hugged her fiercely, afraid of losing what was to him the closest thing he would ever have to a daughter. And she clung to him as well, fearful of losing her surrogate father. She hadn't known Myand'r, her real father, very well, she'd been only a small child at the time, Kormand'r having just finished her transformation. Koriand'r's was a year or two away still.
"Don't cry," he said softly, comforting her. "A year or two, at most, and you'll be welcome to return home. I promise you."
"Where am I to go?" asked Koriand'r curiously.
Galifore smiled, pointing up a stubby finger at the starry heavens above. The Princess followed the line of sight to where he was pointing.
"Oooh… is it that pretty white star there?" asked Koriand'r, pointing it out.
"No Princess," replied Galifore with a chuckle. She always had liked that pretty star whenever she went stargazing. "That's the Sol system. There, a few stars over to the left… that's where the Okaraan's are. You should be fine with them."
So it was that Koriand'r and Kormand'r, the Royal Princesses of Tamaran, packed their things into satchels of gantrithor hide and slung them over their shoulders, lifting themselves up to fly through the air and past orbit, out into space. Tamaranian physiology allowed for comfortable passage through the void. Galifore had decided to send them to a neighboring inhabited star-system with the Okaraans, a neutral world in the politics of the universe. They were a peaceful, non-violent race. Scholars, mostly. They would take care of the girls. Possibly even educate them far better than if they'd remained on Tamaran.
Galifore watched the two girls streak off into the dusky reddish-purple night sky of Tamaran, and prayed to X'hal for their safety. And most especially for Koriand'r's safety. She was still very young, very naïve and very trusting.
"He's getting worse," said Professor Logan, flipping through page after page on his clipboard. Everything told him the same thing. His nine-year old son was very sick, and would soon die unless they could treat the virus that had infected him.
"Isn't there anything we can do for him?" asked his colleague and wife, Marie Logan. She was pressed against the glass, trying to get to her son, trying to comfort him, but their ten-year-old boy had to be kept isolated. The virus was lethal to humans. And, according to all conventional science, incurable and lethal.
But Mark and Marie Logan weren't conventional scientists.
They were parents.
"There is, perhaps... one way we can save him," said Mark with a heavy sigh. "Normally I wouldn't bring this up but... it's the only thing I can think of."
"Tell me," she replied breathlessly. Anything for her son.
"As you know the virus only effects humans, it has virtually no effect on animals. What I propose is... gene-splicing," he said, almost immediately regretting the word.
Silence reigned then, as they both pondered it. She knew fully well what gene-splicing was. It was an unpredictable and unstable field that few scientists dare touch, let alone experiment with. Theoretically, animal DNA could be combined with human in such a way that it could combine characteristics of the animal in question with the human in question. It had been... partially... successful in the past, though usually the individuals in question had been of moral-less or soulless backgrounds and had become criminals. And of course there was the theory being passed around that the splicing combined the animal mindset and instincts as well as the physical characteristics.
Would they risk that on their only son?
A cough came from the isolated room, coming from the sickly form of Garfield as he lay on the cold steel table. His shirt was off, his body seemed small and frail. Unhealthy. He hadn't been able to eat anymore, he had to be fed of an IV drip located just behind him. Every so often his heartbeat would blip, and sooner or later it was going to fade all together. He was dying.
It was their only option.
"Alright," whispered Marie. "We'll do it." Whatever happened now, they'd done all they could for Gar.
Dressed in bio-containment suits, the Logan's went to work on their son, carefully rendering him unconscious with some anesthesia, then injecting him with the specially prepared splicing elements they'd prepared beforehand. It was more than just a last shot to save their son, it was their life's work. But without Gar, could either of them really live on? No. They would give everything they had, right here, right now, and pray that it was enough.
Finally, the operation was over.
Gar opened his eyes, inhaled deeply, and sighed. He was completely cured.
His mother was sobbing, her hot tears steaming up her containment suit as she hugged her beloved son close, so terribly afraid of losing him. His father was a little more composed but there were tears in his eyes as well.
"Welcome back son... how do you feel?"
"Great!" said Gar, and he meant it. He felt like he had enough energy to run around the world at least a dozen times without getting tired. Like his brush with death had energized him. He felt incredible.
"Look, Gar... there's... there's been a bit of a change," said Mark gently, laying a reassuring hand on Gar's shoulder. "But this doesn't mean anything has to be different for you. You're alive and we love you and that's all that matters..."
"Dad what's wrong?" asked Garfield, peering up at him. He sat up on the table, glancing between his mom and dad. Gently, his mom took his hand and brought it up before his eyes.
His normally white skin had turned a dull greenish in color.
Mark and Marie were ashamed, both thinking identical thoughts as Garfield eyed his new hands, examining his new skin coloration. They'd turned their son into a mutant. Now he was a freak, a monster. Neither of them thought that, but he surely would. They loved him, but he'd hate them forever. They'd turned their son into a... a... a Beast Boy. A mutant with green skin, pointed ears and elongated canine teeth.
Yet his reaction startled both of them.
"Cool!"
Author's Notes:
Based on what little we know about the animated Starfire, I presume her parents are long dead, since in 'Betrothed' they're not present (at Starfire's -wedding-, no less) and Blackfire has assumed the throne. Also evident from the episode was that only Starfire and Blackfire possess starbolts (but not strength or flight, according to Starfire from 'Switched'), so we can assume they were also experimented on by the Psion's at one point in their life. The belief that Tamaranians (like Czarnians, apparently) can survive in the void comes from 'Transformation.' The mention of the Okaaran's is a nod to the tribute to one of their comic histories, as they spent time learning much from the scholarly race (they were also briefly mentioned in 'Mad Mod'). Here, Starfire will undertake a different path, however. Beastboy's origin I think I had the most fun with in all honestly, since I was able to tie it in with the splicing from the DC animated series without directly referencing specific characters. Oh and yes, Garfield is Beastboy's real first name. Again, his origins were toned down in keeping in tune with his animated personality (I don't know of the comic Beastboy would go 'cool' nor do I think comic Beastboy had pointed ears and fangs (apart from his skin color I think he looked fairly normal)). Next time, Cyborg and Raven's origins.
Todd fan: Yup, moved on to another genre. Glad to see you followed me here as well. I just can't get rid of you can I? Hehe.
Red Hawk K'sani: Interesting is good. And don't worry updates will fly by, believe me.
Spideyfreak16: Well next time you'll see. I'm also thinking of doing the origins of Slade and Terra, but at the very end of the story.
Oceanbang: I'm hoping it'll stay in continuity, but yes there'll be a battle. Read the synopsis again. The Titan's didn't meet over the internet or in a café and just decide to become a superhero team.