Chapter 3: The Stuff Dreams are Made of
What seemed like several hours passed, with the Titans looking around the festival for the dreaming alien's avatar in this world. Raven had suggested they split up and meet up at the gates before the Queen was due to make an appearance.
"Looks like everyone's here except Beast Boy," Robin said, looking around the assembled teens, "Where is he?"
"Right here!" piped up an excited voice from behind. Indeed, it was the green titan. He was laden down from head to toe with all manner of cheap, touristy type junk; everything from hats with cute slogans regarding the festival to mugs to t-shirts. The other titans just stared blankly. "Look at all this cool stuff I got! They were just giving it away!"
Raven quirked an eyebrow. "You do realize you can't take that out of the dream, right?"
Beast Boy's face fell. "What? Aww, why not?"
"It's not real," Raven said matter-of-factly, "Remember that everything here is merely phantasm, illusion. It's real only within the context of this world. Move it out into the real world and it won't last long, just dissolving into nothingness."
The green shape changer sighed and frown dejectedly, "Aww, man. I really like this stuff, too."
"What about food?" Cyborg suddenly cut in, eyeing one of the long picnic-like tables full of edibles through the crowd.
"Same thing," Raven stated calmly, "It's real only within this dream." She paused then offered, "That said, it should taste real. You'll just receive no nutritional value once we leave this place. It'll be as if you never ate it."
Cyborg grinned broadly, "Hey! That's a pretty good deal, all considered. A lot of people would pay a pretty penny to be able to stuff themselves full and not get any of the calories from it!"
Robin frowned slightly. "We're not here to enjoy ourselves," he reminded them, "We're here to help Star. Since we can't find Star's representation in this world, the best way to do that is to find this Queen and question her about this 'Candyman'."
Suddenly, a peal of trumpets was heard, the massive gathered crowd growing silent. A messenger of some sort dressed in purple ran up to a dias and looked over the throng of people. "Here ye, here ye! Please put your hands together and greet your liege and mine, the royalty with the most, Queen Kory!"
A cheer erupted from the crowd as a coterie of knights on horseback, all resplendent in glittering white plate armor and carrying flags, rode up to the dias. In between the knights was a small veiled vehicle being carried by four squires. The white satin obscured the person inside the vehicle except for a silhouette as it was carried up to the dias. Set down by the squires, the sides split open as a young woman stepped out onto the platform, the cheers of the crowd springing anew.
"That... that's Starfire!" Cyborg exclaimed, pointing at the figure.
It was, indeed, the missing team member, though dressed in a way none of them had seen her dressed. Keeping with the fairytale theme of the entire realm, she was draped in purple robes with fluffy white trimmings, the sleeves of the garment ridiculously huge. Her hair was longer, going down to mid back, and swept behind her. On her head was a sparkling tiara, the material it was made of looking like a cross between diamond and brushed steel. Her green eyes swept over the crowd as she smiled and waved, eliciting yet another loud cheer from the populace.
"In addition!" the announcer shouted over the din of the crowd, "The Queen has graciously offered a place at her private banquet table as a prize in this Festival of Giving Games!"
"Come on, let's go get her," Beast Boy said, beginning to try and worm his way through the crowd. Before Robin could stop him, though, he had already reached the front of the crowd. He was stopped almost immediately by the knights who blocked his path. "Hey, c'mon, let me pass! I'm good friends with the Queenie."
The knight narrowed his eyes behind the helmet that obscured his face, "I highly doubt that."
"Just ask her!" Beast Boy stated, motioning to Starfire. For her own part, Starfire did notice the green teen and offered a smile, but it was one without recognition.
The knight again narrowed his eyes, glaring at Beast Boy and moving his hand to the sword kept on his hip. With a visible gulp, the teen wisely decided to beat a hasty retreat back through the crowd to the other titans. "They wouldn't let me get near her! She didn't seem to recognize me, either."
Raven pursed her lips tightly, "Yes, well. I did say this place has it's own internal reality. Clearly, in this dream Starfire imagines herself a Queen. It's unlikely she would remember us."
"So we have no choice," Robin stated with a nod, "We have to enter this contest in order to get close to her. Let's go!"