Chapter 2: The Messege

Walking with light feet, Robin and Starfire entered the common room when the doors slid open. The lights over their heads were on, blazing with white light across the room while everything else outside was a dark as coal.

The common room is obviously the most common room to be in out of every other place in the tower. The kitchen and living room were alined side by side. The living room sort of had a hole in the center, where a large semi-circle sofa laid for them to sit and watch television or play on the gamestation. A row of double plated windows was aside from the living room that had the perfect view of the bay.
Right now, a large screen was down from the ceiling and blocked a few windows from view. The screen was blank and black.

Three figures were already standing there, waiting when Robin and Starfire entered the room. Beast Boy was there and he had just turned his green, mutated face and saw them at the door. "Finally! What took you guys so long?"

"What is this all about?" Robin asked.

"Some messege for Starfire from Tamaran." A tall teenager replied. He turned around, standing in between Beast Boy and a girl named Raven. She also turned around and her pale face was flat with little emotion. Her dark indigo eyes looked at Robin and Starfire as they approached their friends. She wore a deep dark blue cloak and had dark violet hair that barely hung on her shoulders.

"From Tamaran!" Starfire's eyes gleammed with excitement. "My home planet has finally contacted me! I wonder what it is they want to say!"

"Well, let's find out." Cyborg said, the tall teen who had spoken before. He was an African American, half of his body was made of machine because of a terrible accident. His human blue eye was associated with a small bleeping red eye.

Cyborg turned his head and pressed a button from the main computer. The screen flickered on and an image of a rather large redhead came on screen. Starfire's eyes widened with happiness.

"Galfore!"

"Gal-foo-who?" Beast Boy asked confusingly. Starfire giggled. "Galfore. He is like what you call my 'nanny?' He has helped raise me since I was very small." "This guy's your nanny?" Beast Boy said, trying to hold back his chuckle. He bit his animal fang hard against his lip to stop. Raven stepped on his foot. "Ow! What did you do that for?" Beast Boy shouted at her. "Sh!" Raven answered simply as the large man started to speak.

"Starfire." The man spoke, deeply and politely.

Starfire levitated from the ground and moved closer to the screen with a bright smile on her face. He looked almost exactly like Starfire, with the same emerald eyes and he had thick long red hair and a beard. A scar crossed his eye, probably from a battle while protecting her planet from destruction.

"Greetings, Galfore! What brings the occassion for you to speak to me?"

"Um Starfire, I don't think he can hear you." Cyborg explained to her. Cyborg was right. Galfore didn't immediately answer to Starfire like he normally would. His eyes seemed distant, looking at a different angle because he wasn't sure where to face Starfire. His small green eyes looked over the screen.

"Miss Starfire, I am here to report that we have missed you here in Tamaran dearly and we have prayed for your safety everyday." "Aw, sounds like a dad more than a nanny." Raven finally spoke, in her usual monotone. Everyone stood still, waiting.

"Your parents have asked me to contact because they have asked an important request from you?" "What is it, Galfore?" Starfire asked the screen, although again this was only a recording and Galfore couldn't exactly hear her words. He looked at a different angle, again unsure. "They have requested for you to return to Tamaran."

"Go back to Tamaran?" Starfire seemed shock and at the same time, very excited. For a while, she had been feeling the 'sickness for her home.' That would explain a little why she would have her late evening strowls through the night skies, watching the stars carefully and practically memorizing each star known to every human on Earth.

"Go back?" Robin spoke out, unsure about the idea completely. "What for?" Galfore's head moved up. "They have a surprise for you, Starfire. And they would be happy to see you again after being gone for so long. But after hearing your transmissions from Earth..." His eyes grew soft suddenly and he bent his head down to avoid any contact, although again this was take in the past. "I really don't want to say this..."

"Say what, Galfore?" Starfire flew to the screen and placed a hand against the screen, where Galfore's face would be. Her eyes blurred from how close she was when Galfore's head moved back up again, with those same sorrowful eyes. Starfire stared at her guardian with concern and with strong curiosity. "Galfore...?"

"You may never return back to Earth." He said and immediately the screen turned black and the messege was terminated.

"W-Wh-What?" Starfire blinked rapidly, her emerald eyes now confused and so blank, far away in another place. Like she didn't hear what he had just said.

"WHAT?" Everyone else widened their eyes with shock and in disbelief.

Cyborg glanced down and looked over his computer. "According to this, the transmission was sent...over two months ago..."

Starfire slowly moved her hand from the cold metal and levitated away from the screen, floating over the Teen Titans with a soft harsh of a breeze. Her friends turned their heads when Starfire stood once again on the ground. Her legs were trembling, her knees knocking against each other. She clasped her hands together and pressed them to her chest, although they were already began to sweat. "I can never come back...?"

Robin's fists tightened and his eyes narrowed with deep anger. "This is impossible! There's no way they can force you to save over there! We can't let this happen!" "Yeah, that's not fair!" Beast Boy shouted in union with Cyborg. Raven wasn't as spiritual as the others, but she simply stared at Starfire and arched an eyebrow up. "Why would they do that?"

Starfire's voice quivered for an answer. "I-I-I don't k-know...why...?" Starfire's beautiful green eyes were flooded with glittering tears and they were hanging loosely on her eyes, just about ready to fall. She shook her head and looked over her friends and then closely at Robin. She shook her head.

Starfire started moving back towards the door. She grabbed her loose braid and twirled it around her finger. "I am going to the wash room for a shower now..." She said and started walking away. "Star." Robin called out her name, but Starfire didn't answer and went through the door and into the hall. The door slid close right after she had exited the common room.

Water rushed loudly inside the bathroom of Titans Tower. Steam thickened in the room and dew wet the mirror that was over the sink. Starfire's clothes were thrown to the side in a pile, along with her native protective armor. A curtain colored in clear blue went in front of the shower. Water sprinkled from above and as well as below and dripped down to the tiled floor.

Warm water pressured on Starfire as she bathed. She took out the braid and her long beautiful crimson hair fell flate on her face and against her back. She raised her head and closed her eyes, letting in the hot warm sting onto her bare skin. She raised her hands and puddles of water flowed from her palms and onto her chest with a thrilling feeling like a fountain. The smell of jasmine filled her nostrils and relaxed her nerves a little. But in most, it didn't help at all.

The water became hotter and hotter and it burned her skin as it flowed down her naked body. The stings she could ignore easily, because that wasn't the subject, the idea that was hurting her the most. The thought of leaving Earth and never coming back.

She could admit that she did miss her family back in Tamaran, but she had found something here on Earth that Tamaran can never offer, despite how similar everyone there was to her and that she was someone they would recognize understandably. She didn't really want to think about her past, too many unhappy and miserable things had happened while she was there. The next one worse than the first thought. Starfire glanced down and concentrated on her hand to glow green.

Many things in her life had happened, one was when she acquired this power no Tamaraneans have. She and Blackfire, her oldest sister, are the only ones with this ability to shoot starbolts from their hands and lasers from their eyes. And there was a reason why. All she could remember that there was some sort of lab and Starfire could hear her own screams, crying out for someone to save her.

Starfire shook her head and her hand grew dim and cold once again. Starfire grabbed the bottle of shampoo and applied some onto her long hair. Her fingers dug into her hair as she shook roughly the chemicals around her hair.

Starfire remembered the day she left Tamaran and the day she had arrived on Earth. She was to leave everything she had ever loved and cared for in Tamaran and be somewhere else for a while. She didn't remember exactly why she had to and the reason why her parents wanted her to leave.

She left heartbroken and bruised by her past as she journeyed on through the galaxies to find a place to live. And then she found Earth, part of the Solar System which was a galaxy that encircled around a beautiful golden sun. The perfect place for her to be. Earth was the only planet that had an ecosystem and had good amount of sunlight, the thing that helps Tamaraneans to be able to fly and use their shocking physical strength.

Once she came here, she never wanted to leave. Because Earth seemed to have hypnotized her with its amazing and yet different customs and ways of entertainment and survival. And also, here on Earth, she had found friends, something that nothing in Tamaran could offer in a lifetime.

Her friendship with the Teen Titans was so deep and so strong, that it can never be broken by anyone, no villian or any other person can tear them apart.

They were so different and yet so unique individually. She loved them all and would never replace them over anything in the entire universe. Beast Boy was the one to make her laugh even if she couldn't understand his jokes. Raven was a deep poetic girl who had just begun to redefine life and the beauty of it all, Starfire wanted to be there for her as another girl and as one of her closest friends. Cyborg is like an older brother, someone to place a hand onto your shoulder or help you through confusion and misguidance.

And Robin. Robin. Right now, all she could think about was Robin. And now she can't be with him and she didn't know why. It wasn't fair. What is it that her parents are 'surprising' her with that she cannot come back to her home with her friends? Too many thoughts scrambled inside of her mind, the next one worse than the first.

Starfire turned off the water and immediately the sounds stopped. But the steam still hung in the air, warming her up still. Water twirled around as all of the soap and water went down into the drain and sewers. Starfire reached out her hand and brushed the curtain aside. All around her, everything was covered in dew or soap scum. She carefully swung her leg onto the carpet that was in front of the shower and her body dripped quickly with water.

She grabbed a purple towel that had her name craved on it in gold. She quickly rushed through her body for a quick dry and she shook her head as well. She flipped her hair back and now curls started to form at the tips and hung on her shoulders. She wrapped the towel around her naked body tightly and tied the end into a bow.

Starfire grabbed her dirty clothes and put them inside the pamper. When everything she had was now clean, she walked toward the door and reached out her hand to grab the doorknob when a gentle knock came from the other side.

"Starfire?" A familiar, yet soft voice mumbled from the other side of the door. Starfire pressed her cheek against the door to hear the voice clearer. "Robin?"

"How-how are you feeling?" He asked quietly.

Starfire turned her head, letting her forehead rest against the wood. "Oh Robin...this isn't fair. I don't want to leave. I love it here on Earth. All of my happy memories are here." Robin stood on the other side, his head also against the door. His gloved hands curled within his palm, his eyes blinking slowly. "You don't have to go, you know."

"But Robin...I must. It is the way of my people. I am requested to go. It is a requirement. It is the law. I cannot think of the things that would happen if I don't go." Robin sighed heavily with disappointment when he heard a whimper, a soft sob on the other side.

Starfire shut her eyes tightly as tears streamed down her cheeks. She gripped her hand tightly and her hand turned dark red from the blood that rushed quickly to her hand. "I don't want to...Oh Robin...I don't want to leave...but I must...but-oh!" She groaned loudly and pounded her head against the door, her forehead already started to swell in red.

Robin relaxed his hands against the metal door, his eyes glancing down at the door. "I don't know what to do..." He heard Starfire say from the other side. "Robin...I want to be with you..." Robin nodded in reply. His face fell with sadness, but nothing else.

He couldn't cry, he couldn't shed a tear, or anything. but his body language was obvious. His body was shaking, his stomach tightened with a sickening feeling. He didn't want her to leave, now after being with her for so long. For practically a year, a perfect time to get to know her and for him, have strong feelings for her.

"I want to be with you, too Star..." He replied softly. "I mean...I can't live without you, Star." "Neither can I." Starfire replied, her tears just kept coming back and falling down her cheeks. Her heart was tearing apart, like they were breaking up, but worse. Robin moved his head up with a strong look in his eyes. "And that is why I-I mean-we are going with you to Tamaran."

Starfire's eyes shot open wide and almost white. Her eyes dilated and her face grew pale. She almost lost grip of the door, but she quickly caught herself up. For a while, it was quiet and she didn't say a word. Robin thought that maybe she had taken it in a different way. He moved away from the door and turned around to leave when he heard the swinging of the door.

He turned his head and saw Starfire standing in front of him, with only a long tower covering herself. Her hair was damped on her shoulders and her eyes were surprisingly shining more than he had ever seen them before. Maybe because of her crying. But actually her eyes were filled with emotion.

"You...you would do that...for me?" Her voice shook.

Robin nodded his head in reply. "I would do anything for you, Star."

Starfire's eyes were watery again, but this time with happiness. She flew quickly to him and wrapped her arms around him. She rested her head against his chest and started crying and crying with joy. All Robin could hear was her gratitude. "Thank you...Thank you..."