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Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Teen Titans so don't even try suing me for the minuscule property I have.
Ch. 27: Unbreakable Bond
Starfire happily floated down the hall. She had so much fun at the club with all her wonderful friends, including Speedy. She was sure she had some feelings for the young man that went beyond friendship. The feelings that stirred within her reminded her of how she once felt for Robin and those feelings made her feel warm. She realized that in a way Speedy was a replacement for Robin as they were in fact so similar in so many ways but the things about Robin that worried her so much, the obsessive nature and the mistrust that always seemed to follow Robin, were not found in Speedy. Starfire had decided she would just take everything slow and make sure that it was truly Speedy she cared for and not still Robin. Speedy was too good of a person and made her feel too good for her to try a relationship with him if she wasn't completely sure where her feelings lied. Right now, she was simply happy to have him around.
She had gotten back late with the rest of the Titan's and said her good nights. There was still one thing she had to do and that was go check on SoulBurn and Blackfire. They had disappeared together at some point in the evening and Starfire had seen her sister slowly getting out of control as was becoming all too common as of late for her older sister. Starfire worried greatly about her. Even though she had come to Earth looking for forgiveness and had helped the Titans in any of the instances in which she was needed, Blackfire had truly never said what made her come back begging her sister to forgive her. In fact, Blackfire had never even made it clear why she had chose to try and destroy her life so many times.
In the end Starfire had so many questions for her sister but chose not to ask them. She would make sure her sister knew that she would always love her and be there for her and would wait patiently for her sister to talk to her. Starfire eventually found herself standing in front of SoulBurn's room, wanting to make sure her newly returned friend was still in one pieace. She quietly knocked but after a few seconds received no answer so she knocked a little harder again. It was at this point that she realized the door wasn't even locked, so she pushed the button to open it. Though it was dark in the room she quickly noticed that SoulBurn was not in there, no sign that he had even returned to his room since he had left with them. Starfire couldn't help but worry slightly.
"Please sister. Please tell me you didn't harm friend SoulBurn when he was trying to help you." Starfire left the room and started walking toward her sister's room. It was best she got answers to whatever happened before retiring to bed. It was not long before she was at her sister's door, and she knocked quietly on it. She received a quiet response.
"Go away. I don't want to see anyone." Starfire was confused immediately...very confused for it almost sounded like her sister was crying.
"Sister, it is only I. I wish to ensure you found your way home. I only wish to talk with you for a few moments."
"Kori…please just go away." Blackfire's voice sounded so sad, so defeated. She had never heard her sister sound like this, not even when she came to Earth to apologize. Starfire was truly worried and knew what she had to do. Robin had given Starfire the manual override code for this particular door just in case something concerning her sister came up and she had decided to use it. She would not leave her sister when she sounded so upset.
"Sister, I am sorry but I am coming in even without your permission. You sound most upset and I must know why." Starfire pushed in the code and the door slid open. Just like SoulBurn's room, it was incredibly dark. Starfire scanned the room carefully expecting anything, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was her sister on her bed still dressed in the clothes she had worn to the club. Her back was pushed up against the headboard and her knees were pulled into her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Starfire could see that the black mascara she had been wearing had run down her face, a sure sign that her sister had indeed been crying.
Her sister looked scared, vulnerable, and it was something she had never seen her sister as. Her sister had always been the strong one, the one who never let her emotions get in the way. She never let herself appear weak and here she was looking like a frightened little child. As Starfire looked closer at her sister, she noticed she would not meet her gaze and it almost looked like there were bruises on her throat. Starfire carefully walked forward and sat on the end of the bed slightly away from her sister.
"Sister, what has happened to you? I have never seen you like this. Did someone try and hurt you tonight? Are you upset I asked SoulBurn to watch over you tonight? I am very sorry but you've been so self-destructive as of late I was worried…." Starfire was cut off by Blackfire who spoke very quietly but still refused to look at her.
"Did you talk to him after we left the club Kori?" Starfire was confused why her sister was calling her Kori. She had not called her that since they were children a long time ago. She almost always called her sister or some hurtful name to make fun of her though that had stopped since she had come to Earth.
"No I did not. He was not in his room when I went to find him. Did something happen? Did he not watch out for you as I asked him too?"
"He did as he promised Kori. He saved me from possibly experiencing a very bad thing and took me home when I needed to be."
"I am most glad to hear that sister. I am glad nothing bad happened but then why are you so upset right now. If you don't mind me saying, this behavior is most unlike you."
"I guess seeing me emotional and acting like a Tamaranian is nothing like I usually am." Starfire noticed the slight edge to Blackfire's voice.
"That is not what I meant sister and I apologize if I offended you." Blackfire gave a slight chuckle.
"I know you meant nothing offensive by it Starfire. You never say anything offensive but it is what you meant by your words."
"I am okay with you being different than the rest of our people Blackfire. You are my sister and I will love you no matter what." Starfire was startled when Blackfire finally looked up at her. Her eyes were filled with pain and other emotions that Starfire could not identify.
"You say that Kori and I almost believe it sometimes but you don't know everything about me. What if I told you I still have hate for our parents even now long after their deaths? What if I told you I did something so unforgivable that I shouldn't even be allowed to live anymore." Starfire listened as her sister's voice seemed to almost give out. It was shaky and she could tell Blackfire was fighting back more tears.
"You were right when you exiled me from our world Kori but you should have put me to death. I'm nothing but a monster." Starfire couldn't help but be reminded of a conversation just like this with Raven when they had been held prisoner by Slade right before the end of the prophecy. Raven had said the same exact things that Blackfire was now saying with just as much self loathing and sadness. This was just as heartbreaking for Starfire as she watched her sister continue to breakdown. Starfire cautiously moved closer to her sister and gently placed her arms around her. She felt her sister tense up but that did not stop Blackfire from crying into her younger sister's chest as she continued talking.
"There is just so much darkness and anger still within me Kori no matter how I try to get rid of it. I realized today that there is nothing I can do because I gave up the one thing that could help me save myself. I'm afraid Kori, I'm so very afraid." Starfire held her sister tighter as she felt her sister's arms tentatively wrap around her. This was the only time Starfire could remember her sister embracing her in such a manner. Sometimes it seemed like Blackfire had been against her, her entire existence.
"I'm so sorry Kori. I blamed everything on you and you never deserved that. You were the only one I ever truly had and I treated you the worst yet you still care for me as your sister. I don't think I'll ever understand how you can do it, but I am so thankful that you do."
"You will always be you. I will always be I. We will always be sisters and that fact will always make me happy no matter what." Blackfire pushed slightly away and looked at her sister. Starfire could truly see the doubt and fear in her normally confident older sister's eyes.
"Promise?" Blackfire sounded just like a little kid needing reassurance. Starfire gave her sister a warm smile
"I promise sister. Now go to sleep. We can talk about all this tomorrow." Blackfire smiled for the first time since Starfire had been there. She stretched out her legs and laid down using Starfire as a pillow so that she couldn't get up.. Blackfire mumbled one thing before drifting off.
"Just to make sure you don't leave me." Starfire looked down at her sleeping sister who had a small smile on her face.
"Whatever I need to do to help ease your battered soul my sister." Eventually Starfire drifted off to sleep too, holding on to a sister who was doing her best to come back to her.
The next morning eventually came and Robin found himself slowly awaking. He found his arms wrapped around a small body with her back pushed into his chest tightly. Robin smiled. Her body fit perfectly into his. All the memories of last night had come back to Robin. He and Raven had been together as one being, emotionally and physically. He could still feel her soft flesh touching his still, her state of undress only serving to remind him more of what happened last night. He breathed in her perfect scent, the scent of jasmine that followed her everywhere. She shifted ever so slightly in his arms. Robin gave her a gentle kiss on her shoulder near her neck, and he felt Raven shudder ever so slighty at the feel of the warm kiss on her slightly colder body. It was a sign for Robin that she was now awake. Ever so slowly, Raven turned over until she was facing Robin. Her beautiful eyes held contentment in them that Robin had almost never seen in his dark goddess.
"Good morning Richard. Did you find it necessary to wake me up from such peaceful slumber." Robin smiled at his lover.
"Necessary? No. However, I find its in my best interest to have the chance to stare at your beautiful face as much as possible." Raven blushed ever so slightly but that did not stop her from leaning forward and placing a kiss on Robin's lips.
"You're just lucky I'm in an extraordinarily good mood." Robin beamed at the comment. "I should watch what I say. I really shouldn't be trying to boost your ego anymore than it already is." Raven could feel Robin gently caressing her arm as he stared into her eyes. Raven smiled.
"Though nothing would make me happier than what your thinking, its not going to happen. Despite my control on my emotions, everything that happened last night will require some meditation which I really should get too." Robin was about to pout until he watched Raven throw the sheets off of her and stand up. All he could do was stare at the absolutely perfect, unclothed body of his one and only. Raven could feel his eyes on her as she turned to look at him deliberately slowly giving him a slight wink.
"I suggest you either go take a cold shower or go train or something and burn off all that aggression. I'll be meditating probably all day." Robin could feel his face fall as Raven started laughing to herself as she got dressed.
About half an hour later, Robin found himself dressed in his workout clothes heading toward the gym. He was muttering a few choice words under his breathe as he walked though there was no real reason to be quiet. He and Raven were most likely the only two up as he was almost sure no one else had gotten home till a few hours after them. As he walked into the training room, he was surprised to find SoulBurn on the ground leaning up against the wall seemingly asleep still in the same clothes from last night.
As he walked over he noticed that his body was shaking ever so slightly. Looking at his face, he noticed that his eyes were shifting rapidly underneath his eyelids. He must be having a nightmare and considering what he had experienced, it probably was something beyond anything Robin could imagine. Robin gently put his hand on SoulBurn's shoulder to try and wake him. He was completely caught off guard by what happened next. Faster than he thought SoulBurn could move, SoulBurn was up to his feet grabbing Robin by the front of his shirt. It only took a second but Robin found himself being held off the ground by the taller SoulBurn, staring into two glowing blue eyes and an extended energy blade pressing against his throat, already starting to burn the flesh around it.
