Woot, another update! Anyways, sorry for keeping you waiting; my laptop's hard drive was fried so I lost all my work, including this chapter which I could have posted a bunch of days earlier had it not. ;( But I got it fixed so I finally can start writing once again. Enjoy!
D-I-WaRrIa: Thanks! :D Can't wait for you to update your stories as well. This cheered me up from my cruddy mood I was in all day. :) Thanks again!
Legato 626: Take your time when writing your story; don't rush. :) And thanks for reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.
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Chapter 14: Another Adventure
Dawn came quickly the next day. Robin, weakly getting out of his bed, decided to pay Starfire a visit and make sure she was fine, considering that haunting dream he had. That was pretty much the only thing keeping Robin tense. He had a bad feeling about this whole adventure for reasons he couldn't figure out, which was odd for the Boy Wonder who usually enjoyed these kinds of journeys. Then again, the fate of Earth rested upon these six teenagers; not exactly something pleasant to think about.
Robin rubbed his eyes and proceeded out the door. The hallways were silent; no activity was present except for the occasional servant passing by. Trying to be as quiet as possible as to avoid waking anyone up, Robin trekked through the hallways, arriving at Starfire's door. He carefully pushed it open and stepped inside, immediately noticing that Starfire was peacefully asleep. With a smile, Robin slowly approached the foot of her bed.
"Love you, Star..." The Boy Wonder whispered, slowly stroking her hair as she slept. Seeing that Starfire was all but in danger, Robin was calmed down significantly. If King Smilax or whoever intended to harm Starfire indeed tried to, regardless of what happened in the dream, Robin promised that he'd do whatever it takes to avoid that.
"Robin...?" The Boy Wonder, a bit startled, looked down and noticed that Starfire was awake.
"Oh hey Star. Uh, sorry for waking you." Robin said with embarrassment, "If you want, I could leave now..."
Starfire instantly sat up, "No no, it's ok! I was hoping not to oversleep anyway." The Tamaranian said with a wide smile. Robin returned the smile, failing to take notice that his hand was still caressing her hair. Starfire closed her eyes slightly, enjoying the moment.
"So, uh, ready to start that new adventure today?" Robin asked, trying to break the silence. He wanted to tell her about the dream he had last night, but was hesitant. It probably would be better if he didn't worry her with such things right after she woke up, so Robin decided to hold off on the topic.
The Tamaranian teen nodded her head, placing a hand over Robin's. "Oh yes, it will be most exciting!"
Robin smiled and reluctantly removed his hand from Starfire's forehead. "Well, I guess I better get going. I bet everyone's already eating breakfast. Meet you there." The Boy Wonder leaned down and planted a small kiss on her cheek.
Starfire beamed and sprang out of her bed, renewed with her usual energy. Robin grinned and walked out the door, but not before giving Starfire one more quick kiss on the cheek which caused the two to blush deeply.
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(At the dining hall)
"Morning, Titans!" Robin gave a cheery welcome as he as entered the dining hall and walked over to where the other Titans were sitting.
Cyborg emitted a loud yawn, "Uh yeah, morning..." He looked as though he hadn't gotten enough sleep. As a matter of fact, all of the Titans there were drowsy. Beastboy was eating some toast with his eyes half closed. Terra was resting her head on his shoulder, apparently asleep. Even Raven was dozing off as she tried to meditate.
"Um, why are you all sleepy?" The Boy Wonder questioned.
Beastboy spoke up, barely, "We stood up till like dawn... playing video games in Cyborg's room."
"How the hell did you bring your video games along if..." Robin started.
"He didn't... Looks like King Smilax wasn't lying... this place is more advanced then ya'll think..." Cyborg interrupted, trying his best to stay awake.
Robin didn't feel like pursuing the subject and went off to grab some quick food off the newly prepared buffet tables. Moments later, Starfire skipped into the hall, energetic as expected.
"Friends! I believe you are all ready to depart on our new journey, yes?" Starfire chirped as she approached the drowsy Titans. She was answered by irritated voices as the Titans wanted nothing but sleep. Just as Robin returned to the table, both King Smilax and Karthor appeared from a nearby door. Noticing the Titans already up, the two beamed and hurried over.
"Well, today's the day!" Karthor exclaimed, but then noticed the slumberous teens. "Say, you don't look very excited. Had a hard time sleeping?"
"Nah, more like video games all night," Robin said with a laugh.
"Ah I see," Karthor responded, pulling a flask of liquid out of his cloak and dangling it in front of the group, "Here, this will wake you up." The sleepy Titans reluctantly poured some of the liquid into cups are drank it. Much to their surprise, they woke up instantly.
"Dude, this stuff is awesome!" Beastboy commented with full energy.
King Smilax laughed, "Sure beats that coffee you have on Earth doesn't it? Anyways, now that you are all alive and well, we might as well get ready for your departure. Give me one second." The King snapped his fingers and a group of three guards carrying various items entered through the main entrance and approached the Titans.
"Here are two bags of food, which should last you for about a fortnight," Karthor said as he handed a pair of rather light twin brown sacks. "A clean river will run along the path you are going to take, meaning water is of no problem. Of course, you'll need this map." The elder passed Robin an old piece of rolled up parchment.
King Smilax clapped his hands once and thought for a moment. "I guess that's everything you'll need. The first temple is marked off on the map and the quickest path is also noted. It should take you a few days at most to break the barrier there, which is at the Jungle Temple."
"The strongest creatures you will see are only some wolves that can be scared off by fire. Once inside the Jungle Temple, try heading towards the center since that's where the barrier is rumored to be." Karthor explained.
Raven interrupted, "Uh, how can we help if our powers don't work except for Robin and Cyborg's?"
"Ah yes! I almost forgot!" King Smilax piped up, slapping himself in the process. "Here, these should bypass the curse and allow you to use your powers, but they will be limited however." The King handed Raven, Starfire, Terra, and Beastboy some amulets. The amulets were simply a small emerald jewel was attached to a thin but durable gold string. The Titans put the trinkets around their necks as the king instructed.
Karthor continued, "With these, your powers shall work in a limited manner as King Smilax said. Raven and Starfire, you will be able to use your normal attacks, but you will be unable to fly. Terra, you will be able to summon boulders as usual, but you can't control the earth completely such as forming spikes out of rocky walls. And finally, Beastboy your powers are functional as usual, but you can't morph into very large animals such as some dinosaurs and elephants."
"Can I still change into a giant gorilla?" Beastboy asked with hope.
Karthor shook his head, "Not a giant gorilla, but an normal sized gorilla should be fine."
"Well, better than nothing at least," the shape shifter shrugged.
"So you all now understand what you are able to do and what you aren't?" King Smilax summarized.
"Yeah, but like BB said, it's better than not having any powers at all," Terra said, renewed with confidence.
"So it's settled! And remember, after you destroy the barrier at the Jungle Temple, come back here to rest and restock. Good luck Titans, and thanks a bundle!" King Smilax boomed in his powerful voice.
Karthor escorted the Titans to the gates of Emporia. "Well, good luck! To get you started, the Temple should be somewhere in that direction." The elder pointed southwest, indicating a dirt path that followed that direction along a fresh stream of water. "It should take you about a few hours to get there by foot, and make sure to stay near that stream over there. Follow the same path back here on your return journey."
"Can we expect any hostile creatures or other dangerous stuff along the way?" Cyborg asked the elder.
"Not that I know of. But once you get inside the jungle, look out for black vipers, forest boars, and any other large animal. If you don't disturb them, they shouldn't attack you." Karthor explained, "Any other concerns?"
The Titans shook their heads. "I guess that's all." Robin commented.
"Alright then, good luck Titans! We won't forget what you are doing for us!" Karthor acknowledged and waved his hand, walking back through the familiar gates.
"Remind me again why we are going through this," Raven said dully as the Titans began on their way.
Robin said, "Because we need to. Sure it doesn't affect Earth itself, but we need to get back home, too. By breaking the barriers, we help the people here and we can return back to Earth through the portal in the pyramid, like Karthor and the King explained to us."
Raven rolled her eyes, "This is going to take a loooong while..."
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(Back at the castle)
King Smilax was standing inside the tallest tower of his castle, watching the Titans walk down the path Karthor pointed out earlier. 'Maybe they'll succeed, just maybe. This is one of the easiest temples, but I can feel that they'll be struggling. No matter.'
"Uh, King Smilax?" Karthor entered the tower from the door behind the King.
"What, oh yes. What do you need?" King Smilax was caught off-guard by Karthor's unexpected intrusion.
The elder sighed. "Are you sure they are prepared for such a task? I mean, they don't even know which creatures are dangerous and which aren't. I pointed some out, but the majority I left out. And if they do reach the barrier, they still have to get rid of that creature that protects it."
"You've got to have more faith in them," King Smilax said, contradicting his previous thoughts, "Sure it's tough, but they can handle it."
Karthor still looked slightly guilty, "You're right, but I just feel like we could have prepared them more."
King Smilax shook his head and sighed. "How about this: take the rest of the day to relax yourself; you looked way too stressed out. Take a nap or something, and try to not think about it. Believe me, it helps." Karthor agreed and thanked him, proceeding back out the door. The King smiled and turned around to face the window once again, deep in thought.
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The Titans were nearing the jungle that Karthor mentioned before. Not too far now; just about another half hour. Having been walking all this time without much rest, Robin decided to take a break.
"Alright Titans, time for a quick rest," Robin said, examining his map, "We are making great progress so far. I think that we should be able to reach the temple just before sunset, and we can camp out over there. Tomorrow morning we'll try to get rid of that barrier inside."
"Uh dude, there is no way I'm sleeping in the middle of a jungle, especially since there are things in it that want to bite my head off!" Beastboy complained as he washed his face in the stream.
Cyborg sighed, "That's why we'll have someone to stay guard. I say ya'll should switch every 2 hours or so."
After another five minutes, the Titans (reluctantly) pack up and continued back down the path. Eventually, a jungle appeared in view, it's dense flora growing all over the place. Though the afternoon sun was present, dark clouds hung low over this wilderness, choking off any possible light. The thick, almost tropical, leaves of the trees contained a misty shade of mint green. The trees themselves towered high above the ground, possibly more than twenty feet!
"Well, this looks like the jungle, unfortunately," Terra commented as the group reached its perimeter.
Robin checked his map once more just to be sure. "Hmm, looks like it. Once we enter, stay close together because the path blends in with the plants, which makes it hard to find. I'll lead the way, just don't get separated."
And so the group of teens carefully proceeded into the mess of vegetation. Like expected, light was scarce inside. The vast canopy of leaves shielded any remaining light that managed to pass through the clouds. The brown dirt path sliced its way through the overgrowth, though hard to see due to the lack of light. Thick branches criss-crossed over the path, forming almost like a tunnel around it. Various sounds could be easily heard, though it was almost impossible for the Titans to identify which animal made them. The air was moist with the elevated humidity, making breathing rather difficult, but bearable for now.
Cyborg turned on one of his lights on his sonic cannon while Starfire, using the limited magic she had, caused her hand to glow with deep emerald light. Visibility was increased, though only slightly.
"Like I said, stay close together," Robin announced from up ahead, "Getting lost here would be a pain..." Starfire immediately took hold on Robin's hand as Terra held onto Beastboy's arm. Cyborg and Raven edged closer to each other as well as the Titans began to make their way through the jungle.
"Robin, how much farther away is this Jungle Temple?" Starfire asked after an hour of constant walking, which felt more like a day or two.
The Boy Wonder wasn't too sure, "Dunno, I can't figure out since this map doesn't show any distance, but I think it will take us another hour."
"Too bad most of our powers are dumped," Beastboy sighed, "We could have got there like 60x faster."
"Yeah, but at least we can enjoy the great nature here!" Terra joked, causing the entire group, which the exception of Raven, to laugh and lifting Beastboy's mood. The changeling hugged her tightly in return for a few seconds before the teens began moving again.
It wasn't long before the Titans reached an aged, wooden bridge. The floorboards were rotting and the small stonewalls on either side of the bridge were chipped and cracked. A swampy stream passed underneath with alien fish bolting through the water at amazing speeds every so often.
"Almost there according to the map," Robin announced, looking ahead, "The good news is that it's mostly a straight path to the temple now."
Raven muttered sarcastically in monotone, "You call that good news?"
"Uh, yeah I guess," Robin replied, unsure of what Raven was trying to say.
"In case you didn't notice, it's getting lighter," the dark witch pointed out. Indeed, the darkness that once was so dominant was giving way. True, visibility remained rather low even with the assistance of Cyborg and Starfire, but nonetheless this was a good sign as Robin now stated.
The Titans crossed the bridge, slowly to make sure it wouldn't collapse, and continued to follow the path on the other side. The darkness dissipated almost completely as the teens moved further into the jungle, enough for Cyborg and Starfire to stop emitting light. The dirt path now became an old, gray stone pathway that stood out easily from the rest of the wild jungle. It didn't take long from here until the Titans reached an opening in the trees.
"Wow... now this is what I call ancient!" Cyborg commented at the sight before him.
That was indeed an understatement. The Titans now stood in a spacious circular, unmaintained courtyard. In the center stood an unused fountain; the water inside it was slimy and green. There were some patches of grass scattered all over the place. The sunlight easily reached this place through a large break in the dark clouds above. The same stone pathway that led the Titans into the courtyard now was lining the perimeter of the fountain and led forward beyond it, where the Jungle Temple stood in all its glory.
The Jungle Temple was an enormous building made of some creamy colored stone. The building stretched sideways at an unidentifiable length as trees at the perimeter of the courtyard denied any further view. It was about thirty stories high and contained open windows in various places. Vines ran the height of some of the walls and certain stones were cracked from age. A musty smell hung in the air, adding to the atmosphere.
A pair of identical statues stood on either side of the entrance. The statues were of Lord Firesprite himself standing at average height and smiling viciously. A large flight of stairs led to the actual entrance of the temple which was elevated about ten feet. All in all, the temple was probably sacred to the people that inhabited Serenia before Lord Firesprite destroyed it.
"Man, I never expected the temple to be like this," Cyborg added further.
Robin took a few minutes to analyze it. "Definitely worth taking a picture of it if we had a camera," the Boy Wonder joked around. The rest of the group was still awestruck at the sight of this place.
"Heh, even I think it looks decent," Raven said, surprising the rest of the Titans with her unexpected compliment.
"Anyways, sunset is in a few minutes, so we better get ready for the night," Robin continued, noticing the light from the sun was starting to get scarce again as the piece of visible sky above turned a pleasant tint of evening gold.
"I'm really gonna sleep great tonight out in the fresh air," Cyborg said, "but only if BB doesn't start snoring again."
"Hey, I don't snore!" Beastboy yelled back as he was bringing in some branches for a fire.
The robotic teen snickered, "Just playing, just playing..." He went ahead and made a campfire from the branches. The Titans finally went ahead and settled in for the night. Cyborg walked over to the side of the temple and leaned back against the wall, shutting down as Raven sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Beastboy cuddled Terra close as she placed her head on his chest, stroking the shape shifter's cheek.
Robin and Starfire, however, were still up sitting next to the campfire. The Boy Wonder wanted to talk to Starfire about the dream he had, but was hesitating nervously.
"Robin? Is something wrong?" Starfire questioned, noticing the look on Robin's face.
"Nothing, but I was meaning to talk to you about something," the Boy Wonder said. Starfire leaned closer to hear what Robin had to say. "Sigh, ok. Last night, I had a weird dream, and it wasn't just any dream. I was standing inside some kind of room with a huge hole in the middle where energy or something was floating from. Then three people came in, King Smilax, Breaker, and some other guy named Acrimon. The worst thing is that King Smilax was holding you over the pit and... and he threw you in... That... that's when I woke up."
The Tamaranian princess was speechless for a few moments. "It could have been just a nightmare. You... you don't think that will happen, do you?" Starfire was rather scared and allowed Robin to embrace her.
"Even if it does, I won't let him kill you Star," Robin reassured her as he ran his fingers through her soft hair. Starfire whispered a "thank you" and snuggled up, wrapped warmly in Robin's protective arms.
'Don't worry Star... I promise I'll never let anything happen to you... ever...' Robin thought as slowly closed his eyes, falling asleep with Starfire already sleeping in his arms.
... Later that night...
A figure appeared slowly from the brush directly opposite to the sleeping Titans. Ever so slowly, he walked over to them, eyes alight with crimson. "And here are our six heroes... defenseless and weak. Hell if I wanted to, I'd slaughter you all now... but I'll spare all of you for now, but just for now..." The figure said in a cool voice, quietly walking over to where Beastboy and Terra were sleeping.
"You two will be the first," the figure whispered to himself, looking downwards to see Beastboy stroking Terra's hair tenderly while he slept, arms wrapped tightly around her body. "Yes, and I'll make sure of it..."
The figure vaporized in a cloud of purple sparks, leaving the Titans undisturbed.
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And there you have it. :) Once again, sorry for the really long wait. One more thing, I know I'm kinda late at saying this but anyways: Merry Christmas! :D Also, please review if you have the time!