Aria was spinning uncontrollably. She was being tossed about and couldn't tell what was up and what was down. The vortex was windy and loud. It was like she had been sucked into a tornado. Then everything stopped and was quite. Aria was lying face down on the floor. She began to climb to her knees, scared to look where she was. She finally found the courage to open her eyes. She was in a living room. She looked straight ahead at the TV in front of her. Everything was no longer a cartoon. Everything was real. At least she thought it was real. Aria had been in the show so long that she no longer knew fake from reality. She looked around more and recognized the room that she was in. It was her living room. She was back in her Aunt and Uncle's house. She began to wonder to herself. Was it even real? Could she just be dreaming? She turned on the TV to cartoon network. A show was on. Totally Spies. What had happened? Aria began to wonder if she was crazy. No way any of that could have happened. Aria convinced herself that it was all just a dream. Then a lock of her hair fell down into her eyes. It was a deep purple. Aria ran to a mirror. Her eyes were still yellow. Aria held out her arm, palm up, she created a fireball. She still had her powers. So it had been real. The other dimension, the vortex, the Titans. Everything had happened. Aria sat on the floor. She buried her head in her hands. Tears began to overflow down her face. She cried for many things. She cried for her friends, back in the other dimension. How she missed them and realized how much she loved all of them, even if one of them had gotten rid of her. Aria wiped her tears. She knew she had to be strong and find a way back before anyone knew she had returned. But she didn't even know where to start. Then she remembered her communicator! She pulled it out but before she could call anyone, the door opened.
"Aria! Is that you! Thank heavens! Where have you been?" Cried her Aunt. Aria shoved the communicator back in her pocket and hugged her Aunt.
"What happened to you? What are you wearing and why are your hair and eyes different colors?"
"Now Jim, I'm sure she's had quite the ordeal. Let's make some tea and let her tell us everything. Aria's Aunt draped her arm over Aria's shoulder and escorted her to the kitchen. Aria knew she had to lie to her Aunt and Uncle about what had happened. There was no way that anyone would believe her. Aria's Aunt, Mariel, made a pot of tea and set it on the table while they talked.
"Well, Stuart went off to change and then this man came into the house and kidnapped me! I've been kept in his basement ever since. He made me dye my hair and gave me these to wear. I think they're a Halloween costume," Aria lied. She figured that making up a criminal would be the best idea. Even though the police would be looking for an imaginary suspect it was a good thing because it might get the police out of the Donut Shop and out looking for bad guys.
"We need to report this right away!" yelled her Uncle in rage.
"I would like to be alone for a while. My kidnapper never let me sleep so may I go to my room?" asked Aria, pretending to yawn.
"Yes, of course. We won't let anyone bother you," confirmed her Aunt. Good, thought Aria. Now she could try to find a way to get in contact with the Titans. Aria went to her room and shut the door behind her. Looking around her room, she felt like she was back in Titan's Tower. The Titans had modeled her room at the Tower after the one she was standing in right now. The only thing missing was the pictures she had taken of her friends back in the other dimension. She changed into some comfy PJs and neatly laid her Titan's outfit on the dresser. Aria pulled the communicator off her pant's waistband.
"Titans, calling Titans," Aria called into the yellow speaker. There was no response.
"Titans, calling Titans," she tried again. No answer. Then Aria noticed the antenna. It was severely bent. Aria knew she had to fix it. It would take a few days to get the wiring back in place, but Cyborg had taught her a few things about electronics and Aria was pretty confident that she could fix it. Aria lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She began to think of her mom. She remembered the few happy times that she shared with her. All the other ones were filled with pain from her father. Aria's pain began to turn to anger and hate. How she hated her Dad. She could go kill him right now if she wanted. No, he would have a much harder time suffering in jail. Aria's thoughts drifted from her father to the Titans. She thought of Robin and the last few words he had said to her. She couldn't believe that he liked her back. But Starfire. Aria knew that she had to drown the feelings she had for him and hopefully he would do the same. Then, Aria heard a knock on her door.
"Who is it?" she called.
The door opened and her Aunt stuck her head in the door.
"It's me. Your Uncle and I were talking and we have agreed that you need to be getting back to normal life as soon as possible. I know it'll be tough but you need to go back to school tomorrow," replied her Aunt. Aria didn't like the sound of that. Aria hated school. No one liked her there. But she had no choice.
"Ok," she replied.
"Stuart's back from his Boy Scout trip and is in the living room. He would like to see you."
"Alright," Aria got up from her bed and walked into the living room. Stuart was watching TV. Commercials were on.
"Hey there big guy!" Aria said as she tousled Stuart's hair. Aria looked up at her wide-eyed.
"Aria! I missed you! You look different. You look like…"
"What? I look like what?"
"A new character on the show I watch. You told me not to talk with you about it. You said it was dumb," Stuart said, as he looked down at the ground, ashamed.
"What? The Teen Titans? Stuart, you can watch any show you want! And I'll watch it with you. If you want to be a ninja like Robin, then start training!" Aria took Stuart in her arms. He looked up at her with bright eyes.
"Really! Then I can tell you all about the new Titan! She's gonna be on the new episodes in a week! She can use fire and is really cool! You look just like her!" Stuart was bouncing on the cochins now, "Look, here's a preview!" Stuart plopped down next to Aria and they watched the preview. Aria smiled. There she was, shooting fire and fighting bad guys. The preview ended and Teen Titans came on. She sat there next to Stuart, watching her five friends fight bad guys and save the day.
"No what would be cool?" asked Stuart.
"What?"
"If we could go into the TV and become a Teen Titan!"
"Yeah…" Aria said, "That would be pretty cool," she answered as she looked at her friend's smiling faces as they ate a pizza. She wiped her cheek before Stuart noticed the tear running down.
00000
Robin tilted his head back against the pole he was bound against. Starfire floated in the air and slowly came back down to the ground. She dropped to her knees.
"What have I done?" she uttered in disbelief.
"You needed to learn to stick up for yourself. You did the right thing," her sister assured her.
"No! I am wrong! I did something evil!" Starfire said as she began to cry, "Aria was my friend and I betrayed her! I sent her back to the world she did not want to return to!"
Robin looked up at Starfire. She was truly sorry. But she had gotten rid of Aria. She had attacked a Teen Titan. That was a crime deserving of jail! Robin was both sympathetic and angry towards Starfire.
"Starfire," he said, "You attacked a Titan and got rid of her. You know that's a crime deserving of jail! If you don't find a way to bring her back then you know we'll have to imprison you!"
"No way!" a voice said. It was Cyborg and Raven and Beast Boy were right behind him. They had heard enough to know Aria was gone and that Starfire had done it.
"Yes, I know. Arrest me if you must," she said, head lowered, as she held out her hands. Cyborg put a pair of handcuffs on them. Raven set Robin free. Robin leapt up and jumped after Blackfire, who had begun to sneak away.
"You're not getting away so easily!" Robin shouted.
"Ha! Watch me!" Blackfire began to fly away. Robin jumped after her and tackled her to the ground.
"You are going to pay for what you did to Aria!" he yelled at her. Blackfire looked at him terrified.
"Ok! Ok! Just don't hurt me!" Blackfire begged. Robin didn't let go of her. He growled back at her, ready to attack.
"Dude, chill out. She surrendered. Let's cuff her and go," said Beast Boy.
"Fine," Robin said and threw Blackfire at Beast Boy and everyone else. He turned and walked back to the elevator.
3 days went by and no one dared talk to Robin. Everyone went about their business. It was weird only having 4 Titans in the tower. They didn't even get any calls. No bank robberies, no carjacking, no nothing. Beast Boy was standing in front of the TV, trying to balance a broom on his nose, when an alert came in from a communicator. Starfire? He didn't want to pick it up without the rest of the team there. He ran and got everyone.
"This better be good, Beast Boy," said Robin, as Beast Boy drug him in by his arm. Robin looked at the screen and gasped. It was Aria.