Chapter 7: Obsidian

Chapter 7 dedicated to: Emma Catherine

Looking through the glass that separates us… I am wondering. What is it that makes you so loyal? Why have you stayed by my side? I have been truly blessed to have four angels that care for me as you do. Perhaps you do not know that it is your friendships that give me strength? You are all truly wonderful friends… or perhaps you are simply naïve? Perhaps you do not realize the true atrocity that is this power. Perhaps you do not understand my past well enough to know… if the Psions have formed it, it is nothing but evil. Either way, I am so very thankful to have you all as my friends. I should only hope that one day you may look on me and say that I too was a good friend. How ever can one repay such dedication? We really are a family… aren't we… I pray that X-Hal may spare you through this. Even if she chooses not to spare me.

"Starfire, all communications systems active?" Robin sliced through her thoughts, glancing over at her from his cockpit. Starfire glanced at the control panel before her. Radio connections between all five of the titans appeared fine. Although…

"All systems active, but there is no connection between Raven and Beast Boy's microphones…" Starfire reported.

"Um… yeah, about that…" Raven coughed. "Just… leave it the way it is. I'll be alright without communication with Beast Boy… really…" Starfire glanced back at her dark friend and lifted a tiny brow. The violet-haired sorceress offered a small, sheepish grin from her cockpit. Starfire shrugged.

"Oh, Alright then. Communications systems operational," Starfire announced. Robin nodded.

"Dude! Aren't you gonna reconnect me?" BB protested. He crossed his arms and sneered irritably at Raven.

"Raven, defense?"

"Defense systems active,"

"Cyborg?"

"Engines good to go,"

"Er, Beast Boy?"

"Ready to snack!" Beast Boy trilled.

"Alright… ok, Titans, let's go!" Robin ordered. The T-ship rumbled and shuddered as a count-down sequence was initiated. Exactly ten seconds later, the Titans launched from the pad. The engine's roars quieted as they gained higher and higher altitude. Soon they had left earth utterly behind and were quietly humming through the ebony ocean that was space.

Crunch…

Crunch… crunch… crunch…

CRUNCH!

Robin winced and glared over at Beast Boy. "Beast Boy, can you try not to chew into your mic!" he snapped. Beast Boy simpered, holding a potato chip.

"Just doing my job…" he grinned. Robin sighed. "Yo, Star, where are we going now?" the changeling inquired. Starfire was silent for a little while.

"I am not sure. I suppose we should start searching the area between the Gordanian home world and Tamaran first…" she mumbled. "It is closer than the Vegan Star system."

"Probably a good idea…" Cyborg said. "But how will we know if we've found it?" he asked.

"I suppose… I will just know…." Starfire grinned glumly. Over all, she felt as if they were searching for a needle in a haystack. And Starfire… well, she supposed she was the pin cushion. The Titans took this in with mixed feelings. Raven felt it was a perfectly reasonable answer. Most magic things involved premonitions and instinctive feelings anyhow. Cyborg considered the answer to be all too unlikely for his liking, but was not about to suggest they return home… considering Robin's rather obsessive insistence that they go now.

Beast Boy didn't think.

Robin stared out into the ebony abyss of space and sighed. This was going to be hard. But at least they were doing something. At least he was trying to help. He would die before he just stood around and made Starfire face this alone. The Boy Wonder's masked eyes studied the brilliant flashes of light coming from the thousands of stars surrounding the T-ship. They glided noiselessly through space as outside observers, strangely disconnected from the goings on of the universe beyond their tiny ship.

He briefly wondered why it was that every time they came out into space it was in times of emotional strain for him. Of course… he wasn't really supposed to have emotional strain at all… but he did. Thanks to the little alien seated in the cockpit to his left. He'd gone after her when she'd run away due to her transformation. He'd followed her to Tamaran, trying to convince her from getting married. He'd nearly lost her on a hostile alien world when she'd lost her ability of flight (which was kind of his fault but still…). Now… he was going with her to find the greatest source of power known to the mortal realm.

He grimaced. Starfire… why did she always have to get herself into so much trouble… his grimace contorted to a small, but fond smirk. They would come out of this ok.

"Richard?" Starfire's voice came through his headset. He turned his head to glance at her with big eyes. "Do not worry. I blocked the others signals to us. They cannot hear us," she assured him, her emerald eyes twinkling. Robin exhaled and rolled his eyes behind his mask.

"Ok. Got me nervous for a second there…"

"Would it be so bad if they learned your name?"

"Well… no… but… it's hard to explain, Kori," he sighed.

"I understand. Richard… do you think this was a truly wise idea?"

"Yes."

"But, if we cannot find the power, what then?"

"We'll find it. I want this to end. I want you to come home and be free of all this shard stuff," he said firmly.

"Robin… I-I…" Starfire broke off.

"I promised. Kori, I'll never let you go."

"Thank you, Dick. Thank you so much…" she murmured. They locked gazes through the glass of their individual cockpits and then a soft ding in his headset told him that Starfire had reconnected them to the group.

"Cyborg, just shut up already!"

"Aww, come on, Rae. At least make the trip fun! THERE WAS A FARMER WHO HAD A DOG AND BINGO WAS HIS NAME-O! B-I-N-G-O…" the metal titan belted out the child's song with much gusto. Starfire giggled.

"Dude! At least sing something with good lyrics…" Beast Boy muttered. Raven stared into the changeling's cockpit blankly.

"His lips are moving but I can't hear a thing… hmm… most fascinating…" Raven commented with the slightest of smirks.

"Oh, good lyrics, eh? I'm sure you could do a whole lot better than I could…" Cyborg rolled his one human eye. Beast Boy snorted.

"Why of course!"

"Dawg, you can't beat bingo…"

"Yes I can."

"Then try."

"I will!"

"Well go ahead!"

Beast Boy inhaled sharply and began to sing with a falsetto voice. "Jingle bells, Batman smells… Ro-bin laid an eeeeggggg…."

"Beast Boy…"

"Yes, Robin?" Beast Boy asked.

"Shut the hell up."

"THE BAT MOBILE LOST A WHEEL AND JOKER DID BALLET!" Beast Boy screeched out the rest of the song.

"Starfire, disconnect Beast Boy's microphone please."

"Affirmative…" Starfire chuckled and did as Robin requested. Beast Boy glared at his friends from his cockpit. Then, a slow grin spread across his features.

Raven sighed and looked out at the star dotted scenery they were passing. Just blackness, stars, and Beast Boy mooning her. Space was beautiful… wait… BEAST BOY MOONING HER!

"Get your green butt off of the glass!" Cyborg boomed. Beast Boy grinned innocently and cupped a hand to his ear. He mouthed 'I can't hear you' with an impish smirk plastered onto his face. Raven growled and squeezed her eyes shut. The titans heard a SMACK and looked over. Beast Boy was slammed against the side of the glass and potato chips were everywhere, the exploded bag still crackling with black energy. Starfire sighed and listened fondly as Cyborg congratulated Raven.

She offered another silent prayer for their safety. From whatever came their way. Cyborg's voice jostled her from her sentiments. "Er, Starfire, if I remember right, that's Tamaran… but what in the world it that thing?" Starfire looked out to her right, past Robin and at her home world. Tamaran… it looked like a massive white marble splashed and wreathed with crimson paint. Hovering above the planet was a massive ship of sorts, shaped like a sleek thread wound into a massive spiral of ebony metal. The ship was about one forth the size of the planet, meaning it was massive. A ship that was comparable to even a forth of a planet could comfortably fit all of the people in ever major city in America with some room to spare.

"X-Hal! What joyous coincidence! Despite the less than glorious intent of this mission we have come upon a most wondrous surprise! Gyvkorb Finabrian tol! Sirtinis falbinorg cabra-abonish lyymnuan koritarus! Vyxiis!" Starfire exclaimed, her excitement drawing her back to her native tongue. Cyborg blinked.

"Yeah, that's what I thought it was too…?" he coughed. Star blushed and grinned widely.

"That is the royal ship belonging to my dear friend Vyxiis!" she clapped her hands. Robin grinned.

"I take it you're going to want to detour to see this, uh, Vyxiis." He observed. Starfire met his gaze with a look that quite clearly proclaimed the most intense rapture at such a prospect. "Cyborg, as much as I want to get to the power source and get done with this mess… I think it might be good to get it off of Star's mind… and ours for a bit. Take us down to Tamaran," he instructed. Cyborg smiled, liking the idea and the inkling he might… perhaps… get a chance to venture on the massive onyx spiral characterized as Vyxiis' ship.

Starfire was practically bouncing out of her seat as they slowly descended down onto the landing pad they had used during her betrothal. The others had just barely lifted the glass domes of their cockpits off when Starfire tumbled from hers in utter jubilation. Her green eyes scanned back and forth, obviously expecting Galfore. Instead, a soldier marched up and exchanged a few words with her in Tamaranian, then respectfully bowed and returned to his post by the door. Starfire seemed slightly disheartened by whatever had been said.

"What's going on, Star?" Robin asked, coming to stand by her side. Starfire sighed and then smiled brightly.

"Galfore is busy, as one would expect, with his duties as Grand Ruler. He recognized our ship as we came down to land and sends his condolences for 'being unable to greet the princess and her companions'…" Starfire looked hurt as she quoted the message relayed by the sentry. "I suppose Grand Rulers do not have time to think of their Bungworfs…" she smiled again and floated back over to the sentry. More alien words were exchanged.

Starfire's excited demeanor returned swiftly as their conversation progressed. "GLORIOUS!" The sentry seemed as startled as the Titans at Starfire's outburst. "Friends! Vyxiis is aboard the ship at the moment. He is not engaged in any activity at the moment and I am sure he will allow us to see him. Let us go at once!" she clapped her hands. Robin's calm face immediately became wary. When Starfire had said friend he'd initially thought it ok but…

"Vyxiis is a he?" Robin prodded. Starfire's face flushed and she nodded furiously.

"Why of course! He is the first I ever shared a Kere with." The princess giggled.

"A Kere? What, pray tell, is a Kere?" Raven chimed in. Starfire grew rosier.

"It is what you Terrans call… a kiss?" she explained. Robin's jaw about hit the floor, Raven clamped her mouth shut, and Cyborg eyed Beast Boy as the changeling giggled upon hearing the word 'kiss.' Starfire smiled at the memory and clasped her hands. The shards on her wrists flared. A wave of prism-like, telekinetic force flashed from her body and plowed down an already flabbergasted Robin.

"Well come! We must go see him!" Starfire urged. Raven lifted a slender brow.

"Where did you two meet?" Raven asked.

"Um… in one of the Gordanians' Vegan Sla—um, we met in one of the Vegan camps," Starfire mumbled. It would be wonderful to see Vyxiis again. He had been the one person that had gotten her through her enslavement. Both children of royal families sent as payment to the Citadel. She was not above admitting Vyxiis was something of a first love.

Starfire grabbed Beast Boy and Cyborg by the arms and dragged them with her, calling for Raven and Robin to come with her. Robin stalked behind the group, earning a sidelong glance from Raven. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like this Vyxiis character at all. Starfire held Cyborg around the middle and lifted him into the air as they approached the spiraling ship. Raven did the same for Robin and they were soon hovering in front of the door to the craft, Beast Boy in sparrow form.

Starfire didn't knock. She simply freed one hand and slid the door open with a strong arm. Star smiled and floated in. Raven lifted an eyebrow but said nothing, floating in afterwards. As soon as all five titans were safely on the floor of the ship, they perceived a whirring sound to their right. All eyes looked in that direction and observed a large black door (black seemed to be the theme of the spacecraft) as it slid open. A tall figure stepped towards them.

He was a young man, perhaps a year or two older than Starfire, with pale grey eyes and long, dark brown hair that hung past his shoulders. He was clad in a robe that seemed almost kimono-like in appearance. It looked as if it was made of black silk, embroidered with silver thread. He blinked a few times, as if trying to convince himself the creature before him was real. Then: Is it you! Truly you! His voice exclaimed in their heads. Raven jerked in surprise. She observed a queer symbol in the center of his forehead. A chakra perhaps? It was a tiny black spiral. The other titans were equally surprised with his use of mental, rather than physical voice.

"Yes, it is I. But I am called Starfire now. It is the English translation… but you already know this," she giggled. Vyxiis' race spoke purely through telepathy and were born able to understand all languages upon hearing them.

Starfire, then. You haven't changed at all… Vyxiis looked at Starfire with unashamed enchantment. She was still as radiant as the very first day she'd arrived at the slave camp and met him. Still, the fire of a fighting spirit burned in her endless, emerald eyes. Both he and Starfire walked forward to meet one another and Vyxiis took her hands in his with utmost tenderness. I had prayed that you would be here on my visit. Truly, it was all just an excuse to come see you again. Father has no clue, of course… I was so terribly disappointed to find you were not on Tamaran. At first I thought perhaps…

"No, of course not. Vyxiis, I told you then and I tell you now, no slavery shall ever kill me," she whispered. Not low enough that the titans did not hear, however. Slavery? Robin's head about exploded.

But I heard of what happened. I heard that the Psions had collected you and your sister. I had only the slightest of hopes left that you had indeed survived. It-It's so wonderful to see you again… he murmured, mentally speaking of course.

"Vyxiis, have you been well? You have obviously been restored to you position as heir to the throne," Starfire smiled. Robin felt himself grow nauseated. Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy just stood and watched the reunion, unsure of what to do. "I must introduce you to my friends!" she exclaimed, pulling him to the titans. Starfire rapidly introduced each in turn and Vyxiis offered a slight bow to each. "And this is my Best Friend, Robin! He is amazing! He is the leader of the Teen Titans. That is what they call us on earth… isn't this correct, Robin?" Starfire beamed with pride. Robin couldn't help but grin. Star was always lavishing undue praise upon him. Vyxiis was watching the exchange of warm smiles between the two friends with careful interest.

"Uh, yeah. I'm the leader, I guess…" he chuckled. Starfire nodded, radiantly happy. Vyxiis offered Robin the same bow he had offered the others and then turned to Starfire. I have missed you so… he lifted Starfire's chin with a long finger, tilting her face to look up at him. He was a good four inches taller than her. Starfire's green eyes sparkled and he drew their lips together. Star shivered as Vyxiis slanted his lips over her, lingering and then pulling back slowly.

"Vyxiis…" Starfire swallowed and her eyes darted to Robin, who had gone rigid in his place. I insist that you and your companions spend the night on board! He announced with a sudden grin. Star took a deep breath and dropped her gaze to the floor. "That is very kind of you… I-If it is ok…" she glanced at her friends and they all shrugged and looked Robin's way. Robin met Starfire's gaze with an emotionless stare.

"I don't see why not," he said, forcing himself to smile. Starfire nodded.

"Then we will stay," she breathed. Vyxiis pulled Starfire into a hug. I will have a room prepared with five beds. I'm so terribly sorry to be drawn away like this, but I've got to meet with Galfore. This is, after all, still technically political business. Vyxiis murmured with a reluctant sigh. Starfire grinned.

"Of course. I will see you later…" she watched as he gave them all a final bow and walked out towards the exit. Vyxiis opened the door and jumped out, his fall in slow motion as he glided lightly all the way to the ground. A servant came shuffling out to show them to a room in the ship to wait. Starfire fell to the back of the group, falling into pace with Robin. "Robin… are you alright?" she asked softly. Robin jerked his gaze up to meet her.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" he said bluntly. Robin continued walking with the rest of the team but Starfire slowed to a stop for a moment. It was selfish, she knew, but she had at least hoped he would have been hurt a little bit. Obviously, though she had left her romantic feelings for Vyxiis far behind and given her heart to Robin, the feelings were one-sided. Starfire squeezed her eyes shut and moved forward again, catching up with the rest.

Author's Note: Sorry for another short chapter... I don't really have any Titans News at the moment. Next chapter I'll probably just put a few amusing things I've found or something. Reviews much appreciated. I got a new AIM and I figure I'll put the SN out there for anyone that feels like chatting or whatever. It's: xStarryDreamzx

Love, Princess Starfire of Tamaran

((BTW: I have lost my mind, I believe, and I think Beast Boy might be the one who stole it. If you see a brain on one of his shelces, I would love to have it returned to me. Considering how BB treats his own mind... I hardly trust him with mine... shivers))