Chapter 17: Royalty
Chapter 17 dedicated to: Each and every one of you. It's been real!
Starfire faced the amber gate and swallowed a lump in her throat. She brought her hands out in front of her, but after a brief moment they swung back to her sides. Green eyes drifted to gaze over at Robin's unconscious body. She bit her lip.
Starfire could feel the pulse of the power source sending surges of energy to the shards. It welled up in her and her fingers twitched. She needed to release some of the solar energy soon. It was rather hard for her to contain. She had never wielded so much energy before. None the less, Starfire felt completely incapable of charging even the tiniest of starbolts at the moment.
The feeling she was left with was utterly restless. The physical sensation that prompted her to expel the energy and the emotional wall that told her she could not were tugging her back and forth. She frowned. Glaring at the gate before her, she lifted her hands again.
One…
Two…
Three…
Starfire forced the energy from her body. It leapt off of her fingers. The shards flashed. Beautifully destructive light glowed. Star didn't release the energy as a large starbolt as she had done with gates past. Rather, she let the energy fly from her fingertips in snaking tendrils that crackled and danced in long tendrils. They seared into ten different spots on the gate. The burning lines of energy drifted, as if the gate was being engraved with an emerald laser.
With each hand, a copy of the symbol on each respective wrist was etched into the two halves of the gate. Starfire stared forward, watching through a haze of green. Her eyes burned with emerald fire.
Starfire let her hands drop. Her shoulders sagged. The gate creaked and slowly opened with a bright flash of white. Star inhaled sharply.
Before her was the final precinct. Even now, as the white light of the flash was still fading, she could see glittering slivers of bright silver-jade piercing her vision. Starfire waited. The brightness of the flash dissipated and she could see properly. Still, she did not move through the gate. She could see before her the power. It hovered in the middle of the wide chamber, massive and green and humming with life. An energy that could potentially have the affect of a massive atomic bomb dropped on the universe.
Starfire swallowed again.
She stepped forward, slowly and with an almost reverent persona. The shards flashed and winked as she passed the amber gate.
For a moment, the girl felt almost entranced by the creation of magic and science before her. She felt the strangest desire to simply reach out and make contact with it…
Starfire's hair was blown black as she moved towards the brilliant orb. She squinted against its bright light.
Starfire halted a good six feet away from the power, her eyes mere slits against the light. The heat radiating off of it was immense. Sweat trickled down her brow. Even though she was quite used to the heat of pure solar power dancing at her fists she felt as if she would burst into flames at any moment. The air around her rippled.
She really didn't know what to do next. She was no expert on the shards or what she was to do to get rid of the power. She didn't know how to use the shards together as the key, either. Starfire grimaced. What was she to do…?
She managed a sigh and then closed her eyes, searching her memories for any clue. Nothing. And yet, perhaps it was simply instinct that was needed. The only problem was… instinct might aid in unlocking the power to full potential… not destroying it. Again, she gave a frustrated sigh. Starfire cocked her head to the side; eyes still closed, and took a deep breath. Even with her eyes shut she could see the intense emerald of the power source before her.
Everything seemed without breath and the chamber was incredibly silent save the low, melodic hum of the massive thing before her. Starfire took a few steps forward, her eyes remaining shut. Just… give in to whatever whim crossed her mind, perhaps.
Well… no, maybe she should not follow that desire. Now was not the most opportune time to go back to Robin and… well… just no.
Starfire wrinkled her nose. She shuffled forward even further. The Tamaranian came within three feet of the huge power and her limbs felt as if they were being consumed by fire. Something inside of her seemed to wake up. Something took control. Her eyes flashed open.
They glowed. Not with the characteristic lime of her starbolts but hauntingly beautiful silver-jade. They mirrored the power source. Starfire's feet lifted from the ground and she soared forward without another thought. Closer and closer to power itself…
Suddenly, it was almost as if she were hungry to take control of the energy before her. Some strong part of her craved it and drew her to it. The power itself seemed to beckon her. A delicate hand stretched out.
Her fingers brushed the edge of the burning hot power, and lingered. She flew closer. Her hand sunk into the mighty orb. Closer. Closer.
Starfire's entire arm was taken in. The rest of her followed soon after. From outside, only a faint silhouette of the princess could be seen.
Starfire suddenly felt the fire die from her limbs. Instead, a strange jolting sensation ran the length of her body. Strength surged to her limbs. Starfire felt the power weaving around her. Its spherical shape contorted and shrunk to form a thin layer of wildly bright, silver-jade light around her. It was like a second skin made of pure energy.
She then became aware of the dark magic within the power, like a creeping chill that tangled with the warmth of the energy. Starfire's lips parted. The energy flowed in. In her eyes, in her mouth. It flowed in her and it was almost as if she breathed it in. As the unearthly brilliance left her body and was absorbed into her, her eyes pulsed with brighter and brighter light. So did the shards.
Starfire's vision swam with the dancing symbols. They did not bother her any longer. They were almost comforting. They felt like an oddly familiar friend. The immense power within her was easily felt and she could feel every ounce of strength and energy it gave her but it was not hard to contain. It remained nestled in her easily.
Starfire dropped from her hover and fell lightly to her knees on the blank white floor. She blinked several times. Her vision cleared. Everything had a curiously green tint to it, but aside from that she could see fine. Her wrists pulsed. The symbols flared and danced with continuous light. They flashed especially bright and burned the shape of the symbol through the fabric of her gloves. It was no longer just light escaping through the fabric. It was undeterred illumination that winked and smiled.
Starfire stood to her feet. She frowned. It could not be so… simple. She had absorbed the energy so… painlessly. If it was so dangerous… why had she taken it in so easily?
Just because she had the two shards? But now… what could the power do? Her eyes were still aglow with pure silver-jade. Star sucked in a deep breath. How could she destroy it? That was what she really wanted to know. As amazing as this power felt rushing through her veins, she really just wanted to get rid of it. Starfire frowned.
"What is the matter?" a deep voice rumbled behind her. Star gasped and whirled to face whoever it was.
"Galfore?" Starfire uttered, a blank expression slamming onto her face. A line of Tamaranian soldiers filed through the amber gate and made a ring around her. The spears they held were suspiciously pointed inward at her…
"Galfore… what are you doing here?" She asked, confused. The Grand Ruler of Tamaran looked bored.
"Are you not happy to see me, my little Bungworf?" he boomed. Starfire shook her head furiously, silvery tinted eyes flashing as her head swung.
"No… I am… very pleased to be seeing you… but I… am confused!" She coughed out. Starfire was incredibly bewildered, and some how she had a bad feeling settling into her gut. Her K'norfka did not speak with the usual affection in his voice. Rather, there was something cold in it. Almost… sadistic?
"Ah, yes. Confused. Of course you are, child. You always were the slowest. I am a bit surprised it is you that stands here rather than Ryand'r or Comand'r." He chuckled. Starfire blinked. That… hurt…
"S-slow? I did not know you thought me lacking in cerebral ability…" She murmured. "B-but… why… what are you…?"
"Four gates wrought of magic's fire to guard creation here desired. Born of knowledge, empowered by darkness… twisted into purity's soul. Visions seen to cast four fates, to summon loyalty the deepest hates. Final death, it here awaits.
"Greed formed a fifth task; see beyond the ruler's mask. Forgotten soul will soon arise, here to stop a kingdom's demise. But wielded high, let the power call and finish now the end of all. May all that is mortal fall… Tell me, Koriand'r, what is it that you think this means?" he asked slowly.
Starfire shifted, eyes wide. "How do you know of this?" Starfire asked.
"M'dear, you will remember you were on the Royal Tamaranian Star Ship. Do you honestly believe I was not monitoring your activity on the craft? It is only natural to wonder what the littlest princess is up to. Especially when it is you that is the last of your royal blood-line," he said bluntly. Starfire stared up at the hulking form of Galfore.
"But why would you…"
"You have not answered my question. What is it that you think the prophecy means?" he rumbled. Starfire bowed her head.
"There were four gates created to guard this power. Tasks were set by the sorcerers that helped make the power. They were meant to test the loyalty of… my friends… based on their deepest hates and fears…" Starfire mumbled.
"But that is only the beginning of the prophecy. Would you like me to explain? I would so love to enlighten you, child," he said. The words were spoken akin to a hiss. Starfire gazed at him with complete bafflement. Galfore grunted. She really was slow… he would explain. "You understand the beginning of the prophecy well enough. However, you did not consider the fifth task. Conceived by greed. Though I hate to think of it as greed. I am simply… ambitious." He said airily.
Starfire gave a tiny gasp. "Galfore… what have you done?" She whispered. Galfore gave her a toothy smirk.
"I have been enlisting the help of a certain other creation of the Psions. She has been helping me keep any of the Tamaranian uprisings quiet. It has allowed me to rule peacefully thus far. Of course, she wished for payment. It was simple enough, seeing as it will lead to a goal I myself have been aiming to achieve for quite some time."
Starfire was bombarded with memories of her nightmare. The thing in her head that had made her relive the pain caused to her by the Psions. Star's mouth went dry. Her eyes still glowed. A shape appeared next to Galfore. It stepped into the light and blinked fiercely yellow cat-eyes and grinned an all too familiar grin.
"Blade!" Starfire yelped. The villainess nodded affirmative and waved, her long, dagger-sharp nails glittering like steel.
"You see, Koriand'r, I was never given much of a place in the royal family. I was brought into the court as a nanny. That was my reward after serving as a faithful Tamaranian warrior all of my younger years. It had always been something of a wish of mine to rid the universe of the three pathetic youngsters in my care… as in… you, your sister, and your brother. When I found out about the Psions… well, that was helpful. I led them to you and aided them in snatching you up after you escaped the slave camps. Unfortunately, your brother was not taken as well.
"Thus, you managed to escape. But you were left with… scars if you will. The shards were in the family and everything became much simpler. I enlisted Blade. Once human, she is now a lovely combination of Psion sorcery and Tamaranian science. Quite surprising it was the Psions who contributed the magic rather than the technology." Galfore paused. Blade swiped her "claws" together and sparks leapt into the air.
"None the less, she was most willing to help get rid of you all. Simply because, though you and Comand'r were respected for your newly gained powers, Blade's abilities of entering one's dreams and wreaking havoc were ridiculed. She had nothing against Ryand'r, but his demise would aid in you and your sister's and so she was quite fine with sabotaging him on the battlefield as well as depositing the shard she had been given in him. He died and Blade lured Comand'r to the shard he now possessed. Being power hungry, she took it easily." Galfore smirked, as if he took pleasure in this entire scheme.
Starfire was standing pale faced, her fists lighting angrily with crackling starbolts. She remained still. It was Blade who picked up the narration.
"Indeed. And your silly sister went prancing off in search of the other shard, unaware you had it. I slipped into the dreams of a king of some planet quite far away and planted the idea of stealing the power for himself… pursuing this alien myth and testing its fact. The one called Vyxiis, his son, was sent to go perform the task. Vyxiis ended up leading Comand'r to her death. It was an unintentional, early advancement of my plan. I had hoped to get both of you killed at once when the king attempted to take your powers… but, alas, it did not work.
"I returned to him and prompted him to use his skills in magic to send the shard in your dead sister to you. Two down with one to go. Of course, you eventually came after the power source. It was I who possessed the repressed parts of your friends' minds and made them turn against you. I set up the four tasks. I succeeded in separating you out… and here you are. Just as we need you. My payment will be complete when I see you lying dead on this floor.
"Galfore is correct to think you are slow. Or perhaps simply naïve. You have taken the power upon yourself, thinking it is something that can be twisted to good. Something that you can control. What you do not understand is that by taking this energy into yourself you have become a walking time-bomb. One that will release the energy in a blast powerful enough to destroy this dimension. But Tamaranian science can easily extract the power from you so it can be used.
"You will… still die, seeing as it will be ten times as devastating as what Vyxiis did, and you will not have any power in those shards to keep you alive so you can regain your health. But that is all fine for me and with the energy Galfore has taken he can convert it into a form of power he can wield similar to your… starbolts. More powerful and perfect for keeping his planet obedient to him. The tyranny he has created is most remarkable. But that is beside the point. He will be able to keep his own planet at bay and I will finally be free to go and resurrect what essences left of the Psions there are and hopefully rebuild their empire and maybe lead my own conquest across this cursed universe," Blade smiled at the thought and mock curtsied.
Starfire stared.
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"No…" she breathed. All this time… trap after trap… and she had not known of it.
"Don't worry, we will dispose of your friends so you all may meet again in whatever hellish place you end up in when you reach your afterlife." Galfore said off handedly. Starfire's breath was coming in short heaves. Anger and fear boiled up in her at once.
"No… no… NO!" Starfire screeched, fury building with intensity in her. She rushed forward at Galfore. She had loved him as a father. She had trusted him. To think Ryand'r had trusted him with the knowledge of the shads in the first place!
She hurtled at Galfore, blasting up off the ground with a powerful green trail flashing behind her. She released a wide wave of telekinetic force at the Tamaranian Tyrant and let a hail-storm of starbolts rain down on him.
"HYA!" Blade vaulted in the way and slashed through everything sent in the way with her metal dagger-claws. Galfore stood, unemotional. He lifted a burly arm and waved his hand. The soldiers took their cue and charged at Starfire with their spears.
"Blade, call in the other guards and make sure the machine is ready for the release," Galfore uttered. Blade nodded affirmative and pranced from the chamber. She returned with a hoard of Tamaranian men supporting a huge machine on their shoulders, groaning under the weight despite their alien strength. It was like a huge vortex enclosed in a wide metal ring. The vortex would gather the energy immediately upon its relief and would contain it before anything… exploded. Except for… maybe Starfire. She might explode… but whatever. That didn't bother Blade. As long as the princess died. She didn't deserve happiness. Blade decided the first of the girl's friends to die would be her precious little bird. Simply because it was he that made her happiest… and strongest.
Starfire gasped as twenty soldiers charged at her and more readied to jump into the fray.
"RUAHH!" Starfire bellowed and unleashed a ring of telekinetic force that plowed the soldiers back from her. They recovered easily and charged again.
FLASH!
FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!
Starbolts were sent streaming at them and her eyebolts were shot wildly at whoever appeared in front of her. She tried to summon the power of the shards to her fists as the massive starbolts she'd conjured before but they no longer possessed anything. All of the energy and dark magic was at the core of her being, ready to expel itself upon the first instant of extreme emotional fury.
And Starfire was furious. Rage was building and building. She had never held such anger before. "For Cyborg!" Starfire yelled and she shot a strong starbolt at the chest of one of the soldiers. He was plowed backwards into the soldier behind him and both fell to the ground.
"For Beast Boy!" Starfire hissed. She did an aerial back flip to avoid a flying spear and as she regained her hover she twirled down at a soldier who had taken to the air and kicked him hard in the groin. He was shoved backwards and then she plowed a star bolt charged fist into his chest so that he was flung to the ground.
The other soldiers had all taken to the air as well. They had every power Starfire did only they had spears rather than star bolts. They were the… normal Tamaranians. Starfire was the experiment. And Starfire had the upper hand… as well as hell of a lot of anger. But the anger would be what killed her.
The girl was hardly thinking anymore. All she knew was this intense hate for her deception. Through this all, her anger building and everything else, she did retain her innocent soul. For as much as she tried, she could not hate Galfore or Blade. She could only hate what they had done. And she could hate that very well.
"For Raven!" Starfire snarled as she sent three guards plowing into the ground with huge starbolts. Blade looked over at Galfore.
"She's going to defeat them." She said bluntly. Galfore nodded.
"But her anger… it will defeat her. She does not know how to deal with such a raw emotion. She has never had to deal with such things. She had always had enough compassion to evade too much fury. Even now she only rages against what was done to her… or maybe not even that so much as what has been done and what will be done to her friends," Galfore replied. The two were standing casually by the machine, watching Starfire pummel the guards.
"FOR ROBIN!" Starfire screamed and she was consumed with green energy.
"Hmm… shall we turn on the machine?" Blade mused.
"Yes. That is probably good." Galfore said matter-of-factly. Both were so very secure in their plan. No flaws.
"You know, Terran prisons are much too easy o break out of," Blade remarked suddenly.
"Mmm. I would think so. The planet Earth is very primitive in some aspects." He commented. Blade flipped a few switches on the machine and it hummed to life. The metal ring was filled with the swirling vortex of black and navy.
Starfire glowed brighter. The soldiers gasped and flew as quickly as they could away. Starfire gasped as the energy began to run wildly through her veins. No stopping now… Starfire's vision was utterly consumed with silver-green. Her breath came labored and time seemed to slow for her.
Memories ran through her head. Everything that had lead up to this point. Every trap laid for her to walk into. Green-silver tears fell and streaked down her glowing face. I'm sorry, Richard… my friends… Perhaps I have fought too much this time? Starfire's thoughts faded. Her body was nothing but the vessel that was to release the power.
Everything was falling perfectly in to place for Galfore and Blade and the puzzle of Starfire's existence was rapidly falling apart.
"STARFIRE!" Somewhere in her thoughtless mind his scream reached her.
Four titans rushed through an amber gate. A fifth, nearly invisible shape hovered at their side.
"Er… thanks… Ry-Ryand'r, was it?" Raven spoke to the spirit. Ryand'r looked her way and nodded.
"In the English dialect, I suppose I would be Bluefire. But that is no matter. My sister is in need of your assistance…" Ryand'r's spirit frowned and shrugged, for the titans were already gone, Cyborg and Beast Boy charging at Galfore and Blade, Robin and Raven running to stand below the intensely glowing Starfire.
Spirits weren't ones to get excited. So Ryand'r simply watched. He'd done what he could and he was confident his sister would pull through… eventually. With this lazy spirit-thought he faded away.
Beast Boy and Cyborg viciously attacked Blade and Galfore. Blade's eyes glowed yellow.
"No way are you doing anything to my brain again!" Beast Boy cackled. Blade gasped and the glow left her eyes as a rhino plowed her to the ground. The two began their struggle. Cyborg blasted Galfore with his cannon.
"Dawg, you're one nasty granny…" Cyborg growled bitterly and he rushed at the bulky Tamaranian.
Starfire heard Robin yell her name again. "STARFIRE!" his voice ached with worry. Raven's eyes glowed white.
"Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Starfire in all of her brilliant emerald fire was consumed in a black orb and brought down to the ground. Raven released her hold on the girl and Starfire lay sprawled on the ground, glowing brighter and brighter. Her aura grew weak to Raven's perception. "Robin, do something!" she gave an uncharacteristic shout.
She hadn't even needed to say it. Robin was already at her side, cradling the glowing figure in his arms and enduring the extreme heat she was radiating. "Starfire, Starfire fight!" he ground out, eyes searching for any response out of her barely visible face. She was utterly surrounded by green light.
Starfire heard him as a faint whisper. Fighting was useless at this point… it was all useless. She'd let her anger get the better of her… and… well… she was paying for it. Some rather delirious part of her brain decided this might be a bit better than being consumed by a demon every time she got angry, but another part argued that this pain had no parallel.
"Starfire… Star! Please! You've gotta fight! You've gotta… Starfire!" Robin shook her shoulders. Her response was a barely audible whimper of pain. The light she was radiating began to expand outward. Starfire let out a cry. "no, No, NO!" Robin hissed stubbornly. "I am not loosing you to some damn alien demolition scheme," He snapped. "I'm not!" He clutched her closer to him and he could smell his uniform top being burnt through. Starfire's uniform was badly singing as well.
"Please no. Starfire! Starfire, you can't… Fight, dammit!" Robin's fingers curled frantically.
Starfire listened to his voice. It was nice… so nice to hear him speak to her. She hoped Galfore's machine really would absorb all of this energy… she hoped her friends would be ok. Star's thoughts left her anger. At least, what thoughts she could still process over all of this pain… X-Hal this hurt… Starfire let out another whimper of pain. But the light did not spread anymore. It did not get any hotter. It stayed constant.
"That's right, Starfire! Fight it!" Robin urged anxiously. Starfire shuddered in his arms.
But she wasn't fighting it. What was he talking about? She couldn't think much, though. She felt like her innards were being torn apart within her. "Starfire, I love you so much… you can't just give up. I-I need you to stay, Starfire. Please, please don't give up!" Robin was pleading, almost begging. No, he pretty much was begging. Raven was doubled over in front of him, unable to do much other than try and keep her sanity and black out the wealth of black magic. Beast Boy and Cyborg continued their fight with Blade and Galfore.
"Rich…ard…" Starfire mewed. So softly… he almost couldn't hear it. More tears. More pain. No anger. Not in Robin's arms. Robin pressed his lips to hers blindly. Anything to keep her. Everything to keep her.
No anger. No anger. Just Robin. Anything to stay with him. Everything to stay with him. His lips left her suddenly as she jerked in his arms. She jerked free from him and floated up. She floated higher towards the ceiling Higher. Higher. Robin looked after her anxiously, fearfully.
FLASH!
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The titans groaned and sat up.
"Dude… What happened? We just clobbered Gal-freak and Blade the Bi…"
"Starfire!" Robin cut off Beast Boy. He rushed over to the girl standing in the center of the chamber, still as a statue. Her eyes were closed. Robin skidded to a stop in front of her. "S-Star…?" he trailed off, fear setting in again.
"Robin…" Starfire mumbled and collapsed into his arms. "It is… all gone…" she slurred. Robin stood helplessly, holding Starfire in his arms. Raven struggled up to her feet and grimaced. She straightened out her cloak. The black magic was gone. She could think again. Yay.
"What's she trying to say?" Robin asked, cradling her to him. Starfire seemed barely awake, exhausted.
"The power is gone." Raven hummed. Robin blinked.
"Er, how…?" he blinked behind his eye mask. Starfire had been glowing and floating and then there was the big flash and… now it was… over?
"Eh, love and whatnot. The power was fueled by anger, she overwhelmed it with love that completely took away her anger and blah, blah, blah," Raven said blankly. "I could feel the whole thing in my head. Well, most of it. I didn't feel her physical pain. I had enough of my own," she huffed. Robin digested this slowly. And then he hugged Starfire closer to him.
"love," he repeated the word carefully. As if it was new again. Starfire blinked up at him with half-open, emerald gems.
"Can we go home now?" Raven droned. Beast Boy and Cyborg came to stand by her.
"Jeez Rae, you act like none of this bothered you at all!" Beast Boy said. Raven blinked indigo eyes.
"It didn't. I don't get bothered by anything." She said. Beast Boy propped a hand on his hip a bit too girlishly.
"Yeah, sure. You weren't worried one bit about the fact Starfire almost died. Mhm… I really buy that!" he retorted. Raven stared at him.
"I didn't say I wasn't… worried. I just wasn't… bothered…" Raven mumbled. Beast Boy smirked.
"Right. Cause you don't 'do' bothered." He chuckled. Starfire would have giggled if she'd had the energy. For now, she was quite content remaining comfortably in Robin's arms.
"Well I suppose I was bothered… once." Raven said slowly.
"Really! When?" BB said, interested. Raven glared.
"When you friggin kissed me," she growled. Beast Boy simpered. Cyborg laughed. The weight of all that had just happened temporarily lifted for the three.
"You gotta admit I was pretty good…" Beast Boy wiggled his eyebrows. Raven snorted.
"No."
The two began a friendly bicker to and fro, some how savoring it. It was good to see everything was going to be ok… Cyborg laughed again, watching them. He turned his gaze on the Boy Wonder and his Tamaranian princess. The last of her line. For now. Cyborg smirked.
"Love." Robin said it yet again. Starfire attempted a weak nod and half succeeded. Robin stared at her for a moment. A slow smile spread across his face. Relief, happiness, pride… it all grinned at her. "That's my girl," he said. Starfire offered a tiny smile back. That was enough for him. That was enough for them all. Starfire drifted off to sleep, her last waking observation was the sensation of Robin carrying her over to the others. It made her happy. Twice he had declared her his, and she was.
Anything and Everything to stay with the titans. Anything and Everything to stay with him.
Fin.
Author's Note: ... ... ... It's done! Gawd, this is always a really bitter-sweet time. It's not the official end until tomorrow, though. I still need to post an epilogue. That will bring closure to what happened to Robin and Starfire, Beast Boy and Raven and Cyborg, Blade and Galfore, and Tamaran too. That should tie up all of the little loose ends and what not. I hope the ending was... suitable. I think I could've done better. Or at least, it had the potential to be better. Whether I would be capable of writing any better than this is to be seen. Ugh. I'll be pleased as long as it wasn't too mediocre. Reviews are really, really appreciated. Especially because it's pretty much the last chapter and all. School starts on Monday and then my writing will be limited to weekends. So I'm thinking I'll stick to one-shots for a little until I've got a routine set in and then I'll see to a new chapter story. Maybe I'll write Chicken Soup for the Titans Lover's Soul next, cause it'd be just a collection. We'll see. Any suggestions? Any requests? I'll do my best to try 'em out!
Love, Princess Starfire of Tamaran
BTW: You all get cookies for enduring my long-winded A/Ns and the various stupid moments of the story... whee!