Chapter Thirty-One: "On Your Own"
"Starfire, we're starting a team meeting." Robin explained as he gave her this look of 'now's not the time.'
"But I must speak with Raven." Starfire exclaimed.
"Starfire really, now's not the time." Robin told her.
"Robin, it is a female thing that I must speak to Raven about." Starfire lied.
Raven, not knowing it was a lie, opened her eyes wide when she heard Starfire. Raven stood up and walked over to Starfire's side. She blushed under the stares that the guys were giving them. Starfire quickly took Raven's arm and flew out the door to Raven's room.
"That was weird." Cyborg spoke up.
As soon as Raven and Starfire were inside the room Starfire closed the door quickly.
"Starfire, what is your problem?" Raven asked, not anticipating her answer.
"I must leave now." Starfire whispered.
"What?" Raven asked.
"I must go to this Kayla. I must leave to the Shadow Realm." Starfire urgered, "You will take me?"
"Starfire, I can't leave. If I show up without Robin they will surely flip out." Raven informed the alien girl.
"Please, how do I get there then?" Starfire insisted on finding out.
Raven sighed and got the things ready for her.
"Ok, I'm going to teach you an incantation; you must get it right otherwise you'll end up in some other dimension." Raven warned Starfire.
They practiced for fifteen minutes until she got it correct. Starfire took her place and Raven's communicator went off. She flipped it open to see Robin's face.
"What's taking so long?" Robin demanded to know.
"Nothing Robin, well be there soon." Raven closed her communicator and looked over to Starfire. "You're on your own now. Good luck and please be careful. You have the power to heal yourself, use it when you need it." Raven gave Starfire a smile and left her room. Starfire watched her friend go.
I'm on my own? Starfire thought to herself.
Raven entered the operations room and took her place at the table. Everyone looked from the door to her.
"Where's Starfire?" Robin asked worried.
"She had to go to the store." Raven replied.
"NOW?" Robin shouted.
"She went to go get some items for me, I thought I'd try to use some spells to help us. I couldn't go because you need me here." Raven lied.
"Why didn't you send Beast Boy?" Robin eagerly asked.
"Because he's band from the store I sent her too." Raven said truthfully. Robin looked at Beast Boy.
"I accidentally dropped a plant and they band me!" Beast Boy explained, getting mad at the store's owner for doing such a terrible deed.
"It was a rare and expensive plant." Raven backed up. Beast Boy folded his arms and murmured something inaudible.
"I think I'll call Starfire to make sure she's ok." Robin said as he pulled out his communicator.
Raven used her powers and took it away from him. Robin was about to grab it back but she levitated it high in air.
"Raven!" Robin shouted.
"She's a big girl Robin; she can take care of herself. She's fine." Raven insisted.
Robin gave up and they continued talking about what to do.
Meanwhile Starfire was in a swirling vortex of blue's and blacks. Suddenly without any indication or warning she landed on a pure black ground.
"Where-" She paused, realizing where she was. "The Shadow Realm." She whispered to herself.
She got up and started walking forward. She stopped because she heard someone near her. She quickly lit up one of her hands and looked around.
"You would do wise not to bring light here." A voice warned her.
"Who are you?" She asked to the mysterious voice.
Keyda emerged from the shadows. She looked at Starfire with envy, she was beautiful. No wander why Robin doesn't want to leave her. She thought to herself.
"My name is Keyda. I'm the one that sends messages to Robin. You must be Starfire." She smiled innocently.
"You know who I am?" Starfire asked.
Surprised Keyda replied, "Yes, do you not know me? I guess Robin never told you his dreams. Well I shall not explain them to you. It is his choice weather or not he wants you to know. Why are you here Starfire? If someone sees you they will think this is an act of war between you and Kayla." Keyda walked up to her and took her glowing hand and Starfire glow disappeared.
"I am here to fight for Robin. I will not let him go through with this. Please you will take me to this leader of which he speaks?" Starfire asked.
"You don't want to fight Kayla Starfire. Please, you won't win." Keyda frowned.
"I will not watch him marry someone else. I love him far too much. Please take me to her." Starfire asked again.
"Are you sure about this? Once the challenge is accepted you can't back out of it. You fight to the death Starfire." Keyda said sadly.
"I understand your ways. Take me to Kayla." Starfire demanded.
"Very well. Follow me." Keyda lead her to the same chamber where Robin had been standing to meet Kayla for the first time.
"My lady, Starfire is here to speak with you." Keyda announced.
Kayla was hidden by shadows, "Bring her forth." She commanded. Keyda unshed Starfire in and stood by Kayla's side.
"So you are the one Robin speaks of so fondly." Kayla said bitterly.
Starfire smiled at the thought of Robin talking about her and standing up for her.
"What do you want?" Kayla's bitter windful voice asked.
"I wish to do the challenge." Starfire announced bravely. Kayla laughed.
"You, you Tamaranian Troq?" Kayla laughed.
Starfire was both shocked and hurt due to the fact that she knew about where she was from and what 'Troq' meant. She grew angry and her hands glowed green and a black aura surrounded that, same with her eyes.
"You speak as though you know you can win." Starfire tried to restrain her anger.
"Dear child, I know I can win. Fighting you would be like fighting a mere infant." Kayla mocked.
"I challenge you Leader of the Shadows!" Starfire shouted bravely.