Chapter Thirty-Two: "Locket of Love"
Kayla laughed at Stafire's announcement. She found it quite funny and didn't take anything Starfire said seriously. Keyda looked worried for Starfire, but remained where she stood. She did not tell Kayla that Raven had beaten her.
"Are you serious dear girl?" Kayla continued to laugh.
"I am very serious." Starfire told her. "Do you accept my challenge?" Starfire asked angrily.
"Very well, getting rid of you will be easier than I thought possible." Kayla stated as she rose from her chair. She looked over to her side, "Keyda, prepare her for the battle." She then turned back to Starfire, "You best tell your friends goodbye. You will not leave this place." Kayla laughed.
Keyda lead Starfire out of the room before another word was said. They walked for quite some time before coming to a room that looked much like Raven's.
"You can stay here. This is Raven's room; she uses it when she comes to talk to me, or Kayla." Keyda informed her. "All the things you'll need for battle are here." She looked over at Starfire, who was walking and investigating the room. "May I ask you a question?" Keyda asked innocently.
"Yes you may." Starfire agreed.
"Raven gave you some of her powers didn't she?"
"Yes she did." Starfire replied truthfully.
"Why?" Keyda asked.
"Because I asked her too loan me them." Starfire looked at her. "May I ask you the question?"
"Sure." Keyda smiled.
"You are not like the other Shadows, why do you live with them?" Starfire asked curiously.
"Well, they're my species. I can't just go live anywhere. I mean sure, I don't approve of the things they do, but I have no choice but to obey." Keyda rambled. "Can I ask you another question?" Keyda asked, trying to hide her face. Starfire nodded. "Is your mechanical friend with someone?"
"Do you mean Cyborg? He does see many people, and dogs and plants." Starfire smiled. Keyda laughed.
"No I mean is he dating anyone? You know a girlfriend."
"I do not think so." Starfire sat down, thinking.
"Well anyway, here are books for incantations and spells. Here are some weapons you are allowed to use." Keyda walked over to Starfire, resting a hand on her shoulder, "Good luck. Defeating one of us is not easy. How Raven defeated me is unknown. Be safe and watch the shadowed areas." With that she disappeared into the floor.
Starfire looked around the room, it was so dark looking. I'm on my own? No, Robin told me that I am never alone. Even when we are far apart. I am never alone. He is always with me. She pulled out a silver heart shaped locket from her underneath her armor. She smiled at it, remembering how she came to own it.
"I have something for you Starfire."
"What is it?"
"It's a necklace."
"What is a necklace?"
"It's something you wear around your neck. It's known as jewelry."
"It's beautiful Robin!"
"I thought you'd like it, and whenever you feel alone all you have to do is open it and I'm right there with you."
"How is that possible?"
"Look, you open it like this and there's a picture of me in there."
"Glorious!"
"I love you Starfire."
She opened the locket and saw Robin's smiling face. It made her happy and she knew she wasn't alone. She placed it around her neck and glanced down at it. It shined brightly.
"I love you Robin." She whispered to herself.
"I just want to see if she's ok." Robin tried to open his communicator again, but Raven closed it quickly.
"She's fine. Trust me, if she was in danger I'd tell you." Raven said, sounding frustrated.
Robin attempted to contact Starfire but failed because Raven snatched the communicator away with her powers.
"Fine, if you won't let me see if she's ok then-" He paused for a split second, "Cyborg locate Starfire!" He demanded.
Raven gasped in horror as Cyborg did what he was instructed to do.
"NO!" Raven shouted too late.
Cyborg pressed buttons on his arm and looked up at Robin with a worried face. Robin noticed this.
"What is it?" He rushed to his side.
"I can't locate her signal. She's not anywhere, it's like she-"
"Disappeared." Beast Boy finished.
Robin quickly ran over to Raven and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"You took her to the Shadow Realm!" he shouted, his face getting extremely red.
"I didn't take her. She went on her own." Raven confessed.
"You allowed her to go?" Robin yelled, grabbing her shoulders tighter and tighter.
Beast Boy saw what he was doing to Raven and quickly turned into a gorilla and grabbed Robin and through him on the couch. He then turned back into himself. Robin got up and walked back to Raven, as he got closer to her, Beast Boy stood in his way, arms out.
"What are you doing?" Robin asked him, ready to blow up.
"Dude, you were hurting her!" Beast Boy shouted at him.
"Move out of my way Beast Boy, this is between me and Raven." Robin attempted to walk around him and Beast Boy turned into a tiger and jumped back so that he was in front of Raven.
Raven was both thankful and relieved that he did that. She looked at her arms and found marks that would soon lead to bruises. Robin stopped, realizing that he wasn't going to get any closer to Raven.
"How could you do that Raven? She can't defeat them! They'll kill her! I saw it with my own eyes!" He yelled.
"Robin, what they showed you wasn't all true." Raven said in her monotone.
"What!" he shouted.