A/N: I do not own the Teen Titans. (Though I wouldn't mind owning Terra either.)
Chapter III.
Robin walked along the corridors next to Starfire. The mission had been a failure and Beast boy had gone back up to the roof to sulk. Robin had wanted to go talk to him this time, but Raven said that he needed more time to be alone with his grief. Raven had taken it upon herself to help Beast boy any way she could. They'd all gotten their hopes up thinking that Terra was the answer, now it had made everyone lower than ever.
Starfire looked at Robin, and from the corner of his eye he could see her smiling. "You should try to be happy Robin. 'Often failure only leads to success', as Galfor always used to tell me.
Robin actually smiled at the alien girl. She could remain cheerful no matter what happened. It was contagious too.
Robin sighed and stopped in front of the door to his lab. He should really be getting back to work, but he really didn't feel like it at the moment. "I really feel bad for Beast boy." Robin said finally. "I feel like I've betrayed him somehow. Here I am, and I've always had you by my side. Then I find that Raven cares for me, and I've started caring for her as well. It's very confusing. I wish I knew what to do."
Starfire put a hand on Robin's shoulders. "You can't change how Raven feels. Not even Raven can do that. She wanted to kill what she felt for you to keep from hurting me. Even if she had succeeded, it would not have meant she would love Beast boy. That is why I was honored to have her as my kundogi." Starfire said solemnly.
"What's a 'kundogi', Starfire?" Robin asked perplexed. He tried not to ask the meaning of too many Tamaranian words. Sometimes it was too disturbing.
"There is no exact translation." Starfire admitted. "A kundogi is a relationship two warriors have among my people. Among my people it is quite frequent that a warrior will not return from battle. That is why we have kundogi. A kundogi is someone that the warrior trusts with their life, but that person is also a rival. If a warrior dies in battle, and they leave behind someone special to them, then the kundogi will take their place. They become wife, sister, or mother in the place of the one who is departed."
"So if anything happens to you, you're expecting Raven to take your place and be with me?" Robin asked in surprise.
"Yes, and if you choose her then I would take her place should anything happen to her." Starfire said seriously. "It has been a tradition among my people for thousands of years. In fact, my mother was the kundogi for Blackfire's mother. That's why our hair is different colors."
"So Blackfire is only your half-sister?" Robin asked.
"What do you mean? Blackfire is not half of a person." Starfire said confused.
"What I mean is that the bond isn't the same as if you were full sisters." Robin explained.
"No Robin. The kundogi becomes everything that the original was. My mother became Blackfire's mother before I was ever born. On Tamaran we are considered full sisters." Starfire said patiently.
"I wonder if becoming MY kundogi would cheer up Beast boy?" Robin said with a chuckle.
"Now you are being silly Robin. Boys do not have kundogi." Starfire said laughing.
Robin missed the joke. He had an eyebrow raised until Starfire stopped laughing. "So why don't boys have kundogi."
Starfire rolled her eyes as if Robin were being intentionally dense. "Because on Tamaran, boys do not choose their mates. Only women get to choose who fathers their children."
"You mean that women are the ones that do the asking out?" Robin said incredulously. "Starfire, why haven't you ever acted that way?"
"Because I am not on Tamaran and you aren't Tamaranian. It has been fun though not having to ask out boys and pursue them. On earth, the boys pursue the girls. It comes as somewhat of a relief, though I must admit that sometimes the boys can be what you call 'creepy'." Starfire said with a chill.
Robin didn't have to ask who she meant, remembering the two little Spanish roadrunners that were part of Titans East and their unabashed adoration of Starfire. She was taller than both of them put together.
Robin shook his head as he thought about how that would affect his life. In retrospect considering some of the women he'd run across, like that psycho-witch on speed kitten, it wouldn't really have made much of a difference.
"So do women propose on your planet?" Robin asked.
"No. We do not have 'marriage' like you do. If one of the women on my planet takes a mate, then he is considered hers. If any other woman wants him then she has to fight for him. The winner keeps the man." Starfire said happily.
"So how does that apply to you and Raven?" Robin said getting more alarmed by the moment. Did Raven understand this tradition?
"On my planet we do not have the friends who are also girls and the friends who are also boys. You have not mated with either of us yet, so it does not apply. On my planet you wouldn't be choosing which one of us to be with, we would choose for you. Raven and I would fight for the right to be with you." Starfire said happily.
"So if I choose you…" Robin said uneasily.
"Then I would be the first one you mate with. Under the law of my people, Raven could not challenge me for you until you had given me a child. Then after the child was born, we would fight and if she won, you would have to give her a child."
"What about you?" Robin asked. This was definitely one of those alarming culture lessons.
"I would have to wait until Raven had her child before I could challenge her again." Starfire said and then noticing the alarmed look on Robin's face she attempted to reassure him. "Do not worry Robin, the fights are seldom fatal, especially among kundogi."
"So kundogi fight over men, just like everyone else?" Robin asked.
"Yes, even more frequently. A man might me exchanged several times by the time they are done with him." Starfire said happily. "I realize it is not the same on your world, but if Raven were to challenge me for you, I would gladly accept."
Robin didn't know what else to say. "Thanks."
Starfire looked around the hallway. Robin didn't know what she was looking for until she leaned close. "You know Robin," Starfire said whispering, "Raven can always challenge me for you later if you want to be fair about this."
Robin's eyes nearly bulged out of his mask as Starfire pinned him to the door of his lab. Her face was extremely close to his. "All this talk of home has made me sick for my home and the way WE do things."
Starfire planted her lips on Robin. Not on his mouth, that would have been mildly enjoyable. Instead she went straight for his neck. Robin was trying to struggle free, but Starfire had him pinned. "Yes." Starfire said breathlessly. "If Raven wants you later she can challenge me."
Robin barely was able to reach the door release to the door to his lab in an effort to escape. Unfortunately, the door opening sent him sprawling on the floor of his lab with Starfire on top of him. Robin watched in terror as the door slid shut behind them. He hadn't turned on the lights, and now he was alone in the dark with Starfire on top of him ravaging his neck.
Robin felt torn. On the one hand here was one of the women he loved practically ravishing him on the floor of his lab. On the other hand he didn't feel right doing this to Raven or moving this quickly. Robin hated to admit it, but getting dominated by a woman was DEFINTIELY not his thing so he tried to struggle.
"You must be part Tamaranian." Starfire said happily. "I like it when you struggle."
Robin's heart nearly left his throat. He lay still hoping that it would get Starfire to let him go, but she only redoubled her efforts. He half expected for clothing to start getting ripped any minute. "Please Starfire, I don't want to 'mate' yet."
Starfire almost laughed. "Do you think I am a hifnubble, Robin? I know that. You do not need to worry. I am not going to make you my mate yet. I just want to give you 'The Mark of Intention', I think Earthlings call it a 'hicky'."
Robin looked startled and resumed his feeble efforts to escape from Starfire. He finally gave up and submitted to the most erotic make out session he'd ever experienced.