A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply

A/N: Thanks for the encouraging reviews, and I hope not to disappoint.

Chapter Two: Reference

Raven sat high above the training grounds. She had her latest poetry journal open and rolled her quill pen lightly in her fingers. She pursed her lips together, silently scolded Starfire for suddenly becoming uncharacteristically shy, and berated herself for actually agreeing to help the alien girl compose love poems to him. The young witch glanced at the ebon metal writing pen and quickly put it down.

She knew it was a gift one friend gave to another: a best friend's gift, a better-than-best-friend's gift.

Raven heaved out a long, slow sigh before looking across the training grounds. He was out there. Robin was lost in the steady rhythms of Tai Chi, and Raven leaned her head on her hands watching his body move with absolute fluidity. She could see Robin's chi flow around him like shimmering water, and Raven drifted dreamily.

"You okay?"

Raven blinked several times and crashed back to reality. She threw her hood over her head and turned toward the high-pitched voice behind her. Beast Boy looked at her quizzically and then glanced out across the exercise field. A wide, rueful grin spread across his lips.

"Oh, Star's not gonna like this," he said playfully.

"It's not what you think, Garfield," Raven snarled.

"Real names now, eh? It must be serious." Beast Boy looked as if Raven was about to hand him a winning lottery ticket.

"I'm out of here," Raven announced. She picked up her journal and writing kit. The young witch stormed past the changeling and back toward the tower. The pale girl soon found herself in her dark room and sat crossed legged on the bed. She closed her violet eyes and whispered her centering mantra. The embarrassment and rush of anger she felt eased away.

"Raven?"

The young witch opened one eye and glanced at the still closed door.

"It is I, Starfire, may I enter?"

Raven uncrossed her legs and poured herself a glass of water. "Sure, come in."

The door slid opened and Starfire came in, lugging a stack of books and rolls of parchment that nearly spilled out of her long arms. The willowy girl plopped the entire load on Raven's bed and wiped her brow. Raven arched a thin eyebrow.

"What's all this?" the young witch asked.

"This is all the examples of poems of passion I could find in my native language," Star announced.

"Well, there does seem to be a lot to draw from," Raven commented as she picked out one of the volumes.

"Ah, you have found the Epic of Kalan'r. It recounts the tale of the Goddess X'hal's love of a mortal male and how she visited him every night for a hundred nights." Starfire sighed and her large green eyes went glassy. "But it, as all associations with gods go, did not end well. Please, let me recite you a passage."

Raven winced. Star took a deep breath, and the young witch expected an ear-shattering screech.

"Star, I don't think that's…" the pale girl started.

But Starfire sang a song unlike Raven had ever heard. It was soft, breathless, and the empath was flooded with emotion. Starfire's surprisingly lustrous voice cracked several times as her large eyes filled with tears. The Tamaranian acted out the song as if singing an aria, falling to her knees and holding the dying body of the goddess' lover.

Raven wept. She didn't understand the words, but the purity of the emotions (love, sorrow, joy and pain) overwhelmed her.

Starfire finished, and a pall hung over the dark room.

Raven looked up and wiped her tears away with her palms. She finally broke the silence.

"That… that was beautiful."

"Thank you, Raven," Starfire said softly as she stood up. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I sang 'The Song of Mourning' in the fifth book of the epic. It is what all poets aspire to write on my world."

"I don't think I honestly appreciated Tamaran's poets until now."

Starfire chuckled, "It is an acquired taste. I must go, now. I fear the Epic of Kalan'r always leaves me feeling very melancholy, and I must seek the sun to lighten my mood."

The willowy alien girl wrapped her arms about her pale friend tightly. Raven returned the sisterly embrace and forced herself to grin.

"Oh, I have attempted to translate some of the other poems, but English is a clumsy language full of double meanings. And the natural flow of the poem is lost, I fear."

"I'm sure you did fine, Star."

Starfire smiled and nodded. "Be that as it may, I hope you enjoy them."

Raven watched her friend walk out of the bedroom before picking up one of the rolls of paper. She glanced down at the original Tamaranian script next to Star's translation. Almost instantly, Raven felt her cheeks blush and she quickly rolled the parchment back up.

"Good lord, Star! Where did you learn that kind of language?"