This Fire

Part One

Beast Boy dreamt in color. Vibrant colors found only through the wild plains of Africa. The only thing he loved more than the sight was the sound. Young wildebeests butting their heads in competition, the river crashing against rocks and baby gazelles stampeding to catch up to their mothers; the sounds of Africa sang to him day and night.

In his dreams, he would remember running to keep up with his mother. She'd sprint quickly, tracking the hordes of toucans, taking pictures of the beautiful birds in flight. He'd run beside her, or sometimes fly amongst them as a toucan, soaring over her head and towards the sun.

Beast Boy's childhood had been very happy. In his dreams he could remember all the moments where his mother read to him stories of great African kings of beasts. He could feel her soft brown skin against his cheek; he could remember the sound of her voice.

Sinora Logan had adopted him when he was only weeks old. The Kenyan Nation had found Beast Boy as a crying child in a biotechnology lab, abandoned in the haste of the fleeing scientists responsible for his creation.

The Kenyan Nation had been at a loss at what to do with the small, green, wailing child, until a government zoologist from South Africa stepped forward to take in the boy. There was no hesitation from the officials in passing the boy to Sinora. She was a kind woman, well trusted and still suffering the wounds of losing her son, Nathaniel, a few years before. Perhaps she was looking for a love to fill that space in her heart and because that child would need so much care, small as he was and obviously the victim of someone's mad science, Sinora took him in and Beast Boy was raised with the traveling sun, underneath the kind smile of his mother.

It was under the traveling sky that Garfield Logan discovered his ability. Sinora had been stalked by a snake, pushed back against tree where the serpent hissed and prepared to strike. Nothing but a mongoose would deter it from its attack and in his great need Garfield became one and drove the snake back. Garfield turned to his mother in surprise and Sinora realized what had been done to him in that lab. She told him what she knew and Beast Boy treated everything like it was a new game. He could become any animal he ever saw and took to reading Sinora's books to become every single one of them.

No one knew that Beast Boy wrote letters to Sinora every Thursday after he received a letter from her, folded neatly in a Zoolife book¹. He'd read her letters and remembered her fondly, always thinking back to the moment when he last saw her.

⁰"Do you think I should go with them?" A thirteen year old Beast Boy asked.

"I think you should do what makes you happy."

"Staying with you makes me happy mom… but you don't want me to stay here, I can tell… Do you think it will be better for me there? Robin thinks I could do a lot of good, but… What if they don't laugh at my jokes or only eat meat or try to make me into a circus sideshow? What if they don't like me?"

"They will adore you sweetheart. Wherever you go, you're a beacon of shining light my dear, dear boy."

"You only say that because you love me."

"You're right. I love you." Sinora replied, holding out a hand for her son to take. Beast Boy stepped forward and took her hand. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"I love you too mom. I'll come back and visit and write you letters and look for your papers."

"You didn't read them when you were with me, why do you think I'll believe you read them when you're half the world away."

"Is America that far away?"

"You're never far away from me. A mother's love is always by her son's side."⁰

Every Friday morning, Beast Boy woke up happy.

…

Starfire did not tell anyone, but she had been hurt in the fight against Slade's drones. It wasn't serious, just a cut on the hand from when she was kicked across a vent. The cut wasn't deep, but the delicate skin needed to be protected. Normally she would have gone to Raven, but the fight last night had thrown her into mediation. Star knew that she wouldn't want to be disturbed. She wrapped a bandage around her hand and was done with it. Deciding she had spent too much time in the absence of her friend's company, she flew to join them.

The Titans were crowded around Sakura. Voices were mingled and for a few moments Star could not catch what they were excited about. Soon the words separated out and Star caught a compliment's tail end, which she figured to be very painful for the compliment.²

"Dude! That boomerang thing was awesome! You cut through like a dozen of those drones in a single swing!"

"Yeah girl! You're good! You can kick bad guy butt with us anytime."

"Thank you Cyborg. I've been training with my hiraikotsu since I was a little girl. I've gotten pretty good."

"Pretty good? Pretty good! That was sweet!"

Robin shook out his hair with a gloved left hand. "Sakura is just like me. We don't have any special powers, so we rely on our training: acrobatics, martial arts and weaponry."

"That's not exactly true." Sakura interjected.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I do have a special power. I've only recently realized it. When I was at the Baek temple, I was given a power. I have a small amount of the temple's Holy energy in me. I can focus it and make barriers." Sakura placed her hands in a spread finger bowl and the team watched as a crystalline sphere of white-silver energy materialized and sparkled in front of their eyes.

"Holy?"

"It's pure. That's what the temple master told me. Holy energy is borne to those with pure heart or great righteous need. He… he didn't tell me which I had. But once I was able to concentrate the energy, I left the temple and found out my brother was here. I came to help in anyway I could."

"Wow! We've got Dark magic and Holy magic on our side! I bet we can beat Slade back every time with Sakura on our side."

"Whoa Beast Boy! I've got a lot of mediation to do before it can be of much help in battle. Really I've been focusing on healing properties. I learned that I can heal small cuts, like the one Star has on her hand."

Star's eyes widened like a dear in headlights. She didn't realize her entrance was noticed.

"Hey Star, I didn't even see you back there." Robin said.

Starfire glowered. It would seem that Sakura is the most observant sibling.

…

Raven officially quit. She couldn't deal with it anymore. Her control was as solid as it ever would be, but for some reason, whenever she mediated, her hair grew.

Whenever I mediate, my hair grows Raven ticked a finger for her list.Whenever I fight a battle that emotionally distresses me, my hair grows.Another finger.Whenever I think of Robin, my hair grows.No finger moved, but she did not notice.Whenever I mediate, my hair grows.Raven groaned. "And now I'm repeating myself…"

Raven dropped her scissors into the drawer and slammed it shut. It was official; Raven would never cut her hair again. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment and watched the way the long bangs sat high of her forhead³. It softened her face and she liked that. When she had been trapped inside Star's body, she had complained about such hair, but now that it was hers it felt different… it was nice.

That night, Raven didn't come out of her room when the alarm blared. Celine turned out the orders and Sakura promised to keep an ear open for Raven as the Titans fled to the scene. They were met by a Special Tactics officer who was just as surprised to find the criminal activity over before the Titans arrived as they were.

"What's happened here?"

"A few witnesses saw Mumbo pulling a disappearing act on all the money in the Jump City Trust. He was making his getaway when a girl showed up and taught him a thing about earning things the hard way. She handled herself pretty well. I figured I'd call you to see if you were in need of a new recruit… But I thought better of it."

"Why?"

"The girl is shaken up pretty bad. I don't think she planned on playing the hero tonight. I don't think she's super hero material." The officer replied.

"Where is she? Do you know anything about her? What's her name?"

"One question at a time, Cyborg. I don't know her name, she didn't tell me. As to where she's from, your guess is as good as mine. She's sitting on the park bench over there. I put a blanket around her to calm her down. I hope it does the trick."

"Thanks. Alright team… Going at her as a group will probably frighten her… Aqualad, go check on her."

Aqualad walked over to the girl and found that the detective was right. Even with the blanket over her head, he could tell she was shaken up. Her shoulders were hunched over and her purple boots kicked nervously.

"Excuse me miss. Are you alright?" The brown blanket tightened around the girl's form, revealing a small scar on a delicate hand. "You did a very brave thing. We just want to make sure you are okay… are you?" The hood bobbed weakly, not another inch of her was exposed to the street light above their heads. "Could you take the blanket off and tell me that?"

The girl knotted her ankles before reaching that nicked hand to the top of the blanket and pulling it away. Her long black hair fell around her face. Her sad, deep blue eyes turned to meet his and Aqualad gasped. Aqualad was accused of falling in love as often as girls fell in love with him. For the most part it was true, he enjoyed the company of pretty young women for a day or two before both parties moved on. He was known for being so cool around girls, but this girl was… different. Aqualad was filled with a deep sensation that took the calm away from his heart.

Aqualad froze with his eyes locked on her face. He had never seen anything so beautiful. She had something that rang home for him, a familiar-ness that he didn't have, but should have. But for all his cool, all his charm, all the ways he had girls falling over him, he couldn't make his lips move to say a thing to her.

The other Titans stood by nervously. Aqualad hadn't moved in a long time. "Maybe someone should check on him." Cyborg suggested, "If it's a pretty girl we could be staying here all day." Starfire stepped forward and flew to stand beside Aqualad. Taking in the sight of the girl in front on him and Starfire stood as still as a mountain, the look of surprise running from her toes to her red bangs. The black haired girl turned to Starfire and smiled gently.

"You have a kind face." The girl said to Star and it seemed to knock Starfire from her stupefaction. Starfire steadied her feet, nudging Aqualad who had all but exploding from hearing the girl's voice. "What are you doing here?"

The girl reeled as if hit. "Have I done something wrong?"

Starfire looked the girl who looked back at her. The girl was staring at a stranger.

"Do you know me?" The black haired girl asked. "Maybe that is why I find your face so kind. But you don't look like you like me… I must not have been a kind person…" Her sad eyes lowered and it looked for the entire world as if she was going to cry.

Tears do not suit her… What has happened? Starfire stood perfectly still.

"Now they're both standing still. I didn't even know Starfire could do still. What is happening?" Beast Boy asked.

"Not sure, but it'd best if we find out." Robin and the others joined her. Those sad blue eyes looked them over. Their expressions brought the blanket back around her shoulders. Aqualad's inaction was broken by the movement. He all but dove on the bench beside her. He took her wounded hand in his.

"We aren't going to hurt you. Don't be afraid."

"Dude… What is happening? Is it bad guys stop other bad guys month or what?"

"Starfire… do you think it's a trick?" Cyborg whispered.

"At this moment… I am confused as to if my sister is in the state to be capable of deception…"

End of Part One

¹Reference to Chapter One

²Starfire dialog equals difficult

³Think of the first moments in Birthmark where her hair is long.