Remembersees
Part Five
Raven couldn't help but notice that Cyborg was looking down. Literally. It wasn't something that cybernetic Titan was prone to doing; unless he was talking to someone and had to look down to make eye contact. Raven watched him for a moment, positive that there wasn't someone else near him. Cyborg was looking down at his feet, standing near the haul of the Titans' space ship.
On their time it would have been closing in on midnight of day two of their travel to the Yinti Home World. They still had a few more hours to go, most of the Titans would sleep through it; Raven knew she wouldn't be able to until she found out what was wrong with Cyborg.
Cyborg was only slightly startled when the slight tapping of Raven's steps approached. He knew it was Raven just from the pace of it: Raven's steps were like heartbeats: they were like Starfire's smiles, Beast Boy's jokes and Robin's spirit: it was the thing that belonged to them, something that couldn't be reproduced. Raven was the steady soul amongst them; the cautious heroine, that corner piece that made the Titans, at least the original five, a family.
"Before you ask me, I'm not recharging because I don't need to." Cyborg said, turning to face the shorter girl.
Raven shook her head; she hadn't even thought to ask him that. She was sure that he knew that as well. Cyborg had been generally good about reading people… but he did have a nasty habit of falling on his face from time to time.
"I haven't much experience as the sympathetic ear… but I'll give it a try if you'll let me." Raven said.
Cyborg noticed that her cloak was drawn up around her face. Her hair was braided and tumbling over her left shoulder. It was something that Cyborg had noticed since the last time she had encountered Slade. There were three different shades of Raven: the side that worry fear close to her heart; the kind who was confused and maybe scared but could look past herself to the needs of others; and there was the Raven who was close to Robin, who was fearless and boundless. When Robin was away, even in a different room she was one of the former selves, the way she had been before she and the Boy Wonder had become more than friends. As happy as he was to see Raven happy, he enjoyed seeing the fraction of Raven that he knew best, the part of her that he could protect like a brother would a little sister.
He was selfish to want that, he knew it bones to bones, but Cyborg liked Raven; liked to think they needed each other mutually: him to protect her and her to be someone he protected. In her strength she was still a fragile thing, glass-like with a heart both cracked and glossy. But since she had become infamous with Robin, Cyborg couldn't help but feel a lack of purpose. Raven had someone to protect her and calm her fears… who did Cyborg have to protect?
"I'm a good guy right?" Cyborg asked.
Raven nodded taking a step forward.
"Then why do I always feel like I'm doing the wrong thing?"
"What is this about? Celine?"
"And BB. I let my personal goals get the best of me. I'm here in space because I'm curious about Blackfire's past… I should be in South Africa right now keeping BB's head up. He'd do the same for me."
"That's what Celine's for." Raven stated, touching her hand to Cyborg's arm.
"Celine's with BB."
Raven tilted her head. Cyborg looked down on her and in that moment it appeared that she realized her hood was up. She tugged it down, letting him the full expanse of her face. "I mean Celine's to keep your head up."
"It's not that simple." Cyborg said, resisting the urge to pull away from the purple eyed girl.
"Why not?"
It was an honest question, one that Cyborg knew he was capable of giving an honest answer to...Though Raven was new to love and he didn't want any fears or trace of doubt to harbor in her heart, he knew that it was a tragedy she could appreciate. Things fall apart. Cyborg gave into gravity and took a seat on the floor.
"I love her… but I'm just no in love with her… kind of like you and me."
Raven sat down Indian style beside Cyborg. "You and I weren't meant to be." She knew that the love Cyborg spoke of wasn't romantic: after Robin, Cyborg was the person closest to her heart. She believed that she held second place in his heart as well, but he didn't seem to know it.
"Exactly."
"… Does Celine know that?" Raven asked finally. She almost had her answer before Cyborg braved himself to respond.
"Not in so many words."
"Tell her." It wasn't a suggestion. It was a command.
"I've tried… I've wanted to… but I never could. I don't want to hurt her."
Raven stood up then, pulling her hood back over her head. Cyborg frowned at the display, bringing himself to stand as well. Raven's eyes were sad beneath the shadows on her face. Her words would chill him to the core.
"I've found that the most hurtful thing you can do is say nothing."
…
Beast Boy's sleep was punctuated by stiff turbulence. The sharp shifts of the wind was often the reason he choose to fly as a crow through these skies, the sharpness was swift through his wings, he could close his eyes and drift, the movement of the air would give him no resistance, instead lead him to home… the wind always knew where he wanted to go.
Celine's fingers drummed against the steering wheel, the beat was smooth but restless. Those fingers stopped tapping when a wet muzzle brushed against them. Celine took her eyes off the sky and noticed Loberos as he tried to fit his head under her hand. Celine scratched the blue furred beast under his chin. Loberos' snout brushed her leg as he dropped his chin unto her lap.
"What's wrong?" Celine asked continuing to rub the wolf's face. Loberos' tail stopped whipping up and down, drawing her attention past his hind end and to the copilot's chair. Beast Boy turned back and forth, trying to get comfortable. He seemed to be failing miserably. Celine looked down at Loberos and smiled sadly. I see… something of the bond of kin…
Celine stood up, taking off her jacket. She balled it up tightly before slipping it under Beast Boy's head, coaching his body to sleep. Celine almost wished she understood the fear that Beast Boy was going through. As a girl, Celine never had that feeling of uncertainty when it came to her mother Elaina's condition. Whenever she came home from school, Elaina would be laying in bed, weak as a kitten, waiting for Celine to tend to her.
It saddened her to think of her mother that way. Much of her memory was filled with some sadness. Celine would remember leaving the Stone house, where the family room was bright and the family was loving, to walk home to the poor section of Brock where she'd return to the colorlessness of her room to curl up with a book until Elaina needed her. Despite what she claimed about the history of geniuses that slept only three hours, that wasn't why she stayed awake so late. She knew that eventually such a sleep pattern would collapse her one day, but there was nothing she could do about it. The truth was that tending to Elaina only left her with three hours of sleep and she was conditioned to exercise that regime until something finally caught up with her.
In her memory, there was a trace of doubt that she loved her mother the way Beast Boy loved his. At the moment, she told herself that she didn't care: right now wasn't about her and the hours she had stayed up at night waiting for Elaina's keening cry for help: right now was about a scared boy who was capable of uncertainty. Celine stretched her shoulders, hoping the obnoxious cracking didn't bother Beast Boy's sleep. In about an hour she'd have to wake BB up for the final directions to his old home, to the center of his old life.
…
Starfire stood perfectly still as she watched Aqualad and Blackfire sleep. Aqualad had fallen asleep first, sitting on the stiff bench in the cockpit. Blackfire's head dropped to Aqualad's shoulder when sleep took her over as well. Starfire could only watch the tender moment before she had to pull her eyes away, taking in the bursting lights of stars exploding and birthing from nothingness. Beside her, D'ucel had been quiet for sometime, probably since Blackfire had fallen asleep, possibly longer.
Starfire had very little memory of Foxfire as a man: she had been very small the last time he had said goodbye to her. She could not account for the depth of his character, as a child there was only so much to see. But what was in her memory was compounded by the man to her right.
Starfire's speaking habits are governed by her emotional empathy… the "slower" it is, the more sensitive you are… Blackfire had been a fast talker for the last six years of her life. Starfire wondered if Blackfire had ever spoken slowly… if the memory Foxfire held to his heart was actually her sister and not the dreams that come to desperate men. Foxfire was known to speak more cautiously than any Tameranian to date; he was sensitive in battle and susceptible in the present.
D'ucel's blue eyes dipped and opened, blinking evenly as he watched the expanse of the stars. She watched him, wishing that for just a second she could understand his feelings… his heart was locked up in Blackfire's string of memory. Star's own visions of her sister, in the time where D'ucel owned Blackfire's heart, were fractured and inconsistent. She often remembered Blackfire fondly; her hands were gentle when she brushed Star's hair or when she fixed a broken trinket from Starfire's skirt. She was a different person as a child.
That was not to say that Blackfire was exceptionally kindhearted. Some of her true character had been seen by the Titans: her emphasis on age superiority and always reminding Starfire of her greater battle ability. Even as children she had been terribly ambitious, always in great anxiety for when she would wear the crown. Starfire blinked slowly. I wonder how much of my sister's true face does D'ucel hold to his memory? And what has he pushed behind him in his desperate heart…
Starfire burned with the memory of the conversation that had set the pilot's pit to silence. There was a great injustice in the angry voices, all of which could have been resolved by the admission of one small voice… if she had anything to say for herself…
They had sat, nearly as they were now, a greater distance was between Blackfire's head and Aqualad's shoulder, but other than that the room was static. Starfire had watched with nervous eyes as D'ucel had turned his blue eyes to Blackfire's.
Starfire had seen that lingering hope in Foxfire's face, when he asked her sister if when she learned the truths from her tape if she had any regrets in her new life. D'ucel by nature wasn't unkind or insensitive, it was quite the opposite. He had to feel the sting from Aqualad, who could say nothing one way or the other. It wasn't his place to, Starfire figured he must have believed: amongst them Aqualad stood to lose the most. If seeing Blackfire's tape would sway her towards her string of memory, she would try to go back to her old life as the waiting queen to Tameran's champion. The years having past and the record still clear to everyone but Blackfire, things could not be the way D'ucel desired. There would be no great joy for Blackfire's return and rule was rule; under Starfire's short reign she had banished her sister. If D'ucel had his way, there may be a pardon if Galfor was extremely generous. But what then for Blackfire? The Grand Ruler's pardon would not be enough to take away the distrust of Tameran's people. She would live the rest of her life bearing scorn for actions she committed but couldn't account for… and what sort of life was that for her to lead?
But still then, what of Aqualad? What was the capacity of his generous heart? If Blackfire held onto that new life, D'ucel could still return to the love of his people: if Blackfire returned to that place where she waited and loved D'ucel, Aqualad would return home… and what would he have? The memory of loss…
And what of D'ucel should Blackfire turn away from her old life again, severing her string of memory? Would Tameran's Foxfire be able to stand the constant pain of his own heartbreak?
And where do my own loyalties lie? Starfire pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. No matter what my sister decides, someone will face the tragedy of loss. Starfire sighed. It was a tragedy she knew well, something she could not wish upon her worst enemy… and definitely not her dearest of friends.
Starfire noticed the spark of light ahead of them. Her neck craned and all too late realized that that bright light was not simply intense, it was intensifying… it was coming right for them.
The ship lurched, dumping the Titans about in the metal arena. Six fighters charged into the cockpit to find D'ucel's motherboard screaming in panic.
"What's going on?" Robin demanded.
"We are under attack."
"What? By who?"
"The great enemy to Tameran's allies… the enemy I fought against for years. Orcrixian Battle Hammers. It looks as if they are rebuilding their blockade against the Yinti. They must have recognized this as a Tameranian vessel and attacked. If we are to get to the Home World, we shall have to get through the blockade."
"Is there any chance of slipping through their defenses?" Speedy asked.
D'ucel shook his head. "The only way through… is to force our way through."
…
Desert wind was an incomparable beauty. Beast Boy stood perfectly still under the beat of the African sun and let the wind race through his hair. The air was hot; beads of sweat clung to his hairline and soaked into his skin. His memory danced with moments he had spent, just like this, under the drum of the earth and before the might of heaven.
Beast Boy had instructed Celine to land the plane just outside the village of Ordago. Celine had marveled at the clay colors, the art and the rhythm of the small town. There were less than a hundred people in the entire square but Beast Boy referred to it as a big town in these parts.
"Which one is your home?" Celine asked, reaching down to pet Loberos. He was panting heavily but the glitter in his eyes told her he was enjoying the moment.
"None of these. It's still a little way 'til we get to my house. We need to cross Tomango first."
"Tomango?"
"The guardian of Ordago and the living forest. It's a river that flows between Ordago and my home. Come on. Right now that water is probably clear to the bottom."
Beast Boy took off in a run. His pack jangled with his merry steps, each one turning over a stone of memory. He had made this run a million times in his childhood. He had often followed his mother to the village to buy supplies or to play with the local children. He could remember scraping his knees a million different ways and the million different times when his mother's kiss would soothe away his hurt.
Loberos kept pace with Beast Boy while Celine was loaded down with her heavier bag. If she would have known they were going to park so far away, she would have reconsidered her luggage. The pace was comfortable into the woods where the thick leaves and rushing water gave some relief from the sun. Beast Boy had been right; the water of Tomango was quite blue. The trip through the forest ended abruptly. The forest was short and gave rise to grassland with a horizon that Celine had to shade her eyes to view. Beast Boy and Loberos stopped their run and stood still. Celine caught up and looked up and down Beast Boy's home. To her right he was smiling.
"You live in a Sequoia tree?" Celine finally asked.
"Just the base." Beast Boy replied as if that made the condition any less unusual. Beast Boy waved her in, the threesome closed the final feet to the door that lead into the expanse of Beast Boy's childhood. He opened the door, rushing in; his green eyes darted against the walls, observing nothing that wasn't the woman he was looking for. Celine did see; she saw every inch of the love and dedication that had built this house: the small collection of African dolls; the arrangement of carvings from wood and clay; the expanse of books that loomed in bookshelves. At another time Celine would have sat down and started reading any title she hadn't been able to get her hands on. However the time called for her to put her bag down and follow Beast Boy's steps until they found his mother. It had only taken a few seconds before their feet stopped at the boundary of the kitchen when Beast Boy stood perfectly still.
She was beautiful and if Celine didn't know any better she'd think that Beast Boy favored² her. Sinora Logan stood in her small kitchen snapping beans over the sink. Her profile faced the door way. Beast Boy watched her gentle hands move back and forth. Celine watched her face: her eyes, skin and hair were dark; her hair was like midnight, her skin like bronzed desert earth and her eyes compared to the calm shadows of an ending storm. Her figure was petite, her jaw square and she looked slightly too young to be the mother of a fifteen year old boy.
"Mom." Beast Boy finally whispered. Sinora turned her head, a smile taking over her face.
"Garfield, my love! What are you doing here?"
Her voice was gentle and from where Celine stood, her hands were soft as they hugged around the slightly taller Beast Boy. Beast Boy pressed his cheek against his mother's, an anxiety passing from his body.
"Mom. Mom, I was so worried." Beast Boy said as his mother's hands smoothed his back. Sinora pulled back, her gentle brown eyes held confusion.
"Sweetheart, why are you crying?"
Beast Boy reached up and indeed found tears. How could he tell her that until a few moments ago he had been more scared than he could remember? "I… I didn't get a letter from you this week… I thought something bad must have happened. You've never missed one before." Sinora took her apron and wiped away Beast Boy's tears.
"I sent you your letter, just like I always do, love. There must have been a delay in the mail. I'm sorry to have worried you, but I'm just fine Garfield."
Celine stepped forward, Loberos trotted deeper into the kitchen passing both Beast Boy and Sinora to lay down by the door. "He was very worried about you Ms. Logan, I'm glad to see you are alright."
Sinora smiled and let Beast Boy pull away. "You must be Celine."
"How did you know, Ms. Logan?" Celine asked.
"My son writes very detailed letters. And please call me Sinora."
"I couldn't… Sinora? Sinora Logan? You're the Sinora Logan?"
Sinora nodded.
Celine dashed to stand directly in front of her. Beast Boy's eyes widened at her haste and apparent excitedness. "But, Sinora Logan is the world's leading expert on Physiological Ecology and Molecular Phylogenetics! I'm a huge fan of your work! I've read all your papers."
"Oho? Well it is nice to know that someone reads my work." Beast Boy huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Sinora smiled and petted the small of his back. "Garfield, I'm making dinner are you hungry?"
"Always!"
"Be a good boy and get some more firewood from the pile. You can tell me all about your latest adventures when we eat."
"Sinora, I'll do it… you and Beast Boy… Garfield should catch up." Celine offered.
"Don't worry about my son and I not having enough time together Celine, I already know everything whenever I look into his eyes."
Beast Boy grinned sheepishly and took off to get the firewood. Though her words didn't say much, they were enough to make it obvious that Sinora wanted Celine to stay.
"Is there anything I can help with? I'm a decent cook." Celine offered.
"I have plates in the shelf above your head, take some out please."
Celine pulled out the earthen molds. She laid them out gently on the small table and noticed there were only two chairs. Celine would have to find a stool if she wasn't going to have dinner standing up. Behind her she could hear Sinora snapping beans rhythmically.
"Beast Boy, er Garfield, didn't tell me who you were… I suppose its fitting." Celine said.
"I don't think he realizes that I'm an authority in anything beside this household." Sinora replied.
"It's a lovely home." Celine said gently.
"You care for Garfield?" Sinora said, not breaking the pace.
"Yes. He's a very good friend and I care for all my friends." Celine replied. She had a suspicion that Sinora was hinting at something else, but she was going to ignore it for as long as she let her.
"Oho? I'm glad to hear that…Why did you come?" Her voice was calm and non-threatening.
"Beast Boy was worried about you. If something had happened to you, I didn't want him to have no one to turn to."
"What about Cyborg and Terra?"
Celine stopped what she was doing. She honestly didn't know how to read the question. Sinora was like any mother she had ever met, except her own of course, she was righteously concerned about the heart and mind of her son. Inside it stung a little knowing that for Celine there was no worried parent to care for her.
"We all volunteered, but if you were okay we didn't want to be a crowd." It was a lie, but it was the most honest way to get around the truth.
Sinora nodded. Beast Boy returned and Sinora finished her preparations for dinner. The three sat and enjoyed the liveliest dinner Celine had ever witnessed. The way Beast Boy tossed out jokes, how Sinora's smile rested gently on her face whenever Beast Boy spoke. It was a comfortable place; Loberos rubbed his nozzle against Celine's knee, the soft touch kept her from feeling out of place. Beast Boy smiled and morphed into animals to add character to his conversation. Celine didn't pay much attention to the words, her eyes and ears could tell that this house was one of great love: it was what gave Beast Boy his gentle heart. Celine smiled gently to herself and looked out the window. The sun was beginning to fall over the horizon, stealing away much of the light. The atmosphere sunk into her; the Logans' happiness, the beautiful run of the horizon… Loberos licked her hand and automatically she rubbed his chin. The background laughter wasn't lost on her; the feeling of well being couldn't escape her.
…
"Are you sure this is okay?" Celine asked as she dropped her bag on the floor. Beast Boy stood in the doorway of his bedroom, taking in the sight of it.
"Yeah it's fine. I'm gonna stay in my mom's room. So you can stay in mine."
"Alright. I guess I'll see you in the morning." Celine said.
"Yeah… hey Celine… Thanks for coming with me."
"I'm very glad your mother is alright."
Beast Boy nodded and exited.
The light was beginning to disappear from the huge windows. Celine sat down on the bed: the mattress was soft beneath her and from the smell, the room had been tended to recently. Celine laid back, her body sinking into the bed. Loberos jumped on to the other side of the bed and fell asleep almost instantly. Celine fell asleep before he did.
In the other room Beast Boy laid on his side in the pioneer bed³. Above his bed his mother sat on her mattress, brushing out her hair. How many times as a child did I do this? I can still remember looking up at her like this and thinking just how wonderful she is…
Beast Boy closed his eyes and only opened them when he felt his mother kiss his forehead. His arms automatically reached up and hugged her gently about the shoulders. "Mom… if you ever one day don't get a letter from me… I want you to know I love you."
"I never doubt that." Sinora smiled and climbed back to her mattress. "Tomorrow I'll make your favorite lunch and you can show me all your new forms."
"You can see my Beast Within! It's totally different than anything you've ever seen!"
"It's you underneath it all, so I'll love it."
Beast Boy smiled. Sinora laid back on her mattress and in a few minutes Beast Boy knew she was asleep.
When the other Titans had come to collect Beast Boy as their fourth, it was obvious to all of them that Sinora had built his character. The warm woman had loved him the way that all children wished their parents loved them and because of it he had the dearest heart.
Listening to his mother's breathing, Beast Boy could feel his heart beat slowing down… in the drowsy moments before his eyes fell shut he thought about his friends in space: to his knowledge they were all orphans. He knew Cyborg and the princesses were for sure. From the way Speedy and Aqualad talked it didn't sound as if they had much to go home to. It was hard to tell with Robin and Sakura, their past lives was theirs and something they weren't willing to share. And from what they all knew about Raven, she never had real parents to begin with. It saddened him to think that in all of their uncertainties, none of them had a mother like he did to run to if only for a moment.
Maybe that's why we all run to each other… to feel like there's someone always prepared to hold onto them… But what does that make me? Beast Boy closed his eyes… We're friends and family together and just as I'm a son to my mom… I'm a brother to the Titans… He could return home in a few days without the anxiousness of losing his family… he was with his family; he was always close to kin.
…
D'ucel was an expert pilot but Cyborg was better. The mechanical Titan took control of the Tameranian space cruiser and bobbed and weaved it between the assaults. The Titans had rushed into the fray and watched laser beams stream and dance across and against the vessel. The ship rocked with each blast, even with Cyborg's skill, at the rate they were going, the space ship would be totaled before they even made it to the thicket of the blockage.
"Fly as close as you can… I am going to engage." D'ucel stated. The team turned to the blonde Tameranian. Aqualad could see concern in Blackfire's eyes, more so than in the eyes of the other Titans. He would have done the same if his body could endure outer space.
"That's dangerous." Speedy said steadying his feet as the ship rocked with another blast.
"If we are to make it to the Home World of Yinti, it must be done. Please protect my dear princesses. I shall be making the return."
The Titans could only watch as D'ucel escaped into space. Raven turned her eyes quickly past the faces of Aqualad, Star and Blackfire to Sakura.
"Use your energy to create a barrier around the ship." Raven commanded.
"We've never practiced one this big."
"I know. I want you to try. I believe you can."
Sakura nodded, her fingers generated their silver glow. The Titans watched through the window as a thin translucent magic formed a weak barrier around the vessel. Some attacks rebounded off of them, others shot right through.
"It needs to be stronger." Raven said. "Listen to me Sakura; remember what I taught you about your center?" Sakura nodded. Speedy stood behind the half-Japanese and held her shoulders to brace her when the ship rocked. Sakura flexed her fingers and the team could see the thin barrier become more solid in some areas. Speedy could feel Sakura's breathing, it was labored. He had noticed sometime ago that the use of her power exhausted her, unlike when Raven or Terra used theirs. Her body had to compensate for the use and so she used it as infrequently as possible. She trained to make it strong incase of need while her body demanded that she never used it at all.
"Sakura focus. This barrier won't hold us, it won't protect us. You must make it stronger."
Sakura nodded. The white waves evened out remaining still permeable but anything that got through barely fazed them. The clarity of the barrier allowed them to watch D'ucel fight; his Fox Shots¹ ripped through space shuttles, the ruined vessels made a trail that Cyborg navigated the ship through. D'ucel flew behind the craft for some distance, stopping any renegade attacks on their trail. Blackfire watched until she couldn't see the fighter any longer, her eyes moved to track him down. Her blue eyes watched for him on her own accord, just as her heart jumped when he touched her, when he spoke to her, when he looked as if to kiss her. She swallowed hard in uncertainty, her chest rising and falling deeply with every thought. I had once loved him… does my body remember what my mind can not? Is it really memory? ... … …
Starfire blinked when the barrier disappeared suddenly. She turned from the window and watched Sakura collapse in Speedy's arms. She was conscious, but tired and Speedy held her close. A strong black barrier appeared where Sakura's once was. Terra and Robin watched Raven's hand extend to generate it.
"If you could do it, why did you make Sakura?" Terra asked.
"Because I believe she could. Trials of fire are always most telling… Sakura's heart can manage… now I believe she knows her mind can."
"You were testing her?" Terra asked her brows furrowed. "What if she had failed?"
"Raven has faith in our abilities Terra, just like we do in hers. You know that. We all have to believe in each other if we're ever going to get stronger… sometimes that takes pushing each other close and sometimes its pushing them out: we'll never get anywhere if we always stand still."
Terra heard Robin and did her best to remember every word. The cockpit door slid open marking the return of Foxfire. Immediately Blackfire turned to him but didn't say anything.
"Man that was some fighting Fox! I guess all Tameranians can kick butt."
It was apparent from the look on D'ucel's face that he was trying to remember when a butt was involved in his fighting. Aqualad shook his head. "It means he thinks you did a good job." He supplied. D'ucel had expected bitterness in his voice but only found a slight trace. In Aqualad's heart he felt something, something that nearly blinded D'ucel. The mix of devotion, gratitude, jealously and worry pooled from the black haired Titan in an unsteady pool. My rival has a good heart… he could be a very good man… But we are rivals none the less.
D'ucel stepped to the window. "We will reach planet side in a few more hours. Please rest."
The Titans minus Starfire and Cyborg listened and returned to the waiting arena. Cyborg noticed the worry in Star's eyes. He did his best to signal to her that he was tuning out and she was free to say whatever was on her mind. Star stepped forward to Tameran's champion, one hand braced over her heart.
"D'ucel hak drog bruk norb?" (What do you wish to accomplish?)
Cyborg snorted silently, keeping his eyes ahead of him. Starfire had tried to guarantee it was a private conversation, but she forgot that he knew perfect Tameranian⁴.
"I want Komand'r to remember."
"Do you believe you will have happiness with her?"
"Of course my princess! I love--"
"What of what is?" Starfire asked.
"I do not understand"
"You are a kind person D'ucel… I know that in your heart you mean no harm… but my sister is not as you remember her."
"It hurts me to think of what tragedy my Komand'r has endured… but we missed many years of our lives together… what matter is it if she can not remember her share?"
Starfire held her tongue. She did not know what to do. So many years ago her sister had been a different person. A person neither Aqualad nor D'ucel knew. She supposed that it was made the field level: what field, she did not know but it was probably not important. D'ucel held Blackfire's past, Aqualad held her present… they would all have to wait to see who held her future.
End of Part Five
A/N
¹Starbolts, Blackbolts, Bee Stings, Fox Shots
²Favored means "look like"
³Those beds that are really two beds, you see them in colonial-style movies where the parents and children sleep in the same room.
⁴Overdrive