Remembersees
Part Eight
There was no one there to watch his approach; no one to witness the vast nothingness lying behind his eyes. Against the rising sun, his golden headband reflected the light, throwing shadows along the beach. His steps were mechanical, his actions were mechanical: but he was not. He reached Titans' tower, his mission held in his hand. His pink, hollow eyes did not blink when he laid Slade's symbol the entrance of the tower. Without a word, without thought, the messenger turned his back to the tower and fazed through the air, disappearing without witness.
…
The great hall of Tameran was more massive than Cyborg remembered. The arching grays were as he pictured them in his memory, but some how the might of them was lost. Blackfire gently extracted herself from Aqualad's hold. She walked unsteadily, bits and flashes of her memories rushed back. She could see herself, as a little girl flying haphazardly, holding her sister's hand as they tried to avoid their nap. She could feel the way her Dress of Engagement had felt against her skin… how the Gown of Mourning had hung heavily on her shoulders. A grave marker, another marker… the funeral fires… But she did not recall everything… not at that moment, not until she saw him.
Galfor sat in his mighty throne, his massive shoulders arched back as he sat proudly. He saw his princesses, his beautiful Koriand'r and his troubled Komand'r, walking forward together as he hadn't seen them do in years. Blackfire's eyes raised and in that moment, his green eyes met her blue ones. The girl gasped, taking in his face.
"Galfor!" The black haired girl took off in flight, speeding towards him. Halfway to her destination, Tameranian guards blocked her path.
"Komand'r you are banished from the Planet of Tameran!" One guard said.
"You must leave immediately! So is the will of the Grand Ruler." The other added.
"No! You have to let me see him!"
"Komand'r, you must leave or we will be forced to remove you."
"You shall do no such thing!" Starfire said, flying forward.
"Princess Koriand'r!" Both guards kneeled in respect for the princess.
"You will let her pass." Starfire commanded.
The guards parted and without a word Blackfire took flight again. Within seconds she floated in front of Galfor. Galfor's green eyes regarded her, in her face he could see the smart and ambitious child he had cared for. In his face, Blackfire could see the strain of war… the strain of a broken heart. Tears welled in the girl's eyes.
"Komand'r." Galfor said calmly. "Throck hasn throup nord?"
Komand'r burst into tears. The Titans had never seen such a pitiful cry. The black haired girl leapt forward, burying her face into Galfor's broad shoulders. Her arms couldn't wrap all the way around him, but she tried, uncaring of embarrassment.
Between Blackfire's sobs Starfire could catch her sister's words. "Vord padar paav udug paragg!"
Raven stepped closer to Starfire and put a hand on her shoulder. "She's speaking Tameranian… her memory must be back."
Starfire nodded in agreement.
"What were they saying?" Sakura asked.
"Galfor has asked Komand'r what she has to say for herself." D'ucel replied.
"All that my sister has been able to say in reply is that she is sorry… she is very, very sorry."
…
The ailing Galfor sat in his throne in a court with the Titans. Komand'r was still rubbing the tears from her eyes from her place at his feet. Beside her, Starfire braced her sister's shoulders. On the opposite side of Galfor, D'ucel stood waiting for the words of his grand ruler. Robin had remembered Galfor vividly; how proud the man had stood, the power he commanded by simply loving his people. Starfire had believed that the best ruler of Tameran was the man who had raised her from a small child… though his age and the grievous nature of battle had seemed to begin taking its toll on Galfor, Robin could see that the love for his people remained undisturbed.
"It is the will of the Grand Ruler that the charges made against Princess Komand'r til Tameran Sixth be hereby removed from our history. Komand'r is restored within line of succession, second from the crown after Princess Koriand'r." His words were labored but lacked no authority, the scribes of the court jotted down Galfor's dictations.
"It is the rule of Galfor; it shall be known that the people of Tameran may rejoice in the return of its princesses." D'ucel said, his voice traveling through the grand hall. "Let us celebrate in festival!"
"That is more kindness than I deserve… much more than I can accept." Blackfire whispered, standing up. Starfire watched her sister move away from her, turning her back to the Titans. In Blackfire's line of vision were only Galfor, Star and D'ucel.
"Galfor… I can not accept your generosity… I do not deserve to have my title returned. I have denobled the crown of Tameran… I will gladly accept your will to reinstate me as a citizen of our home… but for the best interest of Tameran… I will not bring opportunity for my rule again."
"Sister? What are you saying?" Star asked.
"When I learned of Galfor's ailing… I returned to Tameran hoping that the rumors were not true… to think of Galfor on his deathbed brought me great sadness… But when I returned, just as what happened earlier, I was refused entrance… even in my desperation to see him, I was turned away…"
Galfor nodded. He had been told that Blackfire had made a return when he was ailing. Blackfire continued. "I pleaded and tried to fight my way in… but in the years where I was selfish… I had failed to train myself for such an emotional fight… I was defeated… As I turned away… one of the guardsmen yelled to me: 'As long as you are the Komand'r who would turn over the people of Tameran for her own gain, you are not permitted to return.'"
Starfire's eyes widened. "You had the Grugdindorf performed… so you would not be yourself anymore?"
Blackfire nodded. The Titans stepped forward; something about this seemed a bit extreme.
"Blackfire, you erased your memory to get to see Galfor? But when we had seen you last… you didn't seem to care at all about Galfor… what happened?" Robin asked.
"It was not what happened recently… it is the tragedy of my childhood that brought me to the Yinti."
"Does this have to do with me?" D'ucel asked.
Blackfire gave no answer and for the Titans that wasn't good enough.
"Explain this to us… from what we know, this doesn't add up."
Blackfire nodded. "I am afraid my sister did not tell you the whole of the truths… mostly because she was too young to know them… Until I was four years old, I was the only daughter til Tameran. The people sang praises for their princess Komand'r for I resembled our great king: my father's eyes and smile and even his hair… I was… happy as a child and became even happier when I was told I was given a sister… until she arrived."
It almost surprised Raven that there was no bitterness in Blackfire's voice and when her eyes turned to Star, the green eyed Tameranian didn't seem hurt by Blackfire's statement. Galfor sat forward, his arms pressed against the rests. "Our queen died in child labor." Galfor clarified. "For many months all of Tameran mourned… especially our king."
"As just a little girl there was nothing I could do except grow up… and have little Koriand'r walk out from my shadow…We were raised and trained by both our father and Galfor. Under their eyes we became the beginnings of great warriors of Tameran and at the time when I spared, I always won. No matter who I fought, outside of father and Galfor, I was victorious… until I fought D'ucel."
"When I was twelve and Komand'r was ten, I was brought before the king to train to be a warrior for the princesses. When we fought for the first time, there was an immediate connection."
"We became very close and when the year came that I would be married, it was my father's will that selected D'ucel as my husband… and I readily accepted."
This part Aqualad knew already, but hearing it come from Blackfire's mouth stung his heart in a way he had not prepared for. Speedy put his hand on Aqualad's shoulder; the other Titan turned his head towards the ground.
"As my sister told you before, a war between the Yinti and the Battle Hammers broke in the months following our engagement. My father sent forth his best warriors to aid our friends… while I and the people of Tameran waited anxiously for our warriors return…" Blackfire sniffed pathetically, wiping a tear from her cheek.
"The king became ill. The stress of battle left him in a weakened state… he died." Galfor added. "Tameran mourned greatly."
"In his last hours… my father made a promise to both my sister and I to give us his kindness… but he wished to see Starfire first… my sister has the beauty of our mother… he wanted to see her one last time on Tameran, before he joined her in the Elysian fields." Blackfire swallowed hard. "He died before I had my last chance to speak with him."
Sakura bit her lip. Beside her, Robin clenched his fingers. Starfire's eyes tightened, fighting back her tears. Sister… is that why you have resented me so?
"After my father's death… the chancellor called back all our warriors… many of them returned… and I was told that D'ucel would not…"
"Komand'r…"
"I mourned in Galfor's arms for weeks… and while I cried… suitors began to call and my sister's beauty reminded Tameran of our mother… She became the light of Tameran… but I could not move on… not nearly as readily as my people… their lives moved on without thought to my heart or of D'ucel. When I would look out amongst them during their festivals and games for finding a mate for Starfire… I felt as if all of Tameran had betrayed me. Tameran didn't care about me. My heart could not handle it…"
"Sister, please say no more."
Blackfire shook her head, realizing that she was crying again. She wiped her tears away but didn't stop her story. She couldn't bear to be the only one who knew all of it. "Galfor begged me not to let the pain conquer me, but I did. I did not even try to stop it. My jealously built hatred and I let it control all my actions… I threw my heart away and took to thieving, hurting others as I felt they had hurt me. In my mind I took a code: the only way not to hurt was to hurt others first and be as strong as possible… So I trained and fought and began to despise my sister as the days for her engagement approached."
"This I recall sister. You came to my room and I tried to console you… only to find you inconsolable. My sister left with much of the fury and I pondered long her suffering… eventually I left Tameran also."
"I did stupid things, terrible things that I will not attempt to justify. I hurt my sister, I hurt Tameran and I hurt Galfor and maybe truly in my heart I didn't care… until I heard Galfor was dying. My memory wounded me; the pain in my heart overwhelmed me… Galfor was the only person who I believed never hurt me: he mourned with me, he stood strong for me to lean against and his only trespass against me was loving Starfire as much as he did me…"
"So you returned to Tameran because you couldn't let Galfor die without you seeing him?" Raven asked.
Blackfire nodded. "I wish I could say that at the time: who I am hated who I had been… but when I heard… I did not think about me, I did not think about Tameran: all I cared about was seeing Galfor."
Blackfire turned to Galfor and laid her smaller hand in his. The older Tameranian ruler did not smile, but Star and Blackfire both could see that there was still love for the girl in his eyes.
"Your returned health is a great relief… I wish you many more years." Blackfire said, pulling her hand from his gently. Galfor nodded and to most of the Titans it appeared that Blackfire had made her peace. The rest of the Titans caught on when Blackfire turned to walk away.
"Komand'r will you not stay?" D'ucel asked.
"Tameran is the home of my people… but it is not my home… my home is Earth… with my friends… if they'll have me."
Robin, Raven and Starfire all stepped forward at the same time. Raven nodded her head gently to Robin, who reached behind his back. Blackfire waited with her hand balled at her chest. Robin handed her something, his masked eyes watched her take it from his hands. It was a Titan's communicator. Blackfire stared down at the device.
"Wait a minute! If Blackfire wanted to come back to Tameran, how did she end up on Earth?" Cyborg asked.
"Yeah… you could've come back to Tameran but you didn't." Terra added.
"It was the plan of the Battle Hammers not to give Blackfire her key: with no memory, she wouldn't ever know she didn't have it… with no direction she ended up on Earth… and luckily we found her." Raven replied.
Aqualad took a few hesitant steps forward, his movement drawing Blackfire's eyes from the communicator in her hand. Aqualad could barely see that her eyes were shaking; it was hard to see anything when his eyes were shaking.
"But," Terra interjected. "What about her tape?"
"What about it?" Robin asked.
"Aren't we going to watch it? We went through a lot of work to get it." The blonde girl asked.
"I don't see the need. Blackfire told us everything. Tameran is safe, our friend is well; things do not need to be complicated with more memories of tragedy." Raven replied.
And that was enough for Terra.
"But," Blackfire began, clenching the yellow device in her hand. "With my memory returned… does this not change us… our friendship? You were able to befriend me when I was unable to remember that I was not your friend to begin with… doesn't memory come with loss?"
Aqualad stepped forward again, not stopping until he could put a firm hand on Blackfire's shoulder. His dark eyes stared into hers, a small smile on his lips. "Do you still remember us as your friends?"
Blackfire's laugh was short and breathy, the exhale held the high note of happiness. "Most fondly." She replied.
"Then why does anything need to change?"
Blackfire collapsed into tears. Raven and Aqualad dropped to their knees beside her. Raven pushed a lock of Blackfire's hair behind her ear as Aqualad braced the girl's trembling shoulders with both arms. Blackfire's tears stopped, her grip eased on the communicator in her hands.
"You are… still my friend Raven?"
"Of course… our past life has many consequences… its something we all have to live with forever… I won't hold heart break against you." Blackfire smiled weakly. That wasn't enough for Raven. "And besides, no one writes dark poetry like you."
The two long haired girls laughed. And that was the end for her.
Aqualad smiled, happy to hear laughter from Blackfire. The pair helped Blackfire return to her feet.
"I have not written poetry in a long time." Blackfire responded with a smile.
"Yes you have," Raven said "it's written all over Aqualad's face."
Aqualad and Blackfire blushed furiously, turning their heads away from each other. Robin laughed and stepped in closer to the group, his arm casually fell against the curve of Raven's hip. "Titans… lets go home."
All nine Titans nodded in agreement. Side by side Blackfire and Aqualad made to walk back to the space craft; Aqualad's fingers flexed and flinched nervously, with all his courage his slender fingers reached out to take Blackfire's hand when all the steps of the Titans were halted. His eyes were pulsing with his energy as his hands echoed the grand blue power of his emotions. The Titans stopped and stared at Foxfire, floating above them: his face was stone; he looked absolutely void of emotion.
"Lad of Aqua! I challenge you to a duel for the hand of Komand'r!"
Seven Titans grimaced. Blackfire blinked doeishly and Aqualad's eyes widened to saucers.
"Didn't see that one coming." Speedy said, breaking the silence.
"I am the promised suitor of Komand'r and with her memory returned all that prevents our reunion is your claim on her. As a warrior of Tameran, I shall defeat you to prove my worthiness to be Komand'r's life partner!"
The Titans looked between D'ucel and Aqualad nervously.
"Now that Blackfire has her memory back, shouldn't she choose who she wants?" Raven asked.
"We are rivals for the hand of Komand'r and it is custom to settle our rivalry in war."
"It's not right and definitely isn't fair. Aqualad… you don't have to accept that." Robin said.
"I am afraid he does," Starfire stated, frowning deeply. "Under Tameranian rule, when two suitors act for the hand of a woman, they most duel if there is a challenge. If Aqualad does not accept than D'ucel is the victor."
"So he has to fight for her…" Speedy said, turning his eye to his best friend.
Blackfire's gaze shifted nervously between Aqualad and D'ucel. Her eyes widened as Aqualad stepped forward, his shoulders thrown back as he stared up at D'ucel.
"Under all conditions…" Aqualad began, his voice strong and calm. "I accept your challenge."
Galfor stood from his chair, setting the scribes to a panic as they rushed to record all that was happening. "Then it shall be so! On two day's pass, after the celebration of the Bructhrog, there will be a duel."
"What's a Bructhorg?"
"It's the Tameranian festival to honor the renewal of the year… It is tomorrow." Starfire replied.
"A festival? That means a party! Alright!"
Though Cyborg and Terra shared merriment for tomorrow… all the other Titans were much more concerned with the day after.
End of Part Eight