Cyborg had almost opened the crater. The saw was almost all the way through the top. It just needed a bigger push.

"Hurry, Cy!" yelled Beast Boy. "Blackfire could be here any minute!"

"I almost got it!" Cyborg yelled.

Finally, he was able to remove the top.

"Booyah!" he cried triumphantly. "I got it"

"Way to go Cyborg, now we can-"

But before Robin could finish, they noticed that the ring wasn't a ring at all. It was a giant crystal that was letting out all of the purple light.

"Oh, no," said Robin. "That's not the ring. It's a fake."

"I knew it!" muttered Raven. "Blackfire set us up."

Suddenly, the Titans heard a ticking sound. It gave them a huge sense of urgency and uncertainty. Robin quickly realized it was a bomb.

"Raven!" exclaimed Robin. "Get us out of here! Quick!"

"Got it!" responded Raven as she started to teleport her and her friends away from the coming explosion.


Starfire watched the fortress from the monitor of Blackfire's ship as the fortress on Jalascis exploded in a huge fiery blast that spread out several feet.

"FRIENDS!" wailed a teary Starfire.

Blackfire laughed at her sister's expense. She believed her victory was within her grasp. She held the Ring of Hnyxx in her hand, the people of Tamaran were under her spell, and Starfire was at her mercy. She didn't think anything could go wrong now.


(CUE THEME SONG)


OBLIGATION PART II

On Blackfire's ship, Starfire sulked in misery in her restraints as she saw the fire spread through the fortress on Jalascis. Her friends were destroyed, and her people were all enslaved, and all she could do now is look away from the Ring of Hnyxx to keep herself from suffering the same fate.

"Do not fear the ring, sister dear," Blackfire said as she pulled the ring's light away from Starfire's view. "I do not plan to enslave you. I plan to make you suffer before I destroy you."

Starfire had nothing to say. What more could Blackfire do to her? What more could she lose?

"Our people have heard plenty of stories about you and the humans," explained Blackfire. "Some even wished to see Earth for themselves. I am about to grant them that wish."

Starfire gasped.

"You would not dare!" she shouted.

"I would," replied Blackfire smugly. "I plan on using the entire Tamaranean army to invade Earth, and when the humans are at my mercy. I will be the ruler of two worlds!"

Starfire was horrified.

"No!" she shouted, as she tried to free herself.

"Yes!" replied Blackfire. "That will be enough to make you wish you were dead, and I will gladly grant that wish. Then I will find more worlds to conquer, and I will not stop until I have conquered every world that exists! I will be the ruler of the entire universe!"

"NO!" wailed Starfire helplessly.

"YES!" responded Blackfire. "I will finally have the throne that I was always meant to have!"

Blackfire pulled out her communicating gadget to give orders to the brainwashed Tamaraneans.

"It is time, my people," she told them. "The Titans are destroyed, and Starfire in incapacitated. We may begin the journey to Earth."

The fleet of Tamaranean ships followed Blackfire's ship as they began the trip to Earth. Little did Blackfire know that her victory was still not a guarantee.


Raven found a safe spot on Jalascis for her and her friends, far enough from the bomb's explosion.

"Nice save, Raven," complimented Cyborg.

"Yeah," agreed Beast Boy. "That was WAY too close."

"Thanks, but I think Blackfire has the ring already," replied Raven.

"Agreed," Robin chimed in. "We need to find her and Starfire now. We don't know what Blackfire's up to now that she has the ring."

The Titans made their way back to the T-Ship, which was strong enough to not take any damage from the explosion. As they flew away from Jalascis, Robin tried to call Starfire from his communicator.

"She's not responding," Robin told the others. "That's not good."

"Blackfire must've got to her," Raven guessed.

As the Titans looked through the stars for any signs of Starfire, Cyborg noticed something on the ship's radar.

"Are you guys seeing this?" he asked the others. "I'm picking up a whole fleet of spaceships up ahead. They're all headed the way we came."

The Titans looked up ahead and noticed the many spaceships flying in front of them. They all looked strangely familiar.

"Do those ships look familiar to you guys?" asked Beast Boy. "Have we seen them before?"

Robin suddenly remembered. They saw those ships on Tamaran when Starfire almost got married.

"Those are Tamaranean ships!" he cried. "But why would they be headed for Earth?"

Robin realized if they could overhear what was happening on those ships, they could get a clue about what was going on.

"Cyborg, see if you can find out what's happening," Robin ordered.

"Already on it!" he replied.

Cyborg used his scanners to pick up any conversations going on in the ships. He wasn't getting anything until he heard a familiar and unlikeable voice giving orders to the Tamaraneans and taunting her sister.

"Blackfire's got Starfire on the ship up front!" he reported. "And it looks like she's brainwashed the whole Tamaranean race!"

"No way!" cried Beast Boy.

"We have to get Starfire out of there now!" Robin exclaimed. "Raven!"

Raven had already begun to teleport herself to the Tamaranean ship that was leading the way to Earth.


Blackfire had her eyes glued to her ship's monitor. They were getting close to Earth by the second. Blackfire was so focused, that she didn't realize a black aura had approached Starfire and teleported her out of the ship. Starfire was too distraught and defeated to notice what was going on, so she was easily silent enough so Blackfire and the Tamaraneans couldn't notice her being teleported out by Raven.

"Try to cherish your last moments alive dear sister," said Blackfire. "You were always good at-"

But when she turned to face Starfire, she saw that her sister was gone. All that was left were the restraints stuck to the wall.

"What is this?!" she yelled.

Blackfire flew to her ship's monitor and noticed there was something behind the fleet of Tamaranean ships, and it was a ship that she was not happy to see at all.

"No!" she shouted. "This is not possible!"

Raven brought Starfire to her seat on the T-Ship before getting back in hers. Starfire was most relieved and overjoyed to see her friends had survived the explosion.

"FRIENDS!" she gasped. "You are safe! I believed I had lost you all."

Starfire flew to each of her friends and hugged them from their seats in the ship before she sat back down in her seat. The rest of Titans were breathing heavily from the strength of Starfire's hugs.

"It's good to see you too, Star," breathed out Robin.

"I could not disagree more," said a voice from the T-Ship's monitor.

Blackfire appeared on the screen with an angry look on her face.

"Next time you try to blow up a group of superheroes, make sure none of them can teleport," Beast Boy said to Blackfire as he glanced at Raven.

"You Titans just cannot stay out of my way, can you not?" Blackfire asked in annoyance.

"No criminal gets a free pass from the Titans, Blackfire," stated Robin. "Let the Tamaraneans go!"

"I am afraid I cannot do that, Robin," grinned Blackfire. "I have finally reclaimed my place as the rightful ruler of Tamaran. I will never surrender the throne again. And with the Ring of Hnyxx under my possession, I will bend every living being in the universe to my will, beginning with your people, and you cannot stop me."

Blackfire shined the light of the ring for the Titans to see on their monitors.

"Do not look at the light!" shouted Starfire.

Robin quickly shut off the ship's monitors so the Titans wouldn't get brainwashed before the fight even began.

"Cyborg, send a CodeRED warning to the rest of the Titans. The other teams need to get their ships up to Earth's atmosphere. We can't let any of them get past earth's doors. Make sure that the rest are still on the ground in case they get past us. And make sure they know about the ring and not to look at it for too long." ordered Robin.

"Anything else, Rob?" Cyborg asked.

"Tell them not to harm the Tamaraneans," chimed in Starfire. "They are still my people."

"Got it," responded Cyborg.

The T-Ship followed the Tamaranean fleet on its way to Earth, and they were almost there. Robin took the time to let his team in on his plan.

"Alright Titans, if we want to free the Tamaraens, we have to get that ring away from Blackfire. Starfire, you're the only one who can take her head-to-head. You're going to have to do it without looking at the ring. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes Robin," answered Starfire determinedly. "I will manage."

"Good. We'll split the ship up and keep the Tamaraneans busy long enough for Starfire to get the ring."

Meanwhile, Blackfire could finally see Earth from her ship. But as she came close, she noticed three T-Ships with the other teams of Titans aboard. Bumblebee, Aqualad, Speedy, and Mas y Menos were on the blue Titans East ship, Red Star, Argent, Kole, and Gnarrk were on the yellow Titans North ship, and Pantha, Herald, Jericho, Wildebeest, and Hotspot were on the purple Titans South ship. They were all ready for the battle.

"Just once, it would be nice if my plans went accordingly," she said out loud.

After she spoke, she saw the orange T-Ship that carried her sister and her friends had joined the rest of the T-Ships in front of her. Blackfire growled.

Blackfire looked at the ring, remaining confident that Starfire and the Titans wouldn't beat her

As the Titans saw the Blackfire's fleet approach, Robin pulled out his communicator to make sure the honorary Titans were ready.

"Kid Flash," he said. "Are you guys in position?"

Back on Earth, the honorary Titans, which comprised of Bushido, Melvin, Teether, Timmy Tantrum, Bobby, Kid Flash, Jinx, Thunder, Lightning, Tramm, Killowat, and Wonder Girl were spread across the world, ready for any Tamaranean ships that would get past Earth's atmosphere.

"All you need to do is wave the green flag, bird boy," answered the speedster.

"Excellent," replied Robin. "Remember everyone, don't look at the ring, and don't hurt the Tamaraneans. It's all about getting that ring from Blackfire."

"That's not going to be a problem, Wonder Boy," replied Bumblebee.

As the Tamaranean fleet came closer, Robin knew it was time to give the call.

"Titans, GO!" he shouted through his communicator.

After Robin gave his signal, the four T-Ships began to break up into smaller ships, with each mini-ship holding one Titan each. The Tamaranean ships fired their blasters at the Titans, but the smaller size of the mini-ships made it easier for them to dodge the attacks. While some of the Titans could use their power while driving their ships, they had to be quick since they couldn't breath in space with their ships open.

"So, we're really going to play a game of chicken until Starfire gets the ring?" Hotspot asked Herald as they flew through the stars.

"Good thing I can put this game into overtime," Herald replied as he blew his trumpet from his ship.

A group of Tamaranean ships flew into the black portal made by Herald and sent them a distance away from Earth. They would be right back, but that would give Starfire a lot more time. From his ship, Red Star noticed someone flying out of one of the Tamaranean ships, and knew exactly who it was at the sight of her black hair.

Starfire noticed her sister's purple starbolts being thrown at her from behind. If she turned towards her sister, the war would be lost as soon as she looked at the Ring of Hnyxx. She had to find a way to defeat her sister quickly. She didn't have much time.

"You can run as long as you wish, Starfire," mocked Blackfire as she kept after Starfire. "But you cannot hide from the power of the Ring of Hnyxx. It is only a matter of time before I get past your defenses and enslave the people of Earth."

"Your words do not scare me, Blackfire!" shouted Starfire from her ship. "You always have always declared victory before your every defeat."

"I will not be defeated today!" yelled Blackfire as she kept chasing her sister.

Back on Earth, the Honorary Titans noticed some ships coming out of the sky. That was their cue. Jinx picked up her communicator to let the rest of the Titans know.

"We can see some ships coming. You might want to pick up the pace."

Starfire knew she had to do something now, but what? Suddenly, with a clanging sound, Starfire looked to the right of her seat and remembered something. She remembered the trip she made to her room before she boarded the T-Ship to space. She knew going into the day that she couldn't risk letting Blackfire live. If she did, Blackfire would just keep posing a threat to the universe, and her plans would grow worse every time. Even if she had imprisoned Blackfire somewhere in the galaxy, there would be no way to get her sister to feel remorse for her crimes. Her sister was beyond reasoning with. Starfire knew she had to end it all today. That's why she picked up a sword from her room. But this wasn't some ordinary sword. It was the Sword of X'Hal. It was deadly enough to cut through the skin of a Tamaranean. She knew her training sword wasn't strong enough against Blackfire, which is why she requested Galfore to send it to her a few weeks ago. Now was the time to use it. Then, Starfire suddenly shifted her ship to reverse. Blackfire was caught off guard of the ship's change of direction as it rammed into her. Without sparing a moment, Starfire quickly flew out of her ship with the Sword of X'Hal in her hand. Before Blackfire had a chance to recover, Starfire struck the Sword of X'Hal at Blackfire's right arm. Blackfire screamed in pain and agony after taking the hit. Blood began to float from her arm. Blackfire noticed the deadly weapon that Starfire held and gasped in horror.

"The Sword of X'Hal? It cannot be!"

With Blackfire unable to move her arm, Starfire quickly saw the Ring of Hnyxx on her sister's right hand and pulled it off.

"The ring is mine," declared Starfire.

Then, Starfire put the ring to the tip of her fingers and fired a large blast of energy at it with her eyes. She didn't stop until the ring had completely melted into nothing. The Ring of Hnyxx was destroyed.

"NOO!" exclaimed Blackfire.

Then, the Titans noticed that the Tamaranean ships began to slow down. Back on Earth, just as the honoraries were about to fight the brainwashed Tamaraneans, they noticed that the purple flash from their eyes had gone away. The Tamaraneans were free.

"Hey guys!" yelled Wonder Girl through her communicator. "I think it's over. I think we won!"

"BOO-YAH!" cried Cyborg from his ship. "The Titans have swept the season series against Blackfire!"

"Nice work, everyone," said Robin over the communicator. "The universe is safe."

Blackfire was still holding her arm in pain as it was bleeding profusely. Blackfire just scoffed.

"Do you honestly believe this is the end, sister dear?" she asked. "Nothing will stop me in my quest for universal domination. Nothing!"

Starfire took a moment to think before she did anything else. She knew that Blackfire was still her sister, and there was a time where Blackfire did love her, care for her, and would do anything for her. But the Blackfire she was looking at right now wasn't the same Blackfire she once knew. No matter who she was, Starfire could not hold back on her. Not anymore.

"I understand that now, Blackfire," Starfire said. "That is why I must take the appropriate measures."

Before Blackfire could say anything, Starfire readied the Sword of X'Hal for a deadly blow. The last thing Starfire saw before she took the swing was a look of horror and shock on Blackfire's face. From afar, the Titans in space could hear an extremely loud scream from their ships. They thought it was loud enough to break glass.

"¿Qué fue eso?" asked Mas y Menos.

"Whatever that was, I hope I never have to hear it again," said Aqualad.

"I never thought I'd hear something that sounded worse than Beast Boy's jokes," said Raven.

Before Beast Boy could make a good comeback, he could see Starfire dragging her sister's body.

"Woah," he whispered. "Dudes, look."

The other Titans turned their attention to Starfire and saw that Blackfire wasn't moving a muscle. They noticed there was plenty of blood floating out of her body.

"Oh, man," mumbled Cyborg.

"Oh, my," muttered Raven.

"Star," murmured Robin.

All of the Titans followed Starfire from their ships to the sun as they stared in shock and amazement. The lack of movement from Blackfire said it all. Blackfire was no more. The Titans stopped when they saw Starfire stop. They were near Earth's sun. Starfire grabbed her sister's feet and swung her body around several times. She let go after she had enough momentum to send her sister's corpse flying. Starfire watched as her sister's body burned to ash as it floated into the sun. Tears floated from Starfire's eyes as she tried to come to terms over what she had just done. The last thing she ever wanted to do was kill a member of her family, or anyone for that matter, but she had no other choice. A part of her still loved her sister, but that didn't matter. She did what was best for the universe, and nobody would be endangered by her sister again. She did what she had to do, but it still hurt all the same.

"Good-bye, sister dear," Starfire said in her tears. "Pleasant dreams."

Starfire turned around to see the rest of the Titans looking at her from their ships. She sensed how shocked they were. She couldn't tell how all of them were feeling right now, but she knew for sure how Robin was feeling right now. She knew he didn't like what he had seen or heard, and she wasn't sure what the future held between them after today, but she hoped to find out soon.


The Tamaraneans had made their way back to Tamaran, and Starfire and her friends arrived to make sure everything was okay. Starfire hugged Galfore once she saw him.

"Oh, Galfore," she said. "I am so relieved you are okay."

"So am I, Starfire," Galfore responded, returning the hug.

Galfore turned to the Titans.

"Thank you for saving our people, Titans," he told them. "We are forever in your debt."

"You don't owe us anything, Galfore," Robin said as he shook Galfore's hand. "That's just part of our job."

"That may be true, but I-"

Galfore was interrupted by a long chain of coughs. Starfire noticed that the coughing sounded much worse than the last time she had heard from him. She was afraid this would happen.

"Dude, you don't sound so good," noticed Beast Boy. "Do you have something in your throat?"

Raven nudged Beast Boy to keep him quiet. Starfire decided this was the time for a private conversation between her and Galfore.

"Friends, would you please excuse us?" she asked the others. "This is important."

Robin was a little surprised, but he let it slide.

"Sure, Star," he replied. "We'll wait for you on the ship."

Once the rest of the Titans were out of sight. Starfire and Galfore could have their conversation.

"Is there anything about your illness that you wish to tell me, Galfore?" asked Starfire.

Galfore sighed. He didn't want to tell her, but she wasn't going to stop asking until he told her what the problem was.

"My lungs are getting weak, Starfire," explained Galfore. "Breathing has become more difficult and I tire much more easily than I used to. I am undergoing treatment, but it is not effective."

Galfore paused. The worst was yet to be said.

"My medical specialists informed me that I only have less than a year to live."

Starfire gasped. She knew this could've happened, but that didn't make it easier for her to cope with it.

"How long have you known?" she asked.

Galfore sighed again.

"Three months," he replied quietly.

"Three months?" asked Starfire in horror. "Why did you not tell me sooner?"

"I did not wish for you to worry about me, Starfire, or about the throne of Tamaran. You have more than earned your right to choose how you wish to live, and I cannot force you to become Grand Ruler again if you do not wish to. The throne was not even meant to be yours at all. It would not be right, would it?"

Starfire thought for a second. She knew that Tamaran would be in danger again if Galfore passed away and nobody was there to be the Grand Ruler. She still didn't think she was worthy to be Grand Ruler, but who else was there? Her parents were long gone, and so were her brother and sister. It was just her. She knew her people would need someone, even if she wasn't the most fit for the role of Grand Ruler. Starfire then thought about her friends. She absolutely loved it on Earth. She never wanted to leave her friends, but her instincts were telling her that Tamaran needed her more. She felt that if this happened before she and Robin broke, she'd have more reasons to stay one Earth. But the two of them hadn't gotten back together, and she didn't trust him as much as he used to. She realized that as long as the Titans were around, Earth would be safe, but Tamaran was in a different situation. She couldn't ignore her people, even if she would rather live on Earth. Her mind was made up.

"I do appreciate you caring about my happiness, Galfore," Starfire finally said. "But I cannot sacrifice the safety of our planet for my own happiness. I will return to Tamaran and become Grand Ruler again."

Galfore looked down to the ground. He didn't want it to come to this, but it seemed like it was bound to happen no matter what.

"Are you sure, Starfire?" he asked. "You will not have much time to learn the way of the Grand Ruler once I go away."

"I am certain," she replied. "I will return in the coming days," she replied. "I will make as much time as possible before that day comes."

Starfire knew there was no turning back now. She had made her decision. The hard part would be saying 'good-bye' to her friends.


After a long day, the Titans had finally made it back to Earth. They asked Starfire what she and Galfore had talked about in their private conversation, but she told them she would feel better if she told them when they got back home. When they arrived at the Tower, they waited for Starfire to give them the story, but Starfire instructed them to sit down on the couch before she said anything. They noticed how sad she looked, and wondered if that was related to what she and Galfore had discussed. When all eyes were focused on Starfire, she finally spoke.

"Friends, Galfore is terminally ill, and is believed to only have a year to live. Since there is no one else eligible to be the Grand Ruler of Tamaran, I must return and become Grand Ruler again. I will be leaving in three days."

The Titans were stunned. That was not the news they were hoping for.

The room was silent for a whole thirty seconds.

"You mean you're leaving us?" asked Cyborg, wishing he had heard wrong.

"I am afraid so, Cyborg," Starfire replied solemnly.

"But, why now?" asked Beast Boy. "Don't you want to stay here a little longer?"

"My people need me, Beast Boy," reasoned Starfire. "And I must learn the ways of the Grand Ruler. If I leave sooner, it will provide me more time to adapt."

"But what about us?" asked Raven. "Are we never going to see you again?"

"I am sure you will Raven," responded Starfire. "I never expected to meet any of you. I truly believe I will see you all again."

It took a few seconds for them all to accept it, but they all offered to help Starfire pack her belongings and get ready for her departure. Robin waited for the other Titans to leave the room before he spoke to Starfire. The look in his eyes showed how sad he was that Starfire was leaving. He had to make sure that this was what she wanted.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked her.

"I am certain," she replied.

"Well, we've been through so much together, Star. I'm still in love with you, even if we don't agree on certain things."

Robin paused to brace himself for what he was about to ask her.

"Do you still love me?" he asked her.

Starfire closed her eyes. She did still love him, but she didn't feel the same way she felt about him when they were a couple. He still wouldn't tell her his real name, nor had she never seen the color of his eyes. That wasn't someone she could be in love with.

"You are my friend Robin," she replied. "Of course I still love you. But we cannot be together now. I have a duty to my people, and they need me more than you do."

Robin looked away from her. He didn't want her to leave, but she couldn't stop her from saving her people.

"I must begin the packing," Starfire told him as she flew to her room.

Robin looked out the window wondering if this was actually happening. Was Starfire really leaving him? Would that alternate future with Warp actually come true? It seemed as if Starfire's arrival on Earth was what brought the Titans together. He feared that her departure might be what eventually splits the Titans apart. Only time was going to tell.


Three days had passed, and it was time for Starfire to leave. She was relieved that there was no crime in Jump City these past few days. She wanted to spend as much time with her friends as possible, and she didn't want to spend it with them when people were in trouble. All of her things were packed, and Silkie was ready for the trip. A Tamaranean ship would be picking her up in a few hours, and she was all set. Starfire gazed in the mirror in sadness. She was wearing the outfit she wore the day she met her friends. It was a symbol of her status of royalty on Tamaran. She also wore the crown that came with it. She didn't see herself as royalty, but her people did. She had to wear it for them. They needed an example to follow, and she would gladly do it for them. Starfire was bringing the last of her bags to the roof of the Tower, but when she opened the door to the roof, she was faced with a surprise. Not only were her friends there, but so were the rest of the Titans from across the world, including the honoraries. Starfire gasped at the sight.

"Friends," she said. "What is-"

"Well, when the others found out about you leaving, they all wanted to say good-bye," said Cyborg.

Starfire felt a wave of tears flow through her eyes. It was all so overwhelming. Starfire hugged and bid the other Titans farewell before she turned back to her friends. Cyborg walked to her with another luggage for her.

"What is this?" she asked.

"I know how much you like mustard," he said. "So I thought I'd give you a whole bag of bottles of mustard for Tamaran. You won't find as much mustard over there. You probably like the food on Tamaran better, but I just wanted to do something for you before you left."

Starfire noticed Cyborg's organic eye starting to tear up.

"That is very thoughtful of you, Cyborg," Starfire said. "I am most grateful."

"Man, I really wish you didn't have to go, Star," he said sadly. "Things won't be as fun without you here, and I don't think you'll have a lot of fun over there."

"I shall still be with you, and you will still be with me. Whenever I win a battle, I will always think of the 'boo-yah.' I could never forget your celebratory cry."

A very touched Cyborg hugged Starfire.

"Good luck on Tamaran," he told her.

"Thank you," she said back.

As Cyborg let go of Starfire, Beast Boy stepped forward to say good-bye.

"Gee, Star," he said. "It only feels like yesterday when we first became a team, and now you're leaving us."

"Yes," agreed Starfire. "It appears that time passes faster than it feels."

Beast Boy took a second to think of a good joke, but he couldn't think of any.

"I wanted to tell you one last joke, but I guess I'm all out of material," he said as he scratched his head. "But, thanks for laughing at them all, even the bad ones."

"That is what I like the most about you, Beast Boy," she said. "You are the funniest person I have ever known."

Beast Boy was surprised. It took him a moment to process that.

"You really mean that?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "I would not tell you that if I did not."

That was enough for Beast Boy to break down into tears. The only one who liked all of his jokes was about to go away. He had to let her know how important she was to him.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Star," he said through his tears.

"I shall miss you too, Beast Boy," Starfire said as she knelt down to hug Beast Boy.

When Starfire knelt back up, she turned to Raven. She was used to Raven being quiet, but she could sense a different reason for it this time. Raven had her eyes closed and her arms crossed. She didn't know what to say to Starfire before she left. She wasn't exactly good at that.

"Raven?" said Starfire. "Is something wrong?"

Raven opened her eyes to face Star. She still didn't know what to say. She sighed before trying anything.

"Listen, Starfire," she stuttered. "I just want to.. I wish I could.."

But Raven stopped. She didn't know how to say it. Starfire sensed this and decided to say something.

"Thank you for being my friend, Raven. I will always cherish the memories I shared with you."

Raven suddenly knew what to say now, but it wasn't what she originally wanted to say.

"I could've been a better friend," she said regretfully.

"No," said Starfire. "You were the best friend you could possibly be. That is all I could have asked for."

It was then that Raven started to have tears in her eyes. She was the last person in the world anyone would expect to cry, but one of her closest friends was leaving, and she couldn't hide what she was feeling. Raven flew to Starfire and hugged her. Starfire was surprised, but pleased all the same. She knew Raven wasn't a hugger, but it felt nice that she got a hug from her.

"Take care of yourself, Starfire," Raven said as her voice cracked.

"You, too," replied Starfire.

When Starfire let go of Raven, she turned to Robin, who already had tears in his eyes.

"Starfire," he said. "There's something I want to show you."

Before Starfire could ask what it was, Robin did something he had never done before. He took his mask off, which revealed his blue eyes with black eyebrows that matched his hair.

Starfire and the others gasped at this reveal. Robin had finally done what Starfire had hoped he would do, but it was already too late. She put a hand to Robin's eyes to get a closer look. She loved everything about them.

"Robin, your eyes are-"

"My real name is Richard, but you can call me Dick," Robin said. "Just so long as I'm not fighting crime and crooks can't find out my secret identity."

Normally, Beast Boy would laugh at such a name, but he didn't need Raven to remind him that this wasn't the time for that. Starfire was torn. She had finally told him his real name, like she always wanted. Unfortunately for him, that wouldn't keep her from leaving.

"Oh, Robin," she said "I am most delighted to know who you really are, but I do wish you had told me before."

"I know," said Robin as he put his mask back on. "So do I. Maybe if I did, things would've turned out better between us."

Starfire couldn't agree more. If he had been more honest with her, maybe they would've made their relationship work, even from a long distance. Then again, she hadn't been completely honest with him either. It seemed as if their love wasn't meant to last, but that didn't mean their friendship had to end.

"Perhaps, but we are still friends, yes?" asked Starfire.

"Absolutely," confirmed Robin.

Robin reached for his pocket and took out a Titans communicator.

"Your other one got broke, right?" he asked. "You're going to need a new one if you need to call your friends."

Starfire took the communicator from his hands. That was all she needed to hear to be sure that they were still friends, even if they weren't as close as they used to be. They could still be there for each other, even if it was from far away. If she was in trouble, she knew who to call.

"Thank you, Robin," Starfire said.

Starfire pulled Robin in for a hug and gave him a kiss on the cheek. The kiss may not have been like the ones they used to share, but it was still a sign of love and care. It was at that moment that the Tamaranean ship appeared from the sky as it descended towards Titans Tower. As the ship landed on the roof in front of the Titans, the door opened. The soldier helped Starfire get Silkie and her bags onboard. Starfire told the soldier to give her a few more minutes, then they could take off. She turned to her friends one last time before she boarded the ship. Her eyes were flooded with tears. The reality was finally starting to sink into her mind. This was it.

"I suppose this is farewell, for now," she said.

"For now, but you said we will see you again, right?" asked Cyborg. "This isn't good-bye. This is only 'see you later.'"

Starfire smiled at those words.

"Yes," "I will see all of you again."

"Promise?" asked Beast Boy.

"Promise," affirmed Starfire.

"Remember your promise," warned Raven.

"I will," repeated Starfire as she turned to the ship.

"See you later, Starfire," said Robin.

The other Titans said good-byes as Starfire boarded.

Starfire took one last look at her friends before she closed the door.

"Farewell my friends," she said to them. "Until we meet again."

As Starfire closed the door, she told the soldier she was ready. With that, the ship hovered over Titans Tower and flew into the sky and out of sight. All of the Titans looked at the empty sky sadly, knowing that Starfire was gone. On the Tamaranean ship, Starfire looked at her new communicator. She noticed something was inside it. Was it a piece of paper or something? She opened it, and saw it was a picture of her and her friends. They were all sitting on the couch smiling for the camera, including Raven. Starfire smiled at the picture as tears kept falling from her eyes. She would miss her friends dearly, but she could always remember the good times they had together. That would make her future as the Grand Ruler of Tamaran easier. She knew she had friends who loved and would be there for her no matter what, no matter where they were, and she knew it would be forever, just like true friendship was meant to be.