Chapter 7

"Azar's mercy where did you find her?" Mathias asked, his voice husky.

"As I have said, in the crevice I was hiding in," Star replied, "I flew up past the two dragon heads, and saw what looked like a hole in the ceiling ," she related, "Knowing that the beast would soon be looking to attack me, I flew into the hole, which opened up into a small cave. I moved as far back as I could, and bumped into, what I thought was a pile of rags, but felt to solid to be so, I quickly checked, and uncovered a woman, who was curled up in the ball."

"Mathias, she's been scared, to the very depths of her soul." Raven said, extending her empathic powers further into the woman's mind, then pulling back when she felt something. . . . .odd.

Robin frowned, when he heard that, as it clicked in his mind, what about the woman on the ground that looked familiar. What Star referred to as being 'curled up in the ball' was a very tight fetal position ,which indicated extreme fear.

"Mathias wait," Raven said, as he went to touch his wife. "Robin can you extend your senses, like you did to locate the dragon before?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I don't need to. There's plenty of light." he replied, wondering what Raven was up to, but having enough trust in her, to go along with whatever she said.

"I know, but it will heighten your senses." she told him.

"Alright." Robin said, and closed his eyes.

Mathias, and the others watched, as Raven also closed her eyes, concentrating.

'Good,' Raven's voice said in Robins mind. 'Very good. Now reach out, and touch her.'

"Raven, there's something. . . ."

Suddenly, through Robin's heightened sense of sight, Raven could vaguely see an outline of a creature, half in, and half outside, of Anella's body. 'Touch her.' she prodded through the mental link with Robin.

Just as Robins hand came in contact with Anella's shoulder, the creature pulled itself completely from the woman's body, and vanished.

"Whoah!" Beast Boy gasped, when he saw that Anella had gone completely limp.

Raven took a deep breath, then opened her eyes, and Robin followed suit a moment later.

"What was that thing Rae?" he asked.

"I believe a portion of the power of what we're up against." she replied. "Mathias, I must share what I saw with you."

Mathias nodded, and sat facing Raven.

"Ashanti. Kinora, Anel." he chanted, needing the mantra to calm his mind.

"Azarath, Metrion Zynthos." Raven also chanted, lowering her mental barriers, allowing the arch mage access to her mind.

"Robin." Star said softly, touching him on his shoulder.

Robin looked over at her, and she looked at Anella. Robin followed her gaze, and saw that she was awake. Realizing that she had been here, for at least three days, he reached into the small belt pack he was carrying, he took out a small bottle of water.

"Beast Boy give me a hand." he ordered, and the green titan supported Anella's head, and shoulders. Robin poured a small amount of the water into a cup, and held it to her lips.

"Thank you." Anella said, then closed her eyes, not sleeping, just resting.

"By Azar no!" Mathias gasped, snapping out of his trance. "Memnoch!"

"What?" Robin asked, as Raven came out of her trance as well.

"Yes my husband, The Deceiver has risen to power." Anella said softly.

"Someone mind explaining what is being talked about!" Cyborg demanded.

"The evil force we're up against," Mathias said. "it's Memnoch."

"An ancient evil that lives on fear," Raven said. "called The Deceiver, because that is how it feeds itself, by making a person believe his, or her, deepest fear is coming true."

"Who are these people?" Anella asked, indicating the Titans.

"Our allies in this my wife," Mathias replied. "here on earth, they are called the Teen Titans. They are valiant warriors in their own right, don't let their apparent youth deceive you there."

"I'm Robin," he said, helping her to her feet. "this is Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire." he went on, introducing the rest of the team. He was going to introduce Raven, but he saw the recognition light up Anella's green eyes.

"By Azar, I hardly recognize you!" she gasped, placing her hands on Ravens shoulders. "Time has changed you."

"Like I had a choice in that," Raven said flatly. "the prophesy drove me here, from my home, and I had to live with the knowledge, that I would cause the destruction of this planet, and the people I had come to cherish as fiends."

Anella hung her head, unable to keep eye contact with Raven. "There was no help we could give you." she said, softly, then looked up at her. "Can you ever forgive us?" she asked, her eyes shining with tears.

"We have much to discuss." Mathias said, breaking up the tense moment. "I would like to speak to my wife, alone, for a moment." he said, taking Anella by the arm.

"Of course." Robin said. He watched Anella, and saw that she was a little wobbly on her feet for a few moments, and he was relieved to see her steady up fairly quickly. He noticed that she had a heart shaped face, and her dark brown hair spilled out around her lowered hood, and reached just past her shoulders. She was dressed in a light blue blouse, a slightly darker blue, knee length skirt, and dark green cloak.

"You keep staring at her like that, and you'll make her think you're rude." Raven said as she walked over to him.

"Rae you know, probably better than I do, that she should be seen by a doctor," Robin replied testily, "yes I gave her some water, but besides being dehydrated, she needs to get some rest."

As Raven nodded her agreement, Anella walked up. "I can rest after Memnoch is defeated," she said, "I would have thought that you would have learned by now, that having a private conversation, around an empath, is impossible." she added, seeing Robin's confused look, and Raven's smoldering anger.

"Not when the empath exercises some restraint, and discretion." Robin said, angrily.

"Point taken Robin, my apologies." she said, then walked back over to Mathias.

Robin glared angrily at the woman's retreating back. "Rae, I know what they are, and what they're here for, but. . . ." he began angrily.

". . . but that doesn't excuse her behavior." Raven finished for him. "I'll be back in a moment."

"I know she's a Tamaranean, but she's been here on earth for quite a while." Raven heard Mathias say, as she approached him, and Anella. "she's a fierce, and powerful warrior."

Raven didn't hear whatever Anella said in reply, but figured it wasn't very flattering of Starfire. Being her blunt, direct self she got right to the point. "I know the monks trained you better," she said staring straight at Anella, "and seeing as we're going to have to work together, mutual trust, and respect, is going to be necessary between us."

"As I told Robin," Anella said. "I saw his point, and will. . . restrain myself in the future."

Raven was not, entirely, convinced of the woman's sincerity, but would give her another chance. "Are you rested enough to go on?" she asked, and got a nod from her.

"Titan's move out." Robin said, and lead the group toward the stairway, that would take them to the next level down. 'It seems like only yesterday.' he thought to himself, as the memories of taking this path, with Slade ran through his mind.

"DE X'HAL NO!" Starfire suddenly screamed. Robin turned to see what was wrong, but was knocked flat by Star's rushing past him.

"Star what is it!" he shouted at her rapidly retreating form, then ducked instinctively as she started firing star bolts, in rapid fire succession. "Cyborg, she started teaching you Tamaranean, any ideas on what she's shouting?" he asked, as he watched Starfire, as she moved around the cavern, firing almost continuously, and keeping up a running tirade in her native language.

"Yeah, I know some of them, but I'm not going to repeat their English translation." Cyborg replied. "What in the world's gotten into her?" he wondered. "I've never seen her so furious before."

"Yes you have." Raven said quietly coming up to stand between the two. "Robin when was the last time you saw her fire her star bolts like that before, and what was she firing at?"

Robin gaped at Raven. "No." he said softly, as her statements hit home. "It was when we first met," he said slowly. "she didn't know English, and she didn't know Beast Boy, Cyborg, and myself. We were her targets then."

"And what was she running from?" Raven asked, then nodded when she saw Robin's eyes go wide with understanding.

"The one thing she would fear." Robin replied. "Gordanians." he watched, as Raven closed her eyes, and slowed her breathing, concentrating.

"It is how Memnoch, The Deceiver works," Mathias said, as he, and Anella, came up. "he makes his victim live their strongest fear. It may all be in their mind, but to them, it's as real as I'm standing here, talking to you."

"It's hard to actually get into her mind," Raven said slowly, "cause she's moving around so much. Ah there we go." she added, as she finally got a firm hold, on looking into Star's mind. She was silent for a few moment, then was thrown out the link, with great force.

"Rae?" Robin asked concerned.

"She has a. . . vibrant and powerful mind." Raven said slowly, as she leaned on Cyborg to keep her feet. "Robin what you went through, when that dust from Slade's mask infected you, she is going through, even worse.

"Azar's mercy, what power." Anella said in awe, as she watched Star lift a huge chunk of rock, and throw it several hundred feet, with apparent ease. "Why would she fear the Gordanians, specifically?" she asked.

Robin was unsure as to what to tell them, then settled for the partial truth. "She had been captured by them, when the attacked Tamaran."

"And would rather die, than go back to being their slave." Raven finished. "Robin that's exactly what's going to happen, if she keeps this up. The energy she's expending, is fueled by her righteous fury, and when that runs down, she's going to be in bad shape physically, not to mention what this is doing to her mind."

"We've got to try to get through to her." Cyborg said, taking a step forward, but was stopped by Raven's hand on his shoulder.

"Not we, Cy," she told him, "Robin. He's the only one that stands a chance at getting near enough to her, to try to shake her free. Remember she wouldn't even fire on him when he was acting as Slade's apprentice."

"Right." Robin said, then headed into the cavern, his bo staff extended, but held at his side. Weaving from side to side, he got within about ten feet of her, when she turned, then knocked him over, by flying into, and past him. "I'm alright," he told the others, "she wasn't attacking me, it's as if she doesn't see me."

"Try to grab onto her the next time it happens." Raven called to him.

Fortunately it wasn't that hard. Robin again approached the area where Star was now standing still, her arms held straight out to her sides. He watched, as he saw her muscles straining, as if to keep her hands from being brought together.

"She thinks she's being shackled!" Raven told him. "Robin you've got to act soon, the pressure on her mind is like nothing I've ever seen."

Taking the advice, and the fact that Star was motionless, he ran over to her, and grabbed her shoulders, turning her toward him. "Star it's. . . ." he started to say, but was blown several feet away, as he was hit by the star bolts she shot from her eyes.

Robin lay where he was for a moment, waiting for his head to clear. Raven was right. There was only one time when he had been hit by one of her star bolts. It was also when he was under the influence of the dust from Slade's mask. He had become crazed with the fact that he was fighting Slade, and paranoid, because he was the only one who could see him, as it was all in his mind. He had threatened his team mates, if they didn't get out of his way, and Starfire had come up behind him, and knocked him out with one of her bolts.

"Now I know how it feels, to get on from the front." he muttered to himself, as he got up and, without hesitation, headed back toward her, at a dead run. "Gotcha!" he shouted, as he took her down with a flying tackle. 'She's been learning.' he thought to himself, as she went with the hit, and rolled to her feet, pushing him away.

"Star it's me." he said, as he also rolled to his feet, and faced her. Instead of staying in his fighting crouch, he stood up, for two reasons; one to present a less threatening presence, and two because he was stunned by her appearance.

She was on the balls of her feet, tense and ready to move in any direction, her hands at waist height, and glowing with the fury that was flashing through her, but it was her face that took Robin aback. Never had he seen such all consuming fury on her face, and it almost hurt him to see her directing it at him.

"Star, it's me, Robin." he tried again.

Shouting something in Tamaranean she charged at him.

"I hope she'll forgive me for this." he muttered, then quickly side stepped, grabbing the fist she had been aiming at him, and giving her a quick hip toss, using her momentum to complete the throw. He flinched, when he saw her slam into a stalagmite with her back. Taking advantage, of her being stunned by the impact, Robin quickly knelt by her side, and rolled her over. "Star come on, snap out of it!" he shouted, shaking her shoulders.

With a roar, Star pushed him away, and got to her feet. Before she had a chance to move, Robin grabbed her, around the waist, from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. Resting his forehead on her shoulder, he called her name again, then stood there panting.

"Robin?" Star said, her voice shaky. "What has happened, have I done?" she asked, her voice so soft, he almost didn't hear it, then she went limp in his arms.

"Star?" Robin called, trying to wake her back up. "STAR!" he shouted, when he realized that she wasn't breathing. He quickly, and gently, lay her on the ground, and started giving her mouth to mouth resuscitation. "Check to see if she has a pulse!" he shouted to whomever's steps he heard approach.

"Azar no!" he heard Anella gasp, as she felt for the beat of Starfire's heart. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her kneel beside Star, and place both her hands on her chest.

"Anella, kivana rikn forbaska!" he heard Mathias shout.

"Nerva junska weskata?" she shouted back, and Robin could hear the question in her inflection. "Rest easy Robin." she said to him in English. "Dovana, Quidado, Lumos." she chanted, and Star was covered with a white blanket of power.