A/N: Hey everybody! I didn't get too many reviews the last time, so please review! It really helps me make the next chapters and if you have any suggestions for this story or whatever, then please tell me in your reviews! I would very much appreciate that!
Richard unlocked the door to his amazingly huge penthouse, letting his suitcases and bags slid off his shoulder and to the floor. He slipped into the bathroom and took a shower, then afterwards threw himself on the king sized bed. His thoughts about his long-lost friends (at least to him) never seemed to end; his eyes were drooping by each second that passed.
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A soft but irritating bell rang constantly in his ear. Each ring gave him a grating sting, and finally when he could no longer take it any more-
"Would whoever's doing that shut the hell UP!"
His eyes suddenly flickered open when he realized…how did someone get into his house? He bolted upright to come face to face with…an angel?
No, he wasn't trying to describe somebody, she really WAS an angel. The petite figure that lay before him had two trademark wings of white and was clothed in a thick white robe with a harp in hand. She seemed young and was looking at him with a small frown of edginess. Her blonde hair and blue eyes were making him feel like she was someone he knew before, though he couldn't quite grasp the memory.
"Who ARE you?" Richard questioned awestruck.
"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past," the angel replied rather impatiently, her gaze still set on him.
Richard snorted. "Pfft, yeah right. How original," he said sarcastically, "Now get out of my house." He pulled his bed comforter over his head and tried to close his eyes, forcing them shut. Once again he heard the chimes of the annoying bell. Sitting up with a glare in his eyes, he saw the angel now standing right in front of him, startling him slightly.
"Gahhh! What do you want with me? GET OUT!"
"I told you once before, I am the Ghost of Christmas Past." She snapped her fingers and all the electricity in the city switched off. "Now do you believe me?"
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Two figures in the night sky flew swiftly, hand in hand, oblivious to the sleeping residents.
"Where are we going?" Richard shouted against the strong breeze.
"To your past. Now would you shut up already? You've been yelling at me for hours."
He gawked at the slim angel. "I thought angels were supposed to be nice," he said with his hand connected to hers in a tight grip.
"Yeah? Well I guess you thought wrong. I'm new to this, and I pretty much hate the holidays as much as you do, so I don't really have a choice of refusing to let you see your past. And the name's Tara."
"You remind me of someone…my friend Raven."
And for the first time that night, the angel smiled. "I know Raven. She was such a…unique person. I used to watch her all the time when you guys were at the tower. She was always trying hiding something, and most of the time it was her emotions and her feelings. Good thing BB came along and-"
She cut herself short when she realized what was going to slip out. Just as Richard was going to open his mouth to question her, a small island appeared and a "t" figure was vaguely visible from where they were. Finally they landed and Tara pulled the confused young man inside the building. There he saw the same five teens in the picture, including his younger self. He watched intently as they opened their presents with joy.
"Duuuuuuude! Super Mega Monkeys 4! Cyborg, you rock!" the grass colored teen squealed.
Cyborg too was marching around like a manically driven kid, and in his arms was a box of tools; even Raven was cradling a large tome in her hands. Last but not least, Richard looked to a redhead; knowing that she would be the most painful one to remember. He saw his younger self reach into his pockets and start fumbling anxiously. Suddenly, Richard realized what Christmas this was. He turned to Tara and begged for her to turn back.
"No," she demanded, "You have to face the mistakes you have done in the past, no matter how terrible they are. Now just watch."
"But-"
"Shhh," she said sharply. "Just. Watch." They both turned back to the scene.
"Here you go Starfire," Robin mumbled nervously, handing her a tiny silver box.
She opened it delicately and gasped softly. "Robin, you…I…thank you," she whispered with that angelic voice Richard missed so much.
"So…beautiful," Richard whispered as just a single movement of the girl bedazzled him.
Starfire lifted her hand and there hung a silver chain with a jade emerald hanging from it. Raven smirked slightly to herself, and Cyborg and Beastboy were trying their hardest to suppress the laughs that were ready to burst out.
"Thanks, I just…wanted it to be something you remembered me by."
Beastboy turned to Robin and remarked, "Oh yeah? Then why'd you give me a doll of Raven?" Raven blushed and when Beastboy finally realized why, his face turned crimson as well.
"But Friend Robin, why is it that you give me something to remember you by? Do you wish to depart from us?"
The question hit Robin like a ton of bricks as he looked down. "Well you see, I was kinda gonna-"
Cyborg and the two other titans looked up from their presents. "What do you mean 'well'," Raven stated not as a question but as an accusation.
"The team's been through a lot, and since we've beaten the Brotherhood of Evil, there haven't been a lot of criminals on the loose. The city-"
"-doesn't need us anymore?" Beastboy cut in, trying not to unleash his sudden anger. "Dude, so you wanna just…quit on us?"
"No, you don't understand," Robin pleaded, "Batman needs me back. He just contacted me a couple of hours ago and-"
"I quit."
Everybody stared at the owner of the voice and their jaws dropped to see who had said it.
"Starfire, you don't have to-"
"I said I quit," she repeated trying not to let her voice crack. Who ever said she was good at hiding it, though? Tears glistened in her eyes as she explained, "You are right Robin- the city doesn't need us anymore, and I don't need you OR the city anymore. If anybody wishes to see me, I will be in my room packing my belongings for my departure tomorrow."
"But Starfire, why are you doing this? We'll all still be friends…right you guys?"
But only a dead silence followed after that. Finally Starfire spoke up. "Look at us Robin, we are not friends anymore. You are always doing your work, and you neglect the team's friendship." After a few moments, she added, "And you neglect me."
The truth hit Robin hard, and especially his older self. Richard looked at Tara. "That wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't mean for the team to fall apart. I was only doing my job…."
"But you made your job your life. Now your team IS apart. Who do you want to blame it on this time, Grayson? Batman? Now watch and see what happens next."
Richard did follow Tara's orders this time and watched.
Cyborg was standing there grimly while he and Robin argued. Beastboy was comforting a lost and confused Raven, while Starfire fled to her room in tears. The next thing he knew, the recreation room was empty, and the Christmas tree lay on the floor lifeless, its once beautiful lights now shattered in pieces across the floor.
"I was angry," Richard whispered with regret to Tara. "I didn't mean to ruin Chri-"
"But you did." She checked her watch and flew up in the air; they were no longer in the building, but someplace Richard couldn't recognize. "It's time for me to go. Tell Beastboy I said hi…and that I'm happy for…him and Raven."
Her eyes blazed with a bright yellow, and for a split second, Richard saw a flashing image of the teenaged Terra, with her gloves and goggles.
But then, sooner than Richard Grayson knew it, his world turned black.
A/N: Review! Review review review! I want to get at least 15 or 20 reviews for this chapter, so please REVIEW! And give me any ideas or suggestions that you might have. Thanks for reading!
BTW, what did everyone think of "Go" (the new episode that aired today)? I loved it! People finally got to see Starfire and Robin kiss! But I don't know if I'm the only that wanted to see them kiss in the present- I really hope they do!