I must beg your forgiveness; I was unable to answer your reviews this time around. It happens from time to time and unfortunately now is one of those times. Enjoy the chapter!
Incidentally I would like to recognize those who did review: Itxprincessxlala, Valda, Samanthe2121, Realfanficts, April4rmH-Town, LoVeAbLe AnGeL, Princess Angelfire of NZ, TTHPFan, and Jadedea.
Thank you for all yoru reviews and that fact that I didn't respond to them won't be repeated again (hopefully). So with that out of the way VIVA LA UPDATE!
Chapter Seven
He is Here
Starfire's eyes opened and she let out a small gasp. She twisted her head to the side and saw Robin napping next to her. On the desk against the wall he had set a take out bag from the restaurant he recently returned from. Careful not to disturb him Starfire climbed off the bed and sat down before her food. She opened it and the smell of the particular dish filled her mind with the memory all over again. She then began to wonder if she would have been better off completely ignorant of her past. Perhaps it would have been better if the Titans had simply given her a home and left it at that. Of course had that happened she would not have become a Titan herself and possibly the wife of the one she so adored. There are some things in life we can't change. And even so, why would you want to?
TWO FLOORS DOWN………………….
Raven and Taka stood before Blackfire's cell, arms crossed and unmoving. When they arrived they discovered that Arameth had retaken control of his host and therefore it was currently his cell. Raven held her hand out before Taka and silently beckoned her for something. Hesitantly, Taka reached inside her shirt and removed the small triangle. She handed it to Raven who then held it up before Arameth.
"What's this, and why is Anubis so interested in it?" He grinned mischievously and Raven walked forward a little. "Alright, I've really grown tired of you just standing there with that dopey smile on your face. I can get the answers we need in two ways; first is the way we prefer, where I ask politely and you answer. Or I can do a telepathic sweep of both yours and Blackfire's minds and maybe find what we're looking for." Arameth's grin faded slightly. Taka tilted her head in agreement.
"I can tell you from personal experience; it is not at all a pleasant sensation." Arameth unfolded his arms and sat down.
"I don't know," his echoing voice answered.
"He lies," whispered Taka.
"Silence you!" Blackfire's eyes glowed from Arameth's anger. "I demand you release me at once from this enclosure. Only then will I tell you what you want to know."
"Well then it looks like we're going to be here for a really long time," said Raven taking a seat herself. "Because there's no way we're letting either of you out."
"I told you I don't know anything about it, he commands and I obey or I die. It is as simple as that."
"You are light years away from him," said Taka. "Why do you feel you must obey someone who isn't even in the same solar system as you?" Arameth pursed his lips together.
"He-he would remove me from my host." Raven smirked.
"Yes, I can see how she might grow on you."
Arameth curled his lip. "You misunderstand me immensely. I only fear being removed from Kormand'r because I cannot survive for more then a few minuets without a host. Wherever I go Oni-Kal would undoubtedly find me and punish me for my disobedience."
"And what would happen to Blackfire," asked Raven in a half curious voice.
"Whatever he wishes, we are both at his mercy. As you will all be soon." A few notes of maniacal giggles escaped him. Raven rose from her seat and Taka stepped closer to the cell force field.
"What do you mean by this," asked the Japanese girl.
"You have as little hope of defeating Oni-Kal as I do living without my host. You believe you are out of reach here on this miserable dust ball. He is merely biding his time, soon he will come and your hour of reckoning will be at hand." His laughter began to rise with each breath he took. Raven glared down him ruefully. He suddenly stopped and gripped the sides of his head. "YOU!" Blackfire's eyes glowed and when they dimmed back to normal she looked around until she laid eyes on Raven and Taka.
"Raven!" Raven glanced at Taka.
"Blackfire?"
"Yes genius, thank you by the way for letting this…this…parasite move me like some ragged puppet. I suppose I should be thanking you however, if you had not forced him to relinquish control of my body before I might not have been able to come up on my own."
"Your welcome I'm sure," said Raven in a monotone. "Well I'm sure you didn't force you way to the surface just to gripe. You need something?" Blackfire crossed her arms.
"I would speak with Starfire."
ACROSS THE GALAXY ON TAMARAN…………………
A group of six or so attendants followed a man as he swiftly walked down the halls toward his personal chambers.
"Your highness I beg you to consider for a moment the condition of our mining facility on Celus two."
"Nonsense," said another. "Our focus should be concentrating more on maintaining our boarder colonies along the Gordanian neutral zone. Tensions are mounting between the locals and our people everyday."
"Highness please we have not the time for impractical squabbles that could be dealt with later. I strongly recommend-"
"Liman..Josephus," interrupted the king. The two men silenced and the king lowered his hand. "I am not entirely concerned with either matter at this point in time. Send word to Earth, perhaps they can assist with the neutral zone."
"Earth's knowledge of the stars and the Gordanians is severely limited. I am not sure we could rely upon them assist us with such a delicate matter," said Josephus. The king nodded and continued on his way.
"I will consider both of your reports, in the mean time…" He turned back to them when he reached his room. "I have a communication to send to my daughter. You two have a pleasant evening." They tried to confront him a second time before he disappeared inside his room and locked the door. He let out a sigh and shook his head. "Sometimes, what I would give X'hal simply to have Koriandr's life style." He readied the screen at his desk to begin recording his 'letter' when a small buzzer sounded. Slightly irked he paced up to the small device beside his door. "Yes?"
"Forgive the disruption your highness, but our scout ships have detected a Psion vessel orbiting Tamaran." The king's eyes grew wide with growing distress. "Yeomen, are you completely sure of these readings?"
"We are your highness." He paused once more.
"I do not see how it is possible; they have been wiped out for years. What class of vessel was it?"
"It was a make unlike anything ever previously encountered. It cloaked immediately upon acquiring a safe orbit, we have yet to locate it since." The king stood flat against the wall. "They have begun to hail us your highness."
"Very well, I'll speak to them here." He sat back down at his desk and apprehensively awaited their transmission. At once his screen flicked on and Anubis' darkened shroud stared back at him.
"Your highness, Myand'r. It has been so many years, old friend." Myand'r furrowed his eyes.
"You have me mistaken for another King of Tamaran, I do not know you." Anubis rose from his chair and approached the screen closer.
"You mean to say that after what we went through together, you do not even recognize your old….savoir." Myandr's mouth fell and rubbed his eyes from astonishment.
"Oni-Kal? It is not possible."
"I am sure by now you know as well as anyone, it is most possible. I have returned King of Tamaran. You would do well to advise your subjects that you are now but a liaison between them and myself."
"The sons and daughters of Tamaran will never submit themselves to you."
"Never..say never your majesty."
"Never the less, I still speak for my people. And our answer would remain thus."
"There will come a time King, when you will not be able to shield your people with your title. Relinquish your world over to me."
"And if I refuse further." Though his face was completely unseen, Myand'r could tell Anubis was grinning in some way.
"Tell me your highness, how is your daughter fairing on Earth?" Myand'r nose from his chair.
"You shall leave Koriand'r out of this. If you harm her both her husband and I will spend a lifetime if we have to, seeking a way to destroy you!"
"That would certainly be a lifetime ill spent. I have grown tired bantering with you 'highness', therefore I will leave you with thirty-six hours to respond in a sensible way or ever living thing around you will be dead or dying."
BACK AT TITANS TOWER……………..
Starfire stepped lightly down the halls toward the brig. She was nearly halfway done with the meal Robin brought home when she was summoned by Raven and Taka. As she walked she heard a faint noise behind her. She twisted her head and saw nothing trialing her, nothing but an empty hallway. Deciding that she must've imagined it Starfire continued on. She let out a gasp and did an about face when she heard it once more but louder. She gazed down the corridor looking for anyone who might be trying to crouch behind something in order to sneak up on her.
"W-Who is there?" There it was again, the noise of a bounding footstep. It thudded again making her jump. She held up a fist and shook slightly. "B-Beast Boy, if this is one of your jokes that are practical, then I do not find it very humorous." Down the hallway Starfire saw each light suddenly shut off, one right after the other. Steadily the growing darkness crept its way toward her. She breathed a 'no' and began running in the opposite direction. "ROBIN!" She screamed for her one and only source of comfort and looked back in time to see what appeared to be a winged serpent flying her way. She ran straight into the wall, spun around, and braced herself. The flying snake collided with her and dispersed all around her like a cloud of smoke. The small puffs then became miniature versions of the beast that so suddenly attacked her. "NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" She blindly shot a starbolt in almost every direction trying to ward off the intruding beasts.
Able to hear her call a mile away Robin came sprinting down the hall and spotted her flaying around and shooting at absolutely nothing. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, as though in some sort of trance.
"Starfire?" No sooner had he taken another step towards her then a bright flash blinded him for a moment. Upon reopening his eyes they widened in horror as he saw Starfire slowly being consumed by fire. "STARFIRE!" He moved forward but felt himself being retrained by two heavy chains. 'What the hell is this!' "STARFIRE! NOOO!"
At that exact moment in his own room Beast Boy crouched in a corner trying to block out an endless note of screaming. He scrunched his eyes shut and beat his fists against the sides of his head. 'God make it stop!' He prayed it would end at that second but only grew worse and worse.
"Beast Boy….help me." Already on the verge of hyper ventilating Beast Boy cautiously approached his window and looked down at the ground and saw Terra being pulled under the earth. She held a muddy and blood stained hand up at him. "Please help me Beast Boy…."
"It's not real," he breathed. "It's not real, it's not real, it's not real it's not real. Itsnotrealitsnotrealitsnotreal IT'S NOT REAL!" He grabbed a chair and smashed his window to bits.
In the common room Raven ran in and saw both Cyborg and Taka looking as thought they were going completely insane. She ran up to the Tower surveillance screens and promptly saw Robin, Starfire, and Beast Boy agonizing over something dreadful.
"What in the world is wrong with them," she asked herself. A sudden jolt seemed to bounce off her head and she yelped from the pain. Once it subsided she looked around uneasily, now knowing the cause of their behavior. "Anubis…" Another violent jolt and gritted her teeth. "Nice try," she said to the one she knew was listening. "Azerath…Mertion…..ZINTHOS!" An orb of dark energy formed around her and spread out like a growing bubble. Soon the bubble engulfed the entire tower and all those invaded by Anubis slowly but surely calmed. Taka ceased to see repetitive images of Himora being murdered. She blinked and looked around the room. Raven swooped down next to her and checked her pulse. "Do you know what your name is?" She thought for a moment still taking in heavy breaths.
"Taka Oyu, daughter of Kaede and Fujita Oyu."
"Good, just wanted to make sure I didn't send out something along with Anubis. Can you stand up or anything?" Taka nodded and went over to help Cyborg to his feet. Down the halls Robin sat on his knees staring straight ahead. Now sure that he was no longer hallucinating he dashed over and wound Starfire up in a tight embrace. She grabbed him around the waste and pressed herself against him so tightly it was a wonder her face wasn't imprinted on his shirt.
"Your alright Star, we're all fine now. It's okay." He felt her shake her head and he pulled away to look up at her. Tears leaked out of her face and her lower lip trembled.
"No Robin. I-It is not okay. He will not stop."
"Starfire…"
"He will never cease to torment us….until I have returned to his side." He took a firm hold of her shoulders.
"Now Starfire that is something you'll never do. You cut yourself off from him years ago. I'm not going to let your turn back, not now." He wiped away her tears. "Not ever." Taking in a loud sniffle she nodded and once more fell into him. He rubbed her back soothingly and stood her up. She felt her knees buckle and Robin caught her.
"Robin…the nausea returns…" He nodded.
"Alright lets, lets get you to sickbay." He guided her down the halls back toward the medical facility.
LATER…………..
Raven peered through the glass window of a door and saw Robin standing before a stained glass window. She silently walked in and saw the window depicting a man being hung on a cross. He stared up at it as if trying to discover some hidden message in it.
"I didn't know the tower had one of these?" Robin turned but relaxed at the sight of her. "I also didn't know you were a church goer."
"Well I used to not be. But, in light of what's just ruined all our lives….I think we're going to need all the help we can get." Raven remained silent, unable to think of anything to add.
"I just got done helping Beast Boy, I heard about Starfire. Is she okay?" He nodded and walked up to her.
"She's fine now, I told her to take it easy and get some sleep or something. And she did, she cried herself to sleep," he added solemnly. "I'll tell you what Raven, out of all the times I've been with her I have never felt so unable to help."
"Robin everyone in this tower knows that's not true."
"No matter what I can't comfort her. He's gotten so deep into her heart, he frightens her too easily. And I don't blame her." Raven sat down in one of the few pews and invited Robin to sit beside her. He sat down and she sighed.
"Do you want to tell me what you saw?" He looked up at her. "I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me. I'm just trying to help."
"It's alright Raven. I know we've faced 'we're all doomed' situations before but…but for some reason this time it's different. I could feel it." Quizzical, Raven frowned slightly. "I could feel the heat from the flames, and although now I know it was all an illusion I couldn't move. Something kept me from running up to her and pulling her out of that fire." He shook his head and swallowed. "I know I don't say this often Raven….but I'm scared." He said with a nod.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of Robin."
"Maybe, but I still wish there was something more I could do to take her mind off of all this. And we still don't know anything really about Anubis." Raven stood up and held out her hand. He took it and she guided him up to his feet.
"Well, if you'll indulge me; I think I might have a way to accomplish both."
So sorry I had intended on there being more in this chapter but I was forced to cut it short by forces outside of my control. The same forces that kept me from answering your reviews. Once again I apologize and I hope you liked this chapter. If one or more of you are getting a little bored with it I promise, stand on me, that it will pick up in the next chapter. Laters!