A.N: Here I am again, I would like to thank my single anonymous reviewer: Thank you! and to those who only left a mark on this story's hit counter, thank you as well. To those it matters to: this story contains fem-slashy feelings, ie: Rae/Sunfire, but nothing major. Oh and beforeI forget: the name comes from the artist Turin-the-Forsaken on dA. Thank him for spawing my creative urge on this one.
Chapter 1
Later that night, Raven and the others came home from their excursion. All of them seemed tired, and Raven was busy healing a large wound on the human side of Cyborg's head.
"What transpired?" Sunfire asked curiously, eyeing the bruising on Robin's face anxiously.
"We ran into Cinderblock. And Plasmus, and Overload. The prison's containment units failed when a major power outage took out the defensive systems. We think it was Slade's plan, we're just not sure why."
"But you do not normally come home with such injuries, why are you so damaged now?" Robin grimaced as he felt what should have been a black eye, but was not visible beneath the domino mask that was invariably on his face.
"Dude, I think that not having a fifth messed us up." Beastboy tossed in from where he was rubbing his sore legs. Sunfire's eyes began to fill with tears, Raven noticed the change in his mood, whether it was through he powers or simply through their friendship, she was not sure. In either case, she quickly finished her task and then turned to Sunfire and dragged him out of the room and down the hall.
"Friend Raven… where are you taking me?" he asked
"Out."
"Why are you taking me out?"
"You need to get out of the tower, your emotional turmoil is driving me crazy" As they spoke, Raven had levitated some of her little-used civilian clothing and phased into it, abandoning only her cloak on the way out the door.
"Um… alright… but where shall we travel to?"
Raven did not give an answer but she did let go of his arm when it seemed that he would not resist leaving. They traveled through the city, and every so often, they stopped to look at the clothing set up in store windows.
"Raven, may we just…"
"No. That's a lingerie store. I have no intention of bringing a man into a lingerie store." Sunfire blushed slightly at that.
"I had forgotten for a moment…" Raven just lifted an eyebrow and continued walking, they were coming up on a local bookstore. Raven nearly walked past it but halted when her male friend stopped and looked at the display of historical texts in the window.
"Raven, may we please enter, I have been so wanting to learn more about earth history." He looked at her pleadingly; his green eyes shining and making him look decidedly boyish.
"All right. I may pick up a new novel while we're here."
Inside, Sunfire strode quietly over to the display and picked up a large tome having to do with the stone age, he put that book under his arm and read the back of another book dealing with the Holocaust and World War II. Thought that book seemed altogether depressing, he put that book under his arm as well. He looked up, trying to find other books to purchase and found that Raven was seated in the back of the store looking at books that had dark sounding titles, and then a book caught his eye.
A History of Intolerance the title read, and was instantly intrigued, Sunfire was himself no stranger to bigotry, being from the planet Tamaran had exposed him to the mindless hatred of other races from an early age, and the recent incident with Val-Yor still gave him ripples of unease. He brought his selections with him to the rear of the store and smiled as Raven perused the titles in the small but decent selection of gothic and horror novels.
"Raven, may I ask if there is a particular title you are searching for." Raven's head snapped up, her large purple eyes showing surprise at haven been startled out of her concentration.
"No, I don't think… no. But thank you Sunfire." She looked at the books held under Sunfire's left arm, "what are those?"
"They are books, of course." Raven growled in slight frustration.
"About what?"
"This one is of ancient times, this about a period that I believe is called the Holocaust, and this is about intolerance." Raven began to pick herself off of the ground, and took Sunfire's hand to help herself up.
"Thank you."
"You are welcome friend Raven. Now, may I pay for these? Or would you like more time?"
"No, I'm fine. I'll meet you outside"
Sunfire nodded and walked briskly to the front of the store as Raven teleported out of the store. The elderly man at the counter looked up from his newspaper as he approached.
"Did you find everything that you were looking for?"
"Indeed sir, these will provide much pleasure." The man chuckled.
"Glad to hear it son. Total comes to fifty-seven ninety-six."
"Sunfire held up a small plastic card that each of the titans had and swiped it into a machine that was placed on the counter in front of him.
"Many thanks sir."
"No problem kid, you and your girlfriend have a nice evening"
"Thank you sir." He said again before hefting his bag of purchases over his shoulder and exiting the door with a jingle of bells.
"Friend Raven, where may we traverse to next?"
"I don't know."
"May we go to the cinema? I would very much like to see a moo-vee."
"Which movie, there are several playing right now that are supposed to be quite good."
Sunfire was about to answer when a girl who was probably seventeen came up to both of them
"Woah! You're like, a Teen Titan aren't you?" she said excitedly, her brown hair bouncing with every word she blurted out. Soon, a small crowd had gathered and Sunfire saw the distinctive flash of a camera. Sunfire bent his head and whispered in Raven's ear,
"I believe that now would be an appropriate time to return to the tower."
They disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, much the chagrin of the onlookers, and the disappointment of the teenage girls, who were fawning over the new mystery Titan.
"Have I ever mentioned how much I hate our fans?" Raven grumbled as they stepped out of the swirling vortex that Raven had created for their travel.
Sunfire giggled, "Oh but Raven, surely you must have noticed the young man in black clothing staring at you. He probably believes you are 'hot.'"
Raven rolled her eyes at her tall companion, "Whatever."
"Raven, I must help you get a 'date', I believe that you will be perfect for each other." Raven's eye developed a tick, and she began breathing very regularly. Meanwhile, Sunfire continued his gentle ribbing. "Perhaps you should name the children after myself, I believe Sunfire Junior has a lovely ring to it, don't you?"
"NO!" Raven bellowed, and the other male titans looked over at where Raven's outburst had caused the toaster and microwave to explode, littering the kitchen and living room area with shrapnel. Sunfire glanced back at them and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Very well Raven, I shall leave you alone; I need to send a transmission to Galfore in any case." As Raven shook with her exertions and trying to lessen her rage, Sunfire exited; the door wooshing behind him. He walked with purpose, and tried to stifle a giggle at the memory of Raven's blush, she was so adorable when that happened… what? He pushed all thoughts of teammates out of his mind, with difficulty, the image of Raven blushing seemed quite persistent. He made his way to the top floor of the tower and sat at the small computer that was just next door to the Evidence Room that Robin updated almost religiously for whatever reason.
When the computer booted up it flashed with tameranian script asking for a voice identification, instead, Sunfire tapped a button on the monitor and a DNA scanner emerged from the side of the screen. He placed his palm on the small pad, which chirped in approval and in just a moment he was facing the stern face of an imperial guard, helmet and all.
"Authorization?" He barked, trying to intimidate the slightly younger man.
"Alpha- four- seven- nine- omega, family 0. I would very much like to speak with Emperor Galfore."
"Name?"
"Starfire" he said after a small hesitation.
"One Moment your Highness." Seconds later, the screen changed. Sunfire now found himself looking at the scarred yet gentle face of his caretaker and new emperor. With a nod of his head he acknowledged his ruler.
"I was told that it was Koriand'r making this transmission, not her father. Who are you, and where is she?" He demanded.
"Galfore, it is a long story, but in short: I am Korian'r and need your assistance."
"Oh really? How am I supposed to believe that?"
"I have a birthmark on my left Grebnok (1) in the shape of a Snervian Blortworm." He said calmly, his eyes twinkling a little. To prove it, he unbuttoned his shirt and exposed his left side to the screen. True to his word, there was a small birthmark on his left pectoral in the shape of an otherworldly insect.
"I suppose it is you, what has happened?"
"A clorbag that we have yet to apprehend injected me with some sort of genetic alternator that targets those genes that affect gender. Cyborg has yet to unearth the source of this substance, and so I have been like this for several earth weeks."
"What do you need me to do? Send a contingent force to help you find this person?" Glafore looked hopeful
"No, k'norfka, I need your help in using my abilities. How do men fly?"
"We fly to protect those we care about. You must feel affection and protectiveness to fly. But I cannot help you with your Starbolts, you and I both know that they are unique to you and your sister."
Sunfire's brow furrowed at the mention of Blackfire, he decided to change the subject. "I look like my father?"
"Very much so, the only difference is that Tattoo he had done after a campaign on Alpha Centauri. You have his chin."
Sunfire rubbed his chin, which was beginning to need a shave.
"Who do you think of when you fly?"
"You, I have always wanted to protect you. And your parents before you."
"Thank you Galfore. I must go now."
"I hope that all turns out for the best."
"As do I." And with that he tapped the side of the monitor, cutting off the transmission. He sat there for a moment, his head resting in hands that should not have been his. Who did he wish to protect? Robin was ever getting into difficult situations, but Sunfire had never really felt the need to protect him, merely to be there to help him recover when he escaped, which he invariably did, and usually without injury. Cyborg was nearly invulnerable, and while BeastBoy was a wonderful companion, Sunfire did not love him. That only left Raven, and Sunfire thought for a moment, Yes, he did care about her, and he had been terribly worried about not only earth, but about Raven as well during her father's brief triumph over the planet. But was it enough? Sunfire stood up and thought only of Raven, using a focusing technique that she had taught him, and sure enough, he began to hover!
"Wonderful! I must inform the others!" He cried and for the first time in three long weeks, he flew down the halls of the tower.
(1) If Grebnak is female, I figure the male equivalent is Grebnok. Meh, creative liscence.