Chapter Fifteen

"My brother?" Starfire's head snapped up from where she sifted through leafy plants. "He is here?"

Robin attached his communicator back to his belt, joining Starfire in searching through the garden beds. Beyond the windows looming over them, the chaos continued to swell. "He's in the royal prison." He looked in the corner of his eye, watching as Starfire continued to process everything. "What does this plant look like?" He asked.

"It is pointy," Starfire said, crossing to another bed and glancing around. "It will hurt when you touch it." They continued in silence for a few moments more. Each passing second, Starfire felt herself growing somewhat faint, but still she persevered. Knowing her own younger brother was enduring a similar fate made Starfire all the more panicked to correct the situation. She was drowning in pity and guilt. She felt it was her fault alone that Tamaran was fragmented, Galfore was gone, and now her brother's life was on the line. At the same time, an anger was stewing in her veins, directed at her sister, Blackfire, and longtime family friend, Yalfore. How could they do this? How could they taint all the hard work and throw away her dead parent's wills and wishes? Starfire knew her sister had sinister, twisted intentions, but now lines were crossed and there was certainly no redemption in the horizon. Starfire paused, watching as Robin knelt and rustled through some more plants. She had put her friends into grave danger. Starfire never should have allowed them to come with her. They should have been at home, in Jump City, doing what they did best. Instead, she had derailed everything. "Robin..." She spoke before she could even think and he paused, looking to her. "I..." She felt her cheeks grow warm. "I cannot thank you enough."

He grinned weakly, despite the anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach. Robin clung to the comfort of the familiar look in her green eyes again. "It's what friends do, Star. We never would have let you face this alone."

Starfire ran her hand along a velvet leaf, shaking her head. "I fear I have ruined everything."

Robin moved to the next patch of the garden. "You haven't ruined anything, Starfire. We're the Teen Titans. We stick together."

Starfire blinked rapidly as she felt another onslaught of tears. "How could all of you ever accept me back as a Teen Titan when I have done nothing but cause you all such grief?"

Robin paused now and stood up. Around them, the nocturnal creatures chirped brightly. The eerie new moon continued to sail through the sky, as if it would never end on the divided planet. Robin watched as she stiffly searched through the garden, trying to sniffle quietly. It tore horribly at Robin's heart. He crossed to her, grabbing her arms and making her stop. "Star..." His voice was tender, only seemingly hurting her more as she looked to him with her cloudy emerald eyes. "When you're a Teen Titan, it means you don't give up on each other, even when things get difficult. What we're doing for you is far less than what you have done for me. This is your family. It's your heritage."

"I do not know what is left to fight for..." Starfire lowered her head. "I am failing everyone."

Robin tucked his hand beneath her chin, lifting her eyes to him again. "You're being true to yourself, Starfire. Everyone else is failing you."

"You are only saying that because we are friends..." Starfire sounded so miserable.

"I'm telling you the truth, like every friend deserves to hear," Robin told her firmly. "You haven't done anything wrong, Starfire. You've done exactly what you need to. And again, Blackfire threw it all back into your face."

"One would think I would have learned by now."

Robin wrapped his arms around her, shaking his head. Starfire's heart beat ferociously in her chest. "Star... no one could see any of this coming."

She stared at him for a moment, her mind almost wandering away. Robin knew her better than most did. The way he so easily read her like an open book was amazing. The only other person who had been capable of that was Galfore. She sighed and drew herself away from Robin. She hugged herself as she walked around the garden, her eyes cloudy with tears as she looked over the meager foliage left in Tamaran's depression. Starfire paused, however, staring forward at the edge of the garden right before a significant drop into a valley of nothing. Her heart was thundering in her chest, her back to Robin. The leader of the Teen Titans only watched her. He pursed his lips.

"Starfire, there's a way out. We always make things work. Trust me, we're not letting your planet fall tonight. Or ever. We'll figure this out."

Starfire approached the rocky edge of the cliff, gazing downward. "Yes... yes, we will."

"Star...?" Robin looked up from examining a plant. His heart leapt into his throat as he watched Starfire jump from the edge of the cliff. He pumped his arms back and forth as he raced to where she had been standing moments before, sending pebbles down into the dark and twisty ravine. "Starfire!" His voice echoed through the night as his eyes searched without any luck in the inky blackness. Hurriedly, he began unwinding his tethered bat-wing from his belt, kneeling down to securely drive it through the cliff. He was about to push himself off when suddenly, Starfire rose from the darkness, hovering beside his knelt body.

After a beat, Starfire offered him a smile. It was the first genuine smile he had seen in the past week they had been there. Though, it had felt like a lifetime for the young man. She lifted her hand, extending towards him a clump of what looked like spiny weeds. "It is just as the tale goes, Robin," Starfire told him. "'Down the rocky edges, just beyond the light, there sits the little needles, hiding from the night'."

"These are... the Blugborg leaves?" Robin was nearly breathless as he perched on the cliffs edge. Starfire nodded. He ripped his tether from the cliffs edge, winding it back into his belt. "Come on, we have to get to the Royal Hold. And fast, before the new moon sets."

"Robin," Starfire gingerly set her feet back to the ground, wandering in his wake as he began across the garden. He paused, turning towards her with arched eyebrows. "Whatever happens, my planet will know all that you and our friends have given to it. It may help solidify a bond between humans and Tamaraneans."

"Why are you talking like that?" Robin shook his head, turning towards her now. "Starfire, we'll decide what's important when that time..." He slowed himself, looking at her somewhat pale face. Starfire extended the crumbly weeds towards him, some red clay falling from the roots. "Starfire...?"

"I am afraid I have grown weak," Starfire told him, a bit out of breath. "This should be enough and more for Wildfire."

Robin's brow tightened. "It's enough for both of you, Starfire." He reached forward to grab her wrist just as she collapsed to her knees. Robin fell beside her, pressing her against him. "Starfire, this is not going to be your end. I won't let it be."

"You must please be sure, no matter what, that my brother takes the vow and that Yalfore and Blackfire are done away with for good, Robin."

Robin cradled her into his arms and stood, watching as she held the Blugborg weeds closely to her chest. She was warm in his arms, her emerald eyes looking to him dimly. Her warm temple fell against his arm. "I'm not promising you anything, Starfire." He shook his head in the cool night. Starfire watched his inky locks move with him. "All I'm promising you right now is that you're going to survive. Blackfire and Yalfore haven't seen the last of you. You will see the last of them."

He was hurried now as he rushed past the windows of chaos, heading towards the steep staircase that lead to the kingdom.

...

Cyborg was knelt beside Wildfire's imprisonment. He looked to Beast Boy, somewhat perplexed. Wildfire was sat up now in the enclosure. He had a headache that made it hard to even see straight. Raven was busy pacing and back forth, looking at Robin's location on her communicator. The Royal Hold was so quiet. Nobody made a sound. The dark, tall rafters gave the place a gloomy appeal and it seemed to fall on everyone's shoulders. Cyborg pulled a wire from his arm, slowly drawing it near Wildfire's cell. He paused, looking to Beast Boy.

"You're sure it's electricity that can bring the cell down?" Cyborg asked, furrowing his brow. "I'm not really looking to burn the castle down."

"It's what I used to set Nelda free," Beast Boy said, flinging his arms at his side. "I used one of Robin's electric disks and it brought the light down."

"Robin's getting close," Raven looked up from her communicator. "He must have found the cure."

Cyborg looked to Wildfire, who sat in his cage somewhat unhinged from the current reality. His crimson red hair was tangled on his head and he held his torso as if he were in a great amount of pain. Cyborg placed the wire to the edge of the light and tapped a few things into the screen on his arm. Some blue sparks spewed from the wire. Then they turned orange and the beam of light came down. Wildfire blinked rapidly as he looked to three Titans staring back at him with eyes of wonderment. He let out a cough and came slowly to his feet. He was a bit wobbly and Beast Boy held his arms out to catch him, just in case. Wildfire's emerald eyes scanned over Raven, then Cyborg, and then Beast Boy.

"You are friends of my sister Koriand'r?" He asked slowly, still hugging himself.

"Best friends!" Beast Boy told him with a grin, trying to lighten the mood. "She should be here soon with those leaves to cure you!"

"What has happened?" Wildfire pressed his hand to his temple.

"Maybe you should sit down," Raven came to his side, lowering him back to the cool, gray concrete. "A lot has happened. What do you last remember about Tamaran?"

Wildfire pressed his hand to his face again, his body wracked with pain. He shuddered and clenched his teeth. "The Gordanian invasion... my parents sent me away before they placed foot on our planet. I was due to come back when they thought it was safe. When my sister, Komand'r, came for me, I assumed all had settled. Where are my parents? Why am I in the Royal Hold? Did... did the Gordanian's win...?"

Raven drew her hood back and glanced to Cyborg and Beast Boy with somewhat dreary onyx eyes. He hadn't a clue as to what had happened. Raven looked to the ground as she pursed her lips. "Wildfire... your parents are dead."

"No...!" Wildfire raised his voice slightly before he cringed and touched his throbbing forehead. "You are not telling the truth. My parents were the greatest warriors there were! If they were killed then that means Tamaran is no longer ours."

"Look, we'll get you up to speed as soon as Robin and Starfire get here," Beast Boy told him, coming to kneel beside the reeling young prince. "Tonight is the new moon, Wildfire. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Of course. It's night of The Ascent," Wildfire replied. He blinked rapidly, however, looking between everyone's face that he was seeing double of. "Is it... my time? With both my parents dead, am I to become the new Grand Ruler?"

"Long story short, yes," Cyborg nodded. "We're going to reverse yours and Starfire's poisoning and then we're taking Tamaran back and restoring the natural order."

"The Gordanian's are vile creatures," Wildfire practically sneered. "They do not care who they endanger, even if it is one of their kind. It will not be a battle fought with ease."

"Well, it's a good thing that's not who we're up against," Beast Boy shrugged sheepishly. Wildfire furrowed his brow.

"It's a revolution, Wildfire," Raven told him, her brow perched seriously over her dark eyes. "Your sister, Blackfire, and Yalfore are working together to overthrow The Ascent. They've pitted the people against each other. And they're trying to kill both you and Starfire to get their way."

Wildfire sighed, hugging his abdomen. "My sister was always quite conniving. I suppose she had something in common with the Gordanian's all along."

"Yeah, she sold Starfire to the Gordanian's as a prisoner of war for her own clemency," Cyborg shook his head. "That's how we met her."

"Well, I must truly thank all three of you," Wildfire told them, twitching in pain. "I know us Tamaraneans have not always been the most welcoming to outsiders. I used to think it was for good reason. My sister, Koriand'r, though, always had a good heart in her no matter how much my family tried to convince her it was dangerous. I am worried, however, that the Humbuck poisoning has gone too far. I am not sure my sister and I are able to saved."

"Dude, we're the Teen Titans," Beast Boy grinned. "We can save anybody."

"The Teen Titans...?" Wildfire echoed, rubbing at his pale cheeks. "Yes, Komand'r mentioned that name when she came for me..."

"Probably nothing good," Raven said blandly.

"She has always been prone to fibbing," Wildfire shrugged with his sore body. "She said it was the Teen Titans forcing this revolution."

"Well, we may have expedited things..." Beast Boy rubbed the nape of his neck.

"We're just not that good at following rules," Cyborg smiled. "I think you'd understand, though, if you were here. Yalfore killed Galfore, he's trying to get absolute rule."

"Galfore... is dead...?" Wildfire's emerald eyes opened widely now. "My poor sister... she must be heartbroken."

"She's a lot of things," Came a voice from the steep stairs. After a few moments, Robin emerged into the dim lighting of the Royal Hold with an unconscious Starfire gathered in his arms. He knelt before Wildfire, tenderly laying her down. Her skin was clammy and pale, her brow knitted together in pain. In her hand, Robin drew the Blugborg leaves free, holding them up towards Wildfire. "How do we reverse the poison?"

"You found so many... how?" Wildfire slowly took the spiny leaves into his hands. He remembered as a child when he had first consumed a Humbuck berry on accident.

"Starfire found them on the side of a cliff."

"Like the tale goes..." Wildfire grinned.

"Down the rocky edges, just beyond the light, there sits the little needles, hiding from the night'," Robin said weakly as he looked at Starfire. "We have to hurry, we don't have much time. The new moon is still high in the sky."

"It is unfortunate because they're so sharp... but you just have to chew them," Wildfire ripped a thin stem away from the bundle and put them in his mouth. He cringed as he chomped down on them. "I suppose bloody gums is better than dying." He ripped another stem free, pushing it into his mouth without focusing on it.

"How long does it take to work?" Beast Boy asked, looking over Cyborg's shoulder as he glanced through the screens on his arms.

"It's already working," Cyborg looked up, watching as Wildfire chewed away grimly.

"Starfire..." Robin pulled his hand behind her neck, lifting her towards him. Her spoiled ceremonial robe fell across his limp, slender body. "Starfire, can you hear me?" The noise was so fuzzy, like it was coming through water, but slowly, Starfire opened her eyes to see Robin's concerned face filling her vision. "Starfire, you have to chew the Blugborg leaves. Your brother is here, Star. And they're working."

Her sweaty face slowly cocked towards Wildfire, who sat lamely on the floor and gnawed on the unpleasant plants. "Ryand'r..." She whispered.

"Please, big sister," Wildfire leaned forward, pressing the sharp needles into her hand. "You cannot give up now. Not when I have only just returned. Tamaran needs us."

"I am so... weak, little brother..."

"And what would Galfore say to us when we felt unwell?"

Starfire's dim eyes looked towards the tall vaulted ceiling which nearly spun above her. "He would remind us... that the only person who can help us... is ourselves."

"Do not let Galfore's wisdom go unused," Wildfire told her, folding her limp fingers over the Blugborg weeds.

...

The royal hall was smoking. Nearly every window was blown out. The chandelier swung crookedly from its anchor. There were scattered debris from the marble pillars and the pews had been smashed to bits. Tamaraneans littered the hall. Some lay motionless. Others fought to catch their breath. A few stood, still looking for the threats. On the platform stood Blackfire and Yalfore who looked over the grim situation with a peculiar malice, as if they were pleased with themselves. Blackfire lifted her hands.

"My fellow Tamaraneans, tonight has been a true show and also a meaningful test," Her sharp voice echoed across the grand space as slowly, all the onyx and emerald eyes looked to her. "You have thought we lived in fear of what lays beyond the crest of our planet. You may have even sworn you saw a fragility within us. But we are still capable of standing up for what we believe in. We are still the amazing and powerful warriors our lore has touted us as. Can you see what we are able to do when pushed too far or threatened? We still have energy within us and we will take back what was stolen from us. With me, Komand'r, as your Grand Ruler, no one should dare question this planet again. And with me as your Grand Ruler, we will become a force to be feared in this galaxy. A force that is respected. By following my lead, we will not simply sit down and take the abuse we've been dished. We will stand up and get back what we've wanted. We will return to former Tamaran! Who is with me?!" Hoots and hollers now filled the spacious room as the people flooded towards the stage. "And tonight, we begin with the traitors who have only wanted to see Tamaran regress backwards. Guards!"

Jabbed with pikes, a bound Nelda and Forneah came onto the stage, greeted with dismal boos and shouts of curses. The two sisters stood shoulder to shoulder, watching as their entire planet turned against them. Their hearts thundered in their chest. How could anybody think this was the right direction? Were the people before them only pushed forward by fear and cowardice? That would make them no better than the traitors themselves. What had happened to the Teen Titans? Forneah felt like a fool. Her friends had warned her. Had the humans really flaked on her?

"Do you have nothing to say for your traitorous activity?" Blackfire looked to them with onyx eyes that glowed. "Do you have no humility?! Have you always questioned the throne and The Ascent? What drove you to work with the humans who only want our downfall!?"

"I am..." Forneah finally found her voice, staring intently back at Blackfire. "Unashamed."

"Your ancestors will not welcome you with open arms," Blackfire raised her hand, an electrified purple bolt beaming up. "It seems the Gordanians are not our largest threat. That goes for everyone!" She swung her glowing hand about, making the crowd start. "Every single traitor will be found and punished. The scum that taints our historic rising will be expunged." She turned her attention on Forneah again. "Do you have any last words, traitor?"

Forneah tilted her chin up. "Just that you are on a slippery slope, Komand'r. There will be a day you go too far. And there will be no one to speak for you because of your actions. You are tyrannical. You are a dictator. And all ancient lore of this galaxy can tell you what happens to absolute power: it crumbles. And so shall you."

"You must think you're so snarky," Blackfire grinned. "Your words will be forgotten, like yourself, by daybreak."

Blackfire hurled her hand back to charge the bolt. Forneah closed her eyes, accepting her fate. Beside her, Nelda was in tears. Blackfire's slender fingers came forward as she let out a shout as the energy culminated in her palm. However, it sparked out in an instant as a flying dish glinted off her metal bracer, sending metal shavings everywhere. Everyone turned towards the door, gasping sharply. Forneah only found herself grinning. The Teen Titans stood in the sooty, destroyed doorway. And in front of them were Wildfire and Starfire, standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Prince Ryand'r...! He has returned...!" Whispering broke out amongst the hall.

"Silence! Silence!" Blackfire swooped off the stage and the crowd parted for her instantly. Her dark boots were muted against the singed carpet as she came to the forefront, staring her younger siblings down with a look that could surely kill. "Ah, little sister, little brother, you've decided to join us. I only wish you had more time to see what Tamaran has always had the power to do. What you and our parents could never accomplish."

"Actually, we have all the time in the world," Wildfire smiled, making Blackfire pause and blink rapidly.

"Down the rocky edges, just beyond the light, there sits the little needles, hiding from the night'..." Starfire was smiling, too, as she sang the little tale in a short tune.

The eldest sibling looked incredibly angry, then flummoxed, before her own smirk resurfaced on her face. She crossed her arms over her chest, glancing to the still Tamaraneans who didn't know quite what to expect. "We have already started so many new traditions for this Ascent. Why not another?" Blackfire rose into the air above her pupils. "The Grand Ruler must be chosen fairly with Tamaran's future in mind. We have promise to rise to a prominent and powerful nation again. It's only right we have the most powerful Grand Ruler. The last one standing will be crowned beneath this new moon. And we all must fight fairly. No outside help. Well, little brother, little sister? Do we have a deal?"

Wildfire's eyes glowed green as he lifted himself into the air. "I won't hold back, Komand'r. And I won't feel sorry for you, either."

"Well, sister dear? Will you join us?"

Starfire's heart pounded heavily in her chest. Her and Wildfire were not nearly back to full strength yet. But it seemed there was no more time to have. Slowly, Starfire looked to the Titans. But her eyes rested on Robin. He had been staring with pure hatred towards Blackfire, but when he felt her emerald eyes on him, he looked to her and nodded firmly.

"You can do this, Starfire."

"Oh, lovely," Blackfire clapped her hands together. "Let the Ascent begin!" She gave no warning before firing a purple starbolt and sending Wildfire into the wall. Beast Boy rolled out of the way of falling debris. "Come on, little sister. Let's play!"