Journey

StarfireK: Sorry I haven't updated…lazy teenager here…hehehee. Well this is one long chappy so enjoy-

Chapter 9: Stars and Bears

Slade's lair

"Hahahahahaha!"

The sound of laughter could be heard all throughout Slade's lair. From the basement where screens showed the movements of Robin and Starfire's attempts to hunt, Beastboy and Cyborg were having the time of their lifes.

"Hahahaha! Did you see that? This is too good!" Beastboy said between laughing.

Cyborg was rolling on the floor with merriment. "Hahahaha! Did you see Robin? When he hahahah….got stuck in the hole and the bunnies! Oh man! Hahahahah!"

Raven rolled her eyes at the two buffoons rolling on the floor. Instead of laughing at Robin and Starfire, They should be worried. If Robin and Starfire didn't learn the way of the wild…There's no way they could survive the winter. Try to explain that to those two, she thought. Raven glanced at Slade.

Slade was staring at the screens in concentration. It was clear that Slade was disappointed at Robin and Starfire's disinterest in killing. Slade clutched his fist tightly as the sound of laughter intensed.

"Hahahah! Man this is the best!" Cyborg hooted.

"Yeah, Slade you should of tried this a long time ago!" Beastboy called out to Slade.

BANG!

Without warning Slade had thrown a chair straight at the titan's cage. The titan's all stared in terror at Slade's angry form towering before them.

"You all think this is some kind of game? You think I did this to watch Robin humiliate himself? Do you think I did all this just for your enjoyment? Well I'm afraid your mistaken titans! In do time your little friends are going to be at the mercy of Mother Nature. Then I don't think you will be laughing." Slade turned away from the stunned titans.

A feeling of dread hung over the titans as they turned to the screens…

In Alaska

"Are we there yet?"

"For the last, stinkin', wolf bitten time! We are not there!"

"……Are we there now?"

"NO! NO! AND NO! We are not at my squirrel clan yet! We will be there when we see squirrels! Do you see any squirrels around? No! Because we are not there! When you see a bunch of squirrels doing the conga line then we will be there. But until then…STOP ASKING!" Whisk growled at muzzle, pointing a finger at his striped face.

"I was just asking…" Muzzle mumbled.

"ARG! I miss Hakuna Matata already!" Whisk whined.

"Come on guys, cool it!" Robin growled to the two animals lagging behind.

The four creatures had been trekking through the forest all day heading toward Whisk's old home. For hours the group walked through an endless forest at pine trees and snow, some times finding they had gone in circles. Robin had fixed this problem by scratching the tree trunks with is claws. Even when they were back on track, it had been a hard day and everyone was at their nerve's end.

Starfire, who was also starting to lag behind, turned to Robin walking ahead. "Robin I think we should all rest for night. We have been walking all day."

Robin felt like they could still walk more, but as he saw everyone's tired faces, he gave in. "Okay, we'll rest for the night."

"Yes!" Whisk climbed up the nearest tree and began searching for nuts. "Time for grub! Muzzle, you look for the bugs! I'll find the nuts! Together it will be called….uhhh….buts?"

Starfire smiled at the two. She turned to Robin, sitting down a little apart from the rest starring at nothing. As Starfire watched, he turned his head toward the sky, starring at the stars. Starfire's stomach did a back flip as she saw how handsome he looked in the starlight. Starfire shook the feeling away.

"Hello Robin."

Robin jumped in surprise, coming out of deep thought. Starfire hid an amused smile as she sat down beside him. Between the two lay an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say. Starfire been the most talkative one broke the silence.

"So what were you thinking about?"

"Wha?"

"When you staring at the stars. What were you thinking about?" Starfire asked pointing her head upward toward the stars.

Robin blushed, and mumbled something.

"What was that?"

Robin sighed in defeat. "I said I was thinking about…uh…you." He gave an embarrassed, lopsided grin. Starfire didn't say anything. Robin took this as a bad sign. "It's just that…you know…your name being Starfire you can't not look at the stars and not think of you…" Robin trailed off. Was he just imagining it or was Starfire's eyes twinkling? Or was it just the stars reflecting off them? Did it really matter? Both ways it made Starfire look beautiful in the starlight.

Starfire laughed at Robin's embarrassment. "Robin you talk too much."

Robin smiled. They both leaned closer to eachother, staring into eachother eyes…

AAAAAAHHHHHCHHHHHOOOOOO!!!!

Musk and Whisk had both let out a huge snore. Robin and Starfire jumped away from eachother, both blushing furiously.

"Well I think it's about time to as you humans say 'punch the sack'" Starfire said quickly.

"It's 'hit the sack' and I think so too." Robin said faking a yawn. He watched as Starfire walked toward Whisk and Mumble. He gave a weak smile as he watched her curl up and fall asleep. CRACK. Robin turned around, baring his teeth. He had heard a twig break, he was positive. Robin let stood still trying to detect anything in the forest. Nothing moved. His fur still standing on end, Robin lay next to Starfire staring at the edge of the forest. Beside him, Starfire snuggled closer to him. Robin relaxed a little. It was probably nothing. Maybe a squirrel or something. He closed his eyes to sleep.

He didn't hear the sound of a growl watching them.

The next day

We're here! We're here!

"We're here? Already?" Robin asked.

"Finally!" Muzzle exclaimed.

"Oh this is most wondrous news! We will finally be able to see Whisk's family and find a way home!" Starfire said gleefully, hopping up and down.

"Yep! And all we have to do is cross this here little lake." Whisk said pointing behind his shoulder. Everyone looked over Whisk and stared in horror. The lake was that they had to cross was biggest lake they had ever seen in there lives. It looked more like an ocean. Not only that, it was also frozen solid.

Whisk stared at his friends looks of horror. "Psst. Don't tell me that you all are afraid of water?"

"Little lake?" Robin asked in bewilderment

"Um…Are you sure that this is safe?" Starfire asked timidly.

"OF course it's safe! This lake stays frozen all winter. You'll have to be a bear to fall through it." The trio still looked uncertain. "Come on! I'll go first!" With that, Whisk make a running start then skidded on the ice. "Yeeeeeeha! Come on! It's fun!" Whisk jumped in the air and did a quick spin. Starfire smiled and started running toward the ice.

Starfire wait! You're heavier than Whisk!" Robin called out. But Starfire had already skidded on top of the ice and sliding around gracefully. The ice still held her weight.

"Come on Robin! This is a most glorious experience!" Starfire and Whisk stopped skating and waited for them.

Robin turned to Muzzle, who shuffled his feet nervously.

"I'm kind of scared of water." Muzzle mumbled.

"Do not worry friend Muzzle! The ice is very strong and will most certainly hold your weight!" Starfire said.

"Yeah, it's safe buddy!" Whisk added.

Muzzle brightened up. "Okay then!" He scuttled on top of the ice, standing on his hind legs for balance. "What about you Robin?" Muzzle asked turning to Robin.

"Please Robin! The ice is perfectly safe1" Starfire pleaded.

"Oh, Right! Oh, right!" Robin said as he trekked toward the ice. He slowly set a paw on the sheet of ice. "Bong!" Robin felt his paw slip and him fall face down on the ice.

"Hahahahaha!"

Robin glared at the two rodents laughing their heads off. Starfire slide up to him.

"Are you alright?" Starfire asked, concerned.

Robin mumbled something under his breath angrily and slowly picked himself up. But as he took another step forward, he had the same effect. BONG!

"Hhahahahah!"

"Grrrrrrrrr!" Robin growled. Why couldn't he do this?

"Hehehe." Starfire let out a little giggle. Robin glared at her. She smiled sheepishly. "It is pretty comical."

Robin smiled mischievously. Still on the ice he did a complete 360, knocking Starfire to the ice.

Starfire glared at Robin and he could faintly see a greenish glow to her eyes. She got up and glowered at Robin. Robin seeing he was in danger, got up and for his life. Robin was amazed how easy it was to run on ice than walk on it. He turned around to see Starfire after him, laughing.

Whisk and Muzzle watched the two running across the ice.

"You know, those two are pretty fast runners." Whisk said.

"Yep." Muzzle replied.

"They could probably make it across the lake by the end of the day."

"Yep."

"Would be a shame for us slow pokes to slow them down."

"Yep."

They looked at eachother and then at the two wolves.

"I pick Robin!" Whisk yelled.

"Starfire for me!"

Robin and Starfire were having the time of their lives. The thrill of the chase, wind whipping through their fur…breathtaking! Robin and Starfire were skating side by side by now. Suddenly they both felt a weight on their backs. They looked behind them to see Whisk on Robin and Muzzle on Starfire, both looking very comfortable.

"What are you guys doing?" Robin asked,

"Oh don't mind us!" Whisk said briskly.

"Just continue your little race." Muzzle said happily.

Robin and Starfire grinned, started to run full pelt on the ice, losing control. Whisk and Muzzle yelled as they held on for their lives. Robin and Starfire laughed at the two. Suddenly they all spotted something big on top of the ice.

"What is that?" Starfire shouted over the rushing of the wind.

"What?" Robin asked.

"What did she say?" Whisk asked Robin.

"I don't know!" Robin said.

"Stop!" muzzle yelled as Starfire screeched to halt.

What?" Robin and Whisk asked.

"Stop!" Starfire and Muzzle said at the same time.

BOOM!!!! Robin and Whisk slid right into the furry bulk.

RRRRRRRROOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

Robin and Whisk gaped as the white bulk turned around and stood up on two legs, revealing it as a huge grizzly bear. Drool dripped down from it's fangs as it starred down at the wolf and squirrel that he had been spying on for his master, now was the time to kill.

"Kill the alpha! Bring back the she wolf!"

These orders ran through the bear's skull as he lunged for Robin.

Robin jumped out of the way as the bear came crashing down on the ice, snout first. Robin slipped and fell as he hit the ice a couple feet way from the bear. Whisk was thrown off Robin and knocked unconscious against the ice.

"Whisk!" Muzzle shouted as he ran up toward his friend.

"Robin!" Starfire yelled. The bear lifted up his snout, blood dripping from its nose from the impact with the ice. It turned his blood red eyes on Robin, struggling to get up from the ice. It gave a growl as he ran toward Robin with claws raised for a fatal blow to the head.

"NO!" Starfire leaped up and bit at his claws and clung on.

"RRRRROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!!!!!!" The bear let out an ear splitting noise as he waved his claw around, trying to get her off. Starfire clung on, teeth going in deeper.

The bear finally seeing she wasn't going to let go, set his claw against the ice. Starfire, who had her eyes closed, opened them as she felt herself being set against the ice. Her eye's widened in horror as she saw the bear lift his other claw in the air, right over her head. He was going to crush her head!

"Nooooo! Not the she wolf!"

"The pain…I must."

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Robin roared as he pounced on the bear's chest toppling them both over and on top of the ice. A loud crack was heard under the ice.

Both the bear and Robin were in a live to death battle, Robin was biting down on the bear's neck, fighting through all it's thick winter fur, as the bear was trying to reach Robin with his claws. Both stopped their fighting as they felt the ice shudder under them.

A crack was now visible under the bear and was making its way around Robin and the bear. Robin's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Robin let go of the bear and jumped off its chest just as the ice gave way with an earsplitting crack. The bear crashed into the dark water beneath the ice. Robin stood over the edge, shaking from the battle.

Starfire gave a heavy sigh and smiled at Robin, happy he was alright.

Whisk had woken up and him and Muzzle had watched the battle awestruck.

"That was sooo awesome!" Whisk said, Muzzle making a 'you rock!' sign.

Robin laughed as he started to walk toward them.

"RRRRRRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!"

Everyone stared in horror as the grizzly bear crashed through the ice arms flailing as it tried to grab hold of something …or someone.

"AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!" Robin screamed as the bear gnawed his claws into his shoulder blades. He struggled feebly as both him and the bear were pulled into the dark depths of the water

"ROBIN!" Both Starfire, Whisk, and Muzzle cried as they saw both disappear under the ice.

They got as got as close to the edge as possible and look down at the dark water. Nothing happened.

"Robin?" Starfire whispered, looking at the water. Slowly the water turned dark red.

"Blood"

Author's Note: Sorry for the interruption, but for all those people that never had an animal bite your finger…never ever wave and shake it around…that just makes it hold on tighter. Trust me…had a hamster that did that…not very nice experience…Please, please Review!!!!!