Here's a little tidbit I've been working on for quite some time. Sorry I haven't been updating; I've been working really had with the editing of the first part of the story. I've also had terrible writer's block.
There's some more Robin and Star fluff in here. And some of the Malchior insanity that just keeps getting more and more out of hand. I never intended him to get this evil, but unfortunately my brain has a mind of its own. Wait, that made no sense... Also, sorry it's so short. It's all I could pound out. :(
Kori was sitting on Robin's porch, her feet dangling off the edge, looking out on the quiet neighborhood street that was in front of her. The weather was getting colder, but not so much that sitting outside would be uncomfortable. She tugged her light jacket closer around her, and sighed.
Today was the day they would decide. Ever since Jerry had asked if the two were friends, they had known that they would have to decide. Now, on that very same day, Kori was outside waiting for Robin.
Like most participants of any kind of karate test, Robin had been practically drenched in sweat at the end. The car ride home had been…smelly to say the least. While Kori sat outside, he was inside taking a shower.
"What am I going to say to him?" she wondered aloud. "What's he going to say?" There was a knot in the pit of her stomach that was tightening with each passing second, and these questions did nothing to help untie it.
Unable to sit still any longer, Kori got up and entered the house through the front door. She closed it quietly behind her just as the shower water stopped running. Robin would be coming down soon.
"Hello, Kori," Mrs. Grayson, who was in the next room, walked over to her. "Was it too cold outside?"
"No, I just got lonely," Kori smiled.
"Would you like some lunch?" Mrs. Grayson gestured to the kitchen, where Kori could see Mr. Grayson eating a bowl of soup while he read the newspaper. "I know it's rather late, but we haven't eaten since before the test."
"No thanks," Kori declined the offer politely. "I'm not very hungry."
She had barely uttered these words when a set of pounding footsteps came running down the stairs to the left. She turned her head to see Robin dashing down the steps, pulling a sweatshirt over his head at the same time. How he was able to run with his head inside a shirt was beyond her, but the sight made her laugh.
"Robin, next time get dressed before you come down the stairs," Mrs. Grayson tousled her son's still-wet hair.
"Sorry, Mom," Robin smiled sheepishly, then turned is attention to Kori. "Want to go outside?"
"Hold up," Mrs. Grayson held up her hands. "Not until you get some food inside you." She looked at her son with mock severity. "You haven't eaten since breakfast, and that test was draining."
"Mom, I'm fine," Robin protested, but Mrs. Grayson went into the kitchen nevertheless, leaving Kori and Robin standing almost awkwardly by the doorway.
"She'll probably come back with out whole pantry," Robin rolled his eyes. Kori laughed.
Sure enough, a minute later, Mrs. Grayson came back with a tray that held a plate of sandwiches, two glasses of water, and two large cookies.
"Here you go," she pressed this into Robin's hands. "Make sure Kori eats too; I don't want her parents thinking we left her to starve!"
Kori giggled and held the door open for Robin as Mrs. Grayson went back into the kitchen, no doubt going to join her husband for lunch. Robin set the tray of food down on the small white table on the porch, then sat down on the ground beside it. Kori followed suit.
The two simply stared at each other for a minute before Robin reached up and took two sandwiches off the plate. He held one out to her.
"Want one?"
"Sure," she took it, but did not eat it. Robin also simply held his sandwich, his eyes darting around, looking anywhere but at her.
"Was it awkward?" Robin asked finally, after about a minute of silence.
"What?" Kori was taken aback.
"You know, when Jerry asked if we were friends."
"A little," Kori admitted, looking from her sandwich to his face, which was pink. "I mean, I don't like not knowing this kind of thing."
"Same here," Robin agreed, obviously struggling to keep eye contact. "So, what do you think?"
"You're going to make me decide?" Kori joked, setting her sandwich down on the tray and gently putting her now free hand on top of his. She watched, almost laughing, as Robin's face flushed a deeper color. He also abandoned his sandwich on the tray and took her other hand in his.
"No," Robin said softly. "I just want to know what you want me to do."
Kori did not give him an answer, she simply moved closer to him and kissed him on the cheek.
"What was that for?" Robin asked, obviously confused.
"You'll figure it out," she laughed, standing up from the porch and jumping down onto Robin's lawn. Turning to face him, she walked backwards over to a tree in his yard. Smiling almost mischievously, she began to climb. Robin sat in shock for a few moments, his hand on his cheek, before he moved.
"Wait up!" he called, running after her and beginning to climb up after her. Kori purposely stopped on a rather large branch that was wide and long enough to hold them both.
"Figure it out?" she asked as Robin clambered onto the branch she was sitting on.
"I think so," Robin nodded, leaning closer and kissing her…
Thar ye go, Rob/Star fans!!
- - - - -
Malchior sat in his room alone, caressing the cover of one of the more extravagant books. There was no doubt in his mind that the events in the books were what was destined to happen, no matter what Raven thought.
"She is under a spell," he repeated for what had to be the hundredth time that day. "This is all Logan's doing." His gaze turned from the book to his yearbook that was lying open next to his knees. It was open to Garfield Logan's picture. Malchior had savagely damaged this picture, singeing it so that Garfield's face was almost completely covered, but not so much that he had burned a hole in the page.
He had also gone through the entire yearbook, looking for other pictures of Garfield. He had burned Gar's head in every single one.
"The symbolic rebirth is close," Malchior opened the second book of his favorite trilogy to a page he had marked with an elegant bookmark. He began reading aloud.
"The sorceress came to Malchior in his dream once more. This time, she told him exactly how to free Rae of Logan's clutches.
"'You must pierce his heart with the purest gold, symbolizing your love for Rae. This gold will clash into his frozen heart, causing him to lose consciousness. While this will not kill him, it will remove Rae from his control.
"'However, in order to completely vanquish Logan and completely release those under his control, you must take him down in a battle to the death. Only then will Rae truly be free.'
"With that, Malchior awoke in a cold sweat. He now knew how to reclaim the woman that had been promised to him. She would be his again."
Malchior pressed his lips to the words gently, as if willing the sorceress from the book to emerge and guide him in his real life quest. He closed the book and tucked it under his pillow. He believed that if he slept with the book under his pillow, the sorceress would come to him in his dreams, just as the book says she would.
Malchior then sank to the floor, pulling out a shoebox from under his bed. He opened it and, completely ignoring the weapon that was nestled inside a black scarf, picked up another, smaller box. He opened this one, revealing a gold necklace in the shape of a cross.
This necklace had been given to him on the day of his confirmation by Ryan. It had once belonged to Ryan's wife. As they were under the impression that Malchior was their son, they felt it necessary to raise him a Catholic, which was how both of them had been raised. But Malchior knew the truth. His real parents were testing him. They were making sure that he was able to withstand trials of this sort before bringing him home.
But this would not happen without first defeating Logan and having Rae as his bride.
And if that meant killing Garfield Logan to get to Raven, then he was willing to do it. He would do anything to retake his rightful place at his real father's right hand side as prince.
This necklace was made out of the purest gold Malchior could get his hands on. If he could form it into some sort of weapon, that would surely be good enough to break Logan's current hold on Rae. If he could pierce Garfield Logan's heart with that gold, Raven would be his.