Gasp! Robin's gonna die! The moment you've ALL been waiting for! LOL.
Disclaimer: I don't own TT.
Robin was led to a huge arena, in the middle of which was a raised platform and a pole arising from it. The place reminded him somewhat of a Roman colosseum, bleachers and all, with an open top. Every single seat was filled. Robin had no idea this many people wanted him dead. It looked like the whole of Tamaran.
The guards hustled him up to the platform, tying him to the pole. Robin gulped, the fear beginning to strike him now that Starfire was gone. He hoped Galfore would just end it quickly.
Unfortunately, that was not the case. While one of the guards read his crimes from a sheet of paper, a dozen men appeared on the rim of the arena, surrounding him in a semicircle. A huge glop of...some Tamaranian dish hit him in the side of the face, followed by more. The crowd was yelling and throwing the food at him, which almost completely drowned every other sound.
Galfore stood up, and he was easily detected among the others. For one, he was dressed in royal Tamranian clothes, unlike the commoner's garb Robin usually saw Starfire in. Plus, he was pretty tall for a Tamranian, and that's saying something. He held up his hand for silence, and, as soon as the crowd quieted, motioned to the dozen men above everyone else. The pulled out bows and arrows. Archers. They were going to shoot him.
Galfore started to speak in a slow, clear voice that Robin had no hope of understanding. Since he was the only one not concentrating on Galfore's speech, he was the only one who noticed the red-orange-and-purple blur fly into the stadium.
"No. Effing. Way," he whispered to no one in particular.
Starfire, the Teen Titan Starfire, the REAL Starfire, landed in front of him, spreading her arms out to completely cover his body from the archers. The crowd let out a synchronized gasp, and Galfore's eyes widened.
"Koriand'r!" he cried, and even Robin could understand that. What he couldn't understand was how in the world Starfire's hair was now red again, her skin was now orange again, and her eyes were sparkling with life and happiness when she turned to smile back at him.
"No. Starfire," she corrected. Overwhelmed with emotion, Robin grinned back. He could die happy now. She leaned back a little and pecked him on the lips, laughing at his dazed expression.
"Koriand'r, please, get out of the way. You have no place here," Galfore ordered nervously. Robin would've laughed, if his ribs hadn't been hurting so bad. Galfore was in big trouble.
"Galfore, you are my k'norfka, and for no other reason than that I will excuse your lies. If you had not been, I would challenge you at this minute," Starfire informed him, her eyes blazing. The glow was visible even to Robin, to whom she now had her back turned. He had no doubt in his mind that Starfire would win at any fight right now.
"Koriand'r, you can hardly blame me. Your condition..."
"Which you caused," Starfire interrupted. Galfore looked outraged.
"You specifically instructed me!" he yelled. Starfire sighed.
"I believe much needs to be explained. As of right now, Robin will NOT die. He is a friend not only to me, but to all of Tamaran. He has been falsely accused of these charges, and was still willing to die for me. Galfore, you can only be heartless if you persist in the belief that Robin should be dead."
Galfore opened his mouth, and then closed it. Again, he opened it. "Untie Robin. Koriand'r..."
"Starfire."
"...Starfire, you have much to explain."
Later, with Robin lying comfortably on a bed while Starfire and a Tamaranian healer tended to him, the whole story came out. Starfire included only a little white lie, saying that she had been coming for a surprise visit to Tamaran rather than the city had kicked her out. For that, Robin was grateful. Galfore still looked like he was ready to kill him.
"...On the way, I had been captured by Gordanians. They tortured me...and that was when I saw Robin saying those terrible things. They were playing with my mind. They then rendered me unconscious, and I do not believe they fed me at all for the journey. To have nine stomachs and no food is horrible," Starfire added as a sidenote to Robin. "I was merely trying to tell you...and then that machine..."
Galfore thought for a moment, and then beckoned to a guard standing near. "Contact Gordania. Cancel the treaty, and tell them Tamaran will never be at peace with such a race. Despatch the messenger ships immediately." The guard nodded, and walked out.
Starfire and Robin waited anxiously for Galfore's next statement. The healer gave up trying to pretend she wasn't listening, and glanced up while wrapping bandages around Robin's chest. A thick silence hung in the air, and she broke it, muttering, "Merely bruised, nothing to worry about." Robin gazed at her strangely, wondering where she learned English and hoping she wasn't talking to herself. He'd rather not have a crazy person fixing him up.
"I am...sorry," Galfore said finally. Everyone relaxed. "From everything the Gordanians told me...and what Koriand'r told me...I thought..."
"It's fine..." Robin replied, though he knew he'd never trust Galfore again. Whatever friendship, if any, had been there before between them was now smashed by a huge wall of ice.
"No, it is not. I have almost taken an innocent life. I would have, if Koriand'r had not--"
"I'm not as 'innocent' as Starfire made me out to be. I was being a jerk...no, I was way worse, and she put up with me. Then I told her I didn't care about her, and she left, and this whole thing started. You wouldn't have been taking an innocent life at all," he explained.
"Robin..." Starfire murmured, taking his hand. "I do not blame you at all. Neither of you." The two smiled.
"Robin! You are well again!" cried Starfire the next day, kissing him as a greeting. He grinned, holding her close.
"Yeah...thanks to your healer over there. How are you?" he asked, and Starfire dismissed it with a wave.
"That is not important. You were hurt so badly! Come, there is a feast downstairs!" Starfire squealed, her face glowing with happiness. Robin let her carry him while she flew, laughing and smiling along with her. He cherished every moment he spent with Starfire. If he ever lost her again...
Robin found enough food to keep him full, but noticed he was also losing weight alarmingly fast, while Starfire gained hers back. He needed to get back to Earth. The Titans were expecting him.
The Titans! With all of this, he'd nearly forgotten them for a day. He couldn't even imagine their reactions when he got back, although they'd been acting different lately. Even he could see that, and he had been locked in his room almost all the time. Shaking the thought out of his head, he enjoyed the festivities along with everyone else. Robin found it slightly strange that the people who'd been throwing food at him yesterday were congratulating him today.
Afterwards, Robin approached Starfire and Galfore. "I think it's time that we went back. Not just because of the city, but that's our home, and plus, I've intruded long enough." Starfire stared down at her feet, and Robin hoped she wasn't too disappointed.
"In actuality, Robin..." She took a deep breath. "...I am staying on Tamaran."
The words hit him like a sledgehammer to his just-healed stomach. "What?"
"I cannot return to the city, and...Tamaran is my home, Robin. I have deluded myself for too long. I do not belong on Earth." Robin gaped, sure he looked like a fish.
"But...Earth! You belong there as much as any of the Titans! Star, we can take care of the city, they're just...their feelings about you aren't important! Didn't you say it was our words that mattered, not their's? We're your friends, Starfire, we need you there!"
Starfire shook her head. "It is not only that, Robin. Look at what my ignorance of Earth's customs has caused. This cannot happen again. I am...sorry." Starfire gazed at him, begging him to understand. Robin sighed and gritted his teeth against what felt like knives in his heart.
"I...I mean...Yeah, it's fine. Great actually. I'm just gonna go." Starfire grabbed his hands, forcing him to stay.
"Robin, do you not think this hurts me as well?" She tried to kiss him, but he turned his face away.
"No, you're right. We should just forget, like we were doing in the first place. See you later, Galfore, Koriand'r." He just ran. He ran out of the palace, to his ship, and into the contraption. He fired up the engines, not bothering to count down, and lifted off, just as Starfire and Galfore appeared in the doorway of the castle. He didn't wave goodbye, but floored it and sped off. He never wanted to see them again.
Robin was sure he was halluncinating. Possibly the stress over Starfire, and the sleep deprivation from the last two days on the ship without bothering to put it on autopilot. But as soon as he had stepped inside Titan's Tower, there were two Ravens, two Beast Boys, and two Cyborgs.
"What...?" he started before keeling over.
LOL betcha didn't see that coming! One more chapter!
Review please!
