chapter 33: Tickets to Beetoven, and the living opera house.
I do not own Teen Titans
To: 'Concerned'. Hey its alright, we all have our opinions right? While I dont like the french I can certainly admitt the times in history where they were good, and I know the few good aspects about them now as well. Notice the things I do with them are stereotypical, meaning I'm just having fun with stereotypes. While I will admitt I pretty much hate them with a passion, I wouldnt wish death on them or anything like that, thats just too extreme. I'd just settle for them all being forced into a flea-bath. I will now take out the time to point out the good things about the French and times in history that they were prominent, after they became the french of course (means I don't count what the galls did) I will take the time to spell this out for you, because you did have a point and I want to make my views clear and justify why I dislike them.
1. Napoleon, though born in portugal Napoleon was Frances best leader ever.
2. The stature of liberty, even though we had to chissel the armpit hair off of it.
3. The french underground in WWII was a force to be trifled with, but they were still just a bunch of socialists in berrets, and nothings uglier than socialism in a berret.
4. They DID help us push brittan back in the revolutionary war, but only after it became obvious we would win anyway.
Now, for the BAD things about them.
1. The hundred year war with brittan. It took france a century to drive off great brittan, a small, tiny little island that they had greatly outsized in the way of resources and such.
2. Joan of arc, they barbequed theire greatest hero ever.
3. In world war one they ignored the signs of war coming, and got stepped on for it.
4. WWII, same thing. This time they were nice enough to plant trees along the magenue line so the germans could walk in the shade. Shame on them for being trampled twice.
5. Vietnam, yes, the french had a big hand in all that going to hell, look it up. Has to deal with the U.N.
6. Modern day, where they appose the downfall of rutheless dictators and turn a blind eye to GENOCIDE for money. France has been reduced to a first world country with third world actual power, and like I said above... They have turned a blind eye to what dictators do just to get money, and oppose great men such as our president who just try to make the world better. The french are a non-hostile enemy of the united states now, lets face it. France's only actual clout is in the U.N. Which is also a corrupt, inpotent, and incompetent anti-us organization, led by an admitted and proud socialist. I'm not here to make you dislike the french, but I am trying to show I know the good and bad, and why I dislike them. That doesnt make me a biggot, it just makes me someone who knows his facts and has made a decision on them not to like a people that really have been a problem. Next time, I say we let them learn to speak german. and hey, everyone thinks the jokes i do with them is funny, so, lets have fun, shall we?
P.S. Its all in good fun anyway, don't be afraid to laugh. It doesnt make you racist, just makes you not politically correct, and if you ARE pollitically correct, my condolences on the death of your sense of humor.
To: Raihna1324. Yes, that chap was long, but there was one even longer. A few chaps ago I made a chap that was 10000 words on THE DOT. Thansk for reviewing
To: DragonKAtana980. Rest assured, the French will be pummeled, as will the brits, and even the americans to an extent. Every race and nationality has stereotypes that we should laugh at and enjoy, even our own races.
To: Jingle bells, awww, your making me blush, stop it.
To:n3tmnky. Good point with the Ravens aging thing. But then again, if anyone noticed it they could chalk it up to her being a teenager, or having her hood up so much. We don't all age at the same rate.
To: Everyone. Thanks for all the reviews, I just wanted to respond to a bunch cuz i havent in a bit. Keep reviewing, and I should eventually get to one of yours.
To Jeoffery. Settle down man, the french guy is just one big joke. No ones gonna date him, so RELAX... You ever heard of Decaff lol?
To: Evilsexychic. You say Starfires not gay? You say Robin loves her? Well, sorry to break it to you, but thats not how it works in this story, now is it? You don't gotta read there, so... Well, dont read.
To:Wolfchild, go look her up on google or something.
To: Gohan Strife. I LOVE reading reviews like yours, I really do. I'm glad you like the story. Kali and Starfire never really had a 'thing'. It was really just plutonic. With Blackfire she's trying to break down her resistance.
Authors note: I recently came into some money (some, its almost gone now). I used it on my car, stripping out some old parts that were a 'hinderance', and updating them. I'm not sure what parts they were exactly, but there were some things under the hood and under the car that are gone now, replaced by newer, much much shinier things that make it purr. I know a mechanic and a couple of kids who like to dick around with this kind of stuff, they promised they would make it run even better than it was, and they came through. Now my car flies even more, and it hasn't hurt my mileage. My mechanic told me that for two hundred bucks he would take my car for a week and 'clean the twenty years of sludge out of the engine'. I'm also looking at another merc of the same year that has a 5.8 liter V8. I can pick it up for 500, and if I do I'm thinking of doing the same to it, and getting it an msd and 25-50 hp nitrus booster. I mean come on, with the shape its in, and with what it has for an engine, its just begging for it! Can you imagine, what fun the author would have with such a monster? Wouldnt call it 'race worthy', but it would be a good mischief car.
Jinx steeled herself as she space ship touched down. Her, Starfire, and Beast Boy were waiting at the hatch, and on the other side she knew were Starfires parents. What she did not know, was that after the incident with the Vorlack ships tales of her strength traveled ahead of her to Tamaran, and it was widely presumed that she was omnipotent, or close to it. It was a missunderstanding, the witnesses to the destruction she wrought upon the pirate ships deducted she could destroy anything with a simple thought, and perhaps do many other things just through thought. Jinx tugged at her top, trying to cover her mid-riff more, but this only exposed more cleavage and she ended up tugging it back up. Next to her Starfire sighed, unable to understand why she disliked the garments so.
Jinx took a deep breath. "Here we go.", she said as the doors began to open. The doors opened silently, and she saw Beast Boy on the other side of Starfire close his eyes and take deep breaths.
"Yes, here is where we go." The doors revealed a red carpet beneath them. Her parents must have opened the roof windows of the palace, Starfire thought, because the ship was parked in the throne room. On the other end of the red carpet sat her mother and father. Together they walked down the ramp. Starfire looked to her left and right, no subjects had been allowed in for the event. She wondered if her father was that disgusted, but at the same time it meant she didnt have to act like a princess. "MOTHER!" She yelled, and zipped across the room at the older woman.
"Second born daughter!" Her mother yelled. The king sighed next to her. He never knew that the naivety trait was something that could actually be passed from generation to generation. Starfires mother ran down the carpet at her daughter.
Starfire grabbed her mother in a big hug. Her mother did likewise and they laughed together. Neither Beast Boy nor Jinx could understand what they were saying, they babbling so fast. They did catch some words like 'earth', 'mustard', and of course 'mall of shopping'. Jinx averted her eyes from the reunion and followed the red carpet back up to the throne. For some reason or another the king didnt look too happy. "Guy looks constipated to me." Said Jinx. Beast Boy laughed.
"I dont know. Think he looks..." Beast Boy shifted forms to an eagle for better vision, and then back again. "I really think he looks scared, of what though?"
The king was scared, he was sweating. This was the girl who had destroyed three vorlack class cruisers with a single thought? There must have been some mis-understanding. He found it unlikely that someone with that kind of power would take interest in his daughter, but then again, tamaran was quite well known in the universe. When Tamarans economy was up, the universes was too. When it was down, the universe felt it. Plenty of people had tried many things to get into the familly, but none of them before had posessed this much power. The king made a note to watch her. He already had a plan to get rid of her, but doubted now it would work. So instead he turned his attention to the green one.
"Uhhh... Raven?" Robin asked, talking to Raven over the table. She was seated on the other side. Cyborg was next to him, but had not been talking, and Blackfire had gone out earlier.
"Yes Robin?"
"Why is there a kodiak bear sleeping on our breakfast table?" The bear now known as 'Lance' was snoring peacefully on the kitchen furniture. Raven stood on her chair to look at Robin up over the bear.
"I dont know Robin, lets ask our good friend Cyborg. He's the one holding a leash to it."
"Thats a good idea Raven." Robin said, in a voice that broadcasted 'your gonna get it' to Cyborg. Next to him the metal man shifted in his seat. Robin turned to him. "Cyborg?" Robin asked, sounding like an overly curious child.
"What?" He grumbled.
"Why is there a giant kodiak bear on the table?"
"Because thats where he fell asleep after his morning walk."
"Oh. Ok." Robin stood on his chair to address Raven. "He's on the table because thats where he fell asleep after his morning walk." He told her. He sat back down to address Cyborg. "Cyborg, why were you taking a giant kodiak bear for a morning walk?"
Cyborg would have rested his head on the table if he could. Any minute now Robin was gonna yell, n yell, n yell. "Kali made me."
"Why would Kali do that?" Asked Raven in a too sweet to be real voice.
"Because she wants it as a pet you guys! The Frenchman wanted oral from her, so she trapped him in the closet with this thing, and now she wants him as a pet!" Cyborg said in self defense mode. "And thats not all!" He held up a broken mop. "One of them broke our best mop." Silence descended upon the trio.
"Aw man." Said Robin. "That was our best one too... It had the double sided scrubby thingy, and the handle that wrings it out all on its own." A moment of silence was observed for the passing of the mop. "So, whats left of frenchie?" Robin asked.
"More than I would have liked. He's alive, healin in the infirmiry I think."
"Great." Raven drawled.
The bear woke in the middle of theire conversation and scratched its behind. It stretched on the table, and belched. And belched. And belched. A black, partially digested berret flew out of its mouth and stuck to the ceiling.
"Well. He can't be all bad." Said Raven.
"No, guess he can't be."
"Thats what I said last night." Kali said upon entering the kitchen. She sat by the bears head and stroked the fur affectionately, and cooed some russian words at it. It seemed to like her.
"What the hells going on around here?" Robin asked under his breath. "Okay guys, we can only have so much wildlife in here. Either the bear goes, or the Frenchman does." He told his team. "Yeah." He said, petting the bear. "Frenchman goes." Everyone turned to Cyborg.
"He had his shots?" Robin asked. Cyborg shook his head, and everyone gave him an insidious look.
"What yall lookin at?" He asked nervously.
"Your the only one with a car big enough to hold this guy. Think we'll leave that up to you." Robin cleared his throat. "Theres only one more problem. We're stuck with the frenchman for a week, he signed a preliminary contract." Everyone groaned. Cyborg began to cry, his leather seats could only handle so many wild, dirty animals sitting on them.
"Beast Boys gonna be happy." Raven said, looking to Kali. "Why didnt you just kill him?" She asked, reffering to the Frenchman.
"I like to be creative." She said. Behind her the door that led to the infirmiry opened, and a bandaged and bruised Frenchman walked out. "Oh ho ho!" He said and stopped as he saw the bear. The bear also saw him, and let loose a tremendous roar. The Frenchman screamed like a girl, and ran away. The bear settled back down on the table to take a nap.
"Well, who can say no to this?" Robin asked. He liked the effect the bear had on the temporary titan.
"No one thats who." Said Kali as she stood up. The bear climbed down off the table to follow her as she walked out of the room, towards the TV and leaving everyone looking at each other quite shocked.
"We all saw that right? I'm not just imagining that the bear likes her, am I?", Robin asked, a manic tint to his voice.
"Wait, we can't just say no to the bear?" Cyborg asked, still concerned of his seats. "I mean, Robin, your the leader right?"
"Its not worth it." Robin held his head in his hands. "She's been a help, and its not like she ever asks for much." Robin looked to Raven, who must have gotten a cup of tea while the bear was obscuring his view. Raven nodded her approval.
"Plus Kali is beautifull, resourcefull, intelligent, and always right." Kali boasted from the couch. "I can hear you guys you know." Raven just shook her head while Cyborg and Robin leaned in closer to each other.
"Not to mention she's somewhat manipulating and self-appreciating." Cyborg whispered. Robin snickered under his breath.
"And a tad dramatic sometimes." Robin added.
"Yeah and-" Cyborg was cut off by Kali's voice.
"And right behind you." The boys looked up behind them to see a menacing visage of Kali, cracking her knuckles.
"Cyborg! We have a bear to get immunized." Robin said, desperate for an escape.
"NO!" Beast Boy cried, desperate to get away from his attacker. He threw a chair at the man, and took refuge behind a nearby table. He sat behind it, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he strained to hear the footfalls of the evil man.
"Its unavoidable. Resistance is futile." Said the tall tamaranian as he approached Beast Boys location.
"NO!" Beast Boy turned into a gorilla and threw the table at the man, he dodged it, but it afforded Beast Boy a few seconds to run to the door.
"Get back here!" The man cried, and lunged at the gorilla. Beast Boy turned into a ferret and danced about the mans feet to avoid capture.
"I dont think so guy, your going DOWN!" He turned into an annaconda and coiled about the man, and began to squeeze the life out of him.
Starfire entered the room and gasped at all the damage. Her eyes went to Beast Boy, who was choking the tamaranian. "Beast Boy!" She cried, lunging and pulling him off of his 'attacker'. "You must let this man give you your immunity shot!"
"I dont like needles!" Beast Boy protested. Jinx arrived in the doorway, took in the scene and laughed.
"It doesnt matter kid, your gonna get sick if you don't let me give you this shot!" The tall tamaranian doctor held up a syringe.
"No! Anything but needles, please!"
Starfires shoulders sagged. "Beast Boy, if you do not want your shot you do not have to take it." Behind her the doctor became more frustrated, but Beast Boy let out a victory whoop. "But you must do me one favor, friend." She said.
"Yeah, anything to avoid a needle. Just name it Starfire."
"Would you... be a kitten?" Starfire asked hopefully. Beast Boy complied, turning into a kitten and jumping into her arms. She caught the animal, and held it towards the doctor. "Now doctor! While I can hold him!"
The doctor looked at the cat, held by the scruff of the neck. Its fangs and claws were beared at him, and it was hissing and spitting viciously. The doctor shuddered, and approached the feline.
Fifteen minutes and one 'cat fight' later the trio sat in the doctors room together on a bed. To Starfires left and right sat Beast Boy and Jinx, Jinx enjoying the tamaranian equivalent of a 'loli'. She had been a good girl for her shots. On her other side sat a much dejected and angry Beast Boy, with a bandage on his forehead. Starfire sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "If you had not fought it so much he would not have stuck it in your face friend Beast Boy."
"Yeah right." He fumed. "He did that on purpose, and ejoyed it."
"He was merely concerned for your well-being."
"I dont like needles."
"The stitches come out next week.", Said Starfire, trying to sound up-beat.
Jinx looked across the table at him. "What stitches? I don't see any." Beast Boy smiled devilishly at her.
"I was speaking of the doctor." Starfire pinched the bridge of her nose and immediately took her hand away. If she didnt watch it she was afraid she might end up more like Robin.
Robin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He, Cyborg, and the bear were now sitting in an exotic animals vet, and he was talking with a doctor. "Alright, so he's a big animal. Just how big a shot is he going to need then?"
The doctor did the math in his head. "A very big one." He began to imagine the speed boat he was going to buy when he was done bilking the titans for extravagant costs.
"And how much praytell, is a very big one?"
"Very much." Out in the waiting room Robin heard the bear roar, a woman scream, and Cyborg shout. Cyborg popped his head in the office.
"Lance just ate another chihuahua." Robin pinched his nose again, harder this time.
"Alright Cyborg, keep him down. I'm trying to talk to the doctor here."
The doctor began to imagine the new SUV he would buy, to tow the boat after he was done charging the titans for lost business and damages. "That makes four chihuahuas, seven cats, three canarys, two beagels, and half a dozen ferrets that he's eaten since arriving."
"I know. Just get the bear the shots, we'll pay whatever it takes." More screams were heard from outside, and Robin felt a nose bleed coming on. Cyborg popped his head back in the room.
"Just ate the last Dodo."
"Weren't those extinct?" Asked Robin. Cyborg shrugged.
"They are now. Superman says he's gonna want a word with you about taking care of pets."
"Superman?" Robin doubted the man of steel had come all this way to lecture him about pet care.
"It was his do-do. Go figure."
"Alright doctor. How much?" Robin leaned over the desk, just wanting the ordeal to be over.
"Lets see, lemme count it up." The doctor began tallying things on an adding machine, the old kind with the pull lever. He liked to at least feel like he was doing some actual work for his money. Outside there was more roaring, more screaming, and Cyborgs head popped back in the door.
"Just ate the governors pet doberman. O'l Arnie wants to know where he can get a pet like ours now."
"Isn't he upset about his dog?"
"He had it here to be put down, it wasn't mean enough."
"Oh. I dont know, make something up."
Cyborg turned back out the door, and approached the eager looking governor of California.
"Zo?" The man asked. "I muzt have an an-e-mal as ferocious as yours."
"Uh, yeah. About that." Cyborg lost his grip on the bears leash, and the bear lunged at the governor. It tackled him to the ground, and Cyborg thought he was about to be accosted by secret service agents, but then an odd thing happend.
"He eez zuch a playfull zing." The governor laughed, and howled as he wrestled the bear about the waiting room. The bear was trying its best to kill him, but of course, to him it just came off as playfull. Several nearby secret service agents looked up from the newspapers they were reading and shrugged. Guarding this guy was a moot point, he had handled the last three assasination attempts on his own. He had even hired himself as the head of security, and when everyone tried to stop him from being his own personal bodyguard he pointed out that there was no specific law banning such a thing. Now, with him in office, there never would be.
Cyborg hoped the ammendmant banning the man from becoming president was never repealed, America did not need a man who would beat up foreign presidents who disagreed with him. But then again, they already all thought america was a bully, so what if the leader acted the part?. "Uh, Governor?" Cyborg asked as the man was tossed over the desk of a secretary.
"Yez?" The Governor jumped back over the desk and tackled the bear.
"Usually bears grow in the woods. Tried looking there?"
"Za voods?"
"Yah. Za voods." 'Damn, hez' got me doing it az vell now'.
"How doz vone catch a bear in za voods?"
"Uhhh, bears usually eat small rodents and other animals."
"AH!" Beamed the governor. "Zose I have in abundance. I zhall bving ze ninze circuit court judges vith me az bait!" The man laughed. Around him the secret service agents cringed at the thought of trying to hike through the woods keeping up with theire boss.
SUV's needed front end grills, the doctor decided. They also needed expensive 10 cd changers, he thought. "While your here you can also get customized name tags." He offered Robin, who was signing some papers. The boy wonder looked up at him, his left eye twitching.
"No."
SUV's needed an expensive set of running lights. "Can I interest you in having your bear spayed or neutered."
"What?" Robin asked. "This is the big city, I dont think its going to have puppies-"
"Cubs."
"Cubs. Whatever. Point being I dont think we have to worry about it."
Damn, the doctor thought to himself, what a cheapskate.
Blackfire was in the training room taking her aggression out on a punching block. Punching bags seemed not to last very long, so she had aquired a steel bulkhead that stood up to her fists a little longer. Today she actually wasn't angry over her sister, no, she was angry about this decision. Blackfire turned when the training room door opened, and growled when she saw it was Kali. She thought better of attacking the vampire this time, and noticed her knuckles had become bloodied by the jagged steel edges. She also noticed just what Kali was wearing. Blackfire didnt know it, but it was a seventeenth century dress. "What the hell is that?" She asked, trying not to laugh at the silly garment.
"This is part of the admission fee." Kali smiled, and handed Blackfire a dress similar to her own. "I think I have found something that should help you decide."
"I've already decided." Blackfire said as she tried to hand the bulky dress back to Kali. "I don't want to be a vampire." Blackfire knew it was untrue, and the lie didnt even convince herself.
"I dont have to read your mind to know thats a bold lie." Kali handed the dress back to her carefully. "Now get dressed." Blackfire growled at her, and looked at her hands. "Get showered first, then get dressed."
Kali sat in the training room on a pile of matts while Blackfire used the shower. The girl was going to appreciate this, hell, even she would. It had been so, so long since she had been to one of Beethovens concerts. The deaf musician, in life, had still made moving music. When on the brink of death, a vampyric fan had offered him the chance to compose for eternity, and he had taken it. Now, with his hearing restored he played once a month to an audience of any vampires that might like to hear. The man could do the most incredouble things with a piano.
"Do I have this thing on right?" Kali looked Blackfire over and shook her head. It was hard to believe she had lived through a time when those things had been 'cool'. But, Beethoven refused to play if even one person in the audience was not dressed the way his fans had in life.
"Close enough." Kali stood up and fixed a few of the frills Blackfire had crumpled while putting the dress on.
"Going to tell me where we are going?"
"To see Beethoven, of course."
Blackfire did a double-take. The TV had had a show about the somethingth anniversary of his death. "But the TV said he died.", She protested.
"Don't believe everything you see on TV, its a bad habbit. All done." Kali stood back. "Now, the other part of the admission fee. He only plays for vampires and houkounin." Kali stepped foward and fixed a wrinkle in the dress she had missed. "You are neither, but I think I can get you in anyway."
"How?"
"Easilly. We killed Marcus Agustus, the most hated vampire ever. I think its earned us a little leeway."
"Is Raven coming?", Blackfire asked. She was slightly confused when Kali 'tsked' and looked at the floor.
"Raven has a... condition, it stops her from listening to Beethovens music."
Blackfire thought this was ridiculous, but let it slide. "Where are we going?"
Kali beamed, happy to get off the subject of Raven. "To Germany, to the living opera house." Kali smiled. "Now, when you see this place, you must remember. Beethoven can do the most amazing things with his piano. Are you ready?" Blackfire nodded her head, Kali put a hand on her shoulder, and they were gone.
It was lunch, or close to it Jinx decided. She couldnt be sure if the food in front of her counted as a lunch. The king and queen sat at one end of the table, Jinx, Starfire, and Beast Boy at the other. "Jinx." Boomed the king. "Tell us of yourself."
Jinx didnt want to tell them of herself. She wanted to go home, or anywhere away from this king. He made her quite uncomfortable. She cleared her throat. "I'm from earth, we have doors that open automatically there." Next to her Starfire hissed, not wanting her to act childish.
"I see." The king stroked his beard. "From what I have heard, Earth is a backwards little planet that still thinks digital watches are 'neat'." Beast Boy slipped his digital watch off his wrist under the table. "And they still use fossil fuels." Next to him the queen stabbed him in the thigh with a Krof, not wanting him to act hsidlihc.
"Thats true." Jinx said, and rubbed her chin. "But Earth invented its first flying machine less than a hundred years ago, and already we are trying space travel." Jinx cocked her head to the side, and in a too sweet voice asked: "Can your planet say the same?"
The king glared at her. She had him beat there. "Well. I'm sure you will enjoy your stay on Tamaran, even if you have to open the doors for yourself." Oh how he didnt like her.
"Starfire." Her mother began. Both she and her father looked at her, unsure who she was reffering to. "We are glad to have you home, and fully support you in your decision." To her credit the queen was just trying to disarm the situation, but it had the opposite of its intended effect.
"Some of us more-so than others." The king grumbled. Starfire stood from her seat, angry with her father. The king did likewise, glaring at his daughter.
"Shit." Beast Boy said, not liking where the situation was going. He then noticed the queen looking at him weird.
"Why do you greet us in the middle of a conversation?" The queen asked. Beast Boy just looked at her, he had expected to be chastised about his use of foul words at the table.
"Uh, sorry?" Beast Boy said, unsure of what else to say.
"Dear, sit down. Your not going to change her mind." The queen whispered. The king nodded his head, and sat back down. Starfire did likewise and the meal resumed. The queen tried to find a good, neutral subject of conversation, and her eyes landed on Beast Boy. "Young man." She said, and the green wonder looked up at her. "I'm told you are 'King of the Beasts'. Is this true?"
Beast Boy smiled, and shifted his from to that of a gorilla. Durring the flight he had showed off his abilities to the guards, and they had claimed the gorilla to be theire favorite. "Yeah, I can be whatever animal I want." He smiled wider when the royal couple smiled, finding him quite entertaining.
"Impressive." The queen clapped her hands.
"Yes mother." Starfire said, happy the hostility was fading. "Jinx can command bad luck to do her bidding. Observe." Starfire nodded to Jinx, and Jinx fired a hex bolt at a vacant chair. All the legs fell off of it, and it clattered to the ground. Everyone failed to notice the king watch with much interest.
Robin and Cyborg both sat in the front seat of the T-Car, feeling a bit down after the ordeal at the vets. Plastered all over them were 'Don't vote girlie, VOTE ARNIE!' stickers. Robin peeled one off his forehead, and flicked it out the window. "Can you believe that guy?" He asked Cyborg. "He charged us almost enough for a car."
"Yeah and his campaign manager treated us like someones bumper!" Cyborg growled, and picked another sticker off that the over-zealous worker had placed on him. He looked to the back seat, where Lance had his head stuck out the window as they drove. "And get a load of Lance, he thinks he's a dog." Robin looked back at the bear, who indeed did have his head stuck out the window like a dog.
"Yeah, I get the feeling things are only going to get weirder."
"Oh, don't even say that." Cyborg stopped for a red light, and a pontiac pulled up next to them, an annoying small dog in the back seat, sticking its head out the window, and barking at lance. The titans failed to notice the car had pulled up pretty close to them.
Lance looked at the little creature with greedy eyes. It looked like another tasty beagle. He stuck his snout out far enough for the dog to bite, and puffed hot air in its face. The dog did what he wanted, and went to bite his nose. Lance opened his gigantic mouth, and the beagle slid right down as it lunged at him. He didnt even have to chew, but damn, he hoped that wasnt a spiked collar. Those things hurt on the way out.
"You hear something?" Robin turned to Cyborg.
"Nah, what did you hear?"
"Not sure, think Lance's stomach is rumbling."
"Well, we'll have the boy home soon enough." The light turned green, and the pontiac and T-Car took off.
Blackfire looked around her, in what she assumed was the 'living opera house'. It was not impressive. A man she assumed was Beethoven stood some distance away on a raised concrete block next to a piano, but other than that block this area was just a normal forrest. "Whats all this?" She asked Kali.
"This is the living cathedral, others will be arriving shortly."
"It doesnt look like much.", Blackfire said as she kicked a rock.
"You up there." Came the thick voice of Ludwig Von Beethoven. Kali and Blackfire looked down at him, he seemed a little indignant. "You." He pointed at Blackfire. "You are not a vampire. You are not permitted here."
Kali approached the concrete block, and gave Beethoven a small bow. "Forgive us, but this is one of the girls who aided in the destruction of Marcus Agustus." A happy look crossed the composers features.
"She may stay. I found the news of his destruction most pleasing, just for you two, I will begin the construction now." He sat at his piano, and began to play.
"Whats going on?" Asked Blackfire as Kali rejoined her a small distance from the 'stage'.
"He's most pleased with us. He's starting early. Watch."
Blackfire shifted uncomfortably in the awkward dress, and did watch, and listen. Beethoven took his seat at the piano, and soft musical tones began to issue forth from the instrument. It caught Blackfire completely unaware, but soon, in sync with the music, the forest around them began to move. Blackfire gasped, again, and again, and again, as the forest moved to the musics command. The trees moved into a large circle around the stage, and the creaking noise was drowned out by the piano.
"What is this?"
"Shhh."
Blackfire continued to watch as the trees seemed to grow into one another. They formed high windows, everything grew from the living wood. It was easilly the most beautifull thing she had ever seen, and she nearly forgot to breath. The trees came together hundreds of feet above her head, and she watched as the smaller branches came together and made a wooden impression of the Cistiline chappel. Leaves of differant shades of green formed the backround for it. Back down around her feet roots rose from the ground, and created an elaborate floor. The roots rose, without a trace of dirt on them and formed many rows of seats. Two seats formed seperate from the others, right in front of the stage. Roots rose from the ground and braided together to form them. Blackfire took in a shaky breath as the music picked up its pace, and all the wood around her melded into one living thing.
"Kali I-" She tripped because she was in shock from the display. The music stopped and Kali caught her.
"I know. You never get used to it." She tried to let Blackfire go to stand on her own feet, but she fell again and her palms came into contact with the wood beneath her.
Blackfires hands touched the wood, and she gasped again. It was warm, and it had a pulse. It was faint, but it began to pick up. The roots in her hands glowed green with every beat. Blackfire lifted her head, and realized the entire cathedral was pulsing a faint green. The pulse grew in strength, and Blackfire felt it resonating through her soul. The green got brighter, and she remembered to breath. "Kali." She gasped.
"I said you never get used to it, I know." Kali helped her to her feet, and she stood shakily. "I said it before, the man can do the most incedouble things with a piano."
"Welcome, ladies, to the living opera house." The wood behind Beethoven glowed green rapidly, as if happy to have been mentioned. "Please, take your seats." He pointed at the two special seats closest to him. He turned and sat at the piano and tied a red satin cloth around his eyes, blindfolding him.
"Kali, why is he doing that?" Blackfire pointed at Beethoven, who now sat at his piano, blindfolded.
"Sensory depravation. In life he was deaf, his ears healed when he became undead. Now, he can't deafen himself to play, but he still deprives himself of one of his senses. It helps his concentration." All around them other vampires began to arrive. A few complained about not having gotten there in time to see the creation of the theatre, but all filed into theire seats.
Blackfire had to be helped into her seat, but she didnt mind. She was still in shock over the building of this place, and already the show was about to start. "Kali?" She asked, a nervous tone in her voice.
"Yes?" Kali sat in her own seat and shifted her dress.
"What about these shows make Raven unable to watch them?"
"In life it was said Beethoven could move the soul with music. At the time he used an entire orcestra, and just barely scratched the surface of doing such a thing. He had had hundreds of years to practice now, and now with only a piano he can touch ones soul, move it. He can control ones emotions through strokes of the keys. Blackfire, if the man desired it so, he could make you feel any emotion he wanted."
"With a piano?" Blackfire asked doubtfully.
"Yes. If he wanted, he could give a mortal a heart attack from fight." Kali watched the worried expression cross Blackfires features. "But he won't do that." Kali leaned back in her seat, and the wood molded against her for comfort. "The man could wake the dead with music, and its true." Kali gave Blackfire a lopsided grin. "Most vampires are light sleepers, after all." Blacfire laughed at her little joke, and Kali was glad. Kali reached up her sleeve and took out two hankerchiefs. She handed one to Blackfire. "You might need this." Was all she told her, and the music began to play.
Blackfire watched him play. It didnt sound like much, but that was about to change. Something told her he was just warming up, and she was right. Soon his hands began to blur, and it sounded more like a chorus of piano's. Blackfire began to feel something stirring inside her, but she couldnt be sure what it was. It was most likely just anxiety. Then, it rolled through her soul with the force of a tidal wave, and she felt joy. Blackfire melted into her seat, and the emotion grew to the point where she thought she would burst.
Then, the song took a turn for the frightfull. Blackfire felt her chest constrict with fear, and next to her she saw Kali shift in her seat. It took a good amount to make Kali shift, so Blackfire wasn't ashamed when a small animal whimper escaped her lips. Her hands kept trying to make bolts out of defensive instincts, but she stopped them. This kept happening as her fear grew. She was enjoying the show, and knowing she was in no real danger made the fear bearable. But, as she kept having to surpress her bolts it caused an energy flux. All of her exposed skin began to glow a bright neon purple, not with a built up bolt, but with the possitively charged ions she couldnt dissipate as easilly as the negatively charged ones.
Purple and green were not colors many would usually think to look good together, but Kali at least thought the surrounding area looked great, turning purple, then green as the wood pulsed, and purple again. She noticed Blackfire shifting in her seat, unsure of what to do with the pent up energy. "Don't worry about it." She whispered. Blackfire nodded her head, and looked at her.
"Thank you for this. I've never seen anything like it."
"That says alot for someone who's traveled the universe."
The music played on, and they watched for some time. The fear built, and built, until the music came to a peak. A little smoke drifted skyward from the piano, the instrument not having been built to withstand keystrokes with the speed a vampire could strike them. The music changed quite suddenly, and Beethovens hands became visible again. This music was much slower, and allowed the tired instrument to cool down. Relief flooded through the crowd. Blackfire didnt even know how wound up with fear she had been until she almost melted into a puddle in her seat. A large tree brach descended from the ceiling, and fanned the inside of the piano as he played.
The music picked up again, and Blackfire lost track of time. Happy, sad, those were just unspecific labels. What she felt, was longing, heartbreak, jealousy, love, and so many things more. When she felt 'alone', which wasnt a new sensation to her she looked to Kali. This emotion it seemed had a greater effect on her, as tears were running unchecked down her face. She looked quite stoic really, if not for the tears Blackfire thought she might be a statue. She didnt have time to contemplate it, as the composer thrust more force into his music and the feeling of loneliness became too much to bear. She began to cry, but it felt differant. Somehow they didnt feel like her tears. She decided she didnt like feeling this alone. It reached a peak, and stopped.
"Its over." Kali told her. Blackfire looked around, as if afraid that meant the entire place was about to dissapear. Kali sighed, glad it was over. The only problem now was that a side effect of these concert was that they made you an emotional rollercoaster for a while afterwards.
A while latter, after the deconstruction of the opera house and the departure of everyone save for Beethoven, Blackfire was still growing purple in her seat. Beethoven watched them, unsure of Kali's reason for being around this girl. "A private dance?" He offered with a jovial smile, indicating he had no problem with getting back behind his piano to play for the two.
"Thats alright Ludwig." Kali gave Blackfire a glance. "She's still recovering, its her first time here."
"I would have thought." Said Beethoven as he threw a sheet over his piano. "That you would be more popular among the guests, after destroying Marcus. There are many twice your aga that had never dared oppose him."
Kali leaned against the piano. "It isnt important. It wasn't I that killed him." She let this hang in the air a moment, and Beethoven looked to Blackfire.
"Her?"
"No, her sister." Kali pushed away from the instrument, and went to collect the now sleeping Blackfire. "Goodnight Ludwig, it was a lovely show." Kali picked up Blackfire in her arms, noting the girl still glowed dark purple.
There had been few times in her life when she had felt so emotionally exhausted. The death of her grandmother and grandfather, the day she realized her parents had a favorite and she was not it, breaking up with her first love, and her first night in prison. This somehow topped them all. The unearthly music that had been created by a simple piano had charmed her soul, and called it out to play. Of course, said soul had to go home eventually, and when it did she was tired. It was pleasant, in a way. To feel this emotionally tired without anyone having to die or get hurt, it was enough to make one feel almost lucky. Almost like being hit by a car, and then being greatfull the mush that was once your shins did not damage the pretty bumper. Blackfire was distantly aware of a voice calling out to her. Blackfire opened her eyes to see the familiar surroundings of her room. She was lying on her bed, Kali kneeling on the floor so she was eye level with her.
"Come, wake up Blackfire. You can't sleep in this dress, go get changed." Blackfire heard the command, but it wasnt registering. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and listen to the voice.
Kali kneeled and held her face in her hands. Oh, this girl was beyond exhausted. Kali bit back a fit of laughter when Blackfire turned her head enough to look at her. Her eyes didnt focus on anything really, she just stared blankly at her. "Blackfire, either you get the dress of or I take it off." This seemed to be enough to get her royal highness moving. Kali sat in a chair nearby as Blackfire rose from the bed, and without a word went into her bathroom. The door didnt close fully, and the purple glow increased after a few minutes, then decreased again as Blackfire put something back on. A quick nap, and she would be back to normall. It was after all just three in the afternoon. Kali got up and left Blackfire to sleep. Now was as good a time as any to enjoy her new pet.
Robin and Cyborg sat at the kitchen table, peeling the last of the 'Don't vote girlie, VOTE ARNIE OR ELSE!' stickers off of themselves. A small pile of them was left on the table. A few feet away on the couch lance was sleeping, a full stomach makes the eyelids heavy. Together they leaned back in the seats and let lose a tired groan, ready to call it a day.
"Next time we use your car." Cyborg mumbled. Robin was feeling too tired to argue.
"What happened?" Robin asked, leaving the question vauge on purpose.
"What you mean?"
"This, all of this. Remember when there used to be five of us, only one animal, and everything was just differant?"
Cyborg laughed. "Yeah back in the day." He made his voice sound like a crotchety old man. "And we used to have to walk FIFTEEN miles UPHILL BOTH WAYSin the snow to go fight the nearest villan. Back then we had dinosaurs for villans. And all we had for weapons was rocks." Together the two broke into a fit of laughter.
"Yeah." Robin said, leaning foward and pretending to hold a cane. "And we didnt have no shoes neither. We walked till's our feets was bloody, then walked on our hands. We never did no complainin neither."
"Hey." Robin said, sniffing the air. "Do you smell that?" Cyborg lifted his nose and took a few deep breaths.
"Smells like..."
"Fresh air."
"The Frenchman, think he's dead?"
"He'd smell better that way. We better go check." Robin and Cyborg crept up to the med-rooms door and opened it cautiously. As the door opened they jumped back, cautious of any offending aromas. There were none. They went inside, and all they found on one of the beds was a piece of paper with one word on it: Orivua.
"Whats it mean?" Cyborg asked, holding the note in one hand and scratching his head with the other.
"Think it means 'the end' or something."
"Isnt that 'Fin'?"
"Damned if I know!" Robin yelled, figuring the Frenchman had gotten out of dodge. "He's gone!"
"Yeah!" Said Cyborg, the enthusiasm rubbing off on him. "We're down to one stupid animal until BB gets back!"
"Yeah!"
"Yeah!"
"Yeah!" This continued for a few minutes as the teens rejoyced. It was like christmas, except getting rid of useless stuff you didnt want. Eventually they did calm down though, and ended up back at the kitchen table, bored again.
The king knew he had a chance with the Beast Boy. His wife wouldnt approve of what he was going to do, but the situation allowed for him to. If it worked he would have his way, and if it didnt he could just say that he was testing the boys charecter, making sure he was worthy of the honnor his daughter had bestowed on him. He knew it would work, he could offer him anything. A planet to rule, a solar system, he could buy and sell such things, while they were still expensive even to him, it would be worth the price to be rid of the pink menace.
King Starfire went to the room Beast Boy had been given, and knocked on the door. It was his castle, and he didnt have to knock if he didnt want to, but he was here to make 'friends'. The door was quickly answered by the green boy, who seemed to be chewing on something. The king tried to hide his disgust, and succeeded.
Beast Boy looked the king over, wondering why he was here. Normally someone who had treated his friend (Jinx) that poorly would be on his list of people not to be nice to. Even though Jinx had only been his friend a few hours, it didnt matter. However, flipping the king the bird might very well land him in a jail cell somewhere, and wouldnt do his friends any favors. He swallowed the pringles in his mouth and wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. "Hey, uh-" Beast Boy was interupted by the king.
"It is urgent that I speak with you." The king said in a hushed tone. He strode past Beast Boy into the room. "Close the door, no one must hear this." Beast Boy closed the door and hid the fact he was somewhat upset about the intrusion. "Good. I need your help." The king had played this game many times before in negotiations. He had mastered the art of seeming 'kingly' and asking for help at the same time. He watched the earthlings eyebrows raise, and a look of concern cross his features. He had him.
"What is it?"
The king let out a defeated sigh. "My world is on the edge of another war. One that could be the last war." Starfire let the meaning of his words sink into the boy before he continued. "There are many things at work here you do not understand. Things that have been building up for decades." Beast Boy looked quite concerned now, and the king turned his back to him so he could indulge himself in a sinister smile. "War is never good, you understand this, do you not?"
"Of course." Beast Boy offered, it pleased his ego greatly that a king would ask him for help. This was a new side to the man he thought, one he had not been expecting. "What can I do?"
The king wiped the smile off his face, and pasted a look of concern on. He put a hand on Beast Boys shoulder, and looked the boy in the eyes. "You also understand then, that the needs of many outweight the needs of the few."
"Yeah, what do you mean?"
The king sighed and turned around again. "Take no offence, but I doubt you know much of how monarchs work. How peace treaties are made, and such things." Beast Boy nodded, and the king continued. "There are certain things, things that can stop a war in its track. Things, that if Starfire has her way, I will not be able to do."
Beast Boy thought he had found his angle, when the conversation turned to Jinx and Starfire. Beast Boy thought for a moment he was trying to trick him somehow, but the look of concern convinced him otherwise. "What do you mean though?"
"Starfire. It may become necessary to-" The king made a long pause, as if the words hurt him. "it may be necessary to marry her into a rival familly, to avoid war." The king knew Beast Boy was about to object, but didnt give him the chance. He waited until he opened his mouth, and interupted him before he could make a sound. "I know it would be unfair to her, but it could save millions, perhaps more. It would be a treaty that would last the rest of her natural life." He watched him absorb all this, and knew what he would ask next. A look of desperation crossed his features.
"What can I do?"
"I need you to stop this marriage. I need you to do everything in your power to seperate them." The king wondered, why in the hell did he look at ease all of a sudden?
"Oh, theres nothing I can do about that." Beast Boy said, a little light heartedly. He had been instructed not to divulge the secret of Starfire being a vampire or Jinx's being a houkounin, but it didnt matter. The kings face contorted just slightly, but he didnt notice it.
"I dont want to seem like I'm bribing you. But millions, if not billions of lives are at stake, and for your service the Tamaranian court could see fit to make you the ruler of a planet."
Beast Boy rose an eyebrow, that last bit was just too out of place. Slowly a wide smile spread across his face. "Wait a minute. I know whats going on here." He said in a sly voice. The kings nervous look was lost on him as Beast Boy went into 'Sherlock Moulder' mode, a mode like Sherlock Holmes with the wild alien theories of X-Files agent Moulder. "You almost had me fooled!" Beast Boy said, a slightly nervous laugh coming from him.
"I what?"
"This is that test! I knew it! I passed right?" The kings shoulders sagged.
"Yes, I have to go now." The king left the room, upset that the most subtle way of doing this was hopeless. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve, but those were all too obvious. There was assasination, but that was too obvious. There was forbidding it, but his queen had forbidden him from forbidding it. There was also brainwashing one of them into breaking up with the other, but if that was not done right it could be just as obvious as assasination. He muddled over these things as he walked the halls. No, he couldnt assasinate her before the marriage, it would be too obvious- but, what about afterwards? This lifted his spirits a bit. Yes, afterwards. If he waited, and was patient, the space ship might have an accident on the ride home. Yes, a convenient loss of cabin pressure should do the trick. His daughter and the Tamaranian crew would not be hurt by such a thing, but the fragile earthling, Jinx, would be killed. And Beast Boy, well, he didnt like him anyway.
The king came to a stop in the hallway, a confused look on his face. "Wait, how did he know about the test?" He growled, Starfire must have told him, which was somewhat a breach of protocall. It made him angry, his daughter had unwittingly thwarted his first attempt at stopping this ceremony. It didnt matter. The king didnt like to think of himself as a 'violent' man, but thoughts of the pink haired earthling, killed by explosive decompression pleased him. It would be too bad that he would not be there to see her lungs pulled out through her mouth and such.
Now, I'm going to end it here. The next chapter is going to be pretty Robix-based, she needs some attention. I had fun writting this, Oh what the hell, lets not end here, lets do a scene of Starfire talking with her mother, THEN end it ok?
Starfires mother (who's name the author needs an idea for, NOT BLACKFIRE) sat with her daughter in one of the royal castles gardens. Around them grew many exotic plants of varying colors and sizes. Jinx had opted to explore the garden, sensing Starfire and her mother wanted to talk. A large fountain was near where the mother and daughter sat, making noise as such to drown out the conversation and keep it from any prying ears of the nearby workers. The queen looked up from her tea and placed the cup on the table that seperated them as she cleared her throat.
"Starfire, are you certain that this is what you want?" She asked the question gently, not wanting to offend her daughter. A slight smile tugged at the young girls lips, Starfire understood her mother was not trying to make trouble.
"Yes. I am most certain. Are you not happy for me?"
The queen took another sip of her tea before responding. "I am. I just wish to make sure that you are happy."
"And what of father?" She could tell her mother was looking for a way to defend the man for his actions, and was finding no legitimate excuse. Her shoulders sagged in defeat as she came to terms that there was no way to sugar coat it.
"He is not pleased. He does not like the thought of this union."
"Will he get over it?"
It was another hard question, one she couldnt be sure about. She didnt want to answer the question. "I do not know. He is set in his ways."
Starfire decided to let the subject go, best not to dwell on what her father thought of this. There was another, just as pressing matter she wanted to see to. She had long wondered what her parents would think of her being a vampire, and thought now was as good a time as any to see what her mother might think. "Mother?"
"Yes?"
"Will you tell me of the vampire wars?" Her mother looked shocked that such a thing would be brought up in the middle of a conversation.
"Well, they were long ago. You could look in the archives to find what you want."
"No mother, I want to know what you think of it all."
Strange, but not neccisarily suspicious. "Alright, from what I was taught Tamaran was once stricken with a mysterious plauge, those afflicted began to feed off of the blood of the living. Most acted like monsters." Starfire took note of her mother using the word 'most' instead of 'they all'. "It spread across the globe, and many died even before the war. It came to a point where a tenth of the worlds population was inflicted with the disease, and that was when the war started. Those that had not been lost to the disease sought out those who had been and eliminated them. It took many years, and cost many lives. Why, if I'm not mistaken the very last vampire was destroyed just years before I married your father."
Starfire cast her eyes downward, she wanted to be honnest with her mother, but not if it could cause further complications. "And what would happen if a new vampire were to be discovered?" She asked, hiding her nervousness. She knew she would live on almost forever, and did not like the thought that after everyone became suspicious about her not aging she would have to leave tamaran forever.
"They would be eradicated." Her mother answered simply.
"But what if they were not monsters, if they were 'normal'."
Starfires mother cocked her head and furrowed her round eyebrows. "I can't be sure." She lowered her voice. "Starfire, theres something your not telling me. Isnt there?"
"No I-"
"Don't lie to me Starfire." A cold silence fell upon them, and Starfire could hear her blood rushing in her ears. "What are you hiding?"
"Nothing!" Her heart was pounding faster than she ever knew it could.
"Starfire..." Her mother said in a suspicious voice, and let herself trail off for a few moments. "If you wish to be a historian, that is not something to hide."
Alright, NOW I'm ending the chapter. I think it works, hope you all enjoyed it. Leave a review, its almost to 500. Next chaps bout Robix, should be good. Later.