Chapter 37: CPU IS RIP
Our thoughts and prayers to those who perished in the tidal waves, and those who survived. I pray for God to give them the strength to survive, and over come the loss. I mourn for those who died, especially the little children; who's tiny fingers lacked the strength to hold on to anything. I can only hope death came swifly under the merciless waves. Out of the ashes of this disaster will arise the glowing phoenix of humanity. We will see the very best man kind has to offer, that beutifull glowing light our creator encourages us all to let shine. This phoenix will be seen in the man who gives up his own food ration for a child, it will be seen in the troops tirelessly handing out watter to the thirsty, food to the hungry. This phoenix will be seen in the stranger who comforts a man he does not know. It will be seen in the families who lost a child, but take in another who's parents cannot be found. This phoenix will be seen as the world comes together to help. So I say to you, all of you:
WE WILL SEE THIS PHOENIX, AND BY GOD IT WILL SOAR!
I must encourage all of you out there to give, and tell you, there are starving children damnit! We must all do what we can, every dime helps! That wonderfull phoenix I speak of feeds off of every nickle and dime we drop in the jar! I'm going to give tomorrow, I'm going to give fifty dollars. I can only afford really to give twenty, but giving fifty won't make me starve. Giving twenty will make someone out there starve. Giving fifty hurts me, giving twenty hurts someone else much much worse. People, I'm moved to tears as I wrote that above, I just know that this is a chance for so much good to be done, we all have to help. This phoenix needs us all to help if its going to soar.
22 B.F. (Before Freedom) In the year 22 B.F. The saviour of planet Tamaran was born. Tamaran at the time was under the boots of a nearby planet, the people enslaved and forced into labor camps. His name at the time of his birth was Earth Mover, given to him and thousands of others by the captors. His name was his job as well, he was one of the thousands of diggers. The name his mother gave him was Starfire, a name that would be passed down his line for ages.
This Starfire, the first Starfire, would later in life be attacked by a cruel guard for not working hard enough. The guards were all weaker than the Tamaranians, a lizard like people from a nearby planet. What kept the Tamaranians enslaved was the lizards superiour numbers and technology, but on that day when Starfire paused to wipe his brow and was hit for it, he did what few tamaranians dared to do, and the ones who had before him, all died. He fought back. He powered up two bolts, and before the guard could do anything he blew his teeth out the back of his head.
Surrounding guards came running, and Starfire continued to fight. He took out a great deal of them in his labor camp all on his own, but the numbers were too great. Eventually he was thrown to the ground, and savagely beaten. Then, something else that had not happened before happened. Other tamranians, though stricken with fear, joined the fight. Fighting for themselves was a new concept, they had been enslaved for almost a hundred generations now; but before an hour had passed that one forced labor camp was liberated.
The tamaranians captive there looked in awe at what they had done, some feared retaliation, but one among them stood up again, and led them foward; Starfire. He led them from labor camp to labor camp, killing the guards as they went and bolstering theire ranks in the process. Mal nourished and beaten Tamaranians washed over the smaller camps, destroying lizard men, taking supplies, and eating the flesh of theire former captors if that was what it took. They encountered many problems, soon the ammount of guards were doubled, and the smaller camps were all fortified like the bigger ones. Starfire led them on still, never wavering. After wiping out the smaller camps on one continent of Tamaran his forces reached numbers above one million.
Then, something terrible happened. When his forces were seen coming the larger camps would exterminate all the prisoners before fleeing in shuttlecraft. He lost soldiers in this, and could no longer recruit new members. The freedom movement looked doomed, but Starfire found a new way. The lizzards were poor of sight, so now he snuck his soldiers in wearing the skin of the dead enemies. It worked. Now camp after camp fell before him again, and on all of the other continents similar movements began.
Within a year of the first day he fought back Starfire had taken back half of tamaran. He had aquired technology, and a uniformed millitary. Now he had supply lines, advanced weponry for hardened targets, the battle would soon be won. Won however, at a price. Four hundred million Tamaranians fell in this battle, fighting for the cause of freedom; a concept so foreign to them it was hard to wrap theire minds around. Four hundred million, nearly half the population of the planet.
It was worth it. After the lizard people were pushed off of this planet, Starfire had been ordained king. When asked what they were to do next, Starfire pointed to the sky, he pointed at the nearby planet of Tar'a'gaz, the lizard peoples homeworld.
"Next-" he said "we take the battle to them." And so it was done. The tamaranians discovered they could breath in space, and legion after legion flew up from the planet, soaring into space and towards the planet of the lizards. Even though now he was king, and could have stayed home and commanded from there, Starfire still led the fight. Always on the front line, fighting harder than any other man could. The battle on this planet proved just as difficult, if not more so. In fact, it was technically lost. A bitter defeat was dealt to the tamaranians, and they were forced to retreat back into space.
"What now?" Was asked of the king at the time.
"Now, if we cannot defeat them on the ground, we will eradicate them from space."
The word was given, and millions of tamaranians flew up from tamaran. Around the planet they waited for the order; one hundred and twenty five million of them. Then, the king rose his hands, and two bolts flew down at the planet. Two bolts, not much. But then everyone began to catch on, and within the hour every tamaranian in orbit was firing volley after volley at the planet, and within a few hours the land masses could be seen awash in flames. The attack continued for three weeks, more Tamaranians coming out to relieve the tired, but the king never left except for food, and a few moments rest from time to time. After the three weeks siege on the planet little if any life was left. The tamaranians swept over the land masses with ease, eradicating whatever was left. Then, it was discovered that they were not the only planet captured.
After the defeat of the home world Starfire led on still. The fight led them out of the solar system, to others nearby. Planet after planet they liberated, and wiped out the captors. It was genocide, but it had had to be done. When it was over a total of twelve planets had been freed- one of which was Krypton, and there was much rejoicing, but it was short lived. Ten years after the wars Starfire was assassinated by the last group of the lizard men right in front of his eight year old son. There was grieving across the free solar systems where Starfire had fought. The crown was passed to his son. The first king, the king of kings, was cremated as per his instructions. An empty coffin was laid to rest in orbit around Tar'a'gaz. On the front of it, in several languages was written:
Here lies the spirit of the king of Tamaran. Below lie the smoking remains of Tar'a'gaz. The craters below are the foot prints left behind by a mighty warrior. This is the destruction wrought upon evil by a man who lived and died to serve his people. Let all who would do Tamaran harm look below, thus is the fate of any peoples who would try to conquer Tamaran.
The year he died was 12 A.L. (After Liberation). His eight year old son was crowned king while still flecked with gore from his deceased father, and thus did Starfire the II take the throne of Tamaran. The eight year olds mother did the ruling until he was seventeen, at which time he took a wife and proved himself to be a fair and powerfull ruler. Together with the other 12 planets that had been freed a federation of planets was formed under his rule. Together the twelve planets spread out, expanded theire rule, and went on campaings in many solar systems to free enslaved peoples. New technologies were developed and discovered, trade was set up. Tamaran was always out in front of all the other planets, on the cutting edge of everything.
Starfire the II died on the field of battle in 30 A.L. He died without siring a son, and his nephew was chosen. His nephew, who's true name was not recorded in the archives took the name of Starfire in honnor of the preceeding two kings. He proved to be not so swift of a ruler. Due to a birth defect he was somewhat 'soft headed'. He did have the intellectual fortitude to appoint a shogun to do the ruling, whilst he would simply be a figure head. Tamaran and the federation of planets prospered. Eventually he grew old, and his son Starfire took the throne.
Starfire the IV ruled in a difficult time. Under his rule a thirteenth planet was added to the federation after its liberation. Starfire traveled there to meet the rulers, and durring his stay he was given a peculiar gift, though this is not known to the tamaranian populous. While there, he was made the first tamaranian vampire. For a year he stayed on this planet before returning home. Once there he created another, who created another. At first the gift was only given to those who were most trusted, but eventually it came into the hands of less responsible Tamaranians, and spread like wildfire across the planet. Many behaved as animals, killing for blood, and civil war broke out across the planet.
Starfire the IV ended his own life out of guilt at the beginning of the civil war. His son, who was conceived before he bacame a vampire took over and lead the way. It would never be known to anyone that he had been the cause of the 'disease' as it was seen.
Tamaran plunged into war on the planet, where it stayed for many many years. It was a hundred years before the war was 'won'. Most of the vampires became smart, and stopped killing for blood so as to go un detected. But still many behaved like beasts, and were wiped out. From time to time even to modern day one would occasionally be found and exterminated.
In the midst of the vampire wars a new threat descended upon the federation of planets. A new enemy came out of nowhere one day and eradicated the thirteenth planet of the federation. This enemy was stronger than the twelve planets combined. Once again a Starfire took the lead in the fight. What they fought was a moving planet, easilly the size of any three planets from the federation combined. It had outstanding defenses, and the power to destroy a world. The soldiers that lived on it were fiersome creatures; no one of them capable of concious thought but part of a collective. They were tall, twice as tall as a tamaranian male. The features were skeletal, the skin an ashen grey. Two more planets were destroyed by them, turned to dust.
Starfire the XV took the battle to them. As they had against the lizzard people Tamaranians took to space, and couldnt surround the planet. It was too massive. So, they positioned themselves over one land mass at a time as they fired below. Though inaccurate, the Skeletoids rifles could fire into space. Over the course of the two month assault nearly fifteen million were lost. However, in the end victory was had by a Starfire. The planets land masses became awash in flames, and Starfire charged across the planet in an assault that would cost an additional thirty million tamaranian lives. In the end he died on the field of battle, on the last day of the campaign. After the victory the skeletoid planet was destroyed with its own technologies, reduced to an asteroid field. The body of Starfire the XV was laid to rest on the biggest asteroid. His coffin had a plaque on it, it read:
In the battle for freedom we were guided by a star of fire. In a fight for survival we were guided again by the fire of this star. Once again, Tamaran and the federation is Triumphant. By the grace of a fallen hero and leader, and the sacrifice of millions who would never come home, by the creators above, we still stand. We thank the fallen, and live every day in theyre honnor.
It had been simple, and not as greatly worded as it could have been, but it had been written by his grieving wife. It was then that it became custom for a casket of a fallen king to be placed where there greatness was most visible. For Starfire the I it had been in orbit above Tar'a'gaz. For the XV it was in the asteroid feild that had been the Skeletoid planet. Throughout the galaxy to this day there are many caskets orbiting many differant planets where the kings fell, or once did battle.
Starfire, the father of the first female Starfire's casket would one day orbit a planet he liberated in his tenior as king. The galaxy was infinetly large, Tamaran was constantly involved in wars to bring freedom to opressed peoples everywhere. He survived the battle, but it was ceremonial for it to be placed there. He was the sixty-first Starfire; his daughter the sixty-second.
By the time Starfire the Sixty first took the throne the Tamaranian empire had overshadowed the original federation. The federation was still there of course, but the tamaranian empire weilded more power on its own across the galaxy. Tamaranian rule was law across much of the galaxy; sometimes trumping local law even. Around the known (or rather the civilized) universe there were very few planets that weilded power like Tamaran's.
A great example of the influence Tamaran had- one of the four moons once mysteriously went missing. A distant planet in its eagerness to please the tamaranian courts comissioned a project of monumental proportions. They took theyre own moon, and using space debris began to make it in the likeness of the Tamaranian one. Within a week they had sculpted it to the exact dimensions of the missing tamaranian moon, correct in every aspect down to a few millimeters here and there. They presented it to the tamaranian court to please them. The tamaranian court sent a thankyou letter, a simple one. It read:
Hey thanks. We owe you one.
A week later the original moon was found behind a nearby planet. It had been stolen by a group of nerds with a cloaking device, a tractor beam, and a dry sense of humor. So now two identical moons orbitted Tamaran. Even with a powerfull telescope one could not determine wich one was the original.
We interupt our history lesson to bring you back to the story.
Kali walked the streets of london, Blackfire at her side. They had taken a leave from the tower two days before so that Kali could show Blackfire another aspect of the vampire nature. Kali had taken this diversion partially to show the girl this bit of nature, and partially to get her mind off of the guilt of ever having created Robix. She understood now who she was, and what she had done, but for all this she still couldnt find her. They walked together down a dark foggy alleyway, the pungeant smell of urine and trash was hard to block out, but there was another smell here, the smell of death- old death.
Blackfire felt a chill go up her spine as a rat skittered across the alley. Kali had not spoken much to her, but when they left the flat she had said that it was time to put things right. Blackfire thought that now Kali might be more willing to talk. She shifted closer to the woman as another rat skittered by. "Kali what are we doing here?" On this planet there were few things Blackfire need fear, but for some reason she couldnt help but be frightened in this place and it showed in her voice.
"I have been showing you the good aspects of the vampires Blackfire, it is time I showed you the other side."
Blackfire gulped. How bad could it be? "What do you mean?"
"Blackfire, let me explain. You understand Marcus was disgraced, do you not?" The memory seemed distant, but Blackfire nodded her head. Kali continued. "He was not the only one Blackfire. Some vampires cannot stand eternity, and become more like him. Others are not even that lucky Blackfire, and they become animals." Blackfire couldnt see it, but a few tears rolled down Kali's face. "Blackfire, we are here to end the life of a poor pathetic immortal that has lost her way."
"Wait-" Blackfire stopped walking even she was so shocked. "We're here to kill a vampire?" Kali turned around.
"Yes Blackfire, a vampire that kills." Kali noticed the worried look cross Blackfires features, and the slight wobble in her knees as she recalled just how ugly the fight with Marcus had been. "Dont worry, she isnt nearly as strong as Marcus. She's younger than me even." Blackfire took a step foward, and could see the tears now.
"Kali whats wrong?" Blackfires voice shook, Kali's behaviour was so odd. "Your not telling me something."
"Blackfire, its the job of a vampire to terminate its own young if they become disgraced." Kali choked. "This girls creator cast her out a hundred and fifty years ago, I took her in. Blackfire its my job to destroy her now." The words hit Blackfire hard as she realized Kali was here to kill one of her own.
"But why do you have to do it?"
"Blackfire I have never created another vampire, by taking in the ones who had been cast out I took on the role of being theire creator. It is my job to do this now Blackfire, and I felt it is something you should see."
Blackfire looked deep into Kali's eyes; something she regularly avoided. In them she could see the anguish and the weight of eternity, something frightening. Kali's eyes were as windows into her soul, and Blackfire could see the ages she had seen. "Youre going to kill your own child?" She asked, her throat suddenly dry.
"Yes, Blackfire. I am going to kill my own child. When you see her, you will understand it is a thing of mercy. She has lost herself, she envies the dead but cannot join them without my help." Kali turned around again, trying to divine her former students presence in the area.
"Wait." Said Blackfire as she caught up. "You don't want me to help you?"
"No, you are only to watch. Blackfire, before tonight is done you are going to see the most pathetic sort of wretch ever to walk this earth. While she was once a vampire, this kind of disgraced does not feed on blood alone. Do not think of her as a vampire anymore Blackfire, she feeds on living flesh. It is what she has turned in to."
"What do you mean?"
"It is a sub-species of vampires. If we lose our way and become disgraced you end up like Marcus, or Jessica. Jessica has fallen victim to a differant kind of hunger. No matter how much she consumes her flesh still rots on the bones, it could take a hundred years before this kills her. Feeling her body die she consumes more, and even eats the flesh of her victims because she tries to stay alive. Its rare; she's the first in seventy years."
"But I thought you said she just became disgraced because of the weight of eternity or something."
"Yes, one leads to the other." They came to a burned out building that the stench of death eminated from. "Blackfire, steady your stomach. What you see in here is going to disturb you."
Blackfire put on a stoic look. "What will we see?"
"Blackfire, what we will see is going to be enough to even give me nightmares. Whatever you do Blackfire, no matter what, you must not let her get closer to you than she is to me."
Together they entered the house, and the stench of rotting flesh threatened to turn Blackfires stomach. She looked around. The house was burnt out, the floors had collapsed and the roof had a few holes in it. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness Blackfire could see bodies lying all around, some children. Her jaw dropped when she saw the skeletal corpse of an infant, the bones small and bird-like, and she could stop it no longer. She collapsed and lost her stomach contents. She heaved a few times, and wiped her mouth before getting up again. Kali had her back to her, but other than that had not moved.
"Blackfire, while this fight will be easy, it won't be easy to watch." Kali's head turned upwards just slightly. "She's near. Stay close behind me." Blackfire levitated, and avoided looking at the infant corpse again. Kali began to walk through the house, and Blackfire floated only six inches behind her. "Jessica." Kali called. "Jessica its me- Kali." In front of her a human form stood out of the rubble, naked, dirty, and shivering. Blackfire looked over Kali's shoulders. She felt pitty for the creature. Its flesh was rotting, and Blackfire could see where she had once been beautifull. Eyes that were once vibrant were now grey and distant. The abused naked woman stood looking at them, and a twisted sort of smile crossed the dirty face. Thick oily hair was matted to her skin, and Blackfire could only guess it had once been red. All of the bones around them were picked clean; and Blackfire realized it was the vampire that the smell was coming from. Her skin had lost its white color, and turned black as if suffering from plauge. There were numerous open sores, some filled with maggots. The creatures right eye was entirely white.
"Kali!" The thing hissed. Its voice was pained. It tried to step foward towards them but collapsed on the ground coughing. "Kali its you. Its really you." It breathed.
"This will be easier than I thought Blackfire. Whatever you do now, just don't turn away." Kali said in a shaky voice. Her heart ached looking at Jessica, a part of herself was going to die tonight. "Jessica, its me. Its alright now, I'm here." She told the creature on the ground. Kali knelt down, and despite her being covered in filth held the shivering woman close to her. "I'm here now, its alright."
"Kali somethings wrong with me. Why did you leave me?" The she creature said in a raspy voice. "Kali it hurts."
"I'm sorry Jessica, I tried with you. Im sorry. Its all going to be alright now. I'm here."
Blackfire watched Jessica embrace Kali. The she creature looked at her, and locked eyes. Blackfire felt her heart skip a beat as she stared into the most terrifying eyes she had ever seen. "Who is she Kali?" Jessica asked.
"That, that is your sister Jessica." As Kali said this Jessicas entire body tensed. A filthy arm reached over Kalis shoulder, reaching for Blackfire.
"My... Sssister?"
"Yes Jessica. Your sister in that I care for you both." Blackfire could hear Kali's voice shaking, and knew she was crying hard. Jessica began to shiver more heavilly, and Blackfire knelt and took her hand in both of hers. The hand squeezed back feebly.
"Sisster..." Jessica's eyes began to glaze a little, and Blackfire squeezed the hand reassuringly, nodding her head.
"Yes. I'm your sister."
"Kali it hurts." Jessica's voice rose as if she were in great pain, and she began to cry tears of blood.
"Shhh." Kali said. "Shhh. Its okay now Jessica. Its okay." Blackfire felt the hand in her own begin to relax, but Jessica's eyes never left her own. She let out a pained cry, and blood began to seep out the corner of her mouth. "Goodnight Jessica, my sweet princess." Jessica's eyes closed, and for the first time Blackfire realised she was crying too.
"My... sister."
Jessicas hand went lax, and Blackfire let it go. Kali laid Jessica on the ground and Blackfire could see what Kali had done. There was a dagger sticking out of her chest above her heart. Kali teleported Blackfire and the body to a spot in the forest. Blackfire watched her cover it in rocks, unable to say anything. She tried to help, but Kali had growled at her, wanting to carry this burden on her own. When she was done Kali stood in front of the simple grave, and Blackfire could hear her crying now.
"A mother should never out live her child." Blackfire said, understanding Kali was feeling a pain only a mother could.
"No, no they should not. Now you have seen the ugly side of this world." Kali collapsed and held her face in her hands as she cried. Blackfire came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Thats not the only reason you brought me, is it?" Blackfire waited for a response, but Kali only looked up at her with haunted eyes. Blackfire let herself drift to the ground next to Kali. Kali had brought her so she wouldnt have to do it alone too. "It must have been so hard for your. I'm sorry."
"It was hard for her; she needs your pitty not me." Kali leaned foward on the pile of rocks and took some deep breaths. "But thanks for coming with me for this. I didnt want to do it alone." Kali kissed the top-most rock of the pile and thought of her days with Jessica. Jessica, a sweet girl who had been cast out by her creator; and found by Kali feeding in a horse stall. She had found her sucking the beasts dry of blood. "I couldnt have done this alone Blackfire, thankyou." Kali rose from the ground and collected her composure. "Come, we shouldnt stay here."
"Wait, how did you find out about her?" Blackfire asked.
"A friend told me she had fallen, she had been like this for two months." Kali spat. "She suffered like this for two months because they tried to find her actual creator instead of me! Thats why she had to suffer so badly."
Back at the tower
Human beings can get used to most anything with time. Eskimo's live in the freezing cold, where hypothermia could set in on a naked man in less than a minute. Navajo's lived in the deserts, regularly enduring heat where an eskimo would collapse and have sun stroke in a few minutes. The human being is a diverse creature indeed, and can get used to most anything.
For instance, getting used to having a live bear and two elemental children in your dwelling. Now that took some getting used to. Eskimo's and Navajo's would have pulled theire hair out in frustration and run for theire frozen tundras and sun baked deserts if confronted with this problem. Not the titans though, they adapted. They bought ear plugs.
Thunder and Lightening zipped about the tower, chasing after Lance. Lance was a giant Kodiak bear Kali had aquired to rid herself of another troublesome filthy beast. Lance took a right down one hallway, and waited for the children to come through. When they did he grabbed thunder, pinned him to the ground, and chewed on his head. Thunder laughed because it tickled. Lightening jumped in, pushing Lance off. Lance grabbed them both in a bear hug, and a giant cloud of cartoonish dust and limbs began to crash about the tower as they wrestled.
The two children and the bear crashed out of the hallway into the living room. They landed in front of the three titans trying to watch TV, and the dus cloud circled about in front of the screen. None of the titans batted an eyebrow at this. Robin, who'se arms were in slings looked to Cyborg. "Alright its your turn to move them." He said. Cyborg sighed and picked up a broom.
"Yeah well when your arms heal its your turn for a week." He pushed the broom into the cloud of noisy children and dust and forcefully moved it out from in front of the tv. When he withdrew the broomstick the end of it was chewed on and splintered. He threw it in a pile of other destroyed brooms nearby as he sat back down. "Think T n' H are starting to chew on them too when we poke them with those. I'm seein human teeth marks on them now too."
"Told you." Raven said. "I pulled a splinter out of Thunders tongue yesterday."
"As long as they don't poop outside like Lance I think we're okay." Cyborg cringed at this, and Robin looked at him. "What?"
"They can't go on walks with Lance anymore. Everywhere he pees, they do. Pisses lance off- so to speak." The three titans all shook theire heads.
"Maybe we should just release all three of them into the wild?" Raven asked. No one responded so she shrugged. "It was just a thought."
"Are there other elementals that could take care of them?" Robin asked.
"Watter doesnt get along with lightening, earth is missing, has been for a century, Fire lives in a volcano, and Wind lives in the upper most layers of the atmosphere. On the bright side they should be back to normal within the year."
"Hey wait, can we dump them on Batman?" Asked Cyborg. This earned him a dirty look from Robin. "What about the JL?"
Robin opened his mouth to say that was a good idea, but Raven interupted. "They can't leave earth or they die."
"But lance can, right?" Cyborg persisted.
"You really want to break that to Kali?"
"Uh, no."
On Tamaran.
The celebration had lasted almost two days on Tamaran. Tomorrow the three teenagers were scheduled to go on a diplomatic mission. Starfires father had scheduled her only to go on one; as if he were ashamed of her and did not want her in front of the other royal courts throughout the galaxy. Starfire did not mind, she wanted to get back to earth as soon as she could. Jinx however was a little peeved. She had liked the thought of going to other planets and being treated like royalty. That and the chance to receive some high tech wedding gifts wasnt so bad, not that the ones from tamaran were nothing to write home about. She had received a virtual reality system, some high speed hover skates, and a drivel eel which allowed her to read any written language. These were things she had received and loved, and she wanted to go to other planets not out of greed, but to see what kind of tech existed across the galaxy. She found it all to be fascinating; so many breathtaking things she wished she had the time to marvel at. Starfire had received a few trinkets similar to hers, but she was used to those kind of things. It had really taken a while to sink it but it showed Jinx just how primitive earth was; even if earth had automatic doors.
Beast Boy stared up at the night sky, unable to believe how differant it was from the night sky of eath. He wondered if Blackfire was back on earth thinking something similar about his night sky. He missed her, and just hoped not too much had changed since he had left. He turned into a wolf on the balcony of his room, and howled up at the differant moons. There were several moons, and after just a few howls his throat got sore. With a thought he turned into a lion and jumped on his bed. Starfire had told him he would see Blackfire again in two days, and he couldnt wait. He thrashed about untill one of the blankets covered him just right and settled down to sleep. He chuckled in his head. He would scare the daylights out of the servant girl that had been coming in to wake him.
Earth
It was still early on Titans island, barely past eight but Robin was tired. He flopped his useless arms futilly in frustration, and regreted it as they hurt. Raven had said a week at the most to make him feel better, but they still hurt like hell. He thought about the injury, and how he had gotten it. He had saved the life of Jinx's killer, and almost died doing it. He felt guilty over it. Durring times when he had been injured Robin knew how hard it hit Raven. He couldnt imagine what it must have been like for Starfire in the brief minutes Jinx was dead. More pain than a person was meant to feel, he imagined. He flopped his arms again even though he knew it would hurt. "When I'm better, I'm gonna get her." He promised himself in the dark of his own room.
"Talking to yourself? Thats a sign of dimensia." Said Raven. Robin looked up from the bed, he had not known she was there.
"Obviously not."
"You didnt know you werent alone. You were talking to yourself." Raven sat down on the bed next to him and un slung his arms. She laid them out by his sides so he would be comfortable while he slept. She passed her hands over them and released some healing energy. It would kill the pain enough so he could sleep. On his forehead was a scar so faint she could barely see it. Faint enough so that if she blinked while looking at it she would have to try again to find it when her eyes opened. She had put alot of skill into healing that. Privately she thought of that one healing as a work of art. If anyone was to say they could have done better Raven would have killed them for it; no one likes a smart-ass.
Raven continued to stare at him as the minutes passed. Some might have thought it an awkward situation, but Robin was used to this. In theyre time together Robin was accustomed to Raven staring at him for prolonged periods of times, studying him. He allowed her to do so and would sometimes close his eyes, and wait for her hands to explore his body. In moments like these he had often reached out to touch her but she would have none of it. She would place his hands back at his sides and continue watching him. In a way it was part of how she showed her love for him; the look in her eyes the same look in the eyes of someone admiring something they owned. It was at the same time a way of her showing she loved him and demonstrating her ownership of him.
Most would think this appaling- owning someone. But the fact was Robin loved it. He would close his eyes, and bask in her gaze as if it were warm sunlight. 'Own me!' he would cry in his mind 'I am yours!'. In his mind he screamed about how he loved belonging to her. Whether it was her hands or her eyes on his skin he wished she would hold him close, whisper her proclomation of ownership of him, and drink of his blood.
Together they sat like this for some time. Robin laid still for her as he knew she wanted, and after some time Raven lifted her hand and carressed his face as her eyes drifted lazily over his prone form. She ran her hands through his hair, over his chest. She watched him fall asleep, hating that she couldnt further heal his arms. Until they were healed she had to be 'gentle' with him. She saw how early it was and sighed. Having nothing better to do she laid down on Robins chest and let herself fall asleep listening to his heart.
Earth, England.
Blackfire found her and Kali back at the same flat they had been using as they tracked down Jessica. It was small, a one bedroom place. She laid in the room on the bed watching Kali at the table through the open door. Kali's back was turned to her, and it was obvious she was deep in thought. In the last two hours Kali had gotten up a few times and attacked her, moving so fast Blackfire could not see. She had grabbed her viciously on the bed and held her close, smelling her hair and crying. When she was done she would leave Blackfire- who by that time did not want to be left- and go sit silently at the table again. She was watching now, waiting for her to do it again. Kali would be there one second, then gone the next, and as Blackfire would look for her she would be hit with her on the bed, shaken by the impact and startled. In the silence Blackfire wondered again just why Kali would want her. What good am I? Why make me an immortal?
"Because I feel the urge to reproduce, and you show the sings that you have what one needs to last an eternity." Kali looked at the ceiling and heard Blackfire gasp. "If you direct thoughts like those at me I can't help but hear them." She felt Blackfire understand. "I want a child Blackfire, and I want it to be you."
You have been testing me, preening me for this. I should hate or fear you for that night in the desert but I don't. Why?
"Because you know why I did it, and you take pride in passing even though you try to hide it. You want to be one of us as much as you try to hide it from me."
Well, how did you feel when it was done to you?
"I can show you." Kali got up from her seat and laid on the bed. She pulled Blackfire to her, and she didnt resist. Kali felt wave after wave of want coming from Blackfire. She felt how the girl loved this. She looked into her mind and saw the sexual things Blackfire wanted with her, and the shame she felt for wanting them. Kali herself found the images somewhat tempting. It had been quite some time since she had enjoyed the true pleasures of the flesh; she shook it off though. She was here to share a memory. She tilted Blackfires head so the girl looked her in the eyes. She planted a soft kiss on her forehead and held her close.
Open your mind to me.
What are you doing?
I'm going to show you when it was done to me. I'll show you when my creator put me through that test, just open your mind. Relax.
Blackfire did as she was told. She relaxed her body and mind and she began to see fleeting images, memories that were not her own. They began to grow in strength, and she knew she was re-living Kali's night.
Meredith was her mortal name. Blackfire understood that now. She also understood that Meredith worked in an inn. She understood Meredith had lost a child in birth the year before. The father had been a long time lover who abandoned her when she had told him she was late. Blackfire grimaced at the callousness of men. She also knew now that Kali had met her creator as she grieved over the grave of her unborn child. It had been another cold dark night in the winter.
FLASHBACK- EARTH, ENGLAND 1321 EVENTS LEADING TO 1323
Meredith knelt before the un marked grave of her child, a girl, and one of her hands went to her stomach, which still felt empty. Empty was all she could ever feel anymore, even the cold of the winter was beyond sensing to her. Her body felt the effects of the cold, but not the sensation. She coughed violently as she knelt. Perhaps the only warmth she felt stemmed from moderate hypothermia. In such a time a minor sickness could kill, if she stayed out much longer she might not live through the week. It did not matter. She was without her love, without her child. Being without life would almost be a mercy compared to this. The snow fell gently around her, ankle deep and rising. Her clothing were rags and proveded no protection. She looked up with an empty look in her eyes to the older part of the cemetary. No one had been burried there for nearly fifty years. Now the village burried its dead here, without headstones. Just one on top of the other, and Meredith hoped her child would go un disturbed in this spot near the wall. She was sure she heard something there, and saw a glimpse of something.
"Is someone there?" She asked in a listless voice. From the darkness came a man dressed well. He wore all the finery of the age, had a sword at his side, and a black cape flowing around him. He must have been a lord, she decided, and bowed slightly. "I appoligize my lord, I meant not to disturb you."
The man who would later be her creator into re-birth was named Amadeo. He was pretty, she thought idly. He had reflective blue eyes, a sharp face, shoulder length blonde hair that was almost white. He stood a few inches taller than she, but his figure was slight and almost girlish, but on him it looked good. Meredith looked away from him, back to the un marked grave.
"I'm afraid your mistaken, I am no lord- not of this land anyway." He told her in accented english. It was the kind of accent an english speaking person aquired when they had been speaking other languages in other lands for far too long. He came and stood next to her, which made her uncomfortable. "You will freeze if you stay out much longer." He said playfully. "You are not dressed for such weather."
"Whilst appealing to the eye, your finery might not be thought warm either." Saying such a thing could get her beaten, or worse but she was beyond caring. She waited for a blow to land on her, but none came. Instead she felt her body covered in soft fabric as he wrapped his cape around her. It was still warm from his using it, and she tried to remove it but her persisted. "Thank you." She said, and wrapped it tightly around her, realizing just how cold she felt. So he was being kind, that was even worse. When men were kind it meant they wanted something. Meredith resinged herself to this. Some warm food, a few coins perhaps, yes, that would be worth her body if he so desired it. For her child back she would give her soul as well.
"It is... someone important to you, burried here?"
"My child. Stillbirth." Meredith did a double take. She had not meant to reveal that, it was as if someone else thought of the answer and said it through her mouth. She shrugged it off; it did not matter. "Who are you?" She asked in a weak voice.
"I am lord Amadeo, lord of great lands to the south."
"Your business here?" Meredith persisted.
"Visiting the grave of a loved one, nothing more." In fact it was his long deceased mother burried in the old section of the cemetary. Amadeo had no interest in hiding anything from her. His interest was growing by the second. "Come." He told her. "You should not be here in the cold."
Great, she thought. Fear was building in her stomach at the thought of what he wanted her for. It disgusted her, but she didnt care enough to do anything. It was durring the walk that she realized he could not have been alive at the time anyone was burried in that section, but it didnt matter. Maybe it was a familly patriarch or something. He led her to his home. It was a nice structure. It looked warm, and by the time she got to the gate with him it was all she cared about. At the front steps she collapsed, nearly unconcious. Before she could even try to get up she felt herself hoisted and held against his chest. She looked up at him, his eyes were full of concern.
"Come. We will get you clean, fed, and warm." She was almost beyond hearing him, but heard compassion in his voice that eased her fear of him. Once inside the main hall she heard the roar of large fires from rooms all over. It was warm, and she could smell food. Lazily she took in the sight of the stone walls, the great hearths, hanging tapestries and suits of armor. He wrapped his cape more securely around her and set her on a bench as he began a hot bath for her.
"You have no servants?" She asked weakly from the bench.
"Only in the days. My nights I spend alone." He heated up great cauldrons of watter and poured them into a stone tub he had dragged into the room. Meredith imagined he must be many times stronger than he appeared. Soon he came for her again, he took his cape back from her and began to undress her. Meredith tried to fight his hands off, but she was too weak. She soon found his hands had no interest in the pleasures of her flesh. He bathed her with complete indifferance, and she felt safe with him as she drifted in and out of conciousness in the tub. "You have no familly?" He asked as he dunked her head and washed her hair vigorously. Somehow he seemed to avoid getting wet himself.
"None." She asnwered weakly. "None but some scattered cousins."
"I see." Meredith found herself ornately clothed, and well fed before long. Amadeo led her to a room that was to be hers and put her to bed. She had been expecting this to be the moment he took her, but he did not. He tucked her in, made sure she was warm, and headed for the door.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked. Warm broth and other foods in her stomach restored some of what little strength she had, and her voice was more steady.
"You interest me." Amadeo said. "I saw you mourning little one, and I asked myself what you might be like if not leading such a putrid existance." He leaned against the thick wooden doorway, amused that she did not understand the last two words he spoke. At this time to say she was uneducated was an understatement, but on a whim he had decided to see what he could make of her.
Time flew, and over the next two years the 18 year old Meredith learned. Amadeo taught her to read, write, in several languages. With time she took well to ancient tongues he himself had had problems learning with. He paraded her about, dressed her as a doll, and brought her across europe to absorb the wisdom of the ages. Opera, theatre, these things he exposed her to. Culturing her, preening her, making of her what he thought an immortal should be.
For Amadeo it was all a game- at the beginning. At first it was just pitty to him, reaching into a mortals life to do good like all imortals eventually do; looking to do 'good' in a world they left behind. Then, gradually he grew fond of her. She was like a daughter to him, and he a father to her. He taught her of the religions of the world, and of all other things. She soaked up the knowledge like a plant in the sun. He made of her the finest lady of the times.
In two years Meredith went from a poor wretch in the snow to nobility. He showed her off at royal balls, and more than once a man thought he her father and asked for her hand in marriage; those who persisted mysteriously went missing, and may be connected to a burriel sight archeologists found in europe full of skeletons that had twisted spines and skulls in the pelvic region. Yes, Amadeo loved her and was fiercly protective.
For Meredith it was the time of her life. She lived in splendor she had never imagined. Just twice she asked Amadeo why he did all of this. On both occasions he shrugged and said 'just because I could'. It was obvious he would tell her no more. But, a year and a half into theyre time together odd things began to happen.
Meredith began to notice things, like how he never seemed to eat regular meals. On a few occasions he displayed strength that was in-human. Once, she had been crossing a street in paris and had not seen a stage coach barreling towards her until it was too late. She closed her eyes and waited for the end to come, but all she heard was a crashing noise. When she looked up Amadeus was at her side, the horses were both dead, and the wagon was cut cleanly in half around her. No one could recall quite what had happened. No one had really seen it. At other times she would think something and he would respond to it as if she had said it out loud. These types of incidents began to happen with regular frequency, and grudgingly at first he began to teach her of the dark arts. Magic, curses, pagen artifacts. She studied all these things, and then, a full two years after meeting him he came to her in her bed chamber one night to reveal his nature to her.
"Hello Meredith." He said as he walked in. He never knocked because he never seemed to come when she was in a state of undress. Meredith was on her big four post bed, reading the latest of the dark arts books he had asked her to read. She looked up at him, beaming like a daughter happy to see her father.
He demonstrated some of his abilities before her, flight, strength, the power to delve into peoples minds. Just examples. She had sat silently, unafraid of him as she watched. He explained what it had meant to be a vampire. She had watched him demonstrate his otherworldy powers with a look of astonishment. He then picked her up, and soared through an open window into the night sky with her. Somewhere along the line she realized that he wasnt showing off, no, he just wanted her to thoroughly understand what he was.
It made perfect sense now, the way he sometimes responded to things she didnt say, the stage coach incident, how men who would bed her mysteriously dissapeared. He explained that killing for blood was a loathsome practice, and differant from killing for other reasons, the differance was very important. But as they soared through the night Meredith's mind wandered back to the now far away cemetary she had met him in. He had been coming out of the old section. Who was there?
"It was my mother." He had told her, hearing her thoughts. "She has rested there for four hundred years in the crypt. I go to pay my respects the same night year after year, and when I saw you there I knew you were for me."
He had then taken her to that cemetary. Across half of England he took her in just over an hour, and he set her down on the spot where he had found her. Meredith looked at the grave. It was hard to accept that there had been a time in her life where she wished for death above it. She felt guilty, she did not feel as though she had mourned properly, that she had been neglecting her child, leaving her in the cold ground and not crying enough over her. "Why are we here?" She had asked, her voice slightly shaken.
"We are here to lay to rest your last regret." Amadeo cleared some snow from the ground above the unmarked grave of the infant. "And my own." He had explained he mourned for his mother because as a child of the night he would never join her in death, that she would never see him again. He told her of his dreams of her wandering through the afterlife unable to find him. How he was the only child of his familly to survive the birthing process. Like her his mother had suffered from still births. How his mother had, on her death bed, confined in him that her only comfort was that she would see him again someday. He could not bear to think of his mortal mother without the child she so desperately seeked.
Meredith understood what he wanted, and nodded her head. Amadeo unearthed her infant, its tiny body wrapped in a shroud. Together they walked towards the older part of the cemetary. "You were once upset that your child rested without a propper grave. You were upset no stone should mark her resting place. Come, daughter, we will lay our collective fears to rest with those we leave behind."
And so it had been that before the night was over Amadeos mother had a child, and Merediths child had a mother. It would be the last time either of them visited the cemetary, for now they felt all things of theyre former lives were set right. As Amadeo put the infant in his mothers arms and closed her coffin in his familly crypt he looked to Meredith. On the front of the wooden box was inscribed the name of the woman inside- Emelia. "What would you have named her?" He had asked.
Meredith had thought about it, and thought of the hindu godess, Kali. "I would have her named Kali." She told him. He nodded his head in approval, and with a hardened fingernail carved the name into the box.
"Come, let us leave this place. The dead here are at peace, and need no longer to be mourned."
END
Blackfire came out of the trance they shared slightly shaken. Kali was holding her close. She got the feeling she had woken because it took alot of energy to share like that and Kali wanted a break. "I thought you were going to show me when he hunted you." Blackfire said. She didnt care, in fact she was glad Kali had shared this with her. It explained so much about her; the name, never having created a child of her own, it made her seem so much more real to her. Blackfire blinked, and when she opened her eyes they took several moments to find focus. She was tired too, but Kali was looking refreshed.
"There are several tests Blackfire. Before we go on I would like to do the next one." Kali rose over her, petting her hair. She kissed her lightly on the forehead, calming her for what was to come.
"What is it?"
"One should never ask someone to do what they would not do themselves. We live off of blood, and all dark children must be fed off of before they are allowed the gift. They must be awake, and endure the pain. It is to give them respect for those they feed off of." Blackfire looked terrified at the thought.
"Why all these tests?" She cried quietly. "My sister didnt have to pass anything." She realized how childish this sounded, and that it admitted several things on her behalf. It admitted that she was willing to go through with this, and that by not saying no she admitted she wished to be like Kali and her sister.
"Your sister would not have passed the tests Blackfire. She was not meant to be immortal, thats why she needs the pink haired one. You know this. Marcus took her blood, but it was against her will. You must willfully do this. You can pass where she would have failed. If you do not want this, you can say no."
If not for the mention of her sister Blackfire would have said no. The thought of passing where her sister would have failed though was to tantalizing. Her eyes flashed purple in defiance and she glared up at Kali. "I can do it." She half-growled. Her fear though returned to her as Kali's head dipped towards her neck. She wanted so badly to cry out 'STOP' but wouldnt let herself. She felt a warm mouth on her skin and gripped the bed sheets below her. Then Kali bit, and every nerve in her neck exploded in pain. She found that it only got worse; as Kali began to drink she felt her blood drawn out, she felt her life being robbed from her, and all the while the terrible pain wracked her body. Certainly now she understood why they used sleep incantations and such to feed. Tears stung her eyes and her mind spun. She began to really cry, it hurt. It hurts so bad. She wrapped her arms and legs around Kali tightly. "Kali it hurts! It hurts so bad!" She cried, but didnt ask for her to stop. She thought that if the pain were to get any worse she would surely die, but all at once it stopped. Kali tore herself away from her neck and the pain stopped. The two tiny puncture wounds sealed themselves, leaving no trace of an injury. And of all the mundane things to fly through her mind at this moment she wondered how in the seven layers of Gorbinaw a houkounin could actually enjoy that.
Kali kissed away her tears. The memory was faded, but she knew just how badly it hurt from a night seven hundred years ago. "There, its over now." She cooed. "No more, you've been brave enough for one night." She kissed Blackfire on the lips and she was either too tired to recoil or had not noticed- if she cared at all. "You've done so well Blackfire." She said. "So very, very well." Kali was loathe to leave her, even for a moment, but got up and retreived something for her to drink. She tilted Blackfires head up on the pillow so she could take some watter. Blackfire seemed catatonic, save for her eyes which showed she was trying her best to fight against sleep. When done with the watter Kali kissed her moistened lips again, and her chin, cheeks, forehead. It was a gleefull outpouring of affection from her, elated that she may have finally found one to make her own child. Kali pulled Blackfire onto her, still smothering her with kisses as she got ready for sleep. Oh! The thought of a child! She wished she had done this hundreds of years ago. Blackfire was going to be her child, she just knew it!
She thought of Jessica though as she fell asleep. She was gone, nothing could bring her back. What Kali wanted was to avenge her suffering on whoever it was that had refused to tell her of her condition. It made her physically sick that someone disliked her enough to allow her former student to suffer, just to spite her! Whats done is done, she reminded herself. She was sure now that she was going to have a new child, and knowing Jessica's suffering was over now was enough to let her drift to sleep, clutching Blackfire protectively to her chest.
Earth, Tower
It was late now, most of the towers inhabbitants were sleeping, save for Cyborg. He was still awake, at the couch playing the latest video game. He had a copy of 'Hot Ninja Babe mud wrestling nun-chuck fight five. He had even downloaded the nude fighter patch, so now all the ninja babes were naked in the mud as they pummeled each other with nun-chucks. He sighed and put down his controller as he beat the final boss, or bosses, which was a set of super ninja nun-chuk babe twins. It had been a hard fight, but someone had had to do it. He only wished Beast Boy was there, so they could go multi player. Next to him was a broom leaning against the couch with a picture of Beast Boys head taped to it. He looked at it.
"Bout as smart as him, but its just not the same." He said. He missed his little buddy. Sure he was like Gilligan, but Cyborg got to whop him with his hat because he was the skipper. "Its like Pinky & The Brain without Pinky!" He cried to the empty room. "Hey wait, they did an episode like that didnt they?" He asked Broom Boy. He picked it up by the handle and made it jump up and down slightly as he talked out the corner of his mouth to make it speak.
"Yes they did Cyborg. Your so smart, you remember everything."
"Yeah I know." He blushed. "Lets see if its on."
Twenty minutes later
"I'm telling you grass stain, Brain is the one who made the whole show come together."
"..."
"Alright, alright. Lets agree to dissagree, the show would never have worked without both of them."
"..."
"I'm glad you see it my way."
Yet another twenty minutes later:
Cyborg and Broom Boy sat at the kitchen table, devouring a late night delivery pizza together. Pizza crusts lay strewn about the table, and Cyborg sat back in his chair and let loose a belch. He looked at Broom Boy.
"Oh hey yeah! You want some too!" He began mashing a piece of Pizza into the picture of Beast Boys face. At about this same time Robin and Raven entered the kitchen for a late night glass of watter. Ravens company was needed because Robin could not lift his arms high enough to reach a glass from the shelves. They saw Cyborg feeding the broom.
"This is bad." Raven whispered.
"Its about to get worse! I think he heard us!" Cyborg turned and saw them, and a three way staring match ensued. After a few minutes it was Raven to break the silence.
"Alright... we're just gonna go back to our room now... nice and slowly, no sudden movements." Raven and Robin backed slowly out of the room so as not to upset Cyborg in his fragile state of mind. when they were gone Cyborg looked to Broom Boy.
"Dude, what the hell was that all about? OH! You've got pizza all over yourself, your disgusting man. You make me wanna leave too!"
"..."
"No, I didnt mean it. Come on big guy, gimme a hug."
Earth, England
Sleep had finally claimed Kali. She lay on the bed with Blackfire. A cold wind blew through the room, and they held each other a little tighter in sleep. Though she had been happy when she fell asleep she was now having nightmares of Jessica. Jessica was the sixth of her seventeen 'vampyric children' to die. It never got any easier. The passage of time would dull the pain she felt over it, just as it had for her mortal baby. But time was something she had plenty of, and the next morning she would focus on this new 'child to be' of hers.
Even in unconciousness the two women on the bed sensed another presence in the room, but did not wake. The cold wind blew over them again, and the window clicked shut. Someone was with them, but they continued to sleep. Footsteps so soft Kali would have had to strain her ears to hear them led to the bed, and a shadowy figure stood over them. It was a man. A dark cape settled around his form, and a pale skinned hand reached out and brushed Kali's forehead softly, toying with her bangs.
The vampire Amadeo smiled down at her approvingly, and saw her brows furrow as she was having a nightmare. He opted to grant her a mercy, and laid a hand on her forehead. A few seconds later whatever the nightmare was was gone, replaced by more pleasant dreams he gave her. Amadeo knelt by the bedside and kissed her forehead, before turning his attention to the young woman in her arms. He found her to be by no means ordinary, and even in her sleep could see why Kali was pursuing her.
"Oh child you do so well. Centuries I have waited to see you make your own, but be prepared; she will grow up just as fast as her sister. Cherrish the time you have with her, just as I did with you."
With this he got up and headed for the window. Kali stirred as he unlatched it, and she began to wake. By the time she opened her eyes he was gone, leaving nothing but an open window and a familiar scent behind him.
So he had done it again, had he? Kali found it laughable that Amadeo still checked on her. She swore to herself, one of these nights she would catch him in the act. One of these nights, but not tonight. She exerted her will on the window, a technuiqe not quite like telekenesis but not entirely differant, and it shut softly. That had been the second time this year. He always checked on her three times a year, so she knew he would do it again soon. Next time she hoped she would catch him. Oh, just to see that face again.
Tamaran, Royal Palace
They had been up quite late together, and now Starfire and Jinx were happy to have some time to themselves. They arrived in the room they shared and closed the door. The last few days had been so stressfull, and now they looked at each other with longing. Starfire sent Jinx a smile, and they pulled each other into a tight embrace. Arms around in each other they swayed in place just enjoying the contact with one another.
"I can't wait to go home." Jinx whispered. Starfire pulled away slightly, just enough to look at her.
"You are experiencing the culture shock I have heard of?"
"Something like that." Jinx allowed Starfire to lead her to the bed. The taller girl laid her down, and then climbed in on top of her. Jinx wrapped her arms and legs around her and held on fiercly. The feel of her breasts against Starfires comforted her. She looked up at her lover, wanting a kiss, and Starfire did not dissapoint her. Lips met, and Jinx felt Starfire's tongue brush against her lips. She parted them, and enjoyed the taste of Starfires mouth. Starfires strong hands attacked Jinx's tamaranian top with fervor. Within seconds the garment was removed, and they moaned into the kiss as Starfire traced her fingers over the mark she left on Jinx. Starfires top soon joined Jinx's, and they fondled one another as they're passion and arrousal grew.
Jinx panted when Starfire broke the kiss. The red head lowered herself and sucked gently on her nipples, and Jinx stiffled a cry as a hand rubbed at her sex through her skirt. Jinx ran her hands through Starfires long red hair, and arced her back against her as she stripped her of her last garments. Starfire was more blunt and aggresive a lover than Jinx. In a way it was mercifull, she was less daring than Jinx and had little interest in drawing this out with 'watch me' games like Jinx did. Jinx cried out her name and arced up off the bed as Starfires mouth closed over her sex, her tongue darting in and out of her. Starfire nipped at her loins, and ran her fingers gently up and down her thighs as she devoured her liquid heat.
Pleasing Jinx like this made the girls body contort in such beautifull ways, made such wonderfull, strangled noises escape her lips. In these desperare throes she was such a vision of beauty it almost made tears come to her eyes. Starfire sealed her lips over Jinxs delicate folds and applied minute suction. Jinx cried out her name, and Starfire thrust her own hips into the bed in ecstacy.
She withdrew her mouth and Jinx let out a dissapointed moan. She blew cool air on her, and she shivered. Starfire inserted two fingers into Jinx, and began stroking her soft insides. Jinx rose and lowered her hips in time with what she was doing, and moaned her name through clenched teeth. Starfire crawled back up her lover, kissing her brests and throat before finally claiming her mouth without stopping her ministrations below.
Jinx tasted herself on Starfires mouth. She felt good, her head was spinning. Carefully she snaked her arm down between she and Starfire and traced her fingers around her opening. Starfire gasped against the kiss, and Jinx inserted two fingers slowly, mimicing what Starfire was doing inside of her. Starfire spread her legs a little to give Jinx easier access, her knees pushing Jinx's a little further apart in doing so.
Starfire felt her teeth begin to 'itch'. That was the only was she could describe it when her passion built to such a point as to demand she take blood. They vibrated in her skull almost painfully, like metal in a machine that needed to be oiled. She tried to resist, tried to hold back but it was in vain. Somehow she knew Jinx felt this in her, tilting her head so her neck was exposed. She felt the now familiar sensation of an orgasm building in her; so soon. Too soon. She wanted to prolong this, to have restraint and release in time with Jinx. It was not to be, this time. The flat palm of Jinxs hand applied pressure to her mound, and she spasmed around the fingers inside her. She cried out Jinx's name as her entire body shook. She was determined though not to dissapoint Jinx, and kept up her ministrations. As the plessure ebbed the itch in her teeth spread to her throat, and all she could think about was the blood, blood that no matter how hot it was cooled the burning sensation in her entire body. The thick, rich blood that coated her throat in a thin film. Oh that blood, it was all she could think about.
Starfire lost control. She withdrew her fingers from Jinx, and grabbed the girl, holding her sweating body to her own. She crashed against the wall with her none too gently, and Jinx let out a slightly pained cry. Starfire purred at the feeling of her body against hers, breasts, hips, legs. She forced her arms to the side and ground her hips against Jinx before savagely sinking her teeth into her neck. The hot blood rushed down her throat and she moaned. She had no words for how it felt as her body shook with pleasure again.
Jinx felt her blood mix with Starfire. "Starfire!" She moaned. She tilted her hips and spread her legs a little, and was rewarded with the sensation of Starfires sex rubbing her own. The world was a myriad of pleasureable sensations as Starfire ground against her and drank her blood. Jinx released, and her warm fluids ran down both they're legs onto the floor. Her head tilted back against the wall and she breathed heavilly. Her head was still spinning, and it didnt stop until Starfire pulled back from her neck with a growl; her face smeared with blood. Her blood. It please Jinx to see it on her. She looked down at herself. Blood had run down her back and front. Down the side of her left breast, over her flat stomach, and down between her legs to the floor.
"I am sorry." Starfire panted, seeing the mess of blood. She was not usually this sloppy, but a few times she had moaned while drinking and lost a mouthfull of blood because of it.
"No, I like it." Jinx panted. Her legs gave out, and Starfire lowered them both to the floor, where the breathed heavilly for several minutes just trying to recover. For Jinx it came to a point where she would not be awake long enough to recover, she was going to fall asleep on the floor, covered in blood -among other things! Well, she reasoned, Tamaranian carpets were very comfortable, and the bed was so far away...
"Jinx, has the room grown longer? Our bed seems to have moved a great distance from us." Said Starfire, also lacking the energy to get up.
"I was thinking that too. The floors fine by me." She curled against Starfire on the thick rug. It was seeming softer by the minute, she could swear. "I love you." She whispered, and closed her eyes, smilling. She heard Starfire return her love, and fell asleep.
Earth, Tower
Robin and Raven thought it might be safe now to get a glass of watter. It had been an hour since catching Cyborg and 'Broom Boy' in the kitchen. They were not looking foward to how awkward that might make things. Robin poked his head around the corner and looked into the Kitchen. Cyborg was not there. Nope, no Cyborg in the kitchen, but there was however a Cyborg in the living room, doing what he couldnt see. It looked like Cyborg was in a giant... Mouse cage. Raven peeked around the corner to see what he was looking at.
In the living room Cyborg stood in the giant mouse cage. Broom boy was behind him jammed in the spokes of a giant running wheel.
"..."
"The same thing we do every night Pinky; TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!" Cyborg went into detail explaining how he and Broom Boy would take over the world, but the other titans were not listening.
"Okay this is bad." Said Robin. "Are those wood chips around his feet?"
"I hope not. We need an intervention."
"Or really big mouse traps."
"WHAT WE NEED IS A THE WORLD BIGGEST MAGNIFYING GLASS! Now be quiet! I'm trying to take over the world here!" Cyborg yelled from the living room.
"..."
"I know, there so rude." He said to Broom Boy, who was starting to smell like bad cheese; which incidentally only re-affirmed his conviction that he was a mouse bent on world domination.
"Yeah... Of course." Said Robin and he approached the cage cautiously and locked it. "First thing in the morning there big guy, we'll go find you one. You just sit tight."
"Its finally happened." Robin said to Raven on the way back to the room. "He's snapped. His CPU went RIP. Its the bear, and the twins, I'm sure of it."
"No. Its Beast Boy. Soon as he's home I'm sure Cyborg will return to normal- or at least stop talking to the broom."
"When did things get so complicated?" Robin asked. "Its so differant from what it used to be. We have more members, theres the whole vampire thing, Kali's like some kind of half-resident. She's here but then again she's not, we've got Jinx living here and-" He failed not notice Raven's brows furrow in thought "- thats a whole 'nother kettle of fish. I mean Jinx and Starfire are..." He let himself trail off, it was still too uncomfortable saying it.
"Lesbians?" Raven finished for him. He shook his head. "Thats the wrong way to think about it." Robin sent her a curious look. "Vampires dont have a gender boundary, Robin for us there is no 'gay' or 'straight'. And you understand them, you know they are just like us. Its all they know now, its like there was never anything else for them."
"I know. Jinx... Sounds weird, but it feels weird just looking at her, thinking of her."
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe not so much her as it is Starfire. Before the secret got out I didnt know what it was, but I felt it."
"Felt what?" Ravens curiousity was peaked now.
"Strangest thing. I didnt feel like I should be anywhere near Starfire. I felt like I shouldnt be near Starfire because I was afraid I was going to upset someone or something."
So thats what it was. "Thats normal." Raven said. It was Robins turn to be curious.
"What?" They had arrived at the door, but kept walking. The conversation was best held walking, not laying down.
"I knew long before you did. Starfire talked to me about it once too. Even Kali kept a respectfull distance from you, and you from her at first, its a respect thing. You and Jinx are both a little warry of other vampires. Jinx once sought Starfires permission just to go talk with Kali alone, and the entire time she was gone Starfire was beside herself. Its a twisted jealousy, territorial thing." Raven smiled lightly, and looked at him. "But its normal, for us anyway. It should go away with time."
"I don't treat Starfire differantly do I?"
"No. Not really. You might consider making a close friend of Jinx when she gets back. You wouldnt feel anything around Starfire after that." The talk had lead them back to the room now, and they went in and laid down. "Making a friend of her might also make you feel better about saving her killer. You're beating yourself up over that."
Robin looked withdrawn for a second. "I just-"
"I know. You can't imagine what kind of pain they went through, and you saved the person who did it to them. Starfire wouldn't have had you let her die though because thats just not the way you work."
"I don't want to think about her right now. She looks just like Jinx, and me at the same time. Its too creepy."
"Yes it is."
"I'd rather just forget about her untill I catch her, no use speculating."
"None at all. Now go to sleep, or theres going to be a bird in Cyborgs mouse cage." They laughed lightly, and Robin sent her a playfull glare, but he still fell asleep with alot on his mind.
There. Damn this was a difficult one to write. Now I've explained alot more about Kali, now we all understand better what makes her tick. Little tamaranian history, a sweet Rob/Rae moment, just about everything i could put in here I did. The Kali stuff though, that was so important to me. Now I feel like she has 'roots', a definable past and explanations for why she is the way she is. And I know not all Tamaranians have powers, but in my story they do so there. The history lesson was important for something else I am thinking of doing. Oh well, LONG CHAP, leave a review please. THIS CHAP WAS 1200 WORDS LONG! LONGER THAN MOST FICS LOL SO YOU BETTER LEAVE A REVIEW! (hey, I wrote it cuz I love yah, review cuz ya love me, or at least love the story lol.)