Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

Chapter 3

"When my friends got there, I had no idea. I was locked away, had an eye on me constantly, and was beaten almost as much as I was chastised. Now, I would say that I am truly blessed to be alive but while I was experiencing it I did not wish to be alive. I was brokenhearted because my brother betrayed me, betrayed our Tamaran, and I thought I would never be able to see my friends again."

"But Star forgot one thing about the Titans, and she's been known to forget this multiple times in the past. We're not so good about doing as we're told." A smirk toyed with Nightwing's lips.

Starfire chuckled, "I suppose not. Anyway, as the Titans were just pulling into Tamaran, I heard an eerily familiar voice."

"So, sister, I see Ryand'r captured you as well." There was a spitting noise and Starfire turned her head in complete shock to see her sister in the prison cell next to her.

"Blackfire! What are you...? Why are you...?"

"I got a distress call too, sister dear." Blackfire said in her typical condescending tone.

Starfire felt like hissing but bit her tongue. Instead, she inquired, "And you did not support what our brother was doing on our beloved home either?"

"Let's just say that I may be bad, but I'm not as bad as he is." Blackfire stated, cleaning the dirt from underneath her nails in a bored manner. "However, I think the main reason is that I like power too much. He was afraid of me."

Starfire rolled her eyes and thought, "Yes, of course." She noticed her sister didn't have any scratches or bruises on her body, but didn't say anything.

"Hey, no socializing while in prison!" One of the guards hissed in Tamaranian, threatening to knock Starfire unconscious with his long metal beam.

Instead, Blackfire stood up and growled, "You listen you pathetic troq! You are going to leave us alone, or else." Not wanting to accept any orders from a measley prisoner, the guard changed his direction of swing and knocked Blackfire out on cold ground.

Starfire sighed in relief. Although she would not wish harm on her sister, she really hated hearing her speak. It felt almost nauseating everytime that girl opened her mouth to speak. She was more than thankful that she would not speak for the next few moments. She didn't know at the time, but she wouldn't hear her sister speak again.

Meanwhile, at the top of the castle, the Titans were battling a few guardsmen. Their concern for their beloved alien friend had grown when they noticed the group of dead bodies sprawled across the alien-planet's rough terrain.

Suddenly, Ryand'r broke out the main doors, "Who is it that strikes terror among my guards?"

The Titans all stopped fighting and uncomfortably stared at the alien that stood before them.

"He looks-" began Cyborg.

"-just like-" said Raven.

"Starfire!" Nightwing and Beastboy said together.

A smile formed on the Grand Ruler's lips, "Ah, you are in search for my dear sister. Come I will show you to her."

All weapons and powers stashed away, the Titans followed the strange man into the castle that they hadn't stepped foot into for almost seven years.

Realizing how awkward this was and that he probably could have presented himself a bit better to his would-be brother-in-law, Nightwing coughed and scratched the back of his neck. "Um, I'm sorry for fighting with your guards. They must have thought we were intruders or something..."

"No damage has been done," Ryand'r held up a hand to silence him. "It has been very difficult these past few months, and extremely difficult for my people."

Raven, who could read minds whispered to Nightwing, "Yeah, he seems real hung up about it."

"What are you talking about?" Nightwing responded under his breath, trying to keep focus on what the alien ruler was discussing - something about his return to Tamaran after many years of being hidden for his own protection.

Raven sighed and touched Robin's shoulder, sending him a message through his mind, "He's not exactly welcome here, Richard. Starfire is in captivity along with their sister. I have a feeling this is going to turn messy real quick."

Nightwing nodded, supressing a growl that was bound to escape his lips. "So, Ryand'r, where exactly is Starfire?

"Not too far down this corridor," Ryand'r replied pleasantly. "You must be her betrothed, correct?" Nightwing nodded curtly; he had no idea that Starfire had that much contact with her brother. "When are you to be married, anyway?"

Nightwing nearly stopped dead in his tracks, "Uh, today."

"Oh." Ryand'r said narrowly, "My, erm, deepest apologies, brother."

"That's not the only thing you have to be sorry for," Nightwing thought menacingly.

"Alright, we're here!" Ryand'r announced as they stepped into a large, dark room.

"The prison cells?" Beastboy squeaked, shifting into a mouse for a moment.

"Titans, get ready." Nightwing ordered, getting in a battle stance. Suddenly, guards were surrounding them and were striking from many sides. Raven encased them all in a black shield. When her shield broke, Beastboy shifted into a bird and the others sprang into action.

Ryand'r laughed from a distance, "Oh, silly Titans! I have been watching you for sometime. You will not be able to overcome me and my guards. You will not be able to win back Tamaran, nor save your precious Starfire."

From behind them, Starfire screamed in agony as she was struck with a light beam from some sort of ray. Nightwing examined in horror and amazement at the monstrous gun that was shooting his princess. "Ryand'r!" He yelled after throwing a guard off of his back, "What are you doing to her!"

As he was fighting he was struggling over to his princess. She was evidentally in a lot of pain, but she wasn't dying. The beam had lifted her into the air, seemingly gripping her by her head. She was fighting against it but each attempt to break free caused her to lash out, her screams so high that they could barely be heard by a human ear.

"It's called the Tamaranian Mind Defribillator." Ryand'r claimed haughtily. "Unlike the human defribillators, my machine affects the brain, and it only does good for me. It won't cause her any real pain, all pain is sensed mentally, but to her it will feel like her body is being ripped apart."

Nightwing threw another guard against the wall, and wiped sweat from his lip. "Why are you doing this, Ryand'r?"

"My reasons are mine only," reciprocated Ryand'r, still nowhere to be found by the Titans. "But, you could say that I needed to test this out. I just decided to use it on my loving sister." His words were sarcastic and much like acid.

The Titans had disposed of all of the guards in the room at this point. Ryand'r merely shrugged it off, "No matter, more will be coming soon."

"Titans, get that ray!" Nightwing demanded, and the Titans sprung it action.

Since the ray could not penetrate through walls, the enclosure around Starfire had been temporarily dismantled by Ryand'r. Nightwing took this to his advantage and pushed Starfire out of the circular area. It was no use because the ray had followed her path of travel; it was holding on to her head.

Nightwing stared in amazement at the ray, then looked at Starfire, who was crying from the pain she was in. "Raven, do something!"

Raven and the other Titans had been ripping bit by bit at the machine while Nightwing attempted to break its grasp on Starfire. They couldn't quite figure out how to make it stop though. When Nightwing demanded her, Raven yelled out, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The machine split apart and the ray diminished. However, Starfire was still writhing in Nightwing's arms. He picked her up bridal style and exclaimed, "We need to get her to Earth, now!"

Overhead, Ryand'r was laughing a crazy man's laugh. "Nevermind you lousy Titans destroying my ray, I can build another one. We will meet again."

"We don't have time to go after him," Nightwing yelled at Cyborg and Beastboy as they were both striding toward the source of the voice. "We need to get Starfire home. Now."

Raven transported them outside of the castle and into the T-Ship. Nightwing was still clutching his fiance close to him, so he demanded that Cyborg and Raven take over the flight back home.

"Oh my God!" Exclaimed Bee, gaping at her red-haired friend.

Starfire attempted to smile at the memory of the excruciating pain she experienced that night, but she looked more constipated than accepting of it. "I'm alright now, but there was a time for awhile in which we weren't sure if I would live. Raven is an excellent doctor, though. Within a few months, she was able to heal me."

"Geez, they weren't kidding when they said that you were the most resilient Titan member," said Bee in response.

Nightwing spoke up then, "She was horrifically torn in every meaning of the word. She wanted to go back to Tamaran and rescue her people, but she couldn't because she was so horribly injured mentally. Like her brother had said, she didn't really feel the pain but it was real to her. She felt it subconsciously and sometimes that's the worst kind of pain to be in." Nightwing looked at his wife with deep concern written in his masked eyes, "I never told you this, Star, but after we got back there was a time where I didn't think you'd be able to make it."

Starfire grabbed for his hand and squeezed it, "I know." She turned to their friend again, "We were married nearly a year later, when I was fully restored to my normal strength. Cyborg has been keeping his eye on the frequencies between Earth and Tamaran ever since, just in case he calls back." She looked down at her toes then.

"What's wrong?" Bee asked.

"I wasn't supposed to have children," Starfire said after a moment. "Raven believed it would cause too much pressure on my body after such an experience. Nightwing and I were very careful for the first few years but about three years and ten months ago, we made a huge oops."

"We had been doing so well for the first two years of our marriage." Nightwing said, "And we messed up once."

"So Mari was a surprise-baby?"

"I was afraid that they would both die." Nightwing wrapped a protective arm around his wife's shoulders, hardly acknowledging the question.

"I knew we'd be alright though." Starfire looked at her husband with understanding and love written clearly on her face, "I learned from a very wise person how to be hopeful."

Nightwing smiled at her, "Raven seemed to be hopeful too. She ran a lot of tests but decided that Starfire was safe enough to become a mother."

"Wow," Bee said, clearly amazed. She then gave each of them a hug, "I'm sorry for making you explain all of that to me. I'm sure that must have been hard for you to do."

Starfire waved it off, "No problems dear friend. You signed up to help us, so you are certainly welcome to know what you signed up for, or at least all of the information we have to offer you."

Bee thanked her and said, "Well, I better be going. I'm sure Sparky is missing me. I'll see y'all tomorrow."

A/N: -wipes brow- Phew! All of that background is finished! Sorry that took so long guys!

OK, am I the only one who thinks that Nightwing kissed Starfire before she left in Warp's portal in 'How Long Is Forever?' Because it just looked that way to me... Thoughts? Oh, and please give thoughts about this chapter as well! That'd also be appreciated!

Now, I must study! Good night, loves!

God bless,
Rose