Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

Chapter 11

A giant black hand surrounded itself around Ryand'r and threw him across the room, "Think again!" Raven hissed from the window, Beastboy was behind her, flapping his green wings.

Starfire fell to the bed with an, "Oof!" Ryand'r hit the other side of the room, generating a loud THUMP throughout the palace. Nightwing and Starfire exchanged glances. Cyborg stood up and edged his way to where the crippled body of Ryand'r laid. The guards burst through the room then.

"Thank X'Hal!" The main commanding officer burst through. "Koriand'r!"

Starfire cocked her head to the side in confusion; the head officer sounded just like her brother, but her brother lay dead on the other side of the room. "Hello officer, I trust you are truly on our side after all?"

"Kori," the officer shook his head and took off the helmet that covered his face. Starfire and Nightwing gasped at what was before him. "It is I, Ryand'r."

"But you can't be Ryand'r, he's Ryand'r." Nightwing pointed to the limp body that Cyborg was now carrying.

"Look again." The red-headed Tamaranian who claimed to be Ryand'r stated.

Nightwing and Starfire looked a second time and gasped when they found Cyborg carrying Blackfire to them. "But I do not understand. If that was Blackfire the entire time, then wouldn't she have needed Mari to save herself? And if that is Blackfire, then why did she threaten to make me have her child?"

Nightwing's face contorted in disgust and he shifted his son to his other arm, "That is absolutely mortifying."

"I did not make the best decisions as a child," Ryand'r said as his face fell. When I raped my oldest sister when I was younger, it brought great grief to my soul as well as the souls of my parents. They did not exile me as you were told, but I ran away. My assumption is that you were lied to when you were told that it had to be the same gender as the person who needed the 'treatment.' From my studies, only the male child can provide a suitable treatment. I also assume that she was just going to kill you, had she kidnapped you."

Starfire shook her head, "I just do not understand; how could she be in two places at once all those years ago? She was in the cell with me and also Ryand'r as he was trying to control everything..."

Ryand'r gave his sister a small smile, "She discovered something on one of her visits to Earth. I think she called it a 'holoring'?" Ryand'r shrugged, not noticing the utter anger plastered all over Cyborg's face. "Either way, she found out how to make herself look like me, and other beings look like her. I believe any Tamaranian blood could provide temporary relief, regardless of genetics."

Nightwing looked at his son and looked at his brother-in-law. "Ryand'r, when did you come back to Tamaran? How were you unnoticed by your sister?"

"I had been back in Tamaran for a few years by the time she took over, actually," Ryand'r explained. "I came back and begged for mercy from Galfore. At this point he was dying. He was very gracious and kind. However, he knew he would die soon. He wanted me to take the throne because he believed it was rightfully mine. However, there were complications."

"Blackfire." Starfire moaned her understanding.

"K'norfka, how are you feeling today?" Ryand'r inquired as he knelt by the Grand Ruler's bedside.

"My nephew, you have become such a valiant warrior." Galfore stated, without answering the question, "Your parents would have been proud to see you the way you stand before me today."

"You speak as if there is something you need me to know. What is it, Galfore?"

Galfore let out a nasty cough that echoed throughout the palace before answering, "Komand'r is coming with an army of her own. I shall not live to see her take over the planet, but I will live to see that you can build up a good resistance. The best way to go about this is to attack from within the regime. When she comes, the army is to surrender right away. You must lead the resistance to overcome her. Our army is too small to accomplish this any other way."

Ryand'r nodded grimly, placing a strong hand on his uncle's shoulder. "I understand, Uncle."

"The rest of the army already knows of this plan. They are to obey you as if you were their Grand Ruler. And Ryand'r?"

"Yes, Uncle?"

"Keep Koriand'r safe. If Komand'r gets her hands on her I'm afraid the Titans will have to come to her rescue, but do your best to keep that from happening."

"We did our best to thwart her missions to kidnap your children. She knew there were spies in the army, but she had no idea who was leading them. We led small missions to ruin her attacks. She had actually originally planned to kidnap you but something happened to our ship's function systems and we had to retreat." A sly smile broke out on his face, "She chose to initiate the pain you felt from her ray as a warning instead. My only regret is that I couldn't completely shake her off your tail and I am terribly sorry for that." He paused, sizing up the masked man that stood in front of him, who held his nephew, "It saddens me deeply that my selfish actions as a child turned our sister into this."

Starfire shook her head, "No, Ryan. Our sister has always been conceited and self-serving, even before your own selfish act." She looked at her brother with a look of acceptance and attempt at understanding. "And you are forgiven for that, I hope you realize that."

Ryand'r responded by embracing his sister in a tight, bone-crushing hug.

A/N: Ok, I'm not even sure where that came from. I just didn't want to make Ryand'r evil, in the end. Haha. I'm not sure if I should make this the end or wrap it up in another chapter, perhaps an epilogue of sorts? Let me know your opinions? Thanks!

God bless,
Rose