In a gentle flight, hovering over her chains, Starfire breathed in and out the image of her friends as she tried to catch the last traces of moonlight before it fell into the arms of the eastern mountains. As it did, she descended as well, slowly meeting the floor that was not cold anymore. Instead, something warm flickered inside, repelling any hand of cold from touching her. She let her gaze fall upon the floor, where he knees rubbed up against, and found a fuzzy reflection looking back. She focused on the tamaranean crown locked around the frame of her face and sighed.

The light of day cracked into dawn and a rosy morning glow illuminated the white desert. The light breathed Tamaran into its day and peaked down, highlighting one of the five that rested in his jail.

That morning, Robin awoke from a bliss-washing slumber, his hands stooped in his pockets, clenching something that was not there. He startled and jolted up, pulling his hands to meet his eyes. Slowly, he came to realization—the photograph was missing.

"Robin." A cold voice seethed from the corner. Robin followed it to find Blackfire, hiding herself from break of dawn. Rocked onto her side, she was, her back turned to the rest of the Titans, three of the four sleeping. "The others are trying to sleep."

Slowly, he pushed his hands he kept near his face to the floor hunched in silence. Slowly, his voice broke the stillness of such a morning, "Why don't Tamaraneans put roofs on their jails?"

"…That was random…"

"But why?"

Stiffly, he turned back to find the girl and watched her head bob. Next, he heard a dry voice drone, "…it's considered cruel and unusual punishment….light heals them…or else they die."

"So that's it then?"

"Look. What do you want?"

Robin bit his lip and pushed it out. "You… you want to die?"

"I never said that."

"You hide in the shadows."

At a snarl, a blast of anger unleashed from her, directing itself at the boy who stood ever so firmly. "I don't hide from anything!"

Three awoke, Beast Boy to rub his eyes lazily. "W-what's going on? Are we under attack?"

"Yes! I want to die! You don't know what this war has done to me." She shook her head violently and threw her hands around herself. She lashed back to the four who were now inching closer. With disdain, she recoiled back, "Here you 'Titans' come in, expecting to save the day. Well, news for you. This is a war! We're in a prison!"

…Silence…

A black-haired boy studied her for a moment. His anger boiling in red colors, he returned a gaze to the rosy sky, his expression pulsing to dissolve away emotion.

"Why are you so quiet? You the leader here!" She paused, then launch back another spat of words, "You led your team into a War! You know? You were safe at home! They agreed not to touch you!"

His silence ricocheted from the walls, hitting her tenderly. Blackfire pushed out a louder voice.

"Why have you come here? What could you possibly gain from this? Glory?!"

"Blackfire," Cyborg stepped in, "that enough."

"Stand down! I want to hear this!" She lashed back to Robin who hunched over himself. "Robin! Why. Did. You. Come. Here."

Glaring at the boy, Blackfire's eyes widened as his expression fluttered, his chin bobbing down to touch his neck, his eyes unlocking themselves to find the rest, and his heavy brows pushing down. A scowl locked itself into place.

Slowly, she pushed herself into her dark corner. She half turned her head to peak her voice over her shoulder, "Because—because you're-"

"—I'm in love with Starfire." For a moment, he felt alone. Just then, four, a metal man, a green kid, and a blue-tinted empath, rounded to him and swung themselves to face Blackfire in the opposite corner. One by one, they all placed a hand upon his shoulder, glaring to the girl in black. Robin continued, "…and there's no way she's going to do this alone."

"We're her family," Cyborg hand grasped his shoulder tight.

"Nothing can ever change that, dude."

"We went through Hell before together… together we're going through it again."

"Blackfire," Robin's voice peaked to their climax, "She needs you too."

As the blistering hot day shifted into a warm night, opaque with a thick blanket of moonlight, five were drawn to the center of their roofless jail cells—one fifty-three miles from the other. The faint glow of the kissing moonlight dawned upon their skin and shimmered upon their irises as they looked deeper into the sky that rested above.

Away from the Titans, Blackfire fought against herself. She scrambled on the verge of darkness where the moon failed to grasp. One side pushed and pulled at her heart that wanted to separate from her body completely. Chains, she did not find around herself, so why could she not separate from the wall? Her eyes widened.

Sitting beneath the moonlight, a girl studied the warmth of the night, bubbling inside herself. With the breath of the winds, a gust twirled down from the air, pushed itself in the barred pit, and kissed the red-headed girl in a sweet breeze, blowing her hair in the opposite direction. With a turn, she looked to where the wind was taking her red locks and found a swinging golden belt in the center of the gust's target.

"That's Robin's, isn't it?"

Startled, she shifted swiftly to the other direction to find Batman-his back turned to her and hunched upon the bars that separated the princess from the Justice League. He bobbed his head down to his shoulder to flash a subtle glance at the girl.

"You try desperately to reach it… because it's Robin's." He turned, his broad, black-clothed shoulder pressed against the bars, and met her directly. "Right?"

Stiffly, her arms wrapped around herself. She felt her eyes water and her lips begin to tremble. She clenched her eyelids shut to escape crying, but found the ghosts of her friends lurking inside her mind. With a breath, she released the swirling tension and fell back into reality. A concerned Batman materialized into place.

"Come on, Princess. Let it out."

She sniffled and pushed a forearm to her glossy eyes that threatened to spill. "I cannot Batman. I cannot cry anymore. Since the beginning of the war, I have been doing the 'letting it out.'"

He chuckled at her English, inspiring a weak smile to sprout upon her face. Giving a deep breath, she shook her head and looked to the floor. Once again, the moon seeped its way to the girl, encouraging an idea to spawn.

"Star?" His ask was wary, "What are you thinking about?"

"Batman? You will not like what I am wishing to do."

"What's—what are you-"

"I cannot explain it… b-but I can feel it. Perhaps, there is someone beyond this cage…" She returned an innocent gaze to assure her friend. "Someone close by, yes?" Slowly, Starfire rose her hand, grasping the moonlight in her palms. A hand extended from the bars and pushed down her hands.

"No, Starfire! That would be suicide!"

"…battle will start soon… and if it means getting you friends out, I wish to-"

"Starfire, Robin would—I can't let you do that! We started this mess and s-"

"…batman…" Starfire innocently cupped the roughened cheek of the man in black, whispering softly. "…I have to try…"

Quickly, Batman lashed back to the others, kicking a deserted food tray at The Flash that clashed loudly, and yelling to the others. "Diana, Wally, Hal! Wake up!"

"Ow!" The Flash weakly lifted his torso, rubbing his head, "Did you really need to throw the tray?"

"Not now!" The man barked. "Starfire's going to ignite a spotlight and she's going to need all the support she can get."

Diana lunged forth, "Starfire, you're not healthy enough! That's suicide!"

Batman whipped to behind, returning to find the wonder woman, "She knows."

Back to Starfire. The girl limply rose to her feet, standing above the four who crouched behind bars. She graced her head up to feel the moonlight. 'Breathe in,' she told herself. 'Breath out.' She peeked down to her cuffed fists and suddenly swung them against the wall.

*Boom!*

The top shield blocking her knuckles pathetically fell apart without the screw that messenger unfastened days before. 'Breath in, breath out.' Suddenly, her eyes shot open, burning with white brilliance, her footsteps scarring into the floor beneath. Stoic and focused she remained as sparks danced around her visage. Three… the gas threatened… Two… she whirled her hands… One… she pushed forth and…

"Hey guys?" Beast Boy scratched his head, "Does Tamaran have spotlights?"

"What?" Robin and three others scrambled to the green boy, pointing his finger to the sky.

"There. That blinking-thingy."

Robin dramatically widened his eyes that flickered in the explosion of blistering white lights then lashed back to Blackfire who hesitated to look. Her mouth unhinged and she hiccupped her breaths.

"Blackfire! Ignite a starbolt!"

She surrendered her hands to the ground, shaking her head with sorrow"…I don't think I can. I-I'm not strong enough."

Suddenly, Cyborg wheeled himself to Blackfire, hurriedly swung her into his arms, ran over to the group, and placed her in the moonlight. Beast Boy sunk to his knees and picked up her palms, "Come on, Blackfire."

As Raven whirled around to Blackfire in mid-float, Robin joined Beast Boy on his knees. "Raven has healing powers. Does she have permission to help you?"

Clenching her eyes shut, she quickly nodded then swooned at the sensation of peace running throughout her body at the empath's touch.

Raven threw down her hood and yelled back to the three, "Stand back everybody."

With a jolt, Blackfire hovered to her heels, grunted, and unfolded a blistering white light in her palms.

Beast Boy spun back, observing the spotlight, then jolted back to his friends. "It's a match!"

Robin pushed himself to his feet and swooned in the light of distant starbolt. "Starfire?" A smile sprouted to his face and erupted into cheering laughter. "Starfire! Titans! That's got to be her!" He spun around, descended upon a serious face, and paced to Blackfire.

She stared back at him, trembling—a part of her dying to what she once was and another rising from the ashes. He continued, "We all have a part to play. Whether they are big or small parts, we can't give up. This is your gift, Blackfire. What do you chose to do with it?"

Biting back the emotion, her chin quivered. Suddenly, she pushed back the boy who hit the floor with a dent. She whirled into a flight and pumped a blazing white fist to the air. It tumbled over itself like a wave and burned brightly. The others retreated and dove for the ground and an explosion white washed to prison, thrusting itself into the sky!

"Starfire! Starfire!" The Flash banged his fists upon the bars. "Starfire! Lookup! At the sky!"

Fallen upon the floor, Starfire pushed open her eyes to witness a firework exploding at the side of the moon. Suddenly, the realization tugged upon her heart and a smile sprouted across her face. "B-Blackfire! That is—that is Blackfire! M-My sister! I have to fire once more, friends."

"Starfire!" Diana called. "Do what you have to do, but don't let the gas get to you! Hold your breath!"

Nodding, she took in one last deep breath, rose a limp arms from where she laid and choked out a spotlight, waving in the night sky from her fingertips. A muzzled yell sounded from the electrifying pain.

"The bars can take the starbolt heat?"

"Yeah, Beast Boy. Do you think they would put us in ordinary prison cells?"

"Titans!" Robin barked, launching a finger to the sky. "Look! There's another starbolt!"

"Beast Boy hurried a step to his team. "Why is it a spotlight?"

Suddenly, Blackfire's eyes widened and she beckoned, swinging her arms around herself. "Gas."

"Er… what?"

"GAS!" Suddenly, Blackfire launched herself to the bars above, exerting all her strength! "Wherever!" *Slam* "Starfire!" *Slam* "Is!" *Slam* "She is being suppressed by gas!" *SLAM!*

The girl fell to the floor in exhaustion, the moonlight caressing the arm of its long-lost princess. Whimpering, her voice droned into the chrome, "Metallic chromium fused in its gas state conducts and breaks up energy. It's deadly…That's what it does to starbolts…"

"She needs help!" Robin broke to his knees and pushed his voice to her. "What can we do?"

Slowly, he bobbed her head, securing herself into a collected perch. She brought her fists to her face. "I am tamaranean." She looked to the others, determined faced. "Quick! Do you guys think you can give up twenty percent of your energy?"

"Y-Yes? Why?"

"We can release and absorb energy, remember."

Suddenly, they all caught on, "But how?"

Raven stepped in, "I studied this. You must bow and let it flow."

Beast Boy rubbed his head, "You want us to bow?"

Blackfire lashed back, "Do you want Starfire to die from gas intake?!"

Suddenly, like a crashing wave, the four descended upon their knees and a stream of lime green wisps slithered from the five and to the girl, breathing slowly. Her mussels pulsed, her stance grew strong, and suddenly, she whipped her hands across the air, shot open burning eyes, and launched a fist to the lock upon the prison door. With a clashing bang, it shattered away. The others recoiled back, grinning at the girl they knew long ago.

She smirked back, "You guys! Get out of here! An army will be coming after that noise! Go fast!"

Beast Boy and his child-like innocence pulled her down from her hover and hugged her full-heartedly. "Good to have you back Blazin' B."

Then, the four ran to the exit, Robin to turn around when Blackfire did not follow. "Are you coming?"

"If you don't mind. I'd rather take the sky exit. Go! Now!"

When the fours' footsteps faded, a crescendo of great light spurted from the girl, melting the bars completely. "That's why you never give a Tamaranean 100% of energy." Smirking, she blasted herself into the heavens where daybreak cracked, and from her flight, she rolled onto her back to meet the stars that hovered above. Her eyes rolling down her stomach, she found that grounded prison cell fading into the distance. She whirled back onto her stomach, wiping a tear from her cheek, "I'll bring her back, Robin."

End of Part 2

Author's Note: I hope you have enjoyed this story so far. I never knew how fun story telling could be. Here some fun notes and references I jotted down.

1. My sister is convinced that I am writting a story where she is the main villian. Actually, she is based off of Blackfire, one of my most favorite characters (in this story) at the moment. My sister and I have a rough relationship, but whenever I am in trouble, she will always pull through for me-I designed Blackfire to be the same way.

2. I loved writing when Blackfire said, "we" instead of "them" when refering to Tamaraneans. She accepts who she is when her sister is in trouble.

3. What I love most about concluding chapters is the completion of foreshdowing. So, I just scroll back to what I have written, copy, and paste it into the new chapters. Yes, I can be lazy, but it's really fun! (There is a reference to chapter 3, chapter 13, and more foreshadows that will be completed in later chapters).

Part 3, I cannot stress how excited I am to write it. Okay! Enough for me and my tangents! Have a great rest of the day!