The "Singer of Beginnings."

Such a translation pertains to the name of the Tamaranean instrument. When a powerful breath is applied to its mouth, such a tone is carried throughout the three spiraling tubes fashioned like pearl white vines, holy for the tune to escape. Like a skeleton of sea shell, it resembled. Its rhythm was gentle as well as encouraging, a delicate tune professed with bravery. For a Tamaranean marriage, the "singer of beginnings" was a necessity.

Inside the instrument, the guests to see peaks of his visage between such pearl vines, the musician was dressed in whites and purple crests pinned upon the tunic, his world's armor strapped over his shoulders. His arms professionally still before him, the cuffs of his sleeves to dangle, he waited for the choir to begin, the door to open, the princess to enter.

However, he held a nervous gaze, eyes upon the balcony across the way and the figure that waited there.

Between the window's glass, the rosiness lit the Tamaranean afternoon and peaked into the grand hall, dressing the ceremony's crowd as well as the walls in the iridescent colors of the horizon where a new moon lied hidden. Because the moon had none, lights from above grew bright.

The glass ceiling above displayed the first awakenings of starlight, they to twinkle in the soon absence of the three suns. From colored planets capturing the last peaks of light, supernovas far beyond the galaxy's rim, white tailed comets soaring into the realms of new worlds, trials of milk and stardust upon the galaxy's sky, and simple stars in the form of sparklets, the panorama captured life: the beginning, the end, and the birth of new life—the Marriage of Tamaran and Earth in inspiration of the night sky.

However, Starfire stood on that balcony, holding one voice constant. She balanced upon the gentle breeze that swayed the long layers of her wedding dress into the air, they to float peacefully as if in still water. Her hands pushed against her chest, her eyes glistened in the starlight, and her expression was brave, but her heart was broken.

Her eyes lied upon the distance.

"Nothing can hurt us as long as we are together."

He did not recognize himself in the mirror. His mask lied upon the bed, his blue eyes bare, his clothes of a Tamaranean fashion—a black suit to match one of Earth's with armor strapped shoulders, steel toed boots and gloves, and plated Medals of Honor. Lastly, he held a pure grin—one of comforting assurance and the relief that followed. It quelled the anxiety. For, it was all so unfamiliar. However, to him, one thing remained constant.

"With this war…I… I don't know what'll happen, Star…P-promise me that… that…you'll be safe… and... and brave... and-"

Simply, she told herself not to cry anymore.

In the cool caress of the wind, her eyelids slowly descended into a close, her long eyelashes to brush upon her cheeks. Hasted where her breaths—her murmuring to take voice. By the sound of the "singer of beginnings'" entry, she knew it was time to go.

And he heard it too.

In the stillness, the break from anxiety, she held her cheek against her bare shoulder, eyes flooding to her gown. Slowly, her hand slid down her waist, down her thigh, and to the foot of her dress where she bungled the fabric and pinned the front to her waist where a golden belt peaked from underneath.

A silent breath she took—for encouragement. Slowly, she unbuckled such a gift, its tail to swing from her waist. She brought it up to her face and kissed it dearly. She let her dress fall back into place, solemnly placed the belt upon the ridge of balcony's white pillared fence, and turned away, paces slow, hands cupped around her mouth, eyes tightly shut. Easily, she would admit that she had glanced back to check if he was there waiting for her, hand outstretched for her to take.

"And I promised I would always protect you from then on… and… I knew I had to let you go someday… but… Starfire, I-I know you can do this."

He turned to his friends with this simple gaze, eyes wide—they smiling—and brows peacefully pushed upwards. They returned it, smiling with tease as they practiced a bow. In such stillness, he took a moment to look at them—his team. They too were all dressed in purple and silver metals like he. One member was missing; however, they smiled because she no longer belonged to a war debt, but she was to be bonded back to her friends.

By the side of her uncle who held an endearing smile in which she could not return and a mother and sister in which she could not see, but felt their presence, she held a brave expression: simply, she looked forward. Her arm wrapped around her uncle, he, like a gentleman, holding it out for her to take.

Patiently, her father and her brother on his right side, he waited. His friends stood beside his left like compartments of a train. They looked to the doorway.

Their paces slow, she and her uncle went down the hall of constellations, a collaboration of little faint lights pinned across the high ceiling which illuminated with such brilliance. Between the sheets of white fabric that streamed from the walls, the iridescent colors of the lights fell on the two. From afar, she had watch the ceremony's doors and the white soldiers before it come. Oh, they made her heart quake—maybe even stop, but she pushed herself to go.

"I still don't know your name."

"In your language, it would be Star…Fire."

Sound seeped in: the climax of the singer's beginning: the opening of the doors. It's time. She starred at the ground in surrenderence. Listening to the door's roar, the clapping inside, the popping of bottles, and the flight of streamers, she dared herself to look up.

And there he was.

"Welcome to Earth, Starfire"

Him.

Him—untouched.

Them—her friends—her untouched friends—at his side.

Eyes wide. Breaths fast! A moment of realization coming! Coming! Coming! The crescendo of cheers growing! Robin walking from her family and down the stairs to meet them!

Sound roaring, she froze, looking at him—his eyes. Thirty feet apart, they were at stalemate—only thirty feet apart. She looked to him in disbelief, as if an illusion stood before her. Eyes shivering in the loud moment, she stood. From light years, to miles, and finally to feet. Only thirty feet.

"Starfire—"

BOOM

She hit him! Fast flying, covering the amount of ground in a millisecond—she collided into his chest, knocking him into the ground, the tumbling to leave the two in hysterical laughter on the carpeted floor.

"Starfire! This is the fourth time you've hit me in the head." He laughed, her arms to jump around his shoulders, tackling him back to the ground. Awestruck, she tucked her underneath his and fastened her arms tighter around his torso.

"You let me have a choice." She cried. "You let me have a choice. But, I thought I lost you. I-I love you. May I say this?"

He held her tighter, head tenderly pressed into her shoulder. "I just wanted you back. With us." He spoke, lips quaking, lids tightly closed against her. "Will you marry me, Starfire of Tamaran?"

In her laugher, she began to cry, burrowing her eyes in his shoulder. Lovingly, an arm wrapped around her while another waved at the Titans, cuing those eager ones to join them. And they ran to her, Beast Boy in the lead like a cheetah! The three jumped on the two! Three and two made five! The five Titans surrounded each other and pulled another close—Starfire and Robin in the middle. The floor was a mess with streamers, the air was unstable with laughter, and the five came to tears. Her arms fell upon Beast Boy, Raven, and then to Cyborg. His wide arms bonded the five into one pile.

The band blew! The audience laughed like the hefty king himself.

"Is this a form of greetings among, Earthlings, Wildfire?" He chuckled.

"Indeed, my Ruler!" He beamed at the two, then slapped his father on the head.

"Oh? I see!" He playfully did the 'hitting of greetings' back to his son, "Earthlings are so strange!"

"I-I" She murmured. "I've missed you all so!"

They pressed tighter.

For a long time, they sat.

A Galfore appeared above them, his face beaming with brilliant joy, and outstretch his hand into the pile of Titans for two to take. Starfire's white-gloved hand touched his and Robin's lied onto of hers. Happily, he pulled the two up and placed them before another and before the arch where her father and brother stood. He kissed his niece on the cheek, she to beam at her uncle, then took her hand and placed it Robin's.

"I trust you Sir Robin to take care of her."

At his nod, their hands folded into one.

And they stood hand and hand before the archway—the alter—listening to the ending of the singer's song barely heard over the hollering, laughter, and cries of folk songs. And there is where the story began to fold into place, careful not to end at the King's words, him professing to the audience. Nobly, he called it the marriage between Tamaran and Earth, not bonded by bloodshed, words of falsehood, or conditions, but by what Princess taught. And, that was love.

However, the rowdiness of the crowd could not be contained. By the ceremony's near-end, Princess Starfire and the newly dubbed Prince Robin stood, hand and hand, listening to the same words being chanted by the crowd. The Titans joined as well as the Justice League who happily stood by their Super Man happily returned to them. The people jumped, pumping their fists to the air.

"KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!"

Bewildered by the crowd, they began to laugh. Blush vividly glowing through her cheeks, she looked to him, then closed her eyes as he pressed forward into a lean. His hand upon her soft cheek, his shoulders high, he folded—he bent—and met her. So sure he was: his lips eclipsed hers. The swooning sensation like a sudden autumn breeze took him and pressed him closer to her, she to feel the warmth of joy itself. She returned, cheers rioted, and she pushed forward to him, the product of anxiousness's end, pain's end, and worry's end being two single tears welling in her eyes.

Finally.

Ecstatic, she leapt forward, tucking her arms around him.

The party was huge, filled with moon dancing, hollering, and Tamaranean folk songs! The Titans bent to the traditions of the Tamaraneans no matter how odd they might have seemed. For, it had lasted from that night to the morning and the first flash of daylight fell on the couple who had snuck away. Starfire led, running, her hand pulling Robin from behind.

"Where are we going, Star?"

"I apologize, Robin!" She shouted from the front, turning her torso mid-run to face him. "I have forgotten something!" They crossed the palace, ran across the grounds, the dark memory of them replaced by lighter ones, entered her room, then continued to her balcony where she retrieved a golden belt and slowly clasped it around his waist, fulfilling a promise in which he did not expect.

Eyes watering, he touched it, understanding that she had kept it all this time—throughout the war. From his belt, he looked to her, she to gaze back innocently.

Author's Note: ^_^

I shall return with a re-make of the last chapter and the final chapter, titled "Four Years Later."

A big thanks to Pizzachic! -Check out stories!