A/N: At last another chapter of "Firelight" is completed! Thank you guys for all of the awesome reviews for the previous chapter, and for your patience in awaiting this one. I would have gotten this chapter done sooner, but I have been job searching and going to interviews like crazy! So many jobs that I want, but at the same time, so much competition. Ah, so frustrating!

So, due to my job searching frustrations, I spent my entire day curled up in my room finishing this chapter. Spending the day writing this chapter was very worth it! I don't want to give too much away, but as a bit of forewarning, I named Part Three of this story "Secrets" for reasons other than the obvious. I'm going to start broaching some of those reasons in this chapter. Put simply, things run more deeply than you think. Remember, nothing is ever as it seems ;).

Enjoy the chapter guys! With the plot finally beginning to thicken, I sure as heck enjoyed writing it! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.

Part III: Secrets: Chapter Twenty-Seven

The duo stands frozen in the center of the room. Roy has Leila's wrist firmly in his grasp, and as their gazes lock, it's as if the world stops turning. His index finger continues making contact with the orange-colored vein, not budging for the slightest instant. The entire time he stares into the deep pools that are Leila's eyes, doing his best to communicate everything he knows about her with that single look. In the process, he can't stop from being dazzled. He was aware that her eyes changed color before she removed her contact lenses, and even went as far as assuming that they would be interesting to look at. What Roy never saw coming, however, was that the colors would be so vivid.

When Leila's eyes were green a moment prior, the neon color was so popping that he had to do a double-take. It looked nothing at all like her contact lenses, but instead was more similar to lime green. Then, when he saw the green shift to pink as though a kaleidoscope was being turned, Roy found himself gaping at twice the intensity. The pink, he instantly decided, he liked better than the green.

It was neither fuchsia nor magenta that he found himself staring into, but was instead only a shade or two darker than white. Rimming the outside of the iris was a type of white so bright that it stood in contrast with the with the whites of her eyes, matching that of pearls reflecting sunlight. This same color was flecked across her light pink irises in several places, the two shades combining so flawlessly that her eyes were practically glowing.

More than anything, Roy was hoping that Leila's shining orbs would remain this way. As he's standing here now, however, it becomes blindingly apparent that this isn't going to happen. The young archer watches as her eyes shift colors for the third time in less than a minute. First green, and then pink, and now to a color far less appealing. Dark, turbulent, gray.

Leila's gray eyes turn darker by the second, eventually to the point of transforming completely to black. Recalling her earlier words, that black eyes mean she's scared, Roy immediately removes the finger he'd been tracing over her veins with and allows it to drop to his side. Although, his opposite hand doesn't relinquish its grasp on her wrist. Roy strengthens his hold by a notch. A second is all it takes for Leila's face to become wrought with fear.

Posture stiffening, rosebud lips parting, and black eyes tripling in size, she gapes at him in the same fashion that a counterfeiter might gape at their friend upon learning that they're a police officer. Leila appears so completely and utterly horrified that he might as well be arresting her. It is because of this that he tightens his grasp by another notch, afraid that she might make like a criminal caught in a crime scene and flee. When Leila tries breaking away from him, Roy learns that he'd made the right call. She jerks so hard against his grasp that he wouldn't be surprised if she gnawed her own arm off in attempt to escape.

As she fights him, as Roy had partially been expecting, the girl shouts. Only, it isn't in anger for once. For the first time in the weeks that he has known her, Leila's shouts sound terrified.

"No! Let go! Get away from me!"

Roy doesn't loosen his grip in the slightest. Though, he doesn't strengthen it either. He maintains his grasp, easily keeping his hold on her. If he releases her for as little as an instant, there isn't a single doubt in Roy's mind that she is going to sprint through door and take to the streets. Once she's gone, there is no telling if he or Cyborg will ever be able to find her. They could lose a valuable member of the Titans and their new friend if she gets away from them. It is for this reason that Roy uses his superior strength to keep hold of her wrist. True, Leila is the one with the superpowers, but he is more physically strong. No matter how much she fights, she won't be able to get away without using her powers. Even in her frightened state, Roy has confidence that she won't go as far as burning him.

Meanwhile, Leila wrenches so harshly that it surprises him that she hasn't jerked her arm out of its socket. Her yelling hasn't ceased.

"Let me go now! I need out of here!"

Raising her free hand, Leila begins tugging on her ensnared arm in attempt to free herself. It isn't any use, and they both know this, yet she keeps at it. The only time her struggling ends is when Roy shoots his hand forward to trap her other wrist. When Leila stops fighting, it isn't because she gives up, but because having both tiny wrists trapped in Roy's larger hands stunts her. Her posture freezes rigidly, and as she continues looking at him, Roy has never seen a face so filled with fear. She no longer looks like a criminal escaping the law. Instead, Leila reminds him of an animal caught in a hunter's trap. When he uses this opportunity to pull her closer, her horrified expression increases tenfold. The thought that such intense horror is being directed at him leaves a pained feeling in Roy's chest.

What she says next cause this feeling to increase.

"If you know what I think you know, then let me leave in peace! Don't rat me out to the other Titans, and don't come after me! If you try finding me or hurting me, know that my fire powers don't come from nowhere! The Fire Phoenix clan was the most powerful clan from my province!"

Under other circumstances it is very apparent that Leila would be struggling, but once Roy moves his hands from her wrists to her upper arms in a swift motion, this is rendered impossible. Holding her tightly enough so that she can't sprint from the room, yet loose enough so that he isn't causing her pain, he does his best to communicate with Leila despite her fear. Their noses only two inches away from touching, he looks deeply into her turbulent black orbs as he speaks.

"Leila, calm down! I'm not telling the other Titans, or the media, or the random Joe on the side of the road, and I'm absolutely not going to hurt you! Stop fighting me, and breathe, okay?" Pausing, he adds more calmly, "Didn't you hear what I said? Yes, I know what you are, but it doesn't freak me out. If it did, I'd be avoiding you right now, so rest assured. I'm not freaked out about this."

The onyx color of her irises doesn't fade to a lighter color. Sadly for Speedy, it seems as though her eyes become even more fearful. When she speaks her tone is quieter, yet the horror still exists.

"How do you know? If you're not going to let me go, then explain."

Emerald eyes never releasing charcoal for a second, Roy decides not to procrastinate. At this point, putting off his explanation is pointless as much as impossible. He taps his pinkie finger against the rim of her phoenix armband as he speaks.

"I ran across an exhibit at the museum yesterday, okay? It was about planets that were destroyed, and the last planet on the tour was one called Dabnod."

Taping his pinkie against her armband with enough force so that it sounds off with a metallic clink, he continues.

"The part of the tour about Dabnod lasted for a half-hour, and during that half hour, the tour guide told us about how families were split into clans. Each clan had a symbol they used to identify themselves, and their children would get a piece of jewelry with their clan symbol on their twelfth birthday. He said that a clan symbol could be anything from a plant, to a star, to a bird, and that women wore theirs on a metal cuff on their right upper arm."

Very suddenly, fear is replaced on Leila's face by a mixture of surprise and realization. As a result, he notices as charcoal becomes streaked by lime green. Relieved that the black is starting to diminish, though unsettled that it hasn't vanished completely, Roy comes to his next point.

"There were photographs of what Dabnod used to look like hanging on the walls, too. The grass was purple in each of the pictures, and the people had neon-colored hair. Before the museum, I remember seeing pictures exactly like them painted on your bedroom walls back at the Tower."

Leila's eyes turn greener than before, the black steadily vanishing. As this happens, Roy explains his third and final point.

"Then, what confirmed it for me was the tour guide explaining that Dabnodians have a second heart that produces a mixture of energies. Excess heart energy is stored in their hair follicles and in glands behind their eyes, and the energy causes them to turn bright, neon, colors. Because of the second heart, Dabnodians also have a second set of veins." Roy raises a hand to twirl one of her curled strands around his index finger as he makes this next statement. "The guide also said that Dabnodian hair and eyes can be easily hidden by hair dye and colored contacts, and that he wouldn't be surprised if some of them made it off the planet before it was destroyed."

Roy doesn't once hesitate in twirling Leila's ringlets around his finger. Using his opposite hand, he continues tapping his pinkie against her metal cuff. By this point Leila's eyes have been completely taken over by florescent green, only scraps of black remaining. When Roy's emerald eyes shine with a type of understanding that he isn't aware he possesses, the black disappears entirely.

"You aren't from Earth, are you? You're from that planet that's on display at the museum that was destroyed five years ago. You're from Dabnod."

Under any other circumstances, Damiana would have burned the male who dares to put his hands on her. She is small and knows very well that most every man she has met is superior in upper body strength. Using this as a way to restrain her, keeping her from running away like a naughty child, is nothing more than insulting. Yet, as demeaning as her current situation is, she couldn't raise her fire to Roy even if she wanted to.

His grasp is firm, yes, but he doesn't hurt her. With the amount of muscle Roy has on his body from working out, Damiana knows that his touch could easily cause harm. Roy has enough strength to shove her bony figure to the other side of the room, and quite possibly, to break a bone in the process. Yet, he doesn't. When he first pulled her close Damiana was frightened beyond belief, thinking that he might try something now that he knows what she really is. However, with the way he is touching her right now, she knows that this assumption was far from true.

One hand firmly grasps her right upper arm, three fingers and his thumb contacting her pale skin and his pinkie finger tapping against the metal of her armband. The other hand is mere inches away from her face, Roy gently twisting one of her curled strands around his pointer finger. He leans in closer, as if to get a better look at her as he takes every possible measure to see through her human persona. Nothing about the redhead says that he is looking to harm or judge her; especially his eyes.

Just yesterday she wished that he had his mask on, but as of now, Damiana couldn't feel more thankful that he isn't wearing it. If he had his mask on, Damiana would never be able to see the kindness and the compassion that dance in his breathtakingly green eyes. Emerald streaked with forest green and specked by brown. The young alien has seen his eyes on multiple occasions, yet is still struck breathless by how beautiful they look.

Having heard his previous statement, as well as everything he'd explained before it, Damiana doesn't respond. She simply gapes at him, surprised at how much she'd revealed without really knowing it. What also surprises her is how close a human is willing to get. She isn't like him. Her eyes are changing color right in front of him, and he traced over her orange veins with his own fingertips. She is from this strange, unknown, place and has an entire history that he knows nothing about. Yet, here Roy stands. In front of her. Touching her. Looking at her.

The thought that he would touch her knowing that she's an alien from another planet is almost enough to make Damiana emotional.

Withholding these emotions, Damiana raises her small hand so that she is clasping Roy's larger one. Pulling it away from the piece of hair that he's playing with, she positions his arm so that his wrist is facing upward. Once his wrist is positioned, she lowers her opposite arm so that her own wrist lays directly beside his. With their wrists side-by-side, it is seen that her bright orange veins are a stark contrast to Roy's single set of blue vessels.

After what feels like eternity, she replies to the redhead. Her voice is neither sarcastic nor cheerful. If anything, it is puzzled.

"I don't understand you. Look at me! I'm not human! I don't understand how you can handle being this close to an invader."

It is at this point that their gazes are no longer connected. Their eyes are on their wrists, staring blatantly at how different bright orange veins are from blue. As Damiana observes both sets of veins, her own blue vessels go completely ignored. Her only focus is on her orange vessels and on Roy's blue. When Roy replies, the same compassion is heard in his voice that was seen in his eyes.

"An invader? That's what you call yourself? Your planet was destroyed. If it wasn't destroyed, you wouldn't be on Earth at all! If anything, I'd call you a survivor."

Damiana lapses into silence. When she replies, it is hesitantly.

"There isn't much difference between an invader and a survivor. When it comes down to it, I have been living on a planet that isn't my own. I'm very different from you and the other humans. Over the years, one thing I've come to realize is that aliens don't have much of a place with humans."

Much like Damiana, Roy doesn't respond immediately. Peeking up at his face, Damiana sees that his brow is furrowed in thought. When he speaks at last, he does so while moving his wrist so that it is on the other side of Damiana's. Now, rather than his blue veins sitting beside her orange veins, they are next to her blue set of veins.

"How true is that really? Sure, you're not exactly like a human, but you're not that different either. Just look. You have the same blue veins that I have. Not to mention that you have two legs, two arms, a mouth and nose, two ears, and a pair of eyes. Really, Leila, I'm not seeing an invader. I'm seeing a human with a second heart." Pausing, he adds in what sounds like disappointment, "I just wish you would have told the Titans. If not all the Titans, then at least Titans East. We would've been surprised, but we also would've gotten it. There's nothing to be afraid of when you're with the Titans."

A human with a second heart… There's nothing to be afraid of… More than anything, Damiana wants to smile. Countless scenarios have gone through her head of what confronting a human might be like if they were to find out that she is a Dabnodian, but this was never one of them. Never did it occur to Damiana that there could be a human out there that would accept her.

Of course, as much as she wants to smile, Damiana ends up frowning. By the way he's talking, he was informed that her planet was destroyed but was never told how. Not only that, but he found out only yesterday, and it was because of a museum tour. With this being the case, Roy's knowledge is minimal. He knows nothing of what she should or should not do.

Sighing, she replies to his heartfelt words. "Roy, I appreciate what you're saying, but you don't know a thing. About me, about Dabnod, the details of my past, you don't know any of it. If you knew, then you'd see why I never told the Titans. You would also see why I went out of my way to avoid the Titans at first." Hesitating once more, she continues a second later. "I'm not sure if you ever will know either, because explaining it would take all night."

The instant she is finished speaking she turns silent, waiting for the redhead to respond. She continues staring at their wrists the entire time, not wanting to make eye contact. When Roy replies, however, her eyes shoot up so that she is looking directly at his face. What he says stuns her.

"If that's true, then we have time. Vic is out on the town, so it's just us tonight." Emerald orbs gleaming with sincerity, he continues. "If you're willing, tell me everything about who you are and about your planet."

Steel City: Titans East Tower

Later That Night

For the past two nights, Saeran has had a worse time sleeping than he has had in ages. First and foremost, the so-called "high-quality" motels that they stayed at last night and the night before were impossible to sleep at.

Last night when Saeran was trying to sleep, there was a very loud social gathering happening in the room directly across from his and Robin's. Music was blaring, people were heard either laughing, crying, or screaming, and the strobe lights were so bright that they could be seen through their curtains. When a tattoo-covered man wearing a leather jacket banged on their door every hour on the hour with the question "You dudes got any beer?", this was even more of a hindrance to Saeran's sleep. Not just Saeran's sleep, but Robin's as well.

Then, the night before that at the previous motel, loud noises were coming from the room beside them. Put simply, their neighbors for that night were having their own party, and it was far louder than Saeran found appropriate… Starfire and Raven had a room on the other side of their neighbors, and apparently they'd heard them too. Starfire was horrified that ghosts had been haunting the room. Only ghosts could be the cause of so much moaning and thumping on the walls, she'd said.

Of course, even when Saeran did have the chance to sleep those nights, he was unable to. Cyborg, Speedy, and Damiana have arrived in Metropolis, and admittedly, it makes him nervous. Damiana and Speedy in Metropolis away from the other Titans is a thought that is very unsettling. True, it makes him feel better knowing that Cyborg is with them, but not much. What if Cyborg leaves them alone? Then what?! Speedy could be taking his baby sister on dates and smooth-talking, trying to woo her! As much as he has practiced wooing girls, it probably won't be long at all until his baby sister is in his dirty arms! The sound effects provided by the neighbors during that one miserable night didn't help him calm his imagination any, either…

So now, after two sleepless nights filled with anxiety, Saeran decided to turn in early upon reaching Steel City. They arrived less than an hour ago, and admittedly, the pony-tailed man didn't do much. He said hello to everyone, asked if they had any tuna for him to feed Mr. Whiskers (who has been stuck in his tiny pet carrier for several days), thanked Bumblebee for the handout of canned food, and then took Mr. Whiskers downstairs with him to a guestroom before crawling into bed.

This is where Saeran is currently. In his room in the Titans East Tower slumbering. Mr. Whiskers is pouncing all over the room chasing his toy mouse, banging into furniture and knocking knickknacks off the dresser in the process, but Saeran scarcely notices. The only thing the man pays any attention is the dream that he is descending into. To Saeran's surprise, as he falls to unconsciousness, a very vivid memory seeps into his dream. This shouldn't be too surprising, as nearly all his dreams consist of memories or fantasies of Dabnod. Yet, Saeran finds himself taken aback.

It has been ages since he has thought about this bizarre occurrence…

As he drifts into slumber, Saeran doesn't see himself in his early years of Knight training like he usually does. At thirteen years old, going on training missions with their squadron, and causing unintentional chaos with Adriel. Those were the good days, and there is rarely any other time in his life that he dreams about. On this night, however, he sees himself at sixteen years old and Adriel at fifteen. This memory doesn't take place one year, six months, or even one month before Dabnod was destroyed. This memory is from a far more turbulent time, only three weeks before his home planet's destruction.

He remembers one specific day during this stretch very well. Their squadron had been planning a week-long training mission; a very important mission that could have boosted their ranks from Squires to Knights. Both he and Adriel had been looking forward to it. Only, it was much to their despair that it was cancelled at the last minute. The day before the mission Queen Guayusa sent out summonses, requesting that the Royal Counsel, her most trusted Knights, and the head of every clan in the province attend a war meeting. Knight Master Urrvink wasn't just one of her most trusted Knights, but the most trusted Knight. Thus, he was forced to attend no matter his plans.

Even if Urrvink had been able to worm his way out of his duties to the Queen, Saeran found out the morning of the meeting that they wouldn't have been able to go on their training mission either way. Adriel's father was known as the esteemed head of the Ground Badger clan. According to Queen Guayusa's summonses, this war meeting was the meeting of the century. Thus, the head of the Ground Badger clan wanted his son to sit at his right hand. Without Adriel their squadron would have been incomplete, making their training mission impossible on multiple levels.

However, as soon as Saeran spoke with Adriel that morning, their lost training mission was immediately forgotten. They stood directly in front of the doors to the meeting room. Besides Queen Guayusa who was in her office having a final discussion with her advisers, everyone else who was attending the meeting was already in the room and seated. Adriel was supposed to be seated to the right of his father, tall and proud like the rest. For one of the only times in Saeran's memory, however, Adriel wasn't tall and proud.

Adriel was clad in his full armor, the Squire emblem carved into his breastplate and the Ground Badger belt around his waist. Yet, in spite of his regal attire, the young man looked like a wreck. His hair was dark gray, and his color-changing irises were nearly black. His posture was slouched, a frown was etched into his face, and his expression was wrought with uncertainty. Adriel didn't look like he was attending an important war meeting at his father's right hand. Rather, he looked like an animal on its way to the slaughterhouse.

Leaning against the rose stone wall beside the double doors, he spoke in what was practically a whisper. Metal-coated arms crossed over his chest, he looked at the floor rather than at Saeran.

"I'm not sure if I can go in there. Call me crazy, but I have a bad feeling about this."

In that moment, Saeran's features were vastly different from Adriel's. Hair bright gold and eyes shining amber, the man replied with a lighthearted laugh.

"Adriel, of all the times for you to shove aside your optimism and worry, why now? You're attending the meeting of the century at your father's right hand. This is something to be happy about!"

Sighing, Adriel raised his head to look Saeran in the eye. "Do you know that for sure? We don't know what this meeting is about, Saeran. Nobody does. If Queen Guayusa put so much effort into keeping the topic of this meeting a secret, then it's going to be something big. Even if I'm in the minority, which I probably will be, I have a feeling that I won't like what I'm about to hear."

Again, Saeran laughed. "What's not to like? No matter what strategy she has, everyone knows that it is going to be something meant to defeat the Tamaraneans. It doesn't matter how big it is. If it gives us enough power to defeat the Troqs, then we should do it no matter the cost."

Adriel's frown only deepened. "No matter the cost? That's a steep price to pay, Saeran. Don't get me wrong. I want to defeat the Tamaraneans as bad as everyone else. I just don't think it's worth making sacrifices on such a large scale."

Tsking, the young man with the amber eyes shook his head. "You're putting too much thought into this. Just go into the meeting room and take your place beside your father. By the end of the meeting, I'm sure you'll realize that whatever Queen Guayusa is planning is a good idea."

The fifteen-year-old didn't give much of a response. All he did was sigh softly. When he finally shoved himself away from the wall and walked toward the double doors, he made one final remark.

"It was stupid for me to think that I could talk to you about this. You don't understand at all."

Once Adriel entered the meeting room, the door shut behind him with a firm thud. Admittedly, that comment had hurt him, but Saeran didn't think much about it at the time. That was his first time attending a war meeting, after all. He had assumed that such harsh words were the result of nervousness. As the days passed, however, he learned that this wasn't so. If he thought that Adriel was acting unlike himself before the war meeting, his personality changed drastically afterward. He would still laugh, smile, and act like himself, but his actions seemed empty. Adriel's posture was in a constant state of tension, and his eyes were haunted no matter what color they were. It was as if a heavy, foreboding, cloud hung over Saeran's friend.

Then, on a day two weeks after the war meeting, Adriel's laughter and smiles of pretense vanished completely. The dark cloud that had been hanging over Adriel intensified, filling his friend with something that Saeran could only place as grief. There was more to it than that if his deep, haunted, eyes were any indication, but Saeran was never able to decipher it. Not just because his best friend and squadron mate had suddenly gone cold, but because all Dabnod was in agony that day.

He can still remember the purple streaks in Queen Guayusa's blackened hair as well as the stormy gray of her eyes as she stood on the balcony overhanging the Palace's main courtyard. Her voice was deeply pained.

"Fellow inhabitants of Planet Dabnod, I have invited you to the Palace not for a time of malice, but for a time of grieving. I'm certain that word has spread to all of you by now. Because of this, rather than allowing my subjects to depend on the accuracy of news heard through the grapevine, I will confirm to you the events of last night."

Even from the crowd, the single tear trailing down her cheek was visible.

"Last night during the waning moon, nine of my ten council members were murdered inside of their homes during their sleep. My most high-ranking Officials are taking measures to find the person responsible. Not much is known about the murderer, as they didn't use their natural element to assist them in the killings. However, it is suspected that the person has a connection with one of my Knights, because each of the nine council members was killed by use of a sword.

"Also murdered last night was Aerad of the Ground Badger, the head of Dabnod's esteemed Ground Badger clan. As far as my Officials are aware, his murder is not connected with the murders of my council members. He was killed by use of a massive rock-wielding attack, and was found dead outside of the Ground Badger compound this morning. However, even if the murders do not appear to be linked, my Officials are still investigating the scene for any signs of attachment. There is a killer on the loose even in light of our current disagreement with Tamaran, and we will not rest until this person pays for their betrayal to the Dabnodian Monarchy."

Queen Guayusa didn't speak for a long time after these words. She simply stood at the end of her balcony, overlooking her subjects. As she did this, frantic chatter overtook the main courtyard. First the war with Tamaran, and now a killer with enough strength to take on full-fledged members of the Royal Counsel, people were saying? What next?!

Saeran's hair and eyes a horrified shade of black, he turned to face Adriel who was standing to his right. Adriel's waist-length ponytail, strangely enough, wasn't black. Neither were his eyes. Instead his hair was plumb-colored purple, and his eyes were stormy gray. He didn't seem at all frightened by the news of the council members and his father, or even surprised. The only thing Adriel seemed was haunted. His stormy gray eyes were wide and hollow, as if he was a seasoned Knight who'd just survived the most brutal of wars. Saeran's best friend didn't appear at all the vivacious Squire that he'd come to know, and admittedly, this frightened Saeran more than the murders.

Opening his mouth partway, Saeran was preparing to say something to him. He wasn't sure what exactly he wanted to say, but he knew that he couldn't just stand there. More than anything, he wanted the haunted look in Adriel's eyes to disappear, and was hoping that he could make that happen.

However, before Saeran could utter a word, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw the weathered and grief-stricken face of his Knight Master, Urrvink. Much to Saeran's surprise, Knight Master Urrvink had bags under his eyes and creases in his face that he'd never seen before. The man was only forty years old, but in that moment, he appeared sixty. Like Adriel, none of his features were black. His hair and beard were some dark shade of purple, while his eyes were stormy gray. Also like Adriel, to Saeran's bafflement as much as his fear, Urrvink's eyes were wide, hollow, and haunted.

When he whispered, his voice was void of emotion. "Forgive me Saeran, but I'm going to have to steal Adriel away from you. We have a matter to discuss, and it is quite urgent. It requires our immediate attention."

It was only after eyeing him puzzledly that Saeran nodded. "Of course, Knight Master Urrvink. I can fill Adriel in on the details of what our Queen says later. You're free to take him."

Knight Master Urrvink didn't give Saeran so much as a parting glance. Removing his hand from his shoulder, the man slid over to Adriel. He didn't poke him in the back, tap on his shoulder, or give him the slightest forewarning of his presence. Leaning in close to the Ground Badger, Urrvink whispered something quietly. His voice was so low that Saeran could barely make out his words. It was only because of his proximity to them, as well as the fact that he was listening carefully, that he heard what Knight Master Urrvink said. To this day, Saeran is still mystified by his remark.

"The moon is waning."

When the odd words left his lips, Adriel's posture immediately stiffened. He didn't give Urrvink any type of verbal response to signify that he heard. All Adriel did was give a single, rigid, nod. Urrvink nodded in return. Then, before Saeran could say goodbye or tell Adriel to stop by his house later, the bearded Knight and the Ground Badger disappeared into the crowd.

That was the last time Saeran ever saw Adriel.

It was particularly saddening that he didn't see him during that final week of Dabnod's existence. He missed his friend, first of all, and he was very worried for his well-being. Then, aside from that, Queen Guayusa made a command to every single one of her Knights, Squires, and Pages. It was a command that was very odd, but the deadly seriousness in her voice told Saeran that it was of the utmost importance. He intended to carry out her orders to the letter, and he was hoping to have his best friend at his side while doing so.

Looking down at the individuals in the main courtyard from her balcony, her hair and eyes shined a deadly shade of midnight blue. Never in Saeran's memory did the Queen sound as lethal as she did when she was giving this command.

"To every single one of my Knights, Squires, and Pages, I have but one request. Keep your eyes open for any individuals bearing crescent-shaped tattoos. If any of you come across a person with a waning black crescent tattooed onto their left pectoral or onto the center of their upper back, report it to me immediately! This is not a suggestion, and this is not optional. Report it to me immediately, or you will face the wrath of Queen Guayusa of Dabnod!"

Once this order was given, the Queen left her balcony and those gathered in the courtyard were dispersed. He and the remaining members of his squadron discussed Queen Guayusa's orders, trying to figure out the significance of them. They hypothesized that the tattooed individuals could have had some type of connection with the murders, though none of them were certain. Another thing they discussed was their missing teammate. It wasn't just Saeran who didn't see Adriel for Dabnod's final week of life, but all of them. They didn't see him at the Palace or at the Ground Badger compound. It was as if Adriel had vanished from existence. His squadron mates were never fond of the vivacious Ground Badger, but that didn't stop them from worrying.

The one who worried the most, however, was Saeran. Not just because Adriel had disappeared in general, but because of his change in demeanor during the previous two weeks.

Also what concerned him were the cryptic words Knight Master Urrvink spoke on the last day that he saw Adriel.

"The moon is waning."

He never did uncover the relevance of those words, but he has always had a bad feeling in his gut about them. Those words were far from normal…

Suddenly, before Saeran can dreams of his strange final memories of Adriel any longer, he is woken up abruptly. Not by knocking or shouting from any of the Titans, but by a sharp pain in his feet. The feeling is so sudden that he leaps out of bed with a startled cry, taking turns holding each of his feet. As he nurses them, Saeran discovers long claw marks. Narrowing his eyes as he jumps around the room, he peeks over at Mr. Whiskers. He sits at the foot of his bed, licking patches of white and gray fur. When the cat looks up at Saeran with large, blue, eyes, he meows at him innocently.

"Don't play games with me, Whiskers," Saeran seethes. "I know you're the one responsible for my agony. Do you see any other clawed creatures in here?"

It takes a minute, but after regaining his bearings, Saeran crawls back into bed and returns to slumbering. The entire time, only one thought goes through his mind.

"I haven't thought about the last time I saw Adriel since Dabnod was destroyed. It has been over five years! Why did I suddenly think of everything now?"

Meanwhile…

Admittedly, this is more than a tad strange for Damiana. When Roy suggested that she tell him everything about who she is, and even stated that he'd be willing to spend countless hours in her room while she explains everything to him, she thought that the idea was ludicrous. Him finding out that she is a Dabnodian all on his own is surprising enough for Damiana, but the fact that he wants to learn more about her species completely tops it. Of course, more astonishing than both these things is that he doesn't treat her differently. Roy is definitely curious about Dabnod and about her Dabnodian abilities, but aside from this, nothing has changed with their interactions.

They sit side-by-side atop Damiana's bed, a large carton of strawberries between them and a movie playing on mute in the background. The movie gets no attention, and honestly, they aren't even aware what movie it is. All their focus is on the green and silver book that Damiana was reading earlier. One cover is being held by Damiana and the other by Roy, each of them eyeing various images. Much like at the pizza parlor, their sides are pressed together so that both of them can properly view said object. Unlike at the pizza parlor, on the other hand, they aren't so uncomfortable. Having been seated in a similar position for the past three hours, they've grown used to the other's nearness.

After a long time of conversing, the two have fallen silent. This isn't necessarily for a lack of topics, but because Roy is very focused on the book. Rather than touching the pages herself, Damiana simply holds the book's back cover and allows Roy to flip through it on his own. She'd explained what this book is to him a while ago, saying it contains pictures of Dabnod's most prominent landscapes. Since then he has been flipping through the pages curiously, only speaking to ask Damiana questions. No matter what his question is, she answers without hesitation.

Roy is currently on a page with a picture of Dabnod's Royal Palace, though this isn't what his eyes are on. Based on the direction of his gaze, he is looking over the several paragraphs of Dabnodian text beneath the photograph. His expression isn't one that is baffled, but rather, he appears inquisitive. When Roy speaks for the first time in nearly twenty minutes, it is of course a question. As expected, his inquiry has nothing to do with the picture of the Palace. Instead, it is about her native language.

"Okay, this is literally the most confusing language I have ever seen written out. How the heck did you learn English with such a complex first language hanging over you? No offense, but your language looks and sounds very complicated." Pointing to one symbol in particular, he adds with a furrowed brow, "Don't even tell me what that letter is supposed to be. It looks like an eye with a vertical line going through it."

Knowing exactly what symbol he's talking about, she gives a momentary glance at the page to confirm her assumption before replying.

"To be honest, the 'eye with the line through it' isn't anything complicated. It is a symbol in the Dabnodian alphabet. In English, the eye with the vertical line would be the combination of the letter 'a' and the letter 'e'. A and e together make an 'ay' sound, and that sound is heard a lot when my language is being spoken."

Upon hearing her explanation, Roy takes a moment to stare at the symbol. When he finally speaks, he does so while quirking a brow. "So, you're telling me the symbol with the eye looks like 'ae' in English, and it sounds like 'ay'?"

Damiana nods in the positive. "Exactly right. Take my older brother for example. He had that same symbol in his name. In English, it would have been spelled S-A-E-R-A-N, but when pronounced, it would have sounded like 'SAY-rahn'."

Grasping her explanation, the redhead nods. "Okay. When you break the symbols down into sounds, I guess it's easier than it looks." Pausing, he adds in bafflement, "I still don't get how you learned English so well, though. How did you do it? You don't even have an accent!"

Smiling, Damiana decides to answer this question as well. Honestly, she is rather enjoying telling Roy these things. He isn't interrogating her, neither is he treating her like a breathing museum exhibit. His inquiries are made from pure curiosity. Though she hasn't confessed this, she appreciates his curiosity.

Without hesitation, she fills him in. "Actually, you're wrong with that last part. I learned English fluently before coming to Earth, but once I ended up here I figured out that my speech was a little off. My speaking was too proper, some of my words were wrong, and I pronounced consonants with a lisp. It only took me a week to tailor my language enough to blend in, though, so I guess it was no big loss."

Damiana isn't sure what part of her explanation did it, but Roy is suddenly gaping at her widely. Arching a brow, she makes an inquiry of her own.

"What's with the stare? Did my second head finally pop up?"

Roy continues gaping. The entire time he asks a dumbfounded question.

"You knew how to speak fluent English before you came to Earth?! How?! Before ending up on Earth, I thought that you never left Dabnod!"

Plucking a large strawberry from the carton sitting between them, Damiana takes a bite prior to explaining farther.

"I didn't leave Dabnod," she replies simply. "Of course, even if I never left Dabnod, there were plenty of Knights and Scribes that did. My father was a Knight, and his squadron made a trip to Earth to see what its inhabitants were like. When he came back, he had a set of canteens for my brother and books for me. By looking through the books that Daddy brought home, and some books that I borrowed from the Palace archives, I managed to string all of the words together and learn English."

Damiana never breaks eye contact with him. To her interest, Roy continues staring. When he speaks once more, she learns why this is.

"You read a few books and learned English? No classes, no tutors, no nothing?" Expression of astonishment morphing into an awestruck one, he adds, "Can all Dabnodians do that?"

Finishing her strawberry, she nods. "Oh, absolutely! That's one of the things that Dabnodians were known for was our talent for acquiring languages. We can't attain languages through lip contact like Tamaraneans, though we can learn them very quickly through study. For the average Dabnodian to learn a new language, it usually takes between one and three months."

Roy grabs his own strawberry from the carton and munches on it as he replies. "Really? In that case, the tour guide at the museum was majorly holding out." Swallowing, he adds, "If you don't mind me asking, where do you fall on that estimation? Are you closer to the one-month mark or the three-month mark? And how many languages do you speak?"

Very suddenly, for the first time since getting comfortable with the idea of having Roy in her room, Damiana finds herself freezing at one of his questions. Not so much in fear, but in mild anxiety. The girl takes another strawberry from the carton and averts her gaze from the redhead by using her thick curls as a veil. She takes a large bite and chews slowly, doing her best to avoid speaking.

Upon seeing her reaction, Roy frowns puzzledly. "You know, if you don't want to answer that question, you don't have to." A moment later, he adds, "And it's okay if it took you longer to learn languages than the other Dabnodians. You said that you were eleven years old when your planet was destroyed; you were a kid. It's not like a kid is going to be able to learn things as fast as an adult."

It is here that Damiana finds herself blushing uncomfortably at his statement. He has no idea how off his estimation of her abilities truly is…

Swallowing the bite of the strawberry at long last, Damiana continues averting her gaze as she speaks in uncertainty. "Actually, your guess is wrong. See, I wasn't exactly like other Dabnodians my age… Or other Dabnodians as a whole, for that matter…" Sighing, she wavers a bit before continuing. "If you must know, I speak a total of one-hundred and three languages. As for how quickly I learn languages, I fall under the one-month mark. The longest it has ever taken me to learn a language is two weeks. If you want to know about English specifically, it took me three days to learn your language's basics and a week to speak it fluently."

An incredibly lengthy period of silence passes once she is finished speaking. By the time Damiana gets enough courage to glance at Roy, she finds that he is staring yet again. This time when he replies, it is in shock.

"You're telling me that you can learn entire languages in only a week or two? And you speak one-hundred and three languages?! You're kidding! That's completely insane!"

Using her hair as a curtain, she averts her gaze once more. "Insane, but true. By the time I was eight years old, I was cracking dead languages. When I showed my work to Queen Guayusa, she told me that I deciphered an ancient language that the Palace Scribes couldn't even figure out. I thought she was bluffing, but Mama and Saeran said that she wasn't." Following an especially long pause, she adds, "According to my clan's elders and Queen Guayusa, I was the greatest prodigy the Fire Phoenix clan had seen in generations."

The redhead's shock never falters. "Okay, let me get this straight," he says while massaging his temple. "You aren't just any Dabnodian, but you're the prodigy of a very powerful clan and you knew the ruler of your planet personally?"

Though her face remains hidden, she nods. "Yes. As a Fire Phoenix prodigy, I knew Queen Guayusa personally. The Fire Phoenix clan was a warrior clan that produced a lot of lethal Knights. The Monarchy kept us close because of that, and because of my status within my clan, they kept me even closer. When I wasn't at my house studying, I was at the Palace with Queen Guayusa. She took a lot of interest in me." Giving a small laugh, she adds, "I don't know why she took so much interest in me, though. The Ground Badger clan had their own share of prodigies, and so did the Sky Serpent and Water Flower clans. I guess it was my childlike energy that enticed her."

It takes a few moments, but eventually Roy responds. He still sounds surprised, but aside from this, he sounds curious.

"Okay, so you knew the ruler of the planet because you're a prodigy. That makes sense. Not just you knowing the Queen, but the 'prodigy' thing in general. If you weren't skilled, then there's no way that you could have pulled off that lightning attack when we fought Black Shadow's robots. Then when we fought Scurvy Dog, Cyborg told us that you stopped that fire by using your body to absorb the flames." A moment later, he asks, "It's not just languages that you're good at, right? You're also talented with your fire-using techniques."

Tucking dyed brown strands behind her ear, Damiana returns her gaze to him at last. Though, her response is still filled with wavering.

"You already know this much, so yeah. I was a prodigy with my fire as much as with languages. I had great control of my heart energy, and pretty much flew through all the basic and intermediate techniques that my Daddy taught me. By the time I was nine I had the advanced techniques mastered too, so the clan elders taught me Master's level techniques. Had Dabnod survived another year, the elders would have moved me up to the final stage of Phoenix level."

Silence ensues once more, but this time it isn't for long. A familiar smirk flickering across his face, he makes a remark that Damiana finds oddly heartwarming.

"Not just a random girl that I met in a café, but a cool alien that had connections with her Queen. And not just a fire-user, but a fire-using powerhouse. We should tell this to Beast Boy the next time he takes the Game Station or tries throwing out my ribs. With you on my side, I don't think he'd mess with me again."

Damiana returns his smirk. "Roy, if he knew that I was an alien, he would be so busy asking questions that he wouldn't have time to play the Game Station or throw away your meat products. I don't think he would be scared as much as excited."

The redhead gives a small chuckle. "Knowing Beast Boy, what you're saying is probably true." A second later, he says with a smile, "So, the prodigy of the Fire Phoenix clan. That must have given you some real perks with the other kids. Who wouldn't want to be friends with a prodigy?"

Upon hearing his question, Damiana frowns. The first thing that comes to memory at the inquiry were the endless days she'd spent cooped up in her family's little cabin at the top of the hill all by herself. The days she'd spent reading, cleaning, and practicing with her fire were all back-dropped by her childhood home's deafening silence.

On the days that she visited Queen Guayusa, it wasn't much better. She walked alongside Dabnod's Monarch wearing a smile. Even so, it never blocked out the whispers of the other children who were wandering around the Palace. Whether they were the sons and daughters of courtiers or children of servants, it didn't matter. They all said the same things.

"Quick! Stay out of sight! It's Damiana of the Fire Phoenix clan!"

"Stay away from her and don't make her angry, or she'll burn us alive!"

"Don't try speaking other languages around her! She'll understand what we're saying, and turn us all to ashes!"

"I heard that the Queen keeps her close because Damiana of the Fire Phoenix clan will burn down the whole province if she doesn't get special privileges."

Damiana doesn't realize it, but her eyes turn stormy gray as the unpleasant memories zoom through her head. Looking at a wall across the room, she does her best to banish them so that she can answer her friend's question. Before she can accomplish this, however, Roy notices it all.

Smile vanishing, he catches her gaze the best he can while speaking to her. "Leila, are you okay? I didn't say something wrong, did I?"

Breaking free from her trance, Damiana finds herself gazing into Roy's concerned emerald orbs. Running a small hand through false brown tresses, the girl forces a smile.

"Don't worry, Roy. You didn't do anything on purpose. It's not a big deal." Fake smile fading into a frown, she adds solemnly, "I'm just going to say that being a prodigy isn't all that's it cracked up to be, and leave it at that."

Roy continues looking at her, a flash of comprehension passing through his eyes. After this flash of comprehension comes sympathy. Knowing that he'd just opened an old wound and that he doesn't want to open it farther, he changes the subject entirely. Seeing the care that he puts into the subject change, Damiana gives a small yet genuine smile.

"Since you spent time at the Palace and knew the Queen personally, can you tell me about them? I learned about the Palace and the Monarchy back at the museum, but I would rather hear everything from a direct source."

"Okay. Where do you want me to start?"

"Start with the Queen," says Roy simply. "What was she like?"

It is here that Damiana's eyes light up. She doesn't see it, but they shift from gray to pink almost immediately.

"That is going to be a hard question to answer. There are way too many words to describe Queen Guayusa! The simplest way that I can think to define her is that she was amazing! She was the kindest and most thoughtful ruler in Dabnod's recent history! She was loved by the entire planet…"

A/N: Well, what do you think? Again, nothing is ever as it seems. This story is going to start taking some very interesting turns, I can promise you that. I love writing this story so much, so hopefully I can get another chapter finished within the next couple weeks. Of course, with job searching and the interviews I have hanging over my head, there are no guarantees.

Hopefully in my next Author's Note, I will be able to tell you all that I am happily employed!

Anyway, thank you guys again for all of your reviews for the previous chapter! Your reviews are appreciated! I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter too, as it is the beginning of a major plot point.

Thanks for reading, everyone, and stay tuned! :)

Forever and Always,

OCQ