A Tameranean's Raven

Lost Prince

Despite the temporary relief of celebrating Dick's birthday and spending a good amount of time back home on earth, Starfire was forced to return to Tamaran for the time being. Getting rid of left behind Krolotean tech was more difficult than anyone had suspected not to mention the bodies that needed to be disposed of.
Then there was Blackfire who made a slow recovery with only a few scars left behind to signify her time in the infirmary. She'd lost a fair amount of weight since being bed ridden and actually moving about was proving difficult for her. Of course, this meant the princess' temper flared more easily. She hated asking for help and the only person even remotely allowed to touch her was Starfire and on occasion Galfore.
What was worse, now that Blackfire had proven her loyalty to her people, they were beginning to pressure her to remain on Tamaran and fulfill her duties. Something Blackfire wasn't keen on doing. She hated staying in one place and she hated the idea of being kept in a small box called a palace. She'd spent too much time in prison to be content with remaining on her home planet until she died.
"If I hear one more word about a suitor and having children I'm killing someone," the oldest heir fumed, walking down the palace halls with balled up glowing fists.
"You too?" Starfire asked, floating alongside her sister. She herself had started getting more attention than she would have liked when it came to the department of offspring. Frankly, she'd never thought of having children before. It never crossed her mind until now and even then it was a rather uncomfortable topic for her that only produced a plethora of anxiety.
"I don't want to marry a boring man and pretend I actually like him," Blackfire grumbled, "just to pop out babies for the 'good of Tamaran'. I didn't almost die for this to be my life. Why can't you do it instead?"
"I do not think that would be possible," Starfire frowned. "Raven is magical but not that magical."
"I really didn't need to know that," Blackfire sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"There is always a chance that Ry-." Starfire started, running into the back of her sister who had stopped to face the younger princess.
"He's not coming back Star," Blackfire insisted, her features hardening. "If he was alive and well he would have come home by now. If he's lucky he forgot we even exist and he's living a good life somewhere without us."
Starfire's expression fell into one of deep sadness, and the color in her eyes slowly faded as she settled back on the ground. "I miss him. He-he is not gone though."
"Star, it's been years. The fact that you still have hope is incredible to me, but you're kidding yourself. I miss Wildfire too, I do, but maybe it's time you faced the music. Even Galfore doesn't know where he is," Blackfire explained, her expression softening as she noticed the deep sadness creeping across Starfire's face. "I tried to find him when I first left Tamaran. I crossed galaxies hoping to meet him. I gave up. Some people don't want to be found."
"What if we tried to find him again? Just one more time, together and with help?" Starfire asked.
"I don't know how you expect to do that," Blackfire hummed, pressing her lips into a thin line.
"Raven could find him," Starfire insisted, "she could sense him if he's alive."
"You have a lot of faith in her," Blackfire worried.
"She has not failed me yet. She will at least try," Starfire decided. Blackfire remained silent for a moment, stuck in serious contemplation on the matter. She didn't want to give her sister false hope, but maybe Starfire was right. As much as Blackfire hated to admit it, Raven was strong and only seemed to grow stronger with time.
"Fine. If she's up for it then go ahead."
— — —
"Look, I love you dearly, but it's one thirty in the morning," Raven rasped, answering the incoming call.
"My apologies," Starfire worried, "I forgot that you would be asleep. I was hoping you could help me with something?"
"Well, I'm awake now so what's up?" Raven sighed, rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling while Starfire explained one roller coaster of a story that had to do with a long lost missing brother. "I wasn't expecting this I'll be honest. Do you need me there now?"
"There is no rush," Starfire promised. "Although, I would like to know your opinion on something?"
"If it's whether or not a hotdog is a sandwich it's not," Raven frowned, having argued with Gar about it for hours.
"Why would a hotdog be a sandwich when it is a hotdog?" Starfire asked, immediately losing her train of thought.
"That's what I was saying but Gar insists it's a sandwich."
"He is most definitely wrong."
"This is why I love you," Raven laughed, tucking an arm behind her head. She listened to Starfire's soft giggle on the other end of the line and felt quite pleased with herself for making the Tamaranean laugh. Whatever Starfire had been meaning to ask was momentarily forgotten.
"See you tomorrow?" The Tamaranean asked.
"See you tomorrow," Raven agreed, reluctantly ending the call. Admittedly, she missed when Starfire was away, but she understood the importance of it. Raven just hoped that Starfire's trips didn't need to last as long in the future.
One Eyed Willie gave a soft purr before repositioning himself on the bed by Raven's face. His singular blue eye studied the half demon as if saying  'I miss mom'.
"Yeah, I miss her too. If I could take you with me I would but I don't think Cy wants cat hair in his spaceship," Raven mused, scratching lightly beneath Willie's chin. "Gar will look after you alright? Maybe you can convince him to play with you."
Despite only having one eye, Willie gave Raven a skeptical look that was well warranted. As much as Gar grew to like One Eyed Willie, the cat still wasn't too sure about the shape shifting boy. Frankly, Raven didn't blame him. Gar was a lot to get used to. Laughing to herself, Raven let the scarred black cat cuddle up next to her as she tried to fall asleep once more with Silkie lounging down by her feet.
Back on Tamaran, Starfire waited impatiently for Raven to arrive safely on her home planet. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but if anyone was able to locate her brother it would be Raven. That much she was sure of.
Sighing, the youngest princess found it difficult to keep her mind from wandering even as she cleared out a section of the battlefield. She stripped what Krolotean technology she could from the hunk of metal before piling it up with other scrap material to be used. At the very least, physical labor was enough to sufficiently occupy her for the time being.
Going through the motions, her eyes wandered to the sky on occasion searching for a familiar orange ship carefully designed by Cyborg. Heart pounding with anticipation, she passed the hours mindlessly, all the while preparing herself for potential failure. Even if Raven did locate Wildfire there was no way of ensuring that he returned to Tamaran. There was the possibility that he wanted nothing to do with his home planet, and as heartbreaking as that was Starfire would have to accept it.
With a deep sigh, she left the remnants of the battle field behind and made her way back to the palace. There, she continued to wait impatiently until at last, Galfore escorted Raven inside more than pleased to see the half demon.
"I'm glad you made it safely!" He bellowed, wrapping a large arm around the thin witch's frame.
"Thanks. It's good to see you too," Raven agreed, eyes immediately finding Starfire. She bid farewell to Galfore before approaching the princess. "You look like shit."
"I was too anxious to sleep," Starfire admitted with a shrug.
"Oh great, she's here," Blackfire remarked, making her way towards the duo. "So, how are we doing this?"
"Well, I spent the ride here thinking and whether or not this works depends specifically on a few details," Raven admitted, immediately earning a worried expression from Star.
"Like what?" Blackfire demanded.
"How old were you when he left?" Raven questioned. This seemed to surprise both Tameraneans.
"I was ten, Star was seven, and Wildfire was four," Blackfire informed, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot a look of pain flashing across her features.
"Good," Raven sighed.
"Good?" Starfire frowned.
"He's old enough to have memories with the both of you. Emotions are heavily tied to what we remember. The stronger ones will stick with us and the feelings won't subside with time," Raven continued, "the next point of interest is if you have anything specifically tied to him."
"Uhm, yeah, we do," Blackfire nodded, waving for Raven to follow her. Together the three girls made their way down a series of hallways until they arrived at a relatively untouched door. Pausing for a moment, Blackfire eased it open and stepped inside. "This was his room."
Raven followed the eldest heir inside and was met by a painfully sad scene. Dust had settled over everything in the room. The small bed was undisturbed with a series of strangely designed stuffed creatures upon it. A set of toys was strewn out on the floor and a box of blocks was scattered about as if it had been kicked. A dresser was knocked over onto its side with clothes spilling out in a heap.
"No one's been in here since he left," Starfire informed, her hand finding it's way into Raven's.
"It's perfectly preserved. That's a good thing," Raven reassured, her thumb skimming over Starfire's knuckles. "Places hold memories too. Give me time and I'll find him. I promise. Just don't disturb me while I'm working. If I'm having to search all of space I can't afford to start over."
"You're the best," Starfire smiled, hugging Raven tightly. While the youngest Tameranean's hopes were bolstered Blackfire's weren't. It wasn't that she no longer trusted Raven, it was that she'd gotten her hopes up too many times before.
As Starfire left the room behind, Blackfire lingered in the doorway, her impossibly thin and scarred frame looking like it fit right in with the skeleton of the room. "You better keep that promise. It'll break her if you don't."
With that harrowing remark floating in the air, Blackfire abandoned the half demon and closed the door. Swallowing tightly, Raven made her way into the center of the room and took a spot up on the floor. While she'd meditated plenty of times before, this was entirely different. As soon as she found her center and reached out towards the room itself she was swept up into a memory so intense it nearly broke her focus.
Flashes of light bounced down the hallway as armored feet pounded against the palace floor. Three small figures tore into the room escorted by a taller man with dark black hair mirroring Blackfire's, intelligent violet eyes, and the loving look only a father could possess.
"Stay here," the man demanded, nervously looking over his shoulder.
"What's going on Daddy?" A little boy asked, his hair a wildly bright red color like Starfire's. He was small, innocent looking, and incredibly naive.
"Don't worry about it okay? Daddy will fix it but he needs you to stay in here. Okay? You're not allowed to leave do you understand me?" He asked, anxiously closing the door behind the four of them. With a shaky sigh he knelt on the floor and held out his arms pulling his three children into a tight embrace. None of them were aware of the tears decorating his eyes. "I love you. Always."
Pulling back, he got to his feet. His hand settled on the door once more when Blackfire reached out to catch hold of his free hand. "I'll take care of them Daddy. I promise."
"Good girl," he smiled, pausing to press a light kiss to her forehead before leaving. As the door shut, the young boy began to whimper as the walls shuddered from strange impacts.
"It's okay Ry," Starfire encouraged, picking him up and holding him tightly. "Sissy is gonna keep us safe."
The three children made their way into the corner of the room and huddled together. Despite Starfire's brave face she radiated an aura of fear as violent noises echoed down the halls. Dust sprinkled from the ceiling as thundering feet raced around outside. That's when a shadow paused at the doorway. Only Blackfire noticed it. Stepping away from her siblings she approached the door just as it shuddered open thanks to an armored foot.
A strange looking alien entered the room and in a matter of moments Blackfire was bravely attacking. She flew about his head and wrapped her arms about the soldier's kneck while he backed up to ram himself into the wall. The force knocked her loose but before he could make any moves towards her siblings she blasted him backwards with a burst of energy.
"Star! Take Ry and go!" Blackfire yelled.
"But Daddy said-" Starfire started.
"Dad isn't here! Listen to me!" Blackfire ordered, bashing her shoulder into the soldier as others began to pile into the room. Eyes wide, Starfire snatched up her baby brother and ducked out of the room.
The memory should have ended the moment they left but it didn't. It was as if the whole palace had been waiting to share this story. Consequently the scene followed Starfire as she snuck through the palace with a crying baby brother in hand. At last she stumbled upon a familiar face.
"Princess!" Galfore exclaimed, relief washing through him.
"Galfore you have to take him," Starfire insisted, handing her brother over to the large warrior. "You need to get him away from here."
"Your highness-"
"Please! Blackfire needs my help. So do Mommy and Daddy. He's too little for this," Starfire insisted, anxiously wiping away her brother's tears. "Dad always said you'd know what to do if something like this happened. I'm trusting you. Take care of him. It's an order."
With a firm nod, Galfore adjusted his hold on the young prince. Starfire paused before tackling the large warrior in a hug. "Be careful princess. That's my order."
With a firm salute, Galfore pulled away and charged down the halls with a crying child in his grasp. Starfire lingered just long enough to watch them go before racing back towards her brother's room. Once there she stumbled upon a horrifying sight. Blackfire stood over a series of bodies, covered in blood, panting heavily with tears streaming down her cheeks. The moment her eyes settled on her younger sister she broke down.
The image ended with two sisters holding onto each other for dear life.
At last the memory faded away leaving behind an empty blank space. To say if left Raven drained was an understatement, but she had a job to do which meant there was no time for a break. Steadying her breathing she let her mind wander in search of a similar memory existing somewhere in the galaxy. For a long time there was nothing, just remnants and pieces of thoughts or feelings that weren't complete. Still, Raven pressed on unaware that days had passed in real time. She was determined to find this lost prince.
As time wore on and she was about to give up hope a burst of color illuminated the darkness. It was the first bit of strong emotion she'd come across since beginning the search. Whether it was the lost prince or not, she reached out to it. She couldn't afford to pass it up.
What she came across was the image of a teenage boy with green eyes, red hair, and the signature set of bangs belonging to the royal family. A splash of freckles radiated across his cheeks and nose. He was alone on a planet that was grey, dingy, and barren aside from a small city centered in a wasteland.
Memories surrounded him in different bursts of color and intensity. The strongest were fragments of a time when he was happy and surrounded by a loving family. Where his sisters doted on him and his parents showered him with affection. Those images were quickly replaced with moments of fear and loneliness.
Certain that she'd found the long lost heir, Raven let out a sigh of relief before melding her own memories with his. She showed him Tamaran, Galfore, Starfire, Blackfire, the tower, and even his old bedroom. At least, she tried. There was no way to guarantee that the young prince was understanding any of this but she hoped he did. At the very least she could confirm he was alive. That he was out there somewhere, maybe not happy, but surviving.
Reality snapped back into focus moments later and Raven found herself back in the scorch marked bedroom drained and trembling. Every part of her felt weak and it took every ounce of remaining strength not to go unconscious.
Thankfully, due to Starfire's anxiousness, the princess had made herself comfortable beside the half demon where she now slept soundly. Shaking Starfire awake, Raven barely waited for those beautiful green eyes to open before muttering, "he's alive."
Sitting upright in less than a second, Starfire managed to catch the half demon just before she fell unconscious. Cradling Raven carefully in her arms she pressed a kiss to the witch's forehead. "Thank you."
— — —
In a perfect world the lost prince would have appeared on his home planet in a moment's notice, but this wasn't a perfect world. Weeks passed without any indication of his return. Slowly, Blackfire's hope faded and she retreated into her old shell of a self. Raven didn't blame her. After what she'd seen, Blackfire's entire pathology made sense. She was a traumatized child who didn't know how to cope.
At some point, even Starfire's hope waned until she decided it was time to return to earth. The trip back was quiet and sullen. As much as Raven wanted to help, she didn't really know how. She'd never had any close family aside from her mother and even then, there was no real chance of her mother coming back to life.
"What if he hates us?" Starfire asked, breaking the silence at long last. "For sending him away?"
"I think he understands," Raven assured. "You were protecting him. You had to."
"He was just so little. We never could have known he'd actually survive," Starfire worried, her brow furrowing in pain. "It could
have just been another death sentence."
"It wasn't though," the half demon encouraged. "You loved him. I saw what you and Blackfire did. Besides, you were seven. What you did was the bravest thing a kid could do."
"Maybe," Starfire nodded, slumping down ever so slightly in her seat. She didn't speak again until they made their way back home.
Once there, she eagerly retreated into solitude only seeking out Raven to give her company. It was a sad miserable sort of existence for a long time. There were many sleepless nights spent on the tower roof top searching the sky for any indication that a red headed Tameranean would emerge. Every shooting star ignited a sense of hope in the princess only for it to be immediately dashed.
"I'm sorry, Star. Really, I am," Raven frowned, watching the night sky alongside the princess. "If I could have brought him back myself I would have."
"I know," Starfire smiled thinly, settling her head on Raven's shoulder. "I'm not mad at you. You did more than enough."
"I know, but I can tell how broken your heart is." The half demon's words were impossibly gentle. "I promise you, I'll keep looking for him until he gets here."
And that's exactly what Raven did. Any chance she could she reached out in search of that familiar aura. On occasion she found it. Sometimes farther away than before or closer. He was on the move, that much she could tell. Any chance she got she'd send him some sort of memory to hopefully encourage his arrival. While there was no guarantee it worked she had faith in the matter.
Inevitably another week passed by and it was then that Starfire seemed to accept the fact that her little brother would not be returning. It was a slow process until she returned to her normal self but even then Raven caught glimpses of a pained sadness.
"Pizza night!" Gar declared, marching through the doorway with a cardboard box in hand. "Also this weirdo wanted to hang out."
To everyone's surprise, Blackfire walked through the doorway looking sheepish until Starfire tackled her in a hug. While it wasn't the reunion either of them particularly wanted, it was clear they needed each other's company. Raven had a sneaking suspicion that being in their little brother's room had stirred up a lot of painful and traumatic memories that both were forced to work through.
"Have you ever even had pizza?" Dick asked, arching a brow at the eldest Tameranean.
"No. It never looked particularly appetizing," Blackfire admitted.
"Starfire swears by it," Cy laughed, eagerly opening the pizza box and passing plates around with steaming slices.
"So, this is your sister?" Barbara asked, having spent more and more time at the tower instead of Wayne Manor.
"Isn't she lovely?" Starfire grinned, hugging Blackfire tightly.
"Lovely is a word alright," Gar chuckled, earning a death glare from the oldest heir.
"Are you staying?" Starfire asked excitedly.
"Yeah. I planned on it. If that's okay with everyone." Blackfire's gentleness seemed to catch everyone off guard. Everyone except Raven.
"You can stay as long as you want," Raven shrugged, earning some skeptical looks from the others. They all knew the history between the two dark haired girls.
"Does this have something to do with that trip to Tamaran?" Gar asked, looking between the three of them.
"Something like that," Raven nodded, not wanting to give too much away. After a few more confused looks the others seemed to accept the matter and dinner continued as normal. Raven watched as both sisters sat comfortably beside each other talking in hushed whispers and sharing a laugh or two. It was good to see them so close now. Time really had changed things.
Overall, the evening remained uneventful until a knock sounded on the door. Frowning, Dick stood, dusted his hands off, and ventured over to the door. As in most cases, everyone watched expectantly.
"Speedy. I wasn't expecting you-" Dick began.
"This one belong to you? He's asking for someone named Rachel," Speedy replied. Dick's posture straightened as he took a few awkward steps back.
"Uh, yeah," Dick nodded, stepping aside to reveal a red headed, green eyed, teenage boy with freckles on his cheeks and nose. Speedy nudged the kid inside. He looked around nervously for a moment before his eyes settled on Raven and he gave a bashful wave.
"Hey, Rachel." The words barely left his mouth before the dining table was nearly flipped over as both Starfire and Blackfire raced forward. In seconds the kid was completely smothered.
"You're so tall!" Starfire exclaimed, holding her baby brother as tight as possible.
"I'm not four anymore," he mused, his eyes welling with tears as if saying that confirmed the gravity of their situation. All at once the three siblings were talking over each other laughing and crying all while everyone else stared wide eyed at the commotion.
Smiling to herself, Raven stood and ventured off on her own. She was immeasurably happy for them as Starfire gave a rushed explanation as to what was going on for the others. Sighing, an invisible weight she didn't know she'd been carrying vanished. She'd kept her promise.
Swallowing tightly, Raven made her way back up to the rooftop where she resided herself to watching the stars. Even from here she could hear everyone asking rapid fire questions along with laughter and sheer joy. It was one of the best sounds in the whole world.
Despite herself, she shed a few tears, wondering what it would have been like if she herself had a proper family to reunite with. Then again, her real family wasn't blood. It was the people inside who made life worth living.
Content now more than ever before, Raven waited until the moon made its appearance and the last shooting star fell from the heavens before making her way back inside. There, she found the three royal siblings tangled up on the couch. Blackfire lay beneath both Starfire and Wildfire, her arms holding them tightly as if she were afraid they'd disappear. Wildfire latched onto Starfire like a koala, his head buried in her neck like he was four years old all over again.
Stifling a laugh, Raven collected a blanket and settled it over the siblings. She placed a pillow beneath Blackfire's head, smoothed over Wildfire's hair, and pressed a kiss to Starfire's cheek. Green eyes fluttered open for a moment and in them was the most sincere gratitude Raven had ever seen.
"I know," Raven assured, a faint smile making its way across her face. After bestowing yet another kiss to her princess, Raven gave the family one last look before retreating to her own room.

And for once, she was more than happy about Starfire's absence from her bed. After all, there was a long lost prince who needed her far more.