Starfire and Arella

“Raven did not do this!,” she shouted to them again, fist clenched and emitting a neon green glow.

Everyone stood tensely frozen until Starfire realized just what she had done. Sulkily, she relaxed her muscles and her hand dropped down to her side.

“I wish to be somewhere else.” She breathed softly, turning and leaving the room before anyone else could say something to her. The alien princess paused just outside the door, expecting them to follow, and after a moment she left without them and back into the hallway.

It was unfair. Things like this didn’t happen. Why had Raven left them just after they had assured her that she would be assisted in any endeavors? Starfire sighed. Of course she knew why Raven came out here, but nothing with Raven was ever as it seemed. Cyborg had mentioned that she came for Slade, and if that were true, why was it someone else who died? Where was Slade now? Raven?

Her legs brought her to a stop in front of one of the larger hall windows. She was too sad to fly; her body just would not float for the life of her. All of it was because she just couldn’t understand why Raven just couldn’t ask her for help with tracking Slade, even after all they did for her. Her orange arms wrapped around herself in a silent hug as green on green eyes gazed out into the surrounding wooded property.

Starfire prided herself in thinking she was Raven’s best friend. Perhaps she didn’t know Raven to a sensory level and mutual understanding such as Robin, but out of the others, she felt Raven had confided the most in her. Raven could have at least told her what was happening, or confided in her why she’d come for Slade.

She lazily looked up as a form passed between trees. Alien eyes brushed against purple eyes gazing up at her. Instantly Starfire’s eyes widened as her breath pacened. Not even alerting the boys, she scrambled to pull the window open. The action seemed to alert the figure below, for she turned and disappeared further into the foliage. With the window opened, Star slid out, hope suddenly allowing her to capture flight once more. She quickly jerked her head around in search before brushing into the trees.

Her heart beat hurriedly, she had seen her. She was out here and she had to find her before she ran off again.

“Raven!,” she called out, hoping that would be enough to stop her. However, Starfire didn’t wait to see if it had, for she continued to fly panicked through the trees.

When eyes laid on the moving figure again, finally stopped, Starfire dashed to the spot with great velocity. Arms were open, and when she was in reach, smothered the other in the tightest of Tamaranian hugs.

“Friend! We have been so worried!,” her arms squeezed tighter still, her face snuggling into the other’s back. “You must come with me to tell the boys you were not responsible for this!”

“Perhaps, indirectly I am, child.” It was soft and husky, rich and older, and it was certainly not Raven’s.

Starfire’s eyes opened, her arms loosening as she stumbled back away, and looking to the other’s back. The hair of head was her teammate’s signature lavender, but she was unmistakably taller than Raven, and although her garments were hooded, were not the trademark blue.

“Who…who are you?,” Starfire murmured, on the edge between startlement and defense.

The woman tilted her head around revealing a much longer face and narrower eyes than her friend with natural terran skin. This woman and Raven appeared so much alike, it was not entirely like the similarities between her and her sister. A sudden gasp left Starfire’s lips as the connection in her head was made.

“I know you.,” the alien claimed, floating off her feet and around to the woman’s front.

Starfire had switched bodies with Raven once. The situation had called for them to reveal details of their lives so that they could overcome the danger they were in. And this person was one of the details Raven had relayed to her.

“You are the arella, the…,” she paused, trying to remember what her pale friend had translated the Azarian word to. “You are the messenger.”

“I am.,” she stated.

Starfire didn’t hesitate in giving the woman another hug, this time gentler and welcoming. Arella merely returned the hug by wrapping an arm around the alien’s shoulders and laying a hand on her head.

“My daughter was here.,” Arella murmured in a hushed, husky tone.

Starfire reluctantly released the other and floated back. Her face was downcast again at the mentioning of her absent friend. Instead of plaguing her instantly with questions, she simply nodded her head in agreement.

“My friends have found her blood, I am worried she is injured somewhere.” It took a moment for her to state as such.

“No, I mean here.,” the other indicated with the gesture of her hand to the mud beside her.

Starfire looked in that direction noticing it for the first time. Signs of a struggle were present in the soft dirt, filled slightly into puddles with rain residue. An orange hand rose to her mouth in silent horror.

Sticking out of the mud was a discarded mask. Slade’s mask.

Arella retrieved it wordlessly, wiping the mud with her white skirts, and then handed it to the other.

Slade and Raven fought here, Starfire bit her lip at the thought. Slade had not left his mask as a calling card since before Trigon became involved with him. It would seem to reason that he didn’t purposely place it there this time. Then Raven had knocked it off.

“What happened?,” Starfire said hollowly, heavily. She turned pleadingly to the mother.

Arella lingered her gaze a moment on the Tamaranian eyes before gazing upward, away distantly.

“Something that was preordained. Nothing could stop it.,” she finally summoned an answer. Her hand pulled the hood atop her head. It didn’t hide her face no where near the extent a hood tended to hide Raven, but the similarity was noticeable to the titan.

“Robin says that you can control your own destiny. I believe all that has happened here was the misfortune of a sketching.” Her tone, although still light with sadness, had a serious edge to it.

Arella turned her head with confusion towards the alien. “Bad luck of the draw?”

Starfire didn’t allow for her unique English to deter her any. She simply exhaled shakily. “I do not believe that Raven will complete the prophecy.”

Arella looked sadly down to her, pitying. The alien was naive, yes, but she had never experienced the evil that was Trigon like her and her daughter. There was no use in arguing with the child.