Equilibrium
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, nor Blackfire, though she ROCKS!
It was her sister that received the power. It was her sister that received the love and admiration of the people. It was her darling little sister that caused her pain and tribulation.
"Starfire." She spat the name from her mouth in utter revulsion. There she was, hardly eight revolutions in age and bouncing on father's lap like the little cherub she was. Mother was there too, and both of their attention was spent raptly on their youngest daughter, while she, the eldest, remained withdrawn and lethargic; hidden in shadow. She was only a bystander of this family; she had been no more a part of it than the moment she had been born. Her mere existence was a mockery of justice or equality. She was powerless. She would have given anything, even sold her soul for the power her lineage possessed. Her ability to fly, the power to harness the bolts used to protect their world, her birthright. All of them-had been bestowed upon her sister's tiny, incompetent shoulders.
Her hands clenched into clawed fists, even behind the fold she kept tightly abreast her chest; her knuckles cracked with the action. Her eyes widened slightly as she froze, her mother glanced sharply in her direction. Her father, nor little sister seemed to notice. The Queen regarded her daughter with soft brown eyes, portraying her sadness. Blackfire could have sworn she saw an unbidden tear roll down the Queen's delicate cheek. Blackfire smirked, glaring hatefully at her mother, before her face pulled into the tight frown she had become so accustomed to.
You pity me now, mother? She gritted her teeth, unconsciously grinding them in simpering silence. Her lips curled back into a snarl. Save your tears. I need them not.
With that, she turned her back to her kindred and stalked away. Blackfire began to set the long, winding course to her chambers, and then thought better of it. There was nothing there but painful memories and broken promises. Instead she turned for the gate toward the East wing. With nothing to occupy her but her pacing feet, she returned to the thoughts that had plagued her in the throne room.
She had no authority and she would not rule. Her potential had been dashed ever since the little wretch had been born. She had persuaded her parents to further her knowledge in combat, to possess some skill that would perhaps be of use to them. Their lack of enthusiasm insulted her, but they yielded to her demands and she persevered to the top of her fighting class and aspired with impossible swiftness, learning nearly all styles on her home planet. She continued her training with other mentors in other worlds, arranging a flight pattern since she had been denied the right-at the same age her sister was now. She recalled one return home and receiving a greeting almost immediately from her little sister.
"Blackfire! I have missed you, sister!" Starfire cried embracing her older sibling. Blackfire pet the girl's head briefly and drew away. She knelt before her sister, leaning in close to her face.
"I learned something really cool," Blackfire smiled wryly, glancing around and lowering her voice, "do you want to see?" The little red-head nodded enthusiastically. "Just remember: You asked for this." Her little sister opened her mouth to inquire her sister's meaning when her right wrist was seized and twisted behind her back. In one fluid motion, Blackfire caught up her sister's arm, shoved a knee into her spine and smashed her to the ground. Starfire saw blackness edge in her vision and cried out in pain and terror as she tasted something liquid and metallic in her mouth. She screamed and the weight on her body lifted. The red-haired girl sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. When she opened them her sister was gone and her mother and father rushed to her side.
Tears sprang into the girl's eyes suddenly and she sobbed as her mother picked her up and examined her face.
"What happened?" she asked frantically. "Who did this to you?"
"B-Blackfire-" she choked, and her father roared her sister's name. Her mother swept away from the room and placed the young girl into her chambers. "Mother, why is Father so angry?" she asked, smearing her tears away to gaze up at her mother with wide green eyes.
"I am sorry, my darling, but your father and I must speak with your sister."
With that her mother left. Starfire sat a moment alone, and could not help the curiosity that seized her. She crept from her room and hid close to the throne room entrance, settling behind a tiny tree that her mother had insisted be placed in the hall. Concealed in the bush, she could see both ends of the hall at once and she eagerly awaited her sister's arrival, for it was not the first time Blackfire had been pushed along this corridor to face her parents. She did not have to wait long to see her sister being prodded forward by two burly guards. As Blackfire neared, Starfire saw an intensity in her sister's eyes that she had never seen before. Her entire face seemed to radiate this feeling that Starfire did not understand. What did it mean? Her elder sister's gaze passed over her Starfire's hiding place, but years of combat had sharpened her eyes. The intensity amplified, and Starfire found it difficult to breathe.
"Snitch." Blackfire snarled hatefully behind curled lips. Starfire drew away, melting under her sister's glare. The moment passed, and Starfire felt air returning slowly to her lungs. She panicked. Should she leave, or was her sister lying in wait to lash out at her again? Starfire paused for a moment, and she had turned to leave when voices rose above the hall. "It is not of my concern!" -her sister.
"It is all of your concern, you are her older sister and should be there to set an example!"
"What example am I to set when I have no prestige as it was?"
A pause, then thumping footsteps.
"We are not finished here, young lady-"
"But I am!"
Blackfire stormed out of the throne room, past her sister, past the guards, who feared to stop the princess on her warpath, past the servants, and finally out the door, which she brutally assailed open enough to hear the hinges squeal in outcry.
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, nor Blackfire, though she ROCKS!
It was her sister that received the power. It was her sister that received the love and admiration of the people. It was her darling little sister that caused her pain and tribulation.
"Starfire." She spat the name from her mouth in utter revulsion. There she was, hardly eight revolutions in age and bouncing on father's lap like the little cherub she was. Mother was there too, and both of their attention was spent raptly on their youngest daughter, while she, the eldest, remained withdrawn and lethargic; hidden in shadow. She was only a bystander of this family; she had been no more a part of it than the moment she had been born. Her mere existence was a mockery of justice or equality. She was powerless. She would have given anything, even sold her soul for the power her lineage possessed. Her ability to fly, the power to harness the bolts used to protect their world, her birthright. All of them-had been bestowed upon her sister's tiny, incompetent shoulders.
Her hands clenched into clawed fists, even behind the fold she kept tightly abreast her chest; her knuckles cracked with the action. Her eyes widened slightly as she froze, her mother glanced sharply in her direction. Her father, nor little sister seemed to notice. The Queen regarded her daughter with soft brown eyes, portraying her sadness. Blackfire could have sworn she saw an unbidden tear roll down the Queen's delicate cheek. Blackfire smirked, glaring hatefully at her mother, before her face pulled into the tight frown she had become so accustomed to.
You pity me now, mother? She gritted her teeth, unconsciously grinding them in simpering silence. Her lips curled back into a snarl. Save your tears. I need them not.
With that, she turned her back to her kindred and stalked away. Blackfire began to set the long, winding course to her chambers, and then thought better of it. There was nothing there but painful memories and broken promises. Instead she turned for the gate toward the East wing. With nothing to occupy her but her pacing feet, she returned to the thoughts that had plagued her in the throne room.
She had no authority and she would not rule. Her potential had been dashed ever since the little wretch had been born. She had persuaded her parents to further her knowledge in combat, to possess some skill that would perhaps be of use to them. Their lack of enthusiasm insulted her, but they yielded to her demands and she persevered to the top of her fighting class and aspired with impossible swiftness, learning nearly all styles on her home planet. She continued her training with other mentors in other worlds, arranging a flight pattern since she had been denied the right-at the same age her sister was now. She recalled one return home and receiving a greeting almost immediately from her little sister.
"Blackfire! I have missed you, sister!" Starfire cried embracing her older sibling. Blackfire pet the girl's head briefly and drew away. She knelt before her sister, leaning in close to her face.
"I learned something really cool," Blackfire smiled wryly, glancing around and lowering her voice, "do you want to see?" The little red-head nodded enthusiastically. "Just remember: You asked for this." Her little sister opened her mouth to inquire her sister's meaning when her right wrist was seized and twisted behind her back. In one fluid motion, Blackfire caught up her sister's arm, shoved a knee into her spine and smashed her to the ground. Starfire saw blackness edge in her vision and cried out in pain and terror as she tasted something liquid and metallic in her mouth. She screamed and the weight on her body lifted. The red-haired girl sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. When she opened them her sister was gone and her mother and father rushed to her side.
Tears sprang into the girl's eyes suddenly and she sobbed as her mother picked her up and examined her face.
"What happened?" she asked frantically. "Who did this to you?"
"B-Blackfire-" she choked, and her father roared her sister's name. Her mother swept away from the room and placed the young girl into her chambers. "Mother, why is Father so angry?" she asked, smearing her tears away to gaze up at her mother with wide green eyes.
"I am sorry, my darling, but your father and I must speak with your sister."
With that her mother left. Starfire sat a moment alone, and could not help the curiosity that seized her. She crept from her room and hid close to the throne room entrance, settling behind a tiny tree that her mother had insisted be placed in the hall. Concealed in the bush, she could see both ends of the hall at once and she eagerly awaited her sister's arrival, for it was not the first time Blackfire had been pushed along this corridor to face her parents. She did not have to wait long to see her sister being prodded forward by two burly guards. As Blackfire neared, Starfire saw an intensity in her sister's eyes that she had never seen before. Her entire face seemed to radiate this feeling that Starfire did not understand. What did it mean? Her elder sister's gaze passed over her Starfire's hiding place, but years of combat had sharpened her eyes. The intensity amplified, and Starfire found it difficult to breathe.
"Snitch." Blackfire snarled hatefully behind curled lips. Starfire drew away, melting under her sister's glare. The moment passed, and Starfire felt air returning slowly to her lungs. She panicked. Should she leave, or was her sister lying in wait to lash out at her again? Starfire paused for a moment, and she had turned to leave when voices rose above the hall. "It is not of my concern!" -her sister.
"It is all of your concern, you are her older sister and should be there to set an example!"
"What example am I to set when I have no prestige as it was?"
A pause, then thumping footsteps.
"We are not finished here, young lady-"
"But I am!"
Blackfire stormed out of the throne room, past her sister, past the guards, who feared to stop the princess on her warpath, past the servants, and finally out the door, which she brutally assailed open enough to hear the hinges squeal in outcry.