In this new story, characters and some events from previous stories will be involved/mentioned. In case you've never read any of my previous stories or need to refresh your memories, here is what has gone on before: In Beware of the Bananas, Beast Boy and Starfire lost their memories. In Terra X, Beast Boy, tripping and falling onto the statue, freed Terra from her stone prison. It was also found out that Red X was Robin's clone. In Speed Dating, Starfire learns that the twin she thought dead, Sunfire, was actually alive. She joins Titans East because she is dating Speedy, but is often at the Tower visiting Starfire. In Birthday Surprises, it's Starfire and Sunfire's birthdays. Last but not least in Raven's Origins, Raven's twin Rose comes to the tower searching for help. Raven resented her because she destroyed Azarath as a part of her prophecy. Rose finally gains the Titan's trust and takes them to a clearing. Rose then turns out to be Raven's eldest sister Trigana who tricked the Titans as a part of her plan to take over the world with their father, Trigon. The real Rose and Titania, Trigana's twin, rescue the Titans. In a battle, Trigana and Titania fall off a cliff. Trigana and Titania end up alive and Trigana promises to go good. In a final battle, Trigana, Titania, Rose, and Raven, with the help of Starfire and Sunfire, defeat Trigon. However, Trigana disappears in the process. Now that you're up to speed on with the story:
She stared fascinated at the raindrops gently beating against the window with a tap, tap against the window frame. It was easy to forget her world and drift into an imaginary one. All of the thoughts drifted out of her mind, all of her thoughts, worries, problems, and fears. They feel like they evaporated like the water will tomorrow from their puddles.
"Mom. Mom!"
She felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around; a strand of her brilliant red hair fell loose from its hold in its hair tie, falling in front of her emerald green eyes. Her eyes showed years of sorrow and pain. Her face was pale and narrow with the tinniest hints of laughter from her earlier years. She shook her head, coming out of her trance.
"What?" she whispered softly.
"You ok?" her daughter asked. She looked like her mother except she had luminous baby blue eyes. Her face showed fifteen years of smiling and joy.
"What? Oh. Yeah. I am." The woman gave her daughter a soft smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know. I was just checking.Oh guess what?"
"What?" her mother asked.
"I've got a new poster of the Teen Titans. One with Starfire! This one isthe 16th anniversary of Starfire's disappearance. You know, another one celebrating the work she did before she disappeared."
Her mother's face fell a little. "Wha-what?"
"Yeah. Well you know how much I love the Teen Titans, especially Starfire."
"Yes. Yes I do," her mother said with a sigh.
"Mom?"
"What?"
"Did you like the Teen Titans when you were younger?"
"Sure. Everybody did."
"I wonder whatever happened to Starfire," the daughter mused.
Her mother paled. She didn't have time to answer because a man, the girl's uncle, entered the room. She had never felt more relieved.
"How was school today Kora?" he asked.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Wonderful."
"That's always good," he said, missing the sarcasm.
"Kora, do you have any home work?" her mother asked.
"Yes," Kora said with a sigh. Her mother looked at her. "I'm going! I'm going!"
"That's a good girl," her mother said with a smile.
"Kori, you all right?" Redmond asked after Kora had left.
"Yeah. Why does every one keep asking me?"
"Because we care," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Kori sighed. "I've just been thinking. That's all."
"Thinking or remembering?"
"No Redmond. I was not," she said sharply.
"It's ok. It is. You can remember," he said gently.
"I don't want to!" she said bitterly.
"Are you happy?" he asked.
"Of course I am!"
"So then smile."
"I don't feel like it."
"You haven't felt like it for nearly 16 years!"
"I know. It's been along time."
"You've changed you know. A lot."
"I know," she said softly. That's how she always talked now. Softly. "You have to you know."
"I never said I haven't," he pointed out.
"I'm going to go cook dinner," Kori announced, leaving Red alone to his thoughts.
He raked his hands through his jet-black hair. His baby blue eyes glanced out the window at the rain. He didn't understand why Kori fought so hard to forget her past. It's not like she had that bad of a past. His past was worse. He didn't have one. The furthest back he could remember was 15. She could remember when she was 2. Then again she had a really, really good memory. So good she hated it. All she seemed to want to do was to forget.
He continued to stare out the window, relaxing after a day of long day of work dealing art and teaching martial arts to many eager children and teens. He hadn't always been into teaching. But Kori helped him change into a more open person. She's changed so much. She's a whole lot different than the naïve girl she was when he first met her.
His eyes swept over the room. He laughed at all of the paint and art supplies laying about the room. Kori really should find start packing it up along with the rest of the stuff if they were going to start the remodeling soon. He kept nagging her to do it. She'd laugh and say she was getting to it when in reality she was just procrastinating. It's not like she didn't have the time. She did since she only worked at the day care from 10:00-2:00. Thinking about her laugh, he realized that even it wasn't the same. It wasn't as... cheerful. It was sadder, almost as if it hurt her to laugh.
The door burst open and in came Jenny. Her hair, died blue for the time being, was falling out of her pigtails and flying into her pink eyes. Her narrow, pale face glistened with sweat. She stooped and panted.
"Good run?" Kori asked coming into the room, holding a wooden spoon. Her cooking used to be horrid but gradually got better.
"Great," Jenny replied between breaths.
"Well dinner's almost ready. Then you can take your shower before your shift at the bar," Kori said.
Jenny nodded. She worked for a cosmetics company during the day and at the local bar at night. She found it was best for her to keep busy. So that she too could forget her past. The fact that her fiancé was dead and that it was all her fault. She was broken before she found Kori and Red. She still was but they helped her. Just like she knew they always would. The three of them were always there for each other.
"Hey Aunt Jenny!" Kora exclaimed, coming downstairs. That's how Kora always talked. She exclaimed.
"How was school?" Jenny asked.
Kora rolled her eyes. "Boring."
"Yeah, yeah. At least you didn't go to a horrible private school," Jenny said with a hint of bitterness.
"Yeah well I wish I could be home schooled like Mom and Uncle Red were."
"That's enough," Kori said. "You're homework finished?"
"Yes. I'm gonna go call Kara before dinner ok?" she said before running back up the stairs to her room.
Jenny shook her head. "That girl."
Ready to go to the bar, Jenny grabbed her jacket from the coat closet. "I'll finish packing up things tomorrow ok? It's my day off," she called to Kori. "I'm off now!" Walking out the door she noticed a slip of paper tucked into the screen door. "What's this?" she asked to herself opening the paper. Jenny paled. "Kori! Redmond! I think I have something you need to see!" she called running back into the house.
"For goodness sake, what is it?" Kori asked.
"This."
Kori took the paper from Jenny's hand and read it, paling in the process. She passed it to Redmond.
"Where'd you find this?" Redmond asked softly.
"It was tucked in the screen door," she said nodding to the door.
"It's probably just a prank. Just a prank," Redmond said, trying to be convincing. "Besides, we don't know what it is they know."
"Right. Right," Jenny said. "Well I have to go to work now."
"Right, um, see you later," Kori said nodding.
She kept nodding as she crumpled the note and walked into the kitchen. Shehad to keep reassuring herself that things were fine. She tossed the note into the trashcan and continued her cleaning. The note un-crumpled revealing the words "I know your secret" written in menacing, large letters.
It's been almost16 years she told herself. If anyone knew, they would've said something earlier. Or so she tried to convince herself.