Frost and Fire // By Ruby Nye

"Koriand'r! See reason!" Timand'r dodged and spun through the sweet-salt air, diving below a fusillade of shimmering green star-bolts. His currently furious sister, her red hair crackling, soared out over the bay after him. "Reason?" she shrieked, letting loose with a volley which whizzed past Timand'r's shoulder to sizzle into the water. "Give me one reason why I ought not to take you apart!"

Timand'r sighed and rolled away from a bolt that would have seared his hair; flying low across the waves of the bay, he watched Koriand'r streak after him, her narrowed eyes glowing bright as her hands. The water furrowed below him, splashing cool drops on his cheeks, and he briefly thought of how this fight had come to pass. When their sister Komand'r had allied herself with the Gordanians to unfortunately ---and temporarily, Timand'r reminded himself--- claim the throne of Tamaran, she had sold her siblings into captivity; the exiled Timand'r and Koriand'r had fled to Earth, a planet famously blessed with an abundance of adventuring heroes, in search of allies.

What they found were the Titans, whose base was an improbable tower--- its cross-strut at the top?--- beside a shining, hilly city on the western ocean, who were young and cheerful and powerful and incautious, and whose leader was a brash and beautiful human man apparently lacking in powers who could nevertheless fly. Koriand'r had looked at Nightwing like a hungry warrior at a feast; Timand'r had studied him to learn how he soared where ordinary humans could not go. Not that Timand'r's mouth didn't water as well, but he and his sister did have a battle to win on Tamaran before they could sample Earth's pleasures.

Nightwing made it difficult to remember that. He had smiled at them both, all his teeth gleaming, tingeing the night breeze with his warm scent; he had fluffed Timand'r's hair with a warm firm hand, and Timand'r' had pushed into the stroke of his fingertips and considered whether a kiss was an appropriate return gesture. Before he could decide, Koriand'r had screamed and charged, pursuing Timand'r into the evening sky. Now they flew and argued, looping out over the bay, while Timand'r waited for her anger to burn out.

"You are so like Komand'r! Dark-haired, dark-hearted, seizing what I desire!" Koriand'r flung rage and starbolts at Timand'r, who dodged sideways and restrained himself, his hands tingling with impatient flame. They could have spent this time far better, in negotiations with the Titans for their aid; Timand'r could have spent this time examining Nightwing for what made him shine without sunfire, and Koriand'r could have, when Timand'r was done, wound herself round Nightwing like a silutra vine.

"If I were like Komand'r I would strike you--- Ouch!" A bolt clipped his ear, and Timand'r gritted his teeth as he felt the skin tingle painfully, scented an acrid wisp of scorch, heard Koriand'r whoop. Enough was enough, he decided, twisting upwards, shifting his thought to regard her as an opponent; she'd landed a shot amidst all her volleys, but Timand'r aimed, and she flew right at him, making strategy easy. One left-handed blue bolt dropped her as he pulled up into a turn; as he dove to catch her he did not whoop, for she was his sister and the whole fight foolish, but he did permit himself a victorious grin.

The grin changed to curses as he belatedly saw they were over land, Koriand'r tumbling out of the sky all too swiftly. Tamaranian red hair spiraled down towards Terran ground as Timand'r flew as fast as he could, but he was not sure he might reach her in time against the acceleration of Earth's gravity----

----a flash of blue and dark on the tower roof, Koriand'r's hair swinging in an arc, and as Timand'r flew closer he saw her draped over Nightwing's arm, and felt his eyes burn. She was just where she'd wanted to be, and he couldn't help but wonder how that arm felt round her waist.

But the fight was over with them both unharmed, and that was what mattered. When Timand'r touched down Nightwing gave him that broad shining smile. "Sibling spat?" he asked, shifting Koriand'r so her face nestled against his throat, and Timand'r wished he hadn't hit her quite so hard; she'd be unconscious for awhile, and Nightwing showed no sign of putting her down. "She has a temper," he replied flatly, hoping not to be questioned further on it.

Nightwing tilted his head, his thick dark hair shifting in the wind off the ocean. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, pushing his free hand into Timand'r's hair again, and Timand'r wondered once more as his scalp tingled and his eyelids grew heavy why the gesture, which seemed as if it should be minimizing, was even tolerable, let alone so pleasant. Perhaps Nightwing had powers after all, despite what he'd told them about himself. "You two were really something up there. I wonder what it's like to fight beside you, when you're not fighting each other." Koriand'r gave a little moan, limp arm slightly tightening round Nightwing's neck. "She shines like a star on fire, but you, with these blue eyes, you're like star frost. Hmmm. Starfire and Starfrost."

Smiling even wider, Nightwing fluffed his hair again, and Timand'r felt himself smiling in return despite himself, ridiculously pleased. The titles should not have sounded right, but they did; Terrans with their ludicrous multitude of names, and yet...

A gust of wind, and a teenaged boy's voice saying, "Dick, what's with the light show--- oh!" and Timand'r's first glimpse of wide blue eyes staggered him like a blow. Pressing his lips shut and raising his chin lest he appear an awestruck child, Timand'r found himself looking into a guileless face, at a well-built boy close to his own age who bore a red triangle inscribed with a recurve on his chest. This must be the team-member he and Koriand'r hadn't met earlier.

"Superboy," Nightwing --- Dick? --- said reprovingly. Staring at Timand'r all the while, Superboy drifted down till his feet touched the roof. "Allow me to introduce Prince Timand'r and Princess Koriand'r, of the planet Tamaran; the Princess is a little, um, indisposed at the moment. Prince Timand'r, meet Superboy of the Titans." Superboy's hair was even darker than Nightwing's, dark as space between stars, and his smile was bright as Earth's Sun, and Timand'r had to force himself to blink. "Hello, Prince Timand'r," he said, making a bow so enthusiastic he staggered a bit. "I see Nightwing's entertaining the Princess."

Nightwing merely grinned in response. Koriand'r murmured as if asleep, pushing her face into Nightwing's neck, but Timand'r found himself rather less annoyed than a moment before. Superboy offered his hand, and Timand'r recalled the custom and grasped it; a broad hand enfolded his, the skin impossibly soft and young for the banked strength of the grip. "So that was you flying up there?" Superboy asked, waving towards the sky. "All the green flashes and the blue one?"

"The green belonged to Koriand'r," Timand'r told him. "We throw energy bolts."

Superboy nodded, eyes wide enough to fall into. "And the blue's yours, I guess. Does she have green eyes, then?"

"Yes." One shone at Timand'r through a fall of red hair, and Koriand'r grinned over Nightwing's shoulder at him like a poggle on a seed-pile. Well, she might, with Nightwing's arm tight round her, but then Timand'r's hand was still wrapped in Superboy's, and he found himself in no hurry to reclaim it.

Koriand'r chose that moment to get her feet beneath her. "How are you, Princess Koriand'r?" Nightwing asked solicitously, supporting arm still round her waist. Superboy looked over at her, brows rising, and Timand'r rolled his eyes till he saw a blue bolt streak off into the sky. He hadn't even felt it loose. Unpredictable as flight in a storm, these humans were wreaking havoc on his composure. He really ought to mind...

"I am well. This is how we Tamaranians discuss matters," she replied with a smile of her own, and Nightwing did not remove his arm; she wriggled a little, feeling Nightwing's hold, then said to Timand'r, "You are like Komand'r, except that you are not evil, and with these friends I am certain we will defeat her."

Timand'r accepted his sister's peace offering with a nod and a smile, and as she turned back to Nightwing she wriggled again, and purred, and Timand'r watched Nightwing's eyes go round as she looked into them. "Thank you for catching me. Is there a place where we may sit so I may tell you of the home we must free?"

"Y-yes, let's go in, I'd love to hear more about your planet." Nightwing saw nothing but Koriand'r as he turned towards the door, but he did look back over his shoulder to ask, "coming in with us?"

"No way!" Superboy replied; Timand'r found himself oddly pleased by that response, but then the least strange part of the evening so far had been Koriand'r's attack. "Did you see these two fly? I've got to learn some of their moves!"

"I saw them fly," Nightwing replied, shifting his smile and his gaze to Timand'r for a moment, before turning back to Koriand'r as they walked through the door. Superboy shrugged, giving Timand'r's hand a little tug. "His loss. Your sister's hot, but I want to talk to you. Can you show me some of those flips?"

"Of course." Still holding Superboy's hand, but then it would have been much harder to let go, Timand'r let himself be pulled up into the sparkling sky.

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