Chapter 1: Zero Year 1

Authors note: Bold Italics= Flashbacks

Italics=Author's note/Final notes

Chapter 1: Zero Year 1

The queen of Tamaran ran through the halls of the castle towards the throne room with a speed so great that even the naturally gifted Tamaranians found the speed above the norm. This was it. The time in all her life that Koriand'r had wished would never come...The Gordanians were attacking. The Tamaranian-Gordanian relationship over the last few years was slowly diminishing, but now it was completely broken. The Gordanians wanted Tamaran for their own, but they would not have her without a fight.

"Ryand'r!" The queen called out to her younger brother as she reached the throne room. "Ryand'r it is happening. Fetch Mar'i, we have no time to waste. " The prince, of course, obeyed his sister, and as quickly as he could remove his young niece from the bed she was sleeping in.

"Mother?" The sleepy-eyed princess asked, "What is happening? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, my poor Starshine. Do not fret, everything will be fine." Starfire stroked the hair of the young girl, calming her for the upcoming bad news "Starshine, My love, you must leave Tamaran."

Mar'i stared at her mother in disbelief, "I do not understand. Why am I to leave Tamaran? This is my home, mother. I can't-".

"Mar'i, It is no longer safe for you on Tamaran. The Gordanians are attacking lead by my sister, your aunt, Komand'r. If she knew an heir to the throne beside Ryand'r existed she wouldn't have that. She would kill you on the spot." The young girl still looked confused, "Not only would she kill you for being another heir to the throne, she would have you killed for being only half Tamaranian, my love, and I refuse to let that happen."

"So why would you send me away?" Mar'i asked, "Let us go into battle together, defeat Komand'r. I refuse to disgrace myself by running. Let me face her like the warrior I am." Mar'i pleaded.

"I think not. You are far too young, Mar'i. Eight years of age is not a lot of fighting experience. Besides, I can work on protecting Tamaran knowing you are away and safe." Mar'i nodded. Her mother had always known what was best for her. This time, wouldn't be any different.

"Where will you send me?" Mar'i asked.

"A place where I know they will never touch you." Koriand'r answered, "You will go to Earth, to your father." Koriand'r handed a letter to the young princess.

Mar'i looked up at her mother in surprise, "Father?" Her mother had never spoken of her father before.

"Yes."

"And when will I be able to return?" The young princess asked.

"My Starshine, I love you so very much, but I do not know. You will return to Tamaran when the X'hal sees fit. I will come to get you one day. I promise" Starfire reached for her daughter and pulled her into a crushing hug. She wanted to remember every bit of this moment, her daughter in her arms. She didn't want to let go, but she knew she must. And so she did.

"When you get on Earth you will find the Justice League, they can help you find your father. When you see him give him this letter." Koriand'r instructed.

"How will I know it is him?" Mar'i asked.

"He wears the symbol of a blue bird upon his chest. Though his face is masked, you will know him when you see him. Do you understand?" Though Mar'i didn't she nodded. "Now promise me that you will not return to Tamaran until I come for you."

"I promise, Mother."

"Good girl. Now, Ryand'r!" The queen called to her brother who had been standing there silently waiting for his sister to finish her goodbyes, but before he could answer his sister's calls a force tore through the throne sending all three royals flying.

Mar'i stood up with ringing ears faintly aware of the small stream of blood flowing from a cut on her forehead. She could hardly register the screams and yells coming from her mother and uncle. Before she knew it, her uncle took her up in his arms and flew her out of the throne. The young princess could only scream for her mother as they flew away from the shrinking sight of Tamaran's capital city.

"Be quiet!" A stern female voice said in a hushed tone, "I think she's waking up."

"Good. I was scared. She was injured," said a male voice.

"Surprisingly, not heavily. She had some cuts and scrapes. Where did you two find her again?" Asked the female voice losing the harsh edge it once had.

"Floating amongst space debris." Answered another male voice.

"What was a child doing there?" the female sounded horrified at the idea.

"I thought she was human when we came across her." The first male voice said

The woman scoffed, "Obviously she's not human if she can survive the vacuum of space, Hal."

"I swear she looks so human." He insisted.

"A lot of Alien species look human."

"Even still, I could swear she was human." The male voice, Hal said.

"Smooth, Jordan." The second male voice said with a chuckle. "Now that we have established that she is not human, any ideas what species she actually is?"

"I'm Tamaranian." Princess Mar'i spoke finally awake. She groaned in pain. She was groggy, her body ached. She wished for nothing more than sleep.

"Tamaranian? She doesn't look it." Commented Hal.

"Where am I?" Asked Mar'i. Looking around she could tell this wasn't her destination of earth. It was a different planet.

"You're on Zamaron. I'm Carol, leader of the Star Sapphires who populate this planet. These two Green Lanterns found you amongst space debris, which I'm guessing is from your ship. Can you tell us who you are?" Mar'i nodded. She tried to stand but winced at the pain and remained seated. This wasn't an official meeting in the Tamaranian court anyway.

"I'm Princess Mar'i of Tamaran, daughter of Queen Koriand'r, deliverer of Tamaran, first of her name." Mar'i recited perfectly.

Hal whistled, "Princess, nice- Wait did you say Tamaran?" Mar'i nodded.

"Do you know of any Tamranians?" She asked.

"Just one. Went by the moniker Starfire on Earth." He answered.

"That is my mother's name. Well, the English translation." Mar'i said excitedly. These men could definitely take her to her father if they knew her mother during her time on Earth.

"Know that we're acquainted better. " Carol turned back to the young girl. "Can you tell us what happened to you?" That's when it all came rushing back to Mar'i. The screaming, The smell of fire and smoke, the fear of being captured, all of it came rushing back.

"Starshine, My love, you have to leave Tamaran."

"Good girl. Now, Ryand'r!"

"Now, listen carefully, Mar'i. I've already set the proper coordinates to get you to Earth. If anything happens to the ship, hit the eject button and fly to the closest planet. Once there try to see if you can get someone to take you as close to earth as possible before trying to fly there on your own."

"Hello?! Hello?! This Mar'i of Tamaran. My ship under attack. I need help!" There was no answer on the radio. "Please!" Still no answer. Once again her ship was hit with a barrage of lasers coming from the enemy ship. It was no use. So Mar'i did the only thing she could do. She hit the eject button, sending her flying from the ship seconds before it exploded. She would have flown to the closest planet if not for the hard metal piece of her ship being set into the back of her head, knocking the princess unconscious.

"I had to leave Tamaran. The Gordanians. My ship was attacked. I tried to eject before the ship exploded, but I was caught in it." She said, holding her head. It hurt. They had bandaged it. Mar'i had remembered the terrible cut she had gotten on her forehead and blow she had taken that knocked her out.

"That explains a lot."

"Her information makes sense. It has been confirmed the Tamaran was attacked by the Gordanians." Carol explained further. "But where were you planning to go, Princess? Tamaran doesn't have many allies that would keep it's princess while the Gordanians are searching for her."

Mar'i smiled sadly, "Yes, that is true. My mother has been trying to improve our relations with other planets, but our history with them seems to be not forgotten."

"So where were you trying to go?" John pushed further.

"Where will you send me?"

"A Place where I know they will never touch you. You will go to Earth, to your father."

"Father?"

Mar'i opened the letter her mother slipped into her hand before she left. Inside was a letter, and a picture. The picture was of her mother and a man. A man with Mar'i's midnight black, the shape of her nose and her smile. This man, Mar'i knew was her father. This man with the symbol of what looked to be a blue bird on his chest. The only thing written on the back of the picture were the words Nightwing, and Blüdhaven.

"I was trying to get to Earth to my father," Mar'i pulled the Picture of her father, "I heard you said that you thought I was human, well you were half right. If you're from Earth then I want your aid in order to find him, my father. Do you know this man?" Mar'i showed her saviors the picture. The immediate reaction was hanging mouths from the two green lanterns.

"Nightwing," Hal whispered as he stared in awe at the princess as if he were looking at her for the first time.

"It makes sense." John replied, "He was with Starfire."

"She must not have told him," Hal said with surprise. "We'll have to bring her to Earth. If she's his kid…" Hall trailed off.

"The only way to tell if she's really telling the truth is to bring her to him," John said as if a decision had been made.

"Alright, Princess. We'll take you to Earth, to you father."

Final Notes:

Original word count:1445

Sorry, I know. It's short! More will be out soon This I swear!

Please Review/Like/follow

with love,

Miyu K.~ June 14, 2014