A/N: Hiii everyone! I know, I know, how the hell do I mange to update so slowly? It's kind of a gift I guess. No,but seriously, I'm really sorry about the long wait. A lot of things happened in the last months, and let's just say I got distracted with a few things (yes, I'm looking at you,The Last Jedi, the Greatest Showman and Asassin's Creed, I swear the Frye twins are going to be the death of me.) But anyway, I finally managed to seat down and write, so yaaay me! Once more thank you all for you're patience and your support (65 follows? What the heck guys?) You're all awesome! By the way, this is the last chapter before I start with the movie timeline, so get ready (if I manage to update...) There's a bit of angst, but it's mostly fluff. Enjoy! :)

I stared at the freshly planted flowers, trying to feel something. Anything. But there was just an empty feeling inside my chest. I wished I could cry, but my eyes were dry. I gripped the shovel a little tighter, making my knuckles turn white. Themyschira was supposed to be a paradise, a place where anyone could be safe. There were no illnesses, no pain, no death, right? Wrong.

"We will all miss him" Diana said, an arm wrapped around my waist.

"He was a great cat" Artemis cleared her throat "a bit fat, but a gentle animal without any doubt."

We all stood in a circle around Plato's grave, in our garden. Both my moms stood by my side, and Artemis and Phillipus were there too. Epione, Penthesilea, and even Hyppolita had come to our humble ceremony. Of course, Diana was there too, saying goodbye with me.

Mena had insisted to plant some flowers over the patch of dirt and I had to admit it had been very thoughtful. It just seemed like we had decided to redecorate our garden, and the flowers brought a sparkle of colour to the otherwise grey ceremony.

It had happened so fast. One day Plato was completely fine and the next one he was sick. True, he was old, but it still seemed like it wasn't fair. I had asked Epione for help, but although she was the most skilled healer on Themyschira, she couldn't do anything for him. She did make his last days less painful, though, and I would be forever grateful to her for that.

As the sun went down and the sky turned darker, the Amazons left and went to their houses. Epione was the first to leave, followed by Penthesilea. The Amazon hugged me tightly and told me that she would understand if I didn't go to the library with her next day. But I assured her I would be there. The last thing I needed right then was free time.

Artemis left shortly after, declining my moms' invitation to stay for dinner. Pilliphus, however, waited until the Queen had said her goodbyes and accompanied her and Diana back to the palace. There probably wasn't a single Amazon on the island who hadn't noted how close Phillipus was becoming to Hyppolita. According to what Artemis had told me one night after a few drinks, the Amazon had been in love with her Queen for quite a long time. She said she was happy her friend had finally decided to listen to her feelings and I couldn't help but to agree with her. Hyppolita laughed more when Phillipus was around, and Diana had told me that since her mother started spending more time with the warrior she looked happier. So, it was pretty obvious to me that seeing Hyppolita and Phillipus together would soon become a usual thing.

I watched as Diana left, the taste of her lips still lingering on mine after her goodbye kiss. But unfortunately, as the night fell the knot on my stomach only grew. I went directly to bed as I couldn't even fathom the idea of eating. I lied still on my bed, listening to the hushed sounds of the night and trying to ease my mind. But I just couldn't. It looked like I would spend a restless night.

But then, breaking the stillness of the air, I heard someone calling me in a whispering voice. I sat up and searched the darkness surrounding me for the source of the voice, but found nothing. The whisper was heard again. It seemed like it came from outside my window. Confused, I kicked the covers off and put my bare foot on the cold ground. I walked to the window and looked down to the garden, not really knowing what I would find.

Diana was there, a big smile on her face. A cloak covered her shoulders and hid what looked like her nightgown from view. I stared at her with a shocked expression. What was she doing there?

"Are you going to let me in or what? It's cold outside."

Her tone was humorous and light, as if she thought that the situation we found ourselves in was completely normal.

"What are you doing here?" I asked finally voicing my thoughts.

"Well, you and Plato used to sleep together every night" she said, her smile faltering "and I just thought that, maybe, you felt a little alone in that bed all by yourself."

My cheeks reddened as I understood the real meaning of her words.

"Will you let me in, please?" Diana asked again seeing that I wasn't going to talk "I wasn't joking about the cold."

I nodded quickly, not really trusting my mouth to say anything remotely coherent. But then I realised that the only way in was through the door, and I didn't think it was a good idea that my moms knew about Diana's unexpected visit. I was going to tell that to her, but suddenly she started climbing the house's wall with ease. I shook my head in disbelief, that girl was definitely something else.

Soon enough, Diana's head popped before me, a mischievous smile on her lips. I stood to the side, allowing her to jump in. As we were standing face to face, I suddenly realised that, even thought I had grown taller as the years passed, she still towered before me. Which made feel like I was shorter than I really was.

Diana shrugged off her coat and it fell with a soft thump on the floor. As I had suspected, she was wearing he nightclothes. Which meant that she had sneaked out of the palace without her mother knowing.

"You could get in trouble" I noted.

"I don't care" she quickly answered.

She closed the space between us and wrapped her arms around me. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

"I was worried about you" she confessed.

"I'm fine" I mumbled.

She sighed and pressed her lips softly against my forehead. I leaned into her touch and felt my body relax a little.

"I couldn't sleep" I admitted.

"I suspected as much" Diana chuckled "that's why I'm here"

Reluctantly, I stepped out of her embrace and climbed on my bed. She quickly followed my lead and lied beside me under the covers. Our arms were touching but it was as if we both hesitated to lean closer. It looked like Diana had lost her usual confidence and I quickly thought of something to say to break the sudden tension.

"I hope you don't snore."

Diana laughed quietly and a small simile appeared on my lips.

"Is it okay if, if I come closer?" she asked hesitantly after a pause.

I turned my head to look at her. Her eyes were staring back expectantly, but I could see a certain worriedness in them. I nodded and she let out a sigh, as if she had been holding it. She circled my waist with her arm and pulled me closer. I rested my head on her chest, embracing her with my arms. Her familiar scent filled my lungs and I instinctively relaxed in her arms. Diana started stroking my hair softly and, finally, the hole in my chest became more bearable. I kissed her neck softly and she hummed.

Before falling asleep, I reached out with my recently discovered ability and searched for Diana's mind, which was becoming more and more familiar. I quickly found it, it was a like beacon in the dark, and sent a whispered message: Thank you.

"Sleep, my love. I will be here when you wake up" Diana murmured.

That was only the first of many nights where we slept in each other's arms.


"That's not bad at all, Ariadne" Penthasilea praised me.

"Thank you" I answered without looking up, my attention entirely focused on the paper before me. The mighty Hercules stared back at me with a proud look on his face. I furrowed my brows in concentration as I tried to shadow the lion fur covering his shoulders just right.

We were in Themyschira's library, just like every morning. Penthasilea had insisted that I had to learn to draw man too, not just women. And she had suggested that I should look at the other Amazons' work to get some inspiration. As it had turned out, the scene were the Greek hero stole Hyppolita's belt was a recurrent theme. And so I had decided to try to draw the man myself. After a few disastrous attempts, it was finally turning far better than I expected.

"Thank you" I smiled to the Amazon.

She smiled back and turned her attention back to the pile of books in front of her. She was probably preparing our next lesson. A sudden thought crossed my mind.

"Pen?" I asked, calling her by the nickname I heard other Amazons use. As our classes together had become more of a habit, I found myself getting closer to her and enjoying her company.

"Yes?" she said.

"Do you remember when it happened?" I asked pointing at the drawing with my head "when Hercules stole Hyppolita's belt?"

Her smile faltered slightly and I worried I had said something wrong.

"Why are you asking?"

"Simple curiosity" I answered honestly and shrugged.

Pen sighed and rubbed her temple, like she had a sudden headache. She didn't say anything for a few seconds and I was going to take the question back when she finally spoke.

"I was already an Amazon back then, if that's what you were asking."

It wasn't, but seeing how my words had affected her I didn't really want to push the subject. However, she probably saw my struggle and sighed again.,

"That day…" she paused, lost in thought for a moment, before continuing "that day I had gone hunting with Aella and Artemis. When we returned, the other's told us what happened" she turned to me "so I can't really explain to you what really happened."

She had spoken quickly, her words smashing against each other. She didn't usually act that way, but I just decided to drop it. If there was something she didn't want to tell me, that was perfectly fine. It wasn't my business after all. But I found myself feeling hurt for her lack of trust in me. Which was completely stupid. I promptly returned to my drawing, trying to stop my mind from thinking anymore about it.

Penthasilea returned to the books too, and a awkward silence fell over us. It was the first time since she had begun teaching me that I felt uncomfortable with her.

"Yep, she's definitely hiding something." Diana said.

I had just told her what had happened at the library. At first I wasn't sure, but I was glad I did. There was no point in worrying about it alone. However, when she gave me her mischievous smile I asked myself if it had been a bad idea.

"She said that she went hunting with Aella and Artemis, right?" she asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

I nodded, afraid of what she might say next.

"Then we should talk to them!" she stood up, emphasising her words.

"Absolutely not." I immediately said.

"Why not?" Diana huffed "come on, it will be fun!"

"I don't want to invade her privacy like that!" I explained "if she doesn't want to talk about it, it must be for a reason. And we should respect that."

"Fine" Diana sighed and sat down again. She pulled up a few strings of grass and started breaking them with her fingers.

I rolled my eyes at her antics.

"I thought you wanted to show me what my mom has taught you today" I started with a half-smile.

She huffed but didn't answer. She could be so melodramatic sometimes. But two could play at that game.

"Okay then" I stood up and shook the dirt off my tunic "in that case, I'll go and do something more interesting than just sit here while you're sulking."

I started to walk but only managed to take a few steps before Diana grabbed my hand and pulled me to her. I didn't know if she had done intentionally or not, but I ended up sprawled over her.

"So I'm not interesting enough huh?" she quirked her eyebrow.

I tried not to blush but failed miserably.

"Not really" I said with the most straight face I could muster.

Her eyes glistened with mischievousness before she pressed her lips to mine, immediately crumbling my façade. I answered the kiss eagerly, pressing my body closer to hers. I could feel her smiling against my lips, and my heart fluttered.


A desolated city surrounded me. The ruins and debris covered everything, and the air was thick with dust. A heavy silence hung above it, and even though I knew that there was something wrong about, I was perfectly calm about it. As I scanned my surroundings more closely, I realized that there were bodies scampered over every surface. And I knew with certainty that they were dead and that…that I was in part responsible for it. I wanted to scream, to run, to do anything except stand there watching. But I just couldn't. My body didn't feel my own anymore.

And then, a cry of pain and anger was heard. The sound added a note of realness into the scene, sharpening my senses. I turned my head and it took me a second to realise what I was seeing. Diana stood there in front of me. She looked older, all trace of her teenage years completely vanished. In her hand she wielded a sword and she was wearing an armour. What looked a lot like Antiope's tiara rested on her black curls. And…was that the Lasso of Hestia hanging from her belt? Could it be?

She cried again, and it downed me that it was her who had made the first sound. Her face was twisted in a grimace of pain and hatred, her eyes two black bottomless pits of anger and despair. I've had never seen her like that and it truly scared me. It terrified me. What was the cause of her suffering?

"Diana" I felt my lips move of their own accord and my voice made me shiver. There was a sharp edge on it, a malice I didn't know I had.

"Don't you dare" she spoke in an even tone, but her words carried so much weigh that they made me want to take a step back. But my body didn't move.

I felt a smile stretch my face. But there was something wrong about it, I was showing too much teeth. I tsked.

"Now, is that the way of greeting an old friend?"

Diana visibly flinched, but her anger did not subdue.

"You're not her. She died a long time ago" she averted her gaze for a moment. But when she looked back at me, it was with renewed strength.

"True" I sighed "what a pity, isn't it? But we both know whose fault is it, and it's not mine."

She cried again and charged against me with her sword held upright. I stared at her, in shock, barely noticing when my arm lifted. I did hear, however, the sound that made the rocks behind me when they shifted. Right before I saw them describing an arch above me (was it I who was lifting them?), and as I followed them with my eyes I realised a little too late where would they land. Diana stopped in her tracks and covered her body with her arms, but what could she do against the concrete?

I woke up to screaming, but they weren't mine. I laid on my bead, my skin covered in sweat and my throat burning. My breath came in ragged gasps and my hand clenched the crumbled sheets beneath me, trying to find something to hold on to. I heard my mom's whispering voices down the corridor. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I knew that Antiope was probably was trying to get Mena to calm down.

It was the sixth night that month that that happened. The first time, I couldn't quite comprehend what I had seen, and I thought it had been just a nightmare. But when it happened again, it all started to make sense. Specially after I discovered that Mena had nightmares too, the same nights I did. It hadn't been difficult to connect the dots: somehow, my mind connected to Mena's while we slept enabling me to "see" her nightmares. Only they weren't nightmares. They were probably visions and that terrified me. I always ended up hurting Diana in them, and I couldn't stand the idea of me being the cause of her pain. And they always showed us fighting too, which didn't make sense at all. I couldn't even imagine a situation where Diana hated me so much she really wanted to fight, probably to death. I hadn't told her about them. How could I?

As Mena's visions continued, I became more and more distant to everything and everyone around me. Diana obviously noticed first, but I just pushed her away and assured her I was okay. My moms knew something was wrong too, but I refused to talk about it. Even Pen realised I was too focused on my drawings and that I was overworking myself, but I evaded her questions. What was I supposed to say to them? I hadn't told anyone, except Diana, about my abilities. In truth, I feared their reactions. Specially my mom's. Had Mena seen things I knew nothing of? Would they be scared for me, or worst, because of me? I thought it was best to just stay silent.

But my mind replayed the images of my nightmares once and once again, until I could barely sleep. I spent most nights staring at the ceiling, wondering what I was supposed to do. During daytime, I spent most my time at the library in solitude. Diana stopped trying to break my walls and decided to give me some space. Which hurt terribly. I soon learned that, while I had never mind spending time alone, I didn't like being lonely in the slightest. And to know that I was the cause of this loneliness was even worst.

It wasn't long until the situation became unbearable. I missed my mom's, I missed Diana, I missed mi life. But one day, while I was at the library, Pen came to me and told me that she needed to tell me something. I followed her into one of the library's open spaces, a small circular stone courtyard surrounded by columns. It was raining, and the sound of the raindrops hitting the ground was strangely soothing. Probably because the noise filled my mind and stopped the frantic thoughts, at least momentarily. Pen sat down on the steps that led into the courtyard, and gestured to the space beside her. I sat down in silence and looked at her not really knowing what to expect.

She sighed.

"I might not have known you for long, but I do know that you're not okay, despite your attempts at hiding it."

I tensed instinctively and she noticed it. She put a comforting hand on my shoulder, and it felt…good.

"I won't pressure you to tell me anything" she assured me "but…I do want to give you some advice."

I nodded.

"I'm not going to lie, I've made mistakes. Huge, horrible mistakes. And I know that I'll never have the opportunity to fix them. I'll never be able to apologise to the people I've hurt. It's too late. But not for you" she looked at me, and her eyes showed a sadness I had never seen before "you can still make things right. And if at least one of us can follow the right path, well, it will be enough."

She fell silent again. There was a hidden context behind her words, and she spoke with such…resignation and regret. I wondered what had happened to her, what had she done to feel like this.

"What I want to say is…there's people who care about you" she squeezed my hand gently "please don't push us away. Sometimes, bad things happen just because people won't talk to each other. I don't want you to be like this, Ariadne."

She paused.

"And if you're afraid of how people might react to your words, just know that the ones who love you will continue to do so no matter what."

She went quiet again. I didn't know how to answer to her words, and I realised that I didn't have to. Pen had told me already: she just wanted to give me some advice. There was no need for me to repay the favour.

"Thank you" I whispered.

"You're welcome" she whispered back, and for the first time in weeks my lips twitched into a small smile.

I wanted to say something else but I soon realised that it wasn't her to whom I wanted to speak.

"I have to…huh…"

"Go" she simply said.

I nodded gratefully and stood up quickly. I heard the outraged comments behind me as I ran trough the library, but I honestly couldn't care less. When I stepped outside, the rain soon soaked me completely, but I ignored it too. None of that mattered.

When I arrived at the palace I was caked with mud and my lungs ached, but I still had enough strength in me to ran past the guards and enter the building. My feet carried me to Diana's chambers but to my surprise, I found her talking in the hall with my moms. But I didn't stop to think about the meaning of the scene in front of me, as I simply jumped into Diana's surprised arms. But she caught me nonetheless, pulling me closer to her in an almost instinctive gesture.

"ImsosorrypleaseforgicemeohImissedyousomuch" my words crashed against one another until they had no meaning at all.

"It's okay" Diana soothed me "it's all going to be okay."

"Diana's right" Mena put her hand on my shoulder.

I slightly moved away from Diana's embrace to look at her.

"She told us about your abilities" Antiope explained, and her eyes showed both regret and pain.

I opened my mouth to answer but Mena shushed me with a gesture.

"I think we all need to apologise for keeping secrets to one another, and there's definitely a lot of explaining that needs to be done" she said "but for now, I'm just happy that you're back."

She pulled both me and Diana into a hug, and it wasn't long until I felt Antiope's arms wrapping around me too. For the first time in weeks, I felt warm and safe and sure. How could I have forgotten how many people had my back? The future was uncertain, that was an understatement, but I was no longer afraid of it,