Disclaimers :: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N ::Still not Beta. Sorry with some mistakes.

I stuck with this chapter for a while since I was changing the name of Bruce and Diana's daughter back and forth LOL In the end decided to get some help from people from BMWW forums! So many pretty and great names! I will talk about the name later at the end. So for now, Thank you Kipling Bunny for the name of our main heroine!

And I got some PM asking me about "Hey Why batman didn't go after Diana?" well, I can't tell you the reason, YET. It will be explained in the future chapters :D

This chapter is now set in the present. The first 3 chapters were actually set about 17 years earlier. and this one contains a lot of flashbacks. Very slow with the actions but for people to understand things I gotta post it.

Chapter 4 – Growing Pains

Life didn't promise to be wonderful.
- Teddy Pendergrass

Dawn was quiet as the sun rose above shore and ocean beyond Themyscira. Lysandra stood on one of the highest ground of Paradise Island. The horizon lit up like fire rose from deep blue water. She had been there since before sky turned from darkest black to shade of pink. She inhaled the air and let the light bathed her skin, closing her eyes and let morning breeze washed her face. Listened to soft sound of waves smashing into rocks and cliff down below as if it was a music that would sooth her mind.

It was unusual for her to be up this early. She was never a morning person. She liked to sleep in if her teachers ever let her, which occasionally happened. But today was different. The dream woke her up before dawn even broke. Something kept her awake after that, those unsettle feelings from the dream she could not remember. So she decided to get up and take a walk to her favorite place. Before starting her day.

The cliff was isolated from the rest of Paradise Island. The ground was high and when she stood she felt as if she had left Themyscira behind while facing the ocean. She stood with both of her feet hung over the ledge of the cliff, arms spread as she breathed in salty air, toes curled inside her sandals from the thrill of height. The wind always blew, caressing her skin as if to comfort her from whatever she had been trough. It was quiet and she didn't have to listen to any of them calling her names. Nobody'd called her Princess.

In this place, she was just Lysandra.

Though she was, A princess of The Amazons by her birthright. She was born to First princess of the Amazon, Diana of Themyscira. Queen Hippolyta was grandmother.

But it was only half of her. The other half was from a mortal man that her mother fell in love with. She told Lysandra about their meeting. How they came to knew each other, how they fought alongside like comrade in arms to save the world. How they fell in love. How she had come to the world and how she end up here. But her mother would always end up looking like the gate of Tartarus had opened when she came around to the story of the man she loved, Her father.

She told Lysandra about him, showing him the old picture she kept. In The picture, a group of seven in colorful costumes. Five men and two women. Lysandra remembered how she first thought the handsome man in red and blue was her father, from what her mother told her. He was a warrior with caring heart. He worked nights and days to protect his city from corruptions and evil doers. She was surprised when her mother pointed out to the picture at the man in dark costume and black mask who didn't look happy being in the picture, was in fact her father.

"His name is the Batman" She remembered her mother told her one night when they laid in bed, as she stroking her head.

"Batman?" her younger self confused at her mother's word.

"well, he has other name too, my little stars. His real name…"

"But why must he has two name, mother?"

"Because sometimes in Man's world, identity could be dangerous, my dear stars. And when you are to fight in darkness, one must conceal oneself to protect those they care about…"

"I still do not understand…"

"You will, someday"

Lysandra loved her mother more than anything. She was the most beautiful woman on the island. And even though she never left this place ever since she could remember and the fact that there were more than couple thousands of beautiful women here, Her mother was still the fairest of them all. She was told that her mother, the first princess of the Amazon was gifted by Goddess of Beauty herself. No one on any land could compare to her. And though she didn't have to leave this place she just knew that it was true.

But it wasn't just her beauty that made her beautiful. It was her gentle and caring heart, even it was only few years that they had together. Lysandra never doubt her love. And her teaching was still resonating in her mind everytime she met difficult moments while she was growing up.

It was her words telling her to be brave in the time of frightfulness, telling her to be wise in time of troubles, telling her to be independent and to think for herself.

It was her voice in Lysandra's memories, telling her not to give up, to hope, to believe in herself.

She was once a mighty hero. Man's world called her Wonder Woman. Lysandra believed she was greater than Perseus or Jason or Heracles. She saved the world more than once. She was powerful with super strength and fast as lightning with super speed. She could fly freely in the sky. Oh how she envied that ability to travel in air without assistant. Even Perseus needed a Pegasus. But those time were gone, her powers were gone because she decided to have a child, to have her.

And many of her sisters blamed Lysandra for the loss of their champion. Including the Queen herself.

As far as she could remember, Lysandra was always surrounded by her Amazon sisters. Whenever her mother was around they would be nice and kind to her. But as soon as she turned her back and walked out of the earshot. They would always give her cold stares. Calling her the bastard child.

Let's say it happened often enough that a very young Lysandra went and asked her mother what 'Bastard child' meant.

That when the fight between her mother and the queen broke out.

She was only five years old, standing in the hallway of the queen's private quarter. Listened to her mother quarreled with the Queen.

"You knew all this time, mother? You knew what they have called my child and you did nothing?!" Her mother's voice was rough with anger. She never heard her so angry before. She was always a gentle soul to her.

"Please, my little sun and stars….." The queen's voice was almost pleading. But Lysandra wouldn't know.

"….How could you mother? I thought that you'd loved her like you did me…..I thought that when you offered me, us…the sanctuary, you would forgive and love my child, you own flesh and blood!…"

There was a pulse. Then the queen spoke again. Her voice was hard "….I do love you Diana. You are my child. I know that I shouldn't blame you for anything that wasn't your fault…."

She could hear her mother's sob. She was crying. She'd never seen her cry either. Her feet reacted by stepping closer to the half closed door. But the voice came and stopped her before she reached the chamber.

"You are not allowed in there, princess."

Lysandra turned. It was Artemis, one of the queen's Royal guards. She had been there the whole time in that empty hallway with Lysandra, stood guard, not letting anyone into the inner chamber as the queen and the princess had their private conversation.

"But mother is crying, she never cried!"

"An order is an order, princess" Artemis casted her piecing green eyes down to her. She was tall, maybe taller than her mother. Her fiery red hair was pulled up in a ponytail. Lysandra always scared of Artemis. Though surprisingly she was one of a few amazons who never called her names but Artemis was different from the rest of them. She frightened Lysandra with just her cold green eyes.

Artemis was strong. Some said she was almost as strong as her mother or the queen herself. And with Bow and arrows armed, she was at her deadliest form. Silently and stealthy, she would execute the games with clear shots every time. She was the best huntress of the Amazons could ever have as if it was for her name's sake that she was given after the Goddess of the hunt. She was also one of the best fighters as she hold champion for many years during the annual competitions that would take place in summer, at the amphitheater.

But none of it seemed to be stopping Lysandra that day, she could feel the anger rose inside her younger self. And she glared back at the taller amazon.

"But, mother is crying!"

"Can't follow orders? This must be from your mortal side…." She sneered at her. Eyes casted down on the princess's smaller form.

She could hear something inside her snapped. Before Artemis had a chance to continue or before Lysandra herself knew what she was thinking. Five years old Lysandra leapt from the marble floor and swung her small hand and scratched the taller Amazon's face. Her fingernails dug into Artemis's olive color skin, leaving the red marks on her. She hissed and suddenly grabbed the back of Lysandra' short chiton and pulled her away.

"You little…!"

"Artemis!" Another voice called out and made the red hair Amazon halted from saying or doing anything further. Another familiar face rushed in through the hall way.

It was Selia, another Royal guard of the queen. Her light brown hair was braided and tugged into a bun behind her head. Her dark blue eyes widen as she saw both of them. "Artemis, put the Princess down!"

Artemis clicked her tongue annoyingly before tossed Lysandra on the floor, dropping like a sack of potatoes on hard marble. She yelped and glared back at the Red hair Amazon.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Selia asked. Her blue eyes showered with concerns as she helped Lysandra back on her feet.

"Yes….But mother is crying and I want to go in there!" She replied. "But Artemis won't let me!"

The red hair amazon touched her bleeding face as she narrowed her blue eyes at her. Apparently, Lysandra's nails had digged into her skin, leaving three long marks across Artemis's face. It'd scared for sure and Lysandra was pleased at her handiwork.

Yes, Artemis might be the scariest person on Paradise Island. But no, her five years old self didn't stop from feeling like she just won a small challenge. Those scratches on Artemis's face would brand her and remind her of her very first disobedience. And she loved it.

"Princess…..you do know that Artemis was just following the order?" Selia's voice was warm, almost similar to her mother's but higher. She leveled herself down to Lysandra, so they were eye to eye. Selia was one of a few people she liked. She was kind and always seemed to know what to say to make Lysandra felt better about things.

She remembered unwillingly nodding her head. Selia smiled and placed her hands on her smaller shoulder. "….How about we go get some strawberries?"

Lysandra remembered her blue eyes lit up instantly after hearing the words. Yes, strawberry was best thing on Themyscira for her five years old self. That was of course before she was introduced to all the sharp objects in the Armory. In southern part of Paradise Island, The amazon grew a medium size garden just for strawberries, They had grown other fruits of course, but nothing would be compared to the divined taste of those ripped and juicy red fruit.

Beside her mother's cries, that day she'd remembered the tasted of Strawberries and Defiance. She knew from that moment on, both would become very addicting.

Lysandra stepped back from the ledge, pebbles cracked under her sandals and fell down from the edge of the cliff as she did. Sky was bright now. The shade turned from pink to orange. And the blue in the sky was showing. Meaning the rest of Themyscira would be up and about soon. She could already see smokes came out from kitchen building and Amazonian homes around the Island.

Meaning time for her peaceful isolation was up. And She should make another visit to her other favorite place soon if she wanted to be on time for morning session with Artemis. The place was the temple of Truth, to see her mother.

When Lysandra was six, she learned the meaning of torment, of agony and of pain from losing the one she loved.

As much of a child could understand love, she knew she could not be without her mother. Or even she was too young to understand sorrow, she knew pain. She knew what it felt like when the sharp object cut through her flesh, Or when she felt her bone cracked as she broke her arm, Or the feeling of being whipped, hit, smacked and any other things but those could not be compared to the feeling of losing her mother. It was so much worse. That day it was the feeling of her whole being shattered into pieces. She didn't know how to put herself back together. She didn't even sure if she ever could.

She never forgot that last evening together, when her mother's arms was tight around her body. And how her silent tears dropped on her shoulder blade. Those last word before the guards took her away.

"Lysandra….you must stay strong, do not do it for me but for yourself, my dear stars…" She heard her mother said. "Remember, that I love you. Always….."

At first, Lysandra didn't know what was going on. That day, it started just like the rest of her ordinary day. They woke, had breakfast, her mother brought her to the training field with wooden swords. She watched her train with the dummy made from old sack and stuffed with grains until late noon. They had lunch and train some more at shooting range where they watch Artemis demonstrated her skill at archery.

It was when Lysandra came out from the bath. She saw her mother dressed in fully Amazonian armors, holding helmet in her arm. The queen and her guards stood nearby, including Artemis and Selia, she didn't spare a look at Lysandra. Her mother turned to a very confused daughter and hugged her so tight the metal started to dig into her skin.

"….Mother, are you going somewhere?" Young princess asked.

"….Yes, my love. Do you remember that story I told you about the cursed Princess?" Her mother kneeled down on one knee in front of her. Hands grabbing her small shoulders.

Lysandra nodded. It was one of her favorite bed time stories beside The adventures of Perseus, her favorite hero. It was a story about a brave princess who ran away to help on the battlefield. Through hardships and many battles, she met another soldier, the handsome knight and they fell in love. But fates were cruel and she was cursed to be turn into stone. Without knowing when it would happen, she left her lover and travel back to her city with an unborn child. And wait for her knight to come and break the curse.

But her mother never finished telling that story. So she never knew the ending.

"Lysandra. I am that princess, There's a place I must stay await. For you and your father, For my Knights to rescues me, to break the curse…" She smiled through tears. She was so beautiful, sad but beautiful.

"But, I am here, mother….I am already here" She didn't understand any of her words. But she knew something was going to happen, something that would break her little heart. "Tell me what to do! Tell me how to break the curse! You don't need Father, I shall do it myself!"

"It's time, Diana…." The queen said. Her voice was hard. And that look in her eyes was indescribable.

"You must wait till the time to come. You will know when it would be, And while you wait, Be strong and be wise, my dear stars. Remember who you are and believe in yourself…." She kissed her forehead, her lips were trembling and dwelled on her skin before finally broke away from Lysandra. Her head held high, standing tall, determined and brave as if she was to march into battlefield like the warrior that she was and she always had been.

She'd been taught before, how to accept separation and death. She was only six but as she was an amazon born, it was one of many first things her mother had taught about.

Although She was just a child. But she wasn't stupid. She knew this might be the last time to see her mother, to be with her.

"….Mother, please don't go…"

She cried and ran to her mother's side. Grabbing her armored wrist with those small hands. Pulling her backward from walking away.

"….Please, don't go…"

Tears rained down her cheek. Her vision started to blur from them. But she knew her mother was crying too. Her voice broke, it didn't sound like her own anymore, her throat was hot as if those sobs had burn her while she spoke.

She was still beautiful, even with her eyes full of tears. The corner of her lips still curved upward bow-like, giving her one last smile.

"….Please….don't…."

But she was gone. Lysandra didn't remember exactly how she looked because her eyes were burning from all the tears. She watched as her mother go, together with the queen and her guards, to the place where she would be turned into a piece of rock , a statue.

She would look just like that day, forever frozen as a stone.

By the time she reached the temple, the sun was already too bright. Her Amazons sisters were out and about, the guards that changing shifts, people who worked in farms or gardens was ready for their days, smoke came out from almost every houses as she ran passed, to the Village of temples.

They'd called that area The Village of temples because all of buildings were built to dedicate to the gods and goddess. The big one that sat higher than the rest, shrined five tall statutes of five goddesses - Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Hestia, and Aphrodite for they, who brought the Amazon to life. Protected them with divined powers, shielding them from chaotic world of men. Blessing them with Strength, Beauty, wisdom and love.

There were also smaller temples, such as Apollo's, where the Oracle and healers are mostly stayed. Lysandra had been there many times because of her injuries. The temple of Apollo also served as medical wing of Paradise Island. But because the amazons had higher endurances to any kind flu or sickness, they barely went there for if they were sick. For injuries from Training, competitions or the other unexpected, most Amazons were educated of how to nurse wounds, so only very serious ones they would go to the temple for the healers to look at.

She remembered the first time she went to Apollo temple, she was five, the wood pierced through her left foot from running on the field bare feet. She remembered her mother's hand squeezing hers, telling her it would be alright. She remembered when the healers and Selia held her down as one of the healer pulled that chunk of wood out of her flesh. She remembered screaming and crying. Blood spilled all over the table, leaving the gaping hole on her left foot. She remembered the bitter Medicine taste after the bandaged and how she felt asleep right after that. She was in Medical wing for the next seven days.

The second time, she was seven. When she started training with real sword. She remembered how the blade cut into her right forearm flesh. How it bleed slowly at first and she still kept going, she didn't stop at the next cut on her left arm or the next cut that was on her right thigh or the next one that was on her left cheek. She though had come to stop when Artemis cut her right hand that made she drop the sword. That when she was carried to Medical wing. She stayed there for 3 days. For some reasons her wounds were healed so fast, with bruises and shallow cuts she, she'd stopped visiting the place for those. Deciding it must came from her mother's ability to heal fast and never scared. She always thankful for that. Because only the gods knew, for the next ten years if she didn't have those she would look like a veteran after wars.

Lysandra skipped passed Temple of Zeus and Hera, nothing much there, since they only built it in their honors. Only hearts for the offering that lit with fire, someone would always come in to check if the fire needed to be stoked.

She finally reached the farthest temple. It was actually a size of a small house. Newest marble shone from recent construction. It was built just before her mother was gone, This was her place now. The temple of Truth.

She hated the name of it but that what the Amazons had called the place. Her mother was known as the embodiment of many things but one thing she was famous for was her truthfulness. She never lied. And always use the truth as her weapon. But what the truth had got her? Here in the temple as a stupid statue.

There were no guards or even any priestess to attend the temple. Though a few amazons took liberty of cleaning and stoking fire whenever they saw fit. Lysandra did that from time to time. She knew the Queen visit here several times during these passed years and she would avoid being alone with her in that temple where she should not lie. She was afraid she would tell her how she actually felt.

Her mother was dressed in full Amazonian armors, Holding a javelin in her left and the famous lasso in her right. It shone in golden gleam, the only thing of her mother that didn't turn into stone. She smiled but her eyes were blue no more, only left with dull gray just like the rest of her.

The candles by the statue were lit before she was here, so as the fire in front of it. Someone was here but she saw nobody around, whoever it was probably left before she got here. She didn't pay much attention because the amazons came here from time to time to find the truth in themselves. They would sometimes meditate here for hours looking for answers they sought.

For Lysandra, she came here to see her mother. She tried to come as often as her busy studies would allow. Sometimes she would come and talked to her or rather told her things as if she could hear her. And let her warm smile sooth her when the time was tough. Sometimes she just came to stand there, silently in front of her mother. As if to gather strength in herself then left. Sometimes she came to cry, as it would be the only place she would let herself.

Today was no different, she didn't have anything to say but she needed to see her mother before her day would begin. So she spent another half hour staring at the stone in mute. When she finally broke the eye contact. She didn't smile.

"Mother, give me strength"

She prayed to her. She didn't pray to the other gods or even five goddesses that protected Themyscira. She used to but not anymore. She did not believe in them for years. Because when she did and prayed and screamed for them to save her mother. They didn't. They did nothing. They gave nothing but false hope to her. So she prayed to them no more.

For years, to her there was only one goddess, her name was Diana, The goddess of Truth. She was Wonder Woman. She was her mother. She was the only hope who ever gave her true strength.

"You are late, Princess!" Artemis's voice was loud as usual. She didn't look happy when Lysandra arrive at her training ground. The red hair Amazon clicked her heel repeatedly as she waited for the young princess to come around. Her piercing green orbs eyed her dangerously "This is getting more frequent. I would start to think you did it on purpose…."

There were only about a dozen of others here to attend her practice. Three kinds of people in this training ground. One, people who actually wanted to be train with Artemis, in this place it was only Lysandra. Two, people who want to take pleasure in beating the hell out of Lysandra without being punished. That was the majority here. Then the last kind was spectators. Or people who enjoy seeing Lysandra got beaten up.

She looked around and saw few new faces on the side of the field. Their eyes looked at her with pure hatred. Well, that was why they were all here. They all want to get a taste of her, to cut her, to kick her, to punch her, to shoot her. To make her paid for being a reason of their champion lost, for her crime of being a spawn of mortal.

"Keep thinking Artemis, maybe you would be right" Lysandra replied playfully as she tied her long black hair up to a ponytail. She let it swung around, testing if the tie were secured strong enough before turn to her trainer who didn't look happy waiting for her at all. Lysandra saw those fainted red marks on Artemis's face. It always reminded her of the very first time she was being brave. Maybe little stupid. But now she had learned so much. She could be brave without being stupid.

"Do not push your luck, Princess….I did not agree to train you so you could be entertained. We shall start with a duel today, then later we will do group fight" Artemis scowled and walked over to the weapons racks. She stood there for a few minute, she reached for a battle axe but stopped half way and picked up two hunting knifes instead before she turned around. "….And stop with eyes rolling I can hear they moved in your sockets from here"

"Who knows you were blessed with such gift? What's next?...Breathing under water?"

"Sarcasms would only get you so far, Princess. Now...Take your pick before we start"

Lysandra didn't take long to decided. She walked straight to her favorite pair of narrow blade daggers. She was like Artemis, always picked preferred weapon when she could though she could be using anything, even not using it at all. Artemis was an excellence fighter, as well as teacher.

Swinging the daggers and tested them in her hands. Before she walked over to join Artemis who was ready for her in the center.

"Come on, Princess. I do not have all day…" Her voice was annoyed. But Lysandra knew she would rather be here instead of the council room, listening to politic talk all days.

They stood in front of each other, raised their weapons. She saw Artemis's green eyes lit like fire. Lysandra knew how much Artemis enjoyed herself by doing this and she always waited for her to make a first move. Making Lysandra always was the offensive one. Not that care much since after this, the group fight would made her on defensive mode whether she liked it or not.

Thinking that Lysandra leapt on her teacher, with daggers in both hands. And when her sharp metals connected with Artemis's, sending cranking sound. She knew all the eyes were on them. But she didn't care, right now it was only herself and Artemis, the rest of them can wait for their turns.

Postscript;

Pfft! Please don't kill me for ending Chapter here. It's getting too long, so I kinda have to cut most of the flashback in two parts(but not really…oh never mind, now I'm just confused people!) lol

So I was gonna talk about the name, I actually was using "Alexandra" while I was drafting the story but seem to me that the name was use for Bruce and Diana a lot in fanfictions already, Well hey it's a pretty name! :D

So with help from BMWW forums people, They'd suggested quite numbers of names for me to consider. But in the end I went with "Lysandra" (meaning - Liberator), because it is actually another form for "Alexandra" though a little different with meaning but hey, it works best. Have to say so much thank you for everyone who help with her name. I seriously being stuck for 3 weeks because of it XD

Next chapter will be post around next Monday, hopefully! All the reviews are love XD