Does 'I'm sorry' still count if I'm several years late? I hope so because I am truly sorry to keep you all waiting. I won't bore you with excuses or details, I'm hoping to drill down and finish this story. Big Chapter ahead, lots of table setting for the last few arcs of the story, way back in 2011 when I first started this story this was one of the first chapter's I wanted to write, and given the loose style that I write with (when I started my plotting wasn't very tight), the story evolved a bit differently than I thought it would. The version I referenced before was a complete mess so this is like eighty-five percent newly written, anything that seems off or doesn't make sense, please let me know. Thanks for sticking with me for so long, I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.
Washington DC
Three days and nights of increasingly troubled thoughts had resulted in an increasingly strong need to act in Diana. Despite her immortality, she wasn't the most patient person. She had tried to let her subconscious sort itself out with what it was trying to tell her but passivity had never suited her, she much preferred action. To that end she had decided that she would visit her subconscious and confront the problem head on, from there she would decide her next step.
So the fourth morning saw her greet the first rays of the morning sun. She skipped breakfast and had only paid the most functional attention to her usual ablutions. Instead she had placed on a gauzy dress, a pair of sandals, gathered up the lasso and had headed deep into the sprawling garden of the Themysciran Embassy. Once she was convinced that no one would come across her by accident and disturb her, she cleared a space on the grass. Next she sat cross legged and placed the neatly spooled lasso on her lap, resting her hands on it. The familiar tingle of power of the enchanted rope ran through her body, she willingly let the energy infuse her body as she adjusted to the sensation. Once she was satisfied she closed her eyes.
Clear your mind, focus on your breathing, your heartbeat, the feel of the breeze against your skin, the sun against your eyelids.
As her mind turned inward, her body's rhythms began to synchronize her heartbeat and breathing slowed, her awareness of her surroundings faded to a point. Masters of this art could enter a near death state that could last weeks, even with the power of the lasso amplifying her formidable skill Diana wasn't quite that advanced, but slipping into a meditative trance came as naturally to her as breathing, she'd been doing it since she'd been a teenager and today was no different.
The planes of her mind were hazy at first but began to come into sharper focus, slowly and first and then faster, she looked around and saw that she was on a very familiar beach. She was on Themyscira
She could practically feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, could almost taste the salt of the sea air on her tongue. A sharp pang of homesickness resonated through her. It'd been over a year since she'd laid eyes on her home and while her time in the wider world had been enjoyable; a whirlwind of new sights and experiences, a part of her still missed the island home that she'd known all of her life. She missed the foods and drinks of her people, her talks with Phillipus, riding horses through the hills and mountain trails, the chance to commune with her sisters in the beauty and wonder of nature and most of all, she missed her mother terribly.
Perhaps, in the near future she could return to Themyscira for a visit, her mission was far from over, but orientating herself could only help in her duties.
I pray it is sooner rather than later.
A flash of red out the side of her periphery had her turning, about four feet away, standing proud as ever was Artemis. She stepped forward, Artemis' expression was stern and haughty but it didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes echoed pain.
What troubles you so, sister?
The simulacrum of course did not, could not answer but it didn't need to.
It had been there the whole time, she just hadn't noticed it, the empathy she prided herself on had failed her as one of the most important people in her life was suffering. Perhaps she had been too focused inward, perhaps the part of her that still looked up to Artemis, still saw her as the invincible former champion that she had strove to model herself after hadn't wanted to see any hint of weakness in her friend. Regardless of why, she knew that at some point that she had been negligent in her side of their friendship.
She felt her sorrow harden into resolve. Forgive my blindness. I swear to you, I will do better.
A flash of gold, on her left, had her turning again, Artemis' effigy faded away as she did. Standing clad in the dark armor that marked her as Ares emissary was Mercy, her golden tresses sparkled in the sunlight. Her normally expressive eyes were dull and clouded, naked resentment on her features. It had been months since they'd encountered each other and the ache of seeing her beloved friend twisted and subjugated to Ares resonated deeply across her mentalscape, threatening to destabilize everything. After a moment she mastered her emotions and took another look at her friend.
She could almost feel the accusations being laid at her feet. She had failed to save Mercy, had failed to find her and had failed to recover the pilfered Amazonian artifacts. The weight of guilt was nearly suffocating. Yet still there was still hope, there was a chance that she could free Mercy from Ares' clutches. She paused for a moment, free from the normal distractions of everyday life her formidable mental facilities were able to focus the totality of her intellect on a possible plan of action. How long it took she wasn't sure (time passed differently here), but a plan began to form, she would have to discuss it with Artemis and she would need further help from the League but she was certain it could work.
She could save her friend.
She knelt down in supplication, her eyes never leaving the twisted features of Mercy, committing the anger, jealousy and hatred she saw there to memory.
I am sorry that I've failed you my friend. Please, hold on a little longer.
She rose watching Mercy's effigy fade away.
The pain of missing her home, the problems with Artemis, that she willfully had not burden that she had carried for months regarding Mercy, all of them seemed more manageable, she was focused and a plan of action had been decided. She knew however, that she was not done here, that there was one more issue she knew she had to deal with, one that had happened much more recently.
Stealing herself, slowly Themyscira faded away and was replaced by a rooftop in downtown Metropolis, but not just any rooftop, she instantly knew where she was and why she was here, she didn't have to turn around to know he would be there.
Still she had not come this far to back down and so she turned.
Sure enough he was standing tall, those sky blue eyes that had come to know so well focused directly on her, unlike with what had been the case with Artemis and Mercy, there were no negative emotions on his face, instead he wore an open smile, his cape fluttering lightly in the breeze. Even though it wasn't really him, she couldn't help it, a smile broke out over her features. Knowing what was required of her she stepped towards the effigy. It was here in the depths of her consciousness, connected to the lasso that she could admit to herself a truth she hadn't consciously acknowledged.
You fascinate me.
Artemis had teased her about it once, but while she'd been drawn to him when she had first arrived into the wider world before, this was different. That had been an honest (if naive) admiration of the figure, the ideal that he represented, but in the ensuing months she had become close to the man behind that symbol. She had managed to find her way into his innermost circle of trusted confidants and if she was being honest he had done the same for her. That wasn't to say that she didn't find those qualities she had first admired as magnetic as before, she did, but in addition to that there were other things she appreciated about him now.
His courage, his kind nature, the way he always strove to see the best in others, the way he pushed others around him to be their best. Then of course there was the physical aspect, she'd of course known that he'd always had a pleasing form, but her admiration for it went beyond noting it objectively now.
These days she noticed the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the way his brow furrowed and his jaw set when he was concentrating, the crooked way he smiled when he was truly happy. The way his uniform revealed and enhanced the contours of his physique. Stepping within arms reach she dared to reach out and placed her hand against the familial crest in the center of his chest. A hard plane of muscle met her hands. She'd never done this before in real life, but in the safety of her own mind she gave into the urge.
A shiver ran down her spine, as a part of her that had been dormant for well over a century was beginning to reassert itself as she found herself wondering what it would be like to touch him freely, to feel his embrace, to feel his hands on her body, his lips against her own.
She knew that her desire was reciprocated, at least in part, he had after all had been the one who had initiated their near kiss. A wistful expression found its way to her face as she mentally replayed the moment again.
I wish we had not been interrupted.
The question was where to go from here? It was one thing to share an attraction, to acknowledge that she had feelings for him, it was another thing altogether to act on them. Had he just been caught up in the moment, or did this signal that he wanted to enter into a courtship with her? A little over a year of exposure to the wider world and her natural inclination towards learning had her much more aware of the way things differed between Themyscira and the society she now was a part of but still some of the intricacies escaped her. On Themyscira things were much simpler, much less of a dance, courtship could best be described as a series of trials, both as opponents and as allies to ascertain compatibility, if the trials were passed successfully the two individuals were bound together, if not the two individuals in question separated. The one thing both Man's world and Themyscira's courting rituals seemed to share was that deeper feelings, love and commitment came later in the relationship.
Two very different approaches to the same goal.
Assuming he was receptive to the idea, the question of which path she should pursue weighed on her mind. She had only experienced the Amazonian ways of courtship and Clark had only experienced the ways of Man's world. She let the question dance around in her head before coming to the conclusion that they should both have input on it therefore It would have to be something they would have to discuss, again assuming he was interested in exploring their mutual attraction.
If he wasn't interested…well she supposed she would cross that bridge if she got to it,
She stepped back away from the effigy of Clark, watching as it and the cityscape of Metropolis faded around her into blackness. Releasing the trance she slowly came back to her senses and her awareness of the world returned.
She gathered the lasso and stood before realizing she wasn't alone, acting as sentry and standing a respectable distance away was Artemis.
"Good morning Princess."
Diana turned to face Artemis, a small smile on her lips as she greeted her fellow Amazon. "Good morning, Artemis. How long have you been there?" she inquired, curious.
Artemis shrugged, "Long enough to know that you were lost in thought and not aware of your surroundings."
Diana chuckled softly, "I suppose I was. I was just contemplating some...complicated matters."
"Would you like to talk about it?" Artemis asked, concern etched on her features.
Diana hesitated, part of what she wanted to talk about was Artemis' well being, yet hard experience had taught her that Artemis was not one to usually discuss her personal matters. Short of asking her to touch the lasso, she wasn't sure how to get her to open up. Maybe she could soften her up first before going in for the big questions. "Actually, I would. But let us walk while we talk."
With that the two of them set off around the gardens.
Diana closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to get her thoughts in order. When she opened them again, her gaze was steady, determined. "My failure to save Mercy from Ares has weighed heavily on me."
"Our failure," Artemis said sharply, her eyes lingering on Diana. "We both know that I have to shoulder a part of the blame, maybe even more than you do."
Diana strongly disagreed, but didn't press the point, they'd had this argument many times in the past and repeating it now would only serve to derail the conversation, so instead she shifted the subject. "What would you say if I were to enlist help from a member of the Justice League?"
"You mean Kal-El." Artemis said, her voice tight and clipped, the criticism clear. Diana tried to stay composed, but her heart jumped at the mention of Superman's name.
"No," Diana said firmly. "Kal's gifts would not be of much use here." She paused, emphasizing her point. "I was thinking of asking Zatanna."
Artemis was silent in consideration. After a few moments she nodded in agreement. "Her abilities do seem more appropriate for this kind of problem," Artemis said. "I would not have any issue asking for her assistance."
"Why did you think I would ask him?"
Artemis shrugged nonchalantly. "You are closest to him out of all the League members besides Dinah, and given the situation, it would make sense that you would seek help from him first," she said matter-of-factly.
Diana was slightly annoyed at the casual way Artemis assumed she would turn to Superman. Yes, they were close, but not everything required his help and that didn't mean she couldn't ask for assistance from other League members.
"I see," Diana said, her tone remaining neutral. "But Zatanna will be a better fit for this particular situation. I will talk to her as soon as possible."
They settled into a companionable silence for a few minutes before Diana spoke again.
"Artemis, can I ask you something?"
"Of course, Princess. What is it?" Artemis replied, her expression curious.
Diana took a deep breath before continuing. "I was thinking about courtship recently, and how different it is here in Man's world compared to Themyscira. I was wondering if...if you could tell me about your experiences with courtship."
Artemis did not respond right away. She instead seemed to unconsciously twist the bangle bracelet around her left wrist, its brilliant golden metal catching the light of the bright morning sun. After several seconds of tense silence, she spoke. "I-I would prefer not to talk about that." The finality in her voice had an unspoken message: don't press any further.
Diana leaned forward. She could see the subtle shift in Artemis' posture, her body language becoming closed off and unyielding. Diana regretted pushing too hard and knew it would be a challenge to get through to her now, she hadn't gotten to the heart of what she had wanted to ask Artemis, but perhaps she could use this opportunity to express the sentiments that she wanted to convey to her. "Artemis, you are my sister, in every sense of the word. The only person who I am closer to is my mother. If there is anything that is troubling you, I want you to know I would do everything in my power to aid you and if I could not offer you aid, I would be there to share any burden you are carrying. Please know that even now, thousands of miles away from our sisters in this strange world, you are not alone."
Artemis was silent for what felt like an eternity, and Diana's heart raced as she thought she might have at last gotten through her friend's exterior. After what seemed an interminable amount of time she spoke, "Thank you Diana, that means more to me than words can express."
Diana placed a hand on the taller woman's shoulder and squeezed it in solidarity, then let her arm fall back to her side. She'd done all she could, the ball was in Artemis' court now.
"We should head back, I need to reach out to Zatanna."
Artemis nodded and fell a half step behind her sovereign and although her expression betrayed nothing, her heart was lighter than it had been in months.
A few hours later Diana and Artemis made their way back to the atrium, Diana's personal assistant, Etta was waiting in the doorway; a bright smile spread across her face as she opened the door to allow them entrance. "She's here," she said, and opened the door to reveal their guest. The guest in question, Zatanna Zatara was sprawled on a couch, scrolling away on her cellphone, having traded her signature tophat, tails, fishnets and heels for a hooded leather jacket, corset, artfully torn pants and a pair of comfortable sneakers. The young magician noticed she wasn't alone after a moment and straightened up, slipping her phone into her pocket as she did so. "What's up? Your message sounded like it was important."
Diana didn't waste any time and slid into a chair opposite the couch, Artemis as usual stood slightly back looking intimidating. "Thank you for coming, Zatanna. I need your help with a very serious matter." She took a breath. "Are you aware of the fight I had against Mercy in London shortly after I arrived in Man's World?"
Zatanna nodded, recalling what she'd seen on TV.
"I thought that she would show up again, to oppose me. That hasn't been the case, I've tried conventional means to see if she has appeared anywhere and I haven't been able to find any sort of lead I can follow up on. I was hoping your magic could aid in locating her. She is being controlled by Ares and it is my belief that he ultimately has a plan to engulf the world in war, to that end it is prudent to remove his avatar in Mercy from the equation, such a blow could derail or delay his plans." She took a deep breath and a note of vulnerability crept into her voice.
"Beyond all of that, she is one of my two best friends and she is being used as a pawn against me through no fault of her own, I-I owe it to her to seek her freedom, however I can."
Zatanna nodded,"You need someone who can scry to find out where she is and well not to toot my own horn, but you came to the right person, I'm really good at scrying. If Mercy is anywhere on Earth or any adjoining dimension, I should be able to find her. I need a couple things though, one a dark room so I can concentrate and two a focus," She elaborated a moment later at the blank looks on both of the Amazons faces. "An object to channel my magic through. Do either of you have anything of hers, or something that she had an emotional connection to?"
Diana's mind raced as she ran through a list of the items she had in her possession, nothing fitting the young magician's needs, however before she could voice the thought her Artemis spoke up.
"I do." She reached down with her right hand and slipped the golden bangle off of her left wrist, she looked at it for a moment with an inscrutable expression before handing it over to Zatanna.
"Use this, it is… was something that once meant much to her."
Diana had noticed the bangle before as one of the few pieces of jewelry that Artemis ever wore, generally not liking to use jewelry and the only one she always had on. She'd always assumed that the elder woman had just liked the bangle, but apparently the piece's sentimentality went beyond that and had been a gift from Mercy. That was somewhat odd, she couldn't recall ever seeing Mercy give Artemis the bangle and now that she thought on it, she couldn't recall Artemis ever not wearing it even in her earliest memories. She blinked as her mind put the pieces together and recalled the evasive way Artemis had declined to answer her question earlier and the way she had worried that same bangle, was it possible that…?
Diana's mind bolted with possibilities as she considered the implications of her sudden realization. Her gaze swept over to her friend only to see Artemis was steadfastly avoiding her gaze. The question burned on her tongue. After a moment she let it go, Artemis would tell her if she wanted and pressing her would serve no purpose other than to sate her curiosity, instead she indicated an unused room on the other side of the atrium. "That room should suit your purposes, Zatanna."
As the magician made her way to the empty room, Diana caught Artemis' and smiled in what she hoped was a supportive manner before turning her attention to a copy of the Daily Planet.
Zatanna closed the door behind her and with a simple gesture magicked the heavy curtains close on the large window of the opposing wall.
Zatanna was proud of this particular piece of magic, as it was something that was uniquely hers, it involved three parts, from three different spells. She would start with impressioning an object using psychometry to build a psychic 'profile' based on the unique energy frequency of her desired target, from there she would use that profile to send out a matching pulse of energy across various areas/dimensions of space, when she got a ping of resonance she would use a remote viewing spell to hone in on the targets location and see where they were.
The spell was greater than the sum of its parts and could, in theory, locate almost anyone, anywhere in the Universe, assuming she could sculpt and feed a spell that was capable of traversing the distance of the Universe. The sole exception to this was powerful magi, almost all of whom carried anti-scrying wards or created scrying proof enchantments.
She sat cross legged and ran her fingers around the bangle, seemingly trying to commit its contours to her memory, a tiny enchantment allowed It stayed afloat between her cupped hands and she closed her mind, bringing the totality of her focus onto the piece of jewelry. That accomplished she focused the vast eldritch energies that were her birthright into the palms of her hands.
"whoS em."
She had expected a few faint traces from the bangle, perhaps a memory fragment or two. That was the way most psychometry worked. But perhaps due to its enchanted nature or the fact that it had been with its owner for almost a millenia, the piece of jewelry was practically overflowing with psychic energy and nothing could have prepared her for the onslaught that descended on her.
Flashes of images passed across her mind at a blistering pace and Zatanna had to use all her skill from being lost in the maelstrom of emotions that were battering her around. Redoubling her efforts, she pushed through the storm until she came upon a memory, stronger than any other, deciding to use that memory as an anchor she pulled on the gossamer strings as the memory came into focus.
As Zatanna recovered and recentered herself she tried to tune out the memory around her, not wanting to pry but she caught a wave of emotion as two women kissed passionately, the taller of the two was clearly Artemis which meant the smaller (relatively speaking) was Mercy. Pushing the co-opted feelings away, Zatanna continued to weave the spell around the memory, until she had an energy signature to work with. "tfihS enalp." Her surroundings shifted to the astral plane and she released the pulse of energy. She started with the astral plane because it intersected with several other planes of existence, so it was a good start and if who she was looking for wasn't here she could cut off several targets at once. After a moment she felt a resonance, she sent out the pulse again and began to travel in the direction of the first resonance. Over and over she repeated the process until at last she came to the origin point of the resonance. She tried to pierce the barrier between dimensions, but the fabric of the Astral plane didn't respond. She tried several more times with increasing power and no result. Figuring she had enough left for one last go, Zatanna channeled everything she had left into a pulse of energy so large it resonated across the Astral Plane. She knew she'd attracted too much attention and someone was bound to come looking, so she dove into the tear as fast as possible.
The dimension wasn't vast, perhaps five miles square in total. What did stand out though was the sole building, it was a cross between a castle and a fortress, the thick walls were of no impediment so she dove straight through to the other side. As she made her way to Mercy's energy signature, she took note of the stacks and stacks of weapons, everything from clubs to modern firearms, tanks, bombs, exoskeletons, if you could name it, it was here. Feeling disturbed she dove through one last wall and saw her, Mercy was asleep, perfectly still, clad in a suit of dark and pointy armor. She hesitated, debating whether or not to make contact, but the decision was made for her, she was running on fumes and if she ran out of energy here, she risked permanent separation from her body, so she released the enchantments and she was slingshotted back through Ares' dimension, the Astral Plane and back into her real body. Giving herself a minute to recover she stood, opened the door and walked into the hallway, stumbling into the foyer.
Diana was across the room in a blur of speed, supporting the magician's weight easily. "Are you alright?"
She nodded wearily and rubbed her temples. "Yeah, between the psychic impressions left in this thing," She raised the bangle in her hand. "And the magical energy I needed to pierce the enchantments around your friend, I feel like my brain was thrown into a blender."
Gathering her strength, she straightened, inclining her head at Diana in thanks. "About your friend Mercy, she was in a pocket dimension, I didn't see him but she seemed to be in some sort of enchanted slumber. But Diana, you should have seen this place, it was armed to the teeth, there was easily enough firepower to fight a world war."
Diana nodded a grim look on her face. "How long before your stores are replenished enough to take us to this dimension."
Zatanna held up her hands in protest. "Scrying in a god's native dimension is one thing, getting there physically is something on a completely different level," She sighed. " I think I can do it…maybe, but I need to consult with some of my fellow magi first."
Diana nodded. "Perhaps that is for the best, we'll need to make preparations and marshal our forces, Ares is not to be underestimated. Thank you for your help, we," She indicated Artemis and herself. "Truly appreciate this."
Zatanna smiled. "No problem, I'll keep you updated on what's going on." After a bracing cup of tea, the magician's pallor had returned to normal and she left shortly thereafter. Artemis followed suit and slipped out just before lunch was served.
She made her way through the upper levels of the embassy, headed for the rooftop. Diana knew or thought she knew what was going on between her two best friends and at some point Artemis would clear up the misunderstanding, but not now. While they had once been lovers they hadn't been together in almost a millennium and they both had come to discover that they worked far better as friends than lovers, but a part of her would always love Mercy and that compounded her guilt in her inability to save her.
She settled onto the roof, the morning sun starting to warm into the afternoon. She laid back on the tiles and let her eyes cast out in the distance. She would have Ares' head for what he had done, for what he'd taken from her.
She raised a fist and clenched it, promising her oath to the heavens and anyone who might be listening.
Soon.
New York
Zatanna materialized in Greenwich Village, in an alley. The weather was much cooler than in Washington DC and so she pulled her jacket against her. She would have teleported straight to her location but she knew that the building's occupant had exceptionally strong wards designed to defeat all but the most powerful spell casters. After she crossed the street and walked a few blocks she came upon a familiar sight. Seated alone completely unimpressive was Hokus & Pokus Occult Curioso.
On the center of the front door was a small brass plaque, inscribed on it were the words:
Enter Freely And Unafraid.
Zatanna paused as her mind was carried back across the years, she remembered the first time she'd seen that plaque, she'd been barely tall enough to reach it and the last time she'd seen it, she had stormed out of the door past it swearing to herself that she'd never return. A decade or more of memories danced in her head.
She briefly thought about knocking, but decided against it, the building's occupant likely already knew she was here. Instead she gathered her courage and pushed through the door. The familiar notes of the spicy blend of incense that Xanadu favored washed over her nostrils as another wave of nostalgia washed over her, she noted with more than a bit of relief that things appeared much the same as the last time she'd been here.
She passed from the entrance into the main room at the back of the store, a small beaded curtain was all that separated the rooms and as she passed by the barrier she noted a variety of magical artifacts and gadgets.
"Hello Zatanna." The voice came from the depths of the room, its sole occupant was seated at a small table, a crystal ball, a deck of tarot cards; both signature tools of her trade were, as always, within easy reach.
"Madame Xanadu."
She clicked her tongue. "I think we've moved quite beyond the need for that, haven't we?"
Zatanna blanched, feeling instantly like she was an eight year old child again. "Hello Nimue."
Nimue or Xanadu as she had been going by lately was an important reminder that in the world of magic, appearances couldn't be trusted. She appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties, however in reality, she was (if rumors were to be believed) well into her eleventh century walking the Earth. Her features suggested she was of Romani descent, but whether or not that was true, only she knew.
She was also one of Zatanna's previous teachers, having spent nearly a decade sharing her knowledge of various magical disciplines. They'd had a falling out though, disagreeing on the direction that Zatanna's education should take and any contact between them had been sporadic and strained in the interim.
"You know why I'm here." Not a question, Nimue was an exceptionally powerful magi and while her knowledge of magic was extensive, her specialty was divination.
"I do." she replied seemingly amused at her former student. "I'll point you in the right direction to complete your task, however, there is a price for my services."
"A price," Zatanna repeated, letting the words hang in the air. "If you think I'm going to submit myself as a-
Nimue raised an elegant hand, cutting her former pupil off. "No, not that. Although I do think you are making a mistake not pursuing it, I recognize that you have made your decision and must live with the consequences of it." She reached for her deck of tarot cards and began to shuffle them. "My price is that you do a reading with me. When was the last time you saw what the cards have to say?"
"Probably the last time we talked." She admitted with a mutter. Zatanna was of course trained in various methods of divination including pyromancy, osteomancy and tarot reading, it was an art she was decent at performing herself but didn't like to use unless the situation was dire. In general, Nimue's accuracy was world renown in magi circles and vastly surpassed her own.
Nimue clicked her tongue in apparent irritation, her gaze intense and unflinching. "You still aren't comfortable with your gifts regarding divination, are you?" she declared rather than asked.
Zatanna shifted uncomfortably under Nimue's scrutiny, her arms crossing defensively over her chest. "Why do you ask questions, you already know the answers too?" Her brow furrowed as she surveyed her mentor's talents firsthand; an extensively trained cardist herself, yet she could barely follow the motions of Nimue's practiced hands as she manipulated the deck.
A knowing smile that would have been at home on a fox stretched across Nimue's features. I may know what you are thinking, but I still enjoy talking with you about it. Please, humor an old woman," she said softly before placing the deck on the table between them and pushing it towards her former student.
Zatanna reluctantly reached forward to pick up the deck, shuffling it with a resigned look on her face before cutting it once, twice, three times. "If I'm going to look into the future, I prefer to know what I'm looking at is accurate," she muttered. With deliberate care, she slid the deck back to Nimue.
"Accuracy has never been your problem my dear, confidence in your abilities has." Nimue gestured towards the deck with one of her elegant fingers, six cards rose off of the top of the deck and arranged themselves in a circular pattern in the air between them. She touched the topmost card, its blank surface faded away and was replaced by…
"Judgment. Upright. We begin with your past, your calling in life is coming." She touched the card directly below it. "The Tower, reversed. You've run from it, you've tried to fight against it, but you are only delaying the inevitable, it will happen."
Her almond shaped green eyes burrowed into Zatanna's violet ones. The younger woman grit her teeth, she could practically feel the weight of cosmic forces conspiring behind her mentor's words. "I don't want it."
Nimue laughed, her voice lyrical like a wind chime. "I know that I taught you better than that. When has wanting ever mattered for those like us, child?"
Zatanna narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything. Instead she set her jaw and tried her best to suppress the rising emotion in her chest. After a moment she gestured at Nimue to continue.
Nimue watched her former pupil struggle, an unreadable expression on her face. "We move to your present with," She touched the next card in the pattern. "The Magician, upright. "You have recently made a choice that will lead to the creation of something that will have ramifications that echo far into the future. This choice whether for good or Ill remains to be seen."
Zatanna's eyes widened, her mind racing with possibilities of what that choice could be. She wanted to ask Nimue for clarification but knew better than to interrupt the reading. Instead, she waited with bated breath for the final three cards.
Nimue touched the fourth card, her eyes glimmering with an otherworldly power. " The Ace, reversed." she whispered.
Zatanna felt a chill run down her spine at the mention of the reversed Ace. It could mean many things, but none of them were particularly good. It could indicate a sudden loss of control, a reversal of fortunes, or even death.
Nimue leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on Zatanna." Proceed carefully child, for the reversed Ace is a powerful omen that must not be underestimated. It could bring forth great danger and chaos, but it could also offer an opportunity for growth and change. Finally we come to your future."
Zatanna held her breath as Nimue reached for the fifth card, her heart pounding with anticipation despite herself. The card's blank face faded, revealing an image of a sphinx with a riddle on its tongue. The card was The Riddler, in the upright orientation.
Nimue's eyes widened with surprise as she stared at the card. "The Riddler in your future is an unusual card, my dear. It represents a challenge to your intellect, one that will test your resolve and force you to think outside the box."
Zatanna felt a headache coming on. She had faced many daunting foes in her line of work as a magician, but the idea of a challenge that could not be solved through magic left her feeling vulnerable.
Nimue leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "But do not despair, for the final card is the most important of all."
Nimue touched the sixth and final card, and Zatanna held her breath. "The High Priestess, reversed," Nimue said gravely. "You will face a great spiritual challenge, my dear. Your beliefs will be tested, and you will be forced to confront the darkest parts of yourself. But if you can overcome this challenge, you will emerge stronger and wiser than before."
Zatanna felt a knot form in her stomach. She knew that she had always struggled with her spirituality, with her belief in the supernatural and the cosmic forces that Nimue spoke of so often. She had always been drawn to magic (it was in her veins), but she had never been entirely sure about what her place in it was.
"And what of the outcome?" Zatanna asked.
Nimue smiled, a glimmer of approval in her eyes. "The outcome, my child, is up to you. You hold the power to shape your own destiny, to choose your own path. The cards only show the possibilities, but it is up to you to decide which ones to pursue."
Zatanna leaned back and contemplated all that had occurred. She knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but she also knew that she had the strength and the courage to face it.
Nimue reached down and pulled a piece of paper from underneath her crystal ball and handed it to her former student. "And with this, my part to play in this part of your story comes to a close."
Zatanna unfolded it, and looked down, reading the four names on the paper. She bit off a curse when she read the last one, her bad mood returning with a vengeance. She glanced up at Nimue, whose face was perfectly blank, but her eyes seemingly twinkled with amusement. "Before you ask, yes, you will need him, or the whole endeavor will fail."
Knowing better than to press the point, Zatanna instead nodded curtly. "Thank you Nimue, I'll be seeing you." She turned to leave.
Nimue watched her walk away, an enigmatic expression on her face. "Yes, perhaps sooner than you'd like." She said softly.
Back outside Zatanna huffed out a frustrated breath of air. She knew she had been rude, between her abrupt exit and standoffish manner with Nimue. After all she loved the woman dearly, she was practically a mother figure to her, but Nimue like any family member knew how to push her buttons, could get a rise out of her like few could. The fact that even years later Nimue was still trying to push the idea that she should…well lest she stewed in a bad mood all day, it was best to just let it go. Still that didn't excuse her behavior and she would have to return at some point and apologize.
She pulled her jacket closer around her and unfolded Nimue's note to look it over again.
Jason Blood. Okay, not too bad, he was a bit of a stiff, but he had a working knowledge of magic to rival Nimue, she was confident that he would be onboard, if just from curiosity alone. The annoying part would be dealing with his Demonic other half, but one step at a time.
Sebastian Faust. Total asshat, a loose cannon with a superiority complex to boot. Sadly he was one of the world's foremost experts on soul and black magic. She could bring him around by playing to his vanity, but the trouble would be dealing with his massive ego.
June Moone. June was most of the time to put it nicely, nuttier than a fruitcake, that said they got along well enough. As far as magi went she was a heavyweight and in the conversation for most powerful magician in the world.
Lastly there was John Constantine. Her ex, she repressed a shudder. I swear Diana, if the world wasn't at stake…working with John again was going to be a bigger pain in the ass than Faust. That said if she was going up against the living personification of war, she knew that there were few better to have on your side than Constatine. That is if his goals happened to line up with what she was trying to accomplish.
She placed the note back into her pocket. Jason Blood resided in Gotham, which would make that her next stop, the day was young and she still had a lot of work to do.
Watchtower
Clark caught himself checking out Diana surreptitiously, all throughout the weekly meeting, he thought that he had seen her doing the same, but he had to admit he could have been imagining it.
They hadn't had any time to talk other than exchange brief greetings before Oliver had gavelled the meeting into order.
His stomach was a pit of nervous energy, he had decided that he was going to take the chance, he was going to ask Diana out.
There were plenty of reasons why he shouldn't, they were work colleagues (of a sort). It might not have been the 'right' time for him to pursue someone else, given his breakup with Cat was relatively fresh and neither of them had much in the way of free time.
However that all fell by the wayside by one overriding factor; Diana understood him in a way few other people had and he felt (hoped) she felt the same way about him. Yes, she was beautiful, prenaturally so and that had been one of the first things he'd noticed the first time he'd seen her in person. But a little over a year he had come to know she was much more than a pretty face.
She was fearless, veracious, bold, curious, stubborn and resolute, but that was all tempered by a heart overflowing with empathy, love and compassion; and that more than anything else was what he found most attractive about her.
Oliver's voice cut through his inner stream of thoughts. "Any new business?"
Diana's hand instantly shot up and Oliver indicated that she had the floor. She stood and gave a brief overview of what she'd discussed with Zatanna, at which point the young magician spoke up.
"I'm still working on getting everything together, I've had to call in some heavyweights for Diana's plan and tracking down magician's, especially some of this group isn't exactly the easiest task, then there's gathering any materials we may need in order to pierce the barrier on Ares' realm. That said, I don't think we'll have to wait much longer than a month or two to get everything ready to go."
Diana nodded in satisfaction before turning to the rest of the League. "To that end, I would like to formally petition the League to provide aid to my cause."
Dinah blinked. "Is that really necessary Diana?"
Before Diana could respond Bart cut in. "Yeah, what did you think, we were just going to sit on our hands while you took on the god of war and his army of baddies?"
Diana's eyes moved from each member of the League and saw nothing but determination and solidarity in their expressions. The show of unity warmed her.
Clark held her gaze. "You're one of us Diana and even if you weren't, this is exactly the sort of situation the Justice League was founded in mind with. Of course we'll help you, whatever you need."
Oliver could barely contain his smile. "Well I think we're all of one mind on this, but just to make it official, any objections?" There was silence and after a moment he nodded. "Well if no one else has anything, I think we can go ahead and adjourn this meeting."
"Thank you everyone."
Clark watched as everyone filed out of the room, he caught Diana's eye and gestured towards the table with his head . He idly wondered if she could hear his heart racing a mile a minute.
No big deal Kent. You've asked women out before, this is no different.
But it was different. Diana was no ordinary woman. She was the embodiment of beauty and strength, practically a goddess among mortals add to the fact that she was one of his closest friends and Clark couldn't help but feel intimidated by her, but he still gathered his courage.
As he approached the table, he tried to calm his nerves by taking a deep breath. Diana smiled at him, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Is everything alright, Kal?" she asked, her voice like music to his ears.
Clark cleared his throat. "Yeah, everything's fine. I just wanted to ask you something."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."
Clark took a deep breath. "Would you like to go out with me sometime? Maybe dinner?"
Diana's smile turned into a grin. "I would love to, Kal. I was hoping you would ask me."
Relief flooded through Clark's body, and he couldn't help but smile back. "Great. How about tomorrow night?"
Diana nodded. "That would be fine, I believe I'm free at-
Suddenly Clark's face contorted in agony as he clamped his hands over his ears and doubled over in pain. A hypersonic, metallic shriek filled the air, drowning out Diana's voice. She rushed forward to help him. "Are you alright Kal?"
After a moment he straightened, a wince still visible on his face. "Yes, I- I'll be fine. I just heard what sounded like a Kryptonian beacon."
"A Kryptonian beacon? What does that mean?"
Clark took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. "It's a signal my people used to communicate with each other over large distances. My past experience has been with various artifacts of my people, but this one sounds different. It sounds-," He hesitated for a moment. "It sounds similar to the sound the ship I arrived in used to make."
Diana's eyes widened in shock as the implication of what he was saying washed over her. "Are you saying that there could be another ship with other survivors?"
A troubled expression had settled on his face. "It's possible, but I-I've been fooled before. I don't want to get my hopes up again before I can verify if it's real or not."
As Diana listened to him, she noticed a subtle hint of pain in his voice. She suspected he was referring to his deception at the hands of Brainiac. She asked him how he would confirm the signal.
"I told the Fortress' AI to scan for any Kryptonian signals, it should be able to not only tell me where the signal came from but if it's genuine or not."
At the mention of the Fortress her curiosity intensified. He'd mentioned it long ago and she was quite keen to see it in person, the fact that she could do that while helping him with his mission was a bonus. "So, what is the plan?" she asked,
"I'll head to the Fortress and see what the AI turned up. If there is indeed a Kryptonian signal, I'll investigate further and see what it's all about," he replied
"Would you mind if I accompany you?"
He didn't even have to think about it. "Of course not. I did promise to show you the Fortress, and this is as good of a time as any."
She let a teasing note enter her voice as they walked out of the conference room. "One last thing Kal. I want to be clear that this does not count as our date."
His smile wasn't as bright as usual but it was a definite improvement. "Wouldn't dream of it."
"Good," She replied in mock seriousness. "Then let us go."
After a short stop by the Kent Farmhouse to pick up the octagonal key, they found themselves in the Kawatche caves. As they walked through, Clark gave Diana a brief rundown of his history with the caves and what the various meanings of the cave paintings were. At last they came to a blank wall and Clark placed his palm on it. A moment later the wall dissolved in a flash of light and they stepped into the center of a large, dimly lit cavern filled with ancient carvings and strange symbols. He carefully placed the octagonal key in its slot on the altar. A dazzling burst of light engulfed the chamber, and when it faded, a shimmering vortex had appeared where before there was nothing. He looked over at her with a knowing smile and stepped into the portal, and she followed him without hesitation. In an instant, their familiar surroundings were replaced by an unfamiliar location—The Fortress of Solitude.
Diana's eyes were practically saucers as she took in everything around her, the fortress was larger than she'd imagined, she turned in a circle, catching her reflection splintering into countless copies as the light refracted through the faces of numerous crystalline structures. She walked towards one of the crystals, mesmerized by the way it glimmered in the light. As she reached out to touch it, she felt a jolt of energy surge through her body. More surprised than anything, she stumbled back.
Clark watched her with a fond smile "Don't worry, the energy in the crystals won't hurt you. Come on, I'll show you around."
He led her through the winding halls of the fortress, showing her the wonders that lay within. They passed through rooms filled with ancient artifacts and advanced technologies, each more impressive than the last. She realized that she could spend centuries in this place learning until her heart's content and still only scratch the surface. Diana considered herself something of a philomath and the thought of losing herself in the knowledge of galaxies worth of knowledge filled her with excitement.
Finally, they arrived at a large chamber at the heart of the fortress. In the center of the room was a massive crystal, pulsing with energy. Clark stepped forward and placed a hand on the crystal. Instantly, a holographic image of Jor-El, Clark's Kryptonian father, appeared before them.
"Greetings Kal-El, greetings Princess Diana of Themyscira."
Diana was surprised that the Fortress knew who she was, but after thinking about it, she remembered Kal mentioning it was connected to the internet and most of Earth's global communication networks. She was also impressed by the lifelike quality in the image of Kal's birth father and she surreptitiously studied the physical similarities and differences between them. Much like his son, Jor-El was tall and powerfully built, they were within an inch of each other height wise and they shared the same sky blue eyes. Although Kal's features were less severe and more fair, she supposed he must have inherited those from his mother.
"-isolate the origin?"
She realized with a start that she hadn't been paying the closest attention and chided herself as she refocused her attention.
There was a moment of silence before Jor-El's likeness spoke again. " While I was unable to isolate any Kryptonian frequencies originating on Earth, I did manage to capture a frequency that intersected with it approximately fifteen minutes ago." A map of the solar system appeared before zooming in on an area near Jupiter. Given Earth's limited availability of high resolution telescopes, the image quality is rather poor. I have enhanced the image as much as possible. Between the image and the frequencies of the distress beacon I believe I can conclude with 99.73% that the transmission is genuine and from a ship belonging to our family. Specifically I believe it is the work of my brother Zor-El, in which case the most likely occupant would be either your aunt Alura In-Ze or your cousin Kara Zor-El."
Diana stepped forward and pointed at the image, "What is that behind the ship?"
"Unknown, Earth has no probes capable of providing any sort of reading this deep in space. Based on telemetry, I can estimate that it is headed for Earth; at its current rate of speed, it will intercept in approximately four months. I can hypothesize that based on a similar event happening with Kal-El's arrival on Earth that it is likely an irradiated piece of Krypton that was caught in the wake of the ship's hyperdrive engine."
A horrified look was on Clark's face. " You mean Kryptonite, whoever is on that ship is being bombarded by Kryptonite radiation."
"Much like your own ship, this vessel is no doubt shielded against radiation in order to be space worthy, the vehicle's occupant is also almost certainly in suspended animation. They are safe." Jor-El replied dispassionately.
"I have a question, if the ship presumably left Krypton the same time as Kal, why is it just now arriving on Earth?"
Jor-El's voice maintained its previous tone. "Unknown, perhaps damage to the navigational systems, perhaps a subspace storm threw the ship off course, without examining the ship and its logs it is impossible to say."
Clark placed a hand on the crystal. "Please continue to monitor the situation Jor-El."
The hologram nodded before fading away. Clark stepped away from the console and Diana moved closer to him. "How are you feeling Kal, it is a lot to take in."
"Honestly, I don't know how to feel. The thought that I could have a blood relative who is alive…it's something I've dreamed of all my life. On the other hand with the exception of Raya, every Kryptonian I've encountered has either tried to kill me or take over the planet, I hope that's not something I'll have to deal with again."
His tone had gotten heavier towards the end, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Diana sensed his distress and placed a gentle hand on his arm.
"I understand how you feel, Kal. But we will face whatever comes together," She realized a moment later what she had said and while it might have been presumptuous, it felt right though, beyond any romantic attraction she cared for him and would help him if she was able, so she decided to continue. "And I have a feeling that whether it is your cousin or aunt, they will not be like the others. She is your family, after all."
Clark took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. "You're right, Diana. And I won't let my past experiences cloud my judgment."
They shared a moment of silence, both lost in thought about what the future held. Soon though they became aware of their close proximity to one another and a different type of silence filled the air, while the former had been companionable, this one was heavy with tension and anticipation.
Letting her feelings be her guide, Diana tentatively stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his back, feeling him briefly tense in surprise before he embraced her back. She felt the air alright tight with tension ramp up even higher as they pulled apart, their eyes locked together in a long and intense gaze. His were the blue of a summer sky, while hers were like two sapphires reflecting the light from the stars above. Slowly she leaned forward, and as if guided by an invisible force, he followed suit until their lips finally met in a kiss. The kiss was electric as they embraced in the moment, every emotion they kept hidden within bubbling up to the surface and taking flight. Sparks of energy seemed to arc between them, pushing them deeper into one another until nothing else mattered. Then, just as quickly as it began the kiss was over and the world crashed back into focus.
They drew back from each other, and a soft silence enveloped them. They gazed into each other's eyes, and without speaking, they both understood what the other was thinking.
Diana offered her hand and Clark grasped it in a gentle yet unbreakable grip. Together they walked into the swirling energies of the portal and a few moments later they were back in the Kawatche Caves. Clark removed the octagonal disk from the altar and stowed it in his belt. Still hand in hand they emerged from the network of caves, their steps echoing against the walls. As they left the cool darkness of the underground behind, Diana reluctantly let go of his hand. She felt a pang of regret as his warmth left her fingertips, and she cleared her throat to break the silence that had descended between them.
"Tomorrow, 8pm," she said softly. The promise and excitement contained within those three words was palpable, and he repeated them back to her, his voice barely above a whisper. "Tomorrow, 8pm."
The air was still for one timeless moment as they looked into each other's eyes one last time. Diana's lips curved into a mysterious smile before she gracefully lifted into the sky. Her hair blew wildly in the wind as her body accelerated and she disappeared with a thunderous boom.
AN: Amazon mating rituals were covered in Wonder Woman vol 3, I want to say issue 35, but I'm going off memory and I could be mistaken. Special thanks to Sue, for being a resource to bounce ideas off of as well as your help with the Xanadu/Zatanna scene, I know exactly zero about tarot and what the cards mean, so your help was invaluable. Coming up next; Clark and Diana's big night out, and the return of Batman. See you all soon.