"Okay, you make it look so easy at times though.", Diana admitted as Damien nodded, "True; maybe it has partially more to do with my power not exactly coming from the gods but rather through science; as well as being born with it, you've only just gotten it."
Tessa piped up, "Mother is a quick learner!", and Diana blushed with pride, yet she frowned, and Damien replied, "Do not worry. I will teach you. Listen to my instructions...You can do this...".
Diana nodded, taking a deep breath and closed her eyes, relaxing as she listened to Damien's voice, "Good. Listen, focus, tell me what you hear...", and she exhaled, "I hear you...I hear the trees...".
"That's right...Keep going...", Damien's voice spoke, his heart growing with love and fondness and joy as he found someone else like him, patiently teaching her, and with joy, the whole night, Diana succeeded in shifting her ears into panther ears, her nose and mouth into a muzzle which was exhausting yet wonderful.
The next two nights, between the airplane stopping in Spain and Greece, Diana successfully shifted her hair into fur, her hands and feet into claws, and finally, her eyes and her tailbone into a long, successful tail.
"Just one more night, huh?", Diana asked as Damien nodded, "Looks to be the way provided there are no issues which Carrie feels confident about. It's... it's going to be quite a moment to finally be able to touch you, to feel you physically than it has these past couple weeks.".
"It won't be any different than it was before.", Diana told him. "No, it'll be so much more different, we can't take that for granted.", Damien insisted. "It... it'll be special...", he sighed.
"Are you still feeling doubt about yourself? About us?", Diana asked him as he gave a small nod. Damien replied, "Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate you doing this for me, but on the inside, I am still that 17-year-old and wake up as that person while you affected me to dream, to age up with your sweet, strong scent every time you get much better at shifting into a panther.".
Diana smiled gently, "Damien, I understand you far more than I knew before...all those feelings inside me with the wild... it's harder than I imagined...you aging up a year every night you get closer to my home...you deserve to be happy, not stuck and miserable...".
"Yeah, but it's only when we sleep...", Damien sighed. "And I don't know how long I can make you wait with a boy like me when you honestly deserve a man.". Even though what Hera said to her, Diana kept her mouth tight about that; if there was a plan, she was going to hopefully let it run its course.
Diana spoke warmly, "You are incredibly wonderful with Tessa, and you are truly strong, Damien...you gave me a chance to fall in love again.", and Damien looked at her in surprise, "You...you are?".
She tenderly touched his hand, "Steve was right...I want to be happy again, and I am. I've never thought that I would move on, but with you, I am...no matter what, I can wait for you... after all, time is barely something to us on the island.", only saying the truth of her sisters, never giving away Hera's plan.
"I suppose you might be right... but forgive me if my confidence still isn't there.", Damien told her. Diana smiled though wondered if him just getting a bit more age was all he needed. Diana gently placed her hand against his cheek as she gently caressed it.
Damien widened his eyes, "D-Diana?", and Diana whispered, "It's just us dreaming. Nobody's stopping us...", leaning in to kiss him, giving him his first kiss on the lips.
Damien closed his eyes as he took into the incredibly tender sensation of the kiss, and opening them again as Diana pulled back, smiling, "Now you have a sense of practice once we meet on the island...How was it?", blushing nervously.
"Wonderful...", Damien whispered as he gently touched her cheek now, "I... I could only dream...", with a sighed murmur. "Well, it still is, but this is about as real as it could be thankfully.", Diana smiled.
Damien replied, "Can we practice more while we stroll?", and Diana nodded, "Of course.", and so, they strolled on while practicing with affectionate kisses, snuggles and hand holding.
Damien woke up, feeling better, but still not convinced or being 100 percent confident of his situation, and after breakfast, they left the Greek Wayne residence, he, his brothers, Poppy and Waylon, and the twins in Sean and Daphne who are there in support of their brothers, grateful that their boyfriend/girlfriend understood their vacation need.
"How's everyone feeling?", Poppy asked as they were on their final approach as Carrie said a few moments prior. "Boys?", she asked as the four of them nodded. "Quite nervous... I mean, seeing the one you love finally in the flesh...", Dick rubbed his arm.
Jason replied, "Especially after spending time with them for the past two weeks...It doesn't almost feel real until we did this...", with a glance at Carrie up high, but not too high, on her chariot, with her Pegasus Zerais who has been leading the way for their brought boat that was legally brought with Wayne money, in transfer of Greek money, of course, with no strangers or rental issues. It was good that Waylon is a pro at driving boats.
It has been perhaps six hours since they left Argos, where their Greek Wayne aka Pennyworth-Jones vacation home is, and it was a surprise to all, considering that Argos were one of the great cities where Hera was worshipped, much to Thomas's amazement who had brought it for Alfred decades ago, only having a peculiar feeling that he wanted it because of the peace and isolation.
Now they are deep into the Mediterranean Sea, far below Greece and Italy in between. Tim piped up, "Also excited too, as this is huge, considering that we are family of Carrie. Living in paradise, I can't wait for the tour with Alexa...Right, Damien, eh?".
"Yeah...", Damien's tone obviously wasn't as excited as Tim patted his back. "It'll be alright, you just need some true face to face time with her; I'm sure things will work out with you like how it's going with Dick and Komi.", Tim tried to assure him.
Damien shrugged, "Maybe...I know time doesn't really matter much on Themyscira, and I can only visit so many times...I know she said she'll wait no matter what...but I just...I want this to work...yet this...this is not easy.".
Poppy hugged her youngest son/'nephew', "Everything is going to be fine, you will see...You just need to be patient...", and Damien nodded, giving her a small smile, grateful of the support. Waylon's voice then called out, "Carrie just stopped, she's turning around and wait, whoa, get in front, everyone, you don't want to miss this!", as he slowed the boat down some, checking the boat's GPS map, seeing no other boats anywhere gratefully.
They scrambled, heading to the front of the boat, carefully making space for Waylon to see out of the wheel cabin's view, and their eyes widened as suddenly, a see-through golden shield of magic appeared out of nowhere, revealing steadily from the top to the bottom, only at least 20 yards away from the boat, with the glorious view of Themyscira in the distance.
Everyone gave their own sounds of amazement as they saw the sudden change. What had been empty sea changed into a truly hidden paradise. "There's a view, no doubt about that.", Waylon whistled as Poppy got close to him.
"And our own little girl is a princess of it.", Poppy added as she almost wanted to tear up at the thought; just having all seven of her children together was just making her so emotional of late.
Waylon wrapped his arm around his wife, kissing her on the temple, "Indeed...It isn't every day that a grown child is a princess of a beautiful island. Ah, there's Carrie signaling for us to keep going...", adjusting the wheel of the boat, steadily at the lever of the speed, getting closer and closer to the golden magical shield, and then passed through it, watching the electronics turn off with no danger of fire or sparks, and saw their children disappear for a moment before he and Poppy passed through, seeing their children again, and they looked back, seeing the golden magic shield double over into force, seeing less clouds and more sun here while it was slightly more cloudy before the shield.
"Huh, that was just a short whoosh for a moment there, and then nothing to it...", Sean commented, and Daphne said, "You know what Carrie said about how we were permitted by her queen mother, and probably the gods too, otherwise the boat might have gone into rocks or something, bro.".
Sean nodded, "Fair point. Wow, makes me wonder why we literally lived in New Jersey so long as this is really paradise...", and Daphne replied, "We got our girlfriend and boyfriend back there, that's why.", and he smiled warmly, "Right. Support for our brothers and a vacation for our folks and us. Looks like Carrie is heading in to land on that beach in that little bay way there.".
"You alright, Dame?", Jason asked in concern, and Damien exhaled, "Y-Yeah...Her scent, Diana...it's on the wind...and it was probably the whoosh of the passthrough, but I thought I felt something else.".
"Well, take it easy, buddy.", Jason grabbed him from the back of his shirt collar. "Don't make us get the spray bottle on you already when we've just arrived.", he teased as Damien rolled his eyes.
"Don't joke about that, Jay, you know that it's been difficult for me all these years without having a chance to relieve myself with a mate.", Damien told him as Jason held his hands up.
"Okay, ya didn't need to phrase it like that part there. First minute in paradise and I'm already sick to my stomach and it's not thanks to the sea.", Jason replied.
Damien snorted, "Oh, yeah, like you've been practicing with Artemis there for the real thing?", and Jason blushed hard with a groan as he had tried hard to clean himself in his bathroom and all after the incredibly amazing sessions with Artemis, on her deal, keeping to his word, but sometimes, Damien's nose is too damn good. Hell, he caught Dick out a few times too. Tim was the only lucky one who was keeping things tame, next to Damien.
Tim replied, "Couldn't be more than a few minutes to get to the shallows of that bay...Looks like Carrie is met by a patrol. Do you see them, Dame?", and Damien used his panther eyesight, "Not any of our girls, other Amazons, counting seven...Looks like one of them is taking Carrie's chariot and Pegasus home to the city, while the rest of the Amazons stay behind with Carrie.".
"Just remember, guys, we're all extremely lucky guests and we'll be under a suspicious eye. Poppy and Daphne probably will have it easier since they're females like the Amazons.", Waylon warned.
"Yes, don't worry. We won't do anything to cause issues.", Dick nodded before he looked to the others. "That means no jokes either; if it's not any of our soulmates, every word you speak is as serious as a heart attack, get it?".
Jason replied, "Heard ya, bro.", with a nod as the others agreed including Damien, and so, Waylon carefully drove the boat into the shallows of the bay, with Poppy and Daphne throwing lines to Carrie and one of the Amazons, tying the ropes around a worn boulder and a strong palm tree, with the older boys carrying the ramp from the back of the boat's floor, with Damien opening the latch entrance/exit door of the boat's side for the ramp.
"Don't think they've ever really seen a modern boat this close before.", Tim admitted. "Yeah, normally they only find shipwrecked sailors without much of a craft, isn't that right?", Jason asked as Tim nodded.
"According to what Alexa has told me, yeah.", Tim said. "Remember, best behavior.", Poppy reminded as everyone nodded when Carrie first came up to meet them.
Carrie looked at them up and down with a nod, "The journey went well, then?", and Waylon nodded, "Yes, daughter, no sickness or such.".
"Good. Come down in order as I introduce you to the escort who will take us on the main route to the city through the island and remember what I taught you earlier at breakfast.", Carre replied, turning around to face the patrol of Amazons, as indeed, Damien was correct with his sight earlier, there's no sign of their soulmates. Looks like Themyscira has a rotation of patrols every day if not every week.
Waylon came down first, as Carrie announced, "Waylon Jones-Wayne, my original birth father, and one of the guardians of Gotham City in America.", as Waylon brought his hands forward, with one open palm on his heart, and his other palm turned at the side of his person, to show that he's unarmed, standing properly to his height, but making sure not to show off with any bragging expressions.
Poppy did the same greeting as Carrie announced her, "Penelope Jones-Wayne, my original birth mother, and one of the guardians of Gotham City in America.". Dick, being the eldest and first of the brood came down, as Carrie announced him, "Richard Grayson, ward of the Wayne family and my original eldest brother and intended soulmate of Princess Komand'r, of Tamaran and Themyscira.".
Jason went next, "Jason Todd Isley-Quinn, ward of the Wayne family and my original second eldest brother and intended soulmate of General Artemis of the Amazons.", and Tim went after him, "Tim Drake Isley-Quinn, ward of the Wayne family and my original third eldest brother and intended soulmate of Alexa of the Amazons.".
Sean went next, "Sean Jones-Wayne, my recent and third eldest brother, eldest twin of two, here for family support and loyalty.", and Daphne went after her twin, "Daphne Jones-Wayne, my recent and only sister of the family, youngest twin of two, here for family support and loyalty.".
Finally, it was Damien's turn to come down as Carrie announced him, "Damien Wayne, heir of the Wayne family, my original youngest brother, and intended soulmate of Princess Diana of Themyscira.".
"I must thank you for your willingness to accept us here.", Poppy spoke. "I can understand, especially with my husband and sons, that this is an unorthodox and highly different situation I'm sure you've been accustomed to for centuries upon centuries.".
"I speak on behalf of myself, and my sons...", Waylon spoke up. "That we will do everything we can to make sure not to break the fragile trust I'm sure you have in us men, nor to take for granted of your hospitality.".
The leader of the patrol looked at them, and she spoke, "I can hear the conviction in your voices, and see the loyalty to Princess Carrie in your eyes. We will surround you in a guard formation, and I will lead the way an-", before a scream of joy was heard, "Carrie!".
They looked up as Carrie ran, "Kori!", before a flash of orange swept up Carrie, twirling her around and kissing her all over, revealing Kori in all her Amazon/Tamaran attire, "Never-leave-that-long-again-Carrie! I-love-you-and-I missed-you-so-damn-much!".
"Okay, okay, Kori!", Carrie laughed. "I promise, next time I'll take you with me, so you never have to worry about me leaving for even a moment.".
"Care to introduce us to your lover, Carrie?", Poppy teased as Carrie blushed; considering that it was a bit embarrassing with what Kori was doing and just how excited she was to see her.
Kori giggled, slightly calming down, amazed at seeing the similarities between Carrie and the others, as Carrie cleared her throat, "Father, Mom, brothers, and sister, this is Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran and Themyscira.", with a smile.
"Kori, that is my father, Waylon, my mom, Poppy, my brothers, Richard, Jason, Tim, Sean, Damien, and my sister, Daphne.", Carrie introduced them all as they smiled and nodded as their name was said.
Kori replied, "I knew Carrie said that there were many similarities between you all and her, but I didn't expect it to be so eerily incredible! Hi, I'm Kori, and I have to say that Carrie is an amazing, wonderful girl, and I'm so lucky to have her.", with a loving, warm, and overjoyed smile.
Carrie blushed, "Kori...Do I presume that you saw Phoebe taking my chariot and Zerais home to the palace?", with a smile, and Kori nodded, "Yep, so yeah, almost all the Amazons know, with the exceptions of the other patrols on the other sides of the island. I was talking with Komi and wait...I thought she was behind me...Komi?", calling out.
Komi's small voice spoke, "Here...", and they all turned around to see Komi looking nervously scared, dressed like Kori gratefully, with a glance at Dick with a glimmer of love yet fear as she hid near a tree.