Mirror, Mirror
Diana drifted across the water and lifted over the edge of her balcony. She looked back across the water and could see the dim spots of light, the torches held by her sisters, the guards-women outside Clark's dungeon. She wondered how he would react to her when they met in the morning; perhaps she should not have shown off her power to him in such a brazen way. She had to remember that Clark was a human man, more fragile than even the weakest of her Amazon sisters and he'd had no idea of her abilities.
I did not mean to frighten him, I thought he would be thrilled to know the wind.
Diana shrugged to herself and strode into her bedroom, not a bit surprised to find her mother inside and obviously waiting for her.
Hippolyta was just inspecting one of Diana's hand-axes when the princess returned. She didn't look away from the fine edge of the blade as she asked, "The man is back in place?"
Diana nodded to her queen. She shouldn't be surprised; Hippolyta was wary of the man and depending on Diana's rapport with him to determine how best to deal with the situation. Diana crossed her arms and stifled a yawn, it had been a long day. "Yes. I flew him across the bay- I feel guilty for scaring him, though. I do not believe that he likes the open air."
Hippolyta smiled at her daughter's playfulness. She replaced the axe on the wall display and turned to give Diana a hug. "Oh, I'm sure it came to him as quite the shock. You haven't played that trick since you were a child and learning to control your abilities."
The two women laughed as they recalled the pranks Diana often played on her sisters, taking advantage of her powers. Still, she had to temper their humor with a serious question. "Mother, have the gods spoken on the man's presence yet?"
The smile fell from the queen's face as she shook her head. "No, Diana. Our oracle has not left the temple since his discovery on the beach, but we have not received word from Olympus. It appears that our decision on this matter will remain our own."
Diana sighed. "Well, I choose to remain with our original plan. Clark must be made to feel welcome on the island, so that he can act as a witness to the Amazon's glory once I take him back to his world."
"Wise as Athena, my love. Yes. Have no worries, Diana. I will attend to the city in the morning and explain things to our sisters. They deserve the truth."
"You don't think they will attack him, do you?" Diana was half-serious, but she asked this with a slight smile.
"You know our past, Diana. You know the tempers of your sisters. Tell me, do you believe him to be in danger?"
"No. Or, at least I hope not."
"Then have no fear for his safety. That being said, I would be sure to keep an eye on him when he begins to explore the city." She kissed Diana's forehead and started toward the door, intent to leave her daughter to sleep.
"I will, mother."
The queen departed, and Diana began to dress for the night. She took a seat on the edge of her bed, intending to remove her gold anklet, but she stopped at the sight of her leg. She frowned and gingerly probed a strange bluish-gray mark on her shin. What is this?
Diana pushed at the mark and winced. Pain! But how could-?
At once, the memory of Clark's panicking during their flight across the bay flashed into her mind. He'd kicked her, yes, but why had he been able to leave a mark? Clark Kent was only a man, he'd said so under the power of Hestia's golden fire.
This makes no sense- how could a human force a bruise on me?
Athena had provided no answer to her questioning prayers since the man's discovery, and she spared no wisdom to Diana now. The princess shed her evening garment and moved to her mirror, naked, inspecting her body for any other mark upon her skin. There were none. Diana shook her head and slipped into a chemise, and then settled into bed. She stared out to the stars over her balcony, but her mind did not become clear.
The next morning, Diana awoke with the dawn as she had every day for nearly two thousand years. The only thing peculiar to this day was that Diana awoke excited, strangely giddy, to see the man again. All at once, she threw off the fur and sheets of her bed and drifted through the air to the large cabinet that housed her garments. The young woman ran a quick eye through her wardrobe and selected a short tunic of pale green with silver stitching. Had Diana known enough to see the symptoms, she would have teased herself over her budding infatuation with Clark.
In a deep, unacknowledged part of her mind, Diana knew that something was happening to her. It was driving her urge to see Clark again, to experience his personality and enjoy his company. It was bizarre, this compulsion she felt to see him again so that they might spend even more time together. Diana had no idea to question why it was she felt so eager to see Clark again, she only knew she wanted to fly across the bay that very instant.
As she dressed, she saw that the bruise she'd noticed from the night before had faded away. No trace of the mark was left and she felt no pain as she probed her shin. Perhaps she had dreamt the bruise; there was no way a human could have made a mark on her. Diana shook her head, dismissing the incident.
I will take Clark through the palace today, and after mother makes her announcements to my sisters, perhaps then I will take him into the city.
The Diana in the mirror smiled at her, approving her choice of garment and teasing her for the excitement she felt. "You have dressed to please the man!"
Diana shook her head. "No, I dress to please myself. I am happy to spend time with the man- he is new and different, can you blame me?"
The reflection shrugged, admitting her point. "No, I cannot. But Clark's qualities of the new and different are what may upset some of our sisters, Diana. Be sure to keep your eyes open to threats from within as well as without."
Diana bowed her head, absorbing the pearl of wisdom from her reflected self.
Clark awoke to the gentle rush of the waves outside his window and the quick exchange of nonsense words of the Amazons who stood guard at the mouth of the cave. He smiled and couldn't ignore the jump he felt in his chest once he recognized Diana's voice. He had no idea what she was saying to the other women guarding his dungeon cell, but he didn't care. He was excited to see her again, she'd said that they were going to explore more of the island. Any time he could have alone with Diana was precious.
He'd hardly slept at all during the night- how could he have, after learning just how special Diana really was? Not only did the woman possess an otherworldly beauty, but she was- in defiance of everything Clark knew of the world- a creature of pure magic. Magic! Diana could fly, actually fly, seemingly just with a thought! Clark had been dazed after returning to his cell the night before, running everything she'd told him over and over again in his mind. She'd claimed to be a princess blessed by the gods, but before taking him across the water she'd done nothing to prove her point.
But then, she'd lifted him like he weighed nothing and all at once, they were zooming through the air above the bay. Impossible, and yet...
If Clark hadn't seen Diana fly back to the palace from his cell's window after she'd left him, he would have sworn that he'd been hallucinating.
That Diana wielded a burning lasso which forced the truth through their differing languages was nothing compared to her power of flight. A woman who could fly! None of it made any sense- in fact, nothing had made any sense to him since he'd woken up on this island! He wanted to see her again and ask her every question he could think of; his mind was hungry for her words. He wanted that magical woman all to himself-
I'm jumping around like a kid with his first crush- get ahold of yourself, Clark!
Clark chastised himself but it was damn near impossible to temper his excitement. He moved across his cell and went to the door. It was a solid plate of thick bronze, but he could hear approaching footsteps on the other side. He moved away from the door and made a useless attempt to straighten his clothes and to smooth his hair. There was nothing he could do about the dark stubble on his face, but Clark figured that Diana, never having met a man before, wouldn't be too horrified at the sight of his unshaven cheeks and chin.
Maybe I'll get a chance for a bath and a shave today, he thought absently.
Had Clark's memory been returned to him, he would have recalled that in Metropolis, he took extra pains to present himself as a neatly dressed bachelor. Even with a large part of his past left empty to him, Clark was aware that he didn't like appearing unkempt. Diana had more than impressed him with her physical prowess, and he knew the odds were against him but mankind had evolved to meet just these sorts of challenges. Every instinct he possessed was urging him to find a way to impress Diana.
How can I impress the only woman in the world who can defy gravity?
The door hinges creaked loudly as Diana crossed the threshold. She stood before him, tall and proud as befit her royal heritage, and she indicated the golden rope coiled at her hip. Clark raised his brows. "Here we go again, huh?"
Diana said something in reply, but it was all gibberish to his ears. She took the rope and tied it over his forearm as she had the day before. Clark felt the familiar tingle course over his body and he gave a slight shudder.
"How did you sleep, Clark?"
Her words slid over him, that exotic accent again. "I...I can't say I really slept very much at all. How could I, after learning what you can do?"
Diana laughed at that. "I am sorry. So many of my sisters are familiar with my abilities that I couldn't stop myself from showing off. I didn't mean to frighten you."
"I wasn't scared." Clark said quickly, and perhaps too sharply. "I was just surprised, that's all. Where I'm from, people can't fly like you. They mostly fly on airplanes."
She looked at him blankly. "What's an airplane?"
"It's a thing I always have to stop from cras- argh!" Clark clutched at his head, pressing on his temples to keep the pressure from building in his brain.
"Clark, what is it?" Diana was at his side in a moment, supporting him as he stumbled forward. "Hellene! Sister, I need you!"
The guards-woman was at the door of the cell an instant later, surprised to find her princess cradling the man, who was in obvious pain. "Yes, your majesty?"
"Bring Epione to the palace, please. The man's memory is recovering but it brings him terrible pain. She will be able to create something to temper these attacks. Go now, Hellene, please. I will bring him to the palace and keep him in the library. Go." Diana clutched Clark tighter as he groaned.
"Yes, princess." Hellene departed from the caves at once.
Diana put Clark's arm over her shoulders and walked him out of the cave. He winced at the brightness of the sun for it only speared pain further into his mind. "Clark, we are going to fly now, just across the bay. Trust in me, I will go slowly for you."
"This isn't how I wanted our day to start," Clark groaned. "Why does this keep happening?"
Diana hooked her arms under his and lifted into the air as slowly as she was able. "I am not sure, Clark, but Epione will know. I believe this is my fault. I was so eager to speak with you that I ordered you away from the Isle of Healing, away from Epione. It is clear that I took you away from her too soon."
Clark looked back at her. "You wanted me all to yourself, didn't you?"
Diana knew that teasing tone of his, it had been present in his voice before. He was trying to be clever with her. "Do not flatter yourself, man. You are not too weak that you could not swim to the shore from here."
Clark looked down at the light churning water, over seventy feet beneath them. "All right, all right. Point taken, princess."
"If you are able to banter with me, you must be feeling better."
"I feel better than I did when we were in the cell. It only happens when I start to remember something." Clark answered.
Diana nodded as they drifted slowly to the balcony of her bedroom. Clark regained his footing on the stone and Diana landed softly beside him. "I hate to see you in pain, but you are recovering your past, or at least parts of it. Epione will be able to create something to ease these headaches." She gestured for him to follow her inside. "Come. We must wait in the library for her arrival."
Clark went into the room with her, and he fought to contain his rampant thoughts once he caught sight of her rumpled bed. Visions of he and Diana between the sheets flew through his fevered mind. If we could-
"Care to share?"
Clark blinked and glanced up. His reflection stared back at him from the mirror on the wall above Diana's desk. Only...it stared back at him with a different expression.
What the hell?! Haven't I seen a movie or a show like this before...?
"Diana, is that-?"
She'd walked a few steps ahead of him, unconcerned with the visions in the mirror. After a few hundred years, she'd grown accustomed to it's harmless tricks. "It's a magical mirror, yes. A birthday gift from Hephaestus."
Clark had moved closer to it, amazed that the reflection inside remained largely motionless.
"Magic mirror. Sure. Of course it is. May I?" He asked, indicating his want.
Diana nodded. "Yes, but be quick. If you start talking to your reflection then we will be here all day."
The reflected Clark smiled and looked at the original man. "She's bossy, but what can you expect from royalty? She hasn't suffered the way her sisters of Themyscira have suffered- this world has revolved around her for 1,941 years. Her next year will not be the same as all the others before it. We will see a different princess Diana of Paradise."
Clark stood before the mirror, open-mouthed for his surprise. The reflection looked exactly like him, but the things it said...
"How will she be different?" He asked it.
The reflected Clark smiled and gave him a strange, sly look. "You tell me, Clark Kent of Metropolis, formerly of Smallville."
Metropolis, Smallville...cities I've visited? Cities I've lived in?
Diana lifted her mace from the wall and moved toward the glass. Her reflected self stood beside the image of Clark and put an arm around his shoulders in an overly friendly embrace. "Oh, princess, that's not necessary. It was just a bit of fun."
Diana lifted the mace as if she meant to shatter the enchanted glass. "Do not taunt him- his mind is delicate and your games will only cause him further harm."
The reflected Clark put up his hands. "Fine, I surrender! Take your pet to the library if you must, but remember what I told you before."
Diana rolled her eyes and replaced the mace. Clark frowned at the mischievous reflection, but he turned away to follow Diana out of her bedroom and into the corridor. "Diana, what was that?"
"The mirror is a trickster, don't take anything it said too seriously. Everything is a game to it." Diana shrugged. "I suppose Hephaestus thought I needed to lighten my mood."
"It named two cities- the names were really familiar. I feel like I should know something about them but it's just out of reach. This is driving me crazy."
Together they walked through the corridor and then descended a swirling marble staircase. "I know how difficult this must be for you, Clark, but it changes nothing. Today we will explore the city after Epione sees to your headaches. Your memory is coming back in pieces, until it returns to you fully you must find contentment in learning the ways of the Amazons."
"I want to learn all about your culture, I do. This entire island is an anthropologist's dream, the find of the century. I'd just feel more relieved if I knew anything about the life I left behind." Clark said. It was stressful, having a blank past. How could he enjoy himself fully when he had no idea if anyone was missing him?
They crossed the main floor of the palace where several Amazons were attending to their duties. Clark couldn't help noticing how unique they all were, and how extraordinarily beautiful. It was an island full of women whose physical charms would put even the most alluring of supermodels to shame.
If only Jimmy could see me now- who is Jimmy?
Clark tried to grasp some memory of a face or fact connected to the name, but it was like trying to catch smoke in his hands. Frustrating, impossible. He shook his head and just followed Diana as she lead the way to the palace library. The other Amazons stared at him, some were glaring, others were smiling slyly and several had gathered into small groups to whisper about him. He liked being surrounded by beautiful women- what man wouldn't?- but all the same it was unnerving to be regarded as such a subject of controversy.
Diana pushed open a large set of doors and gestured for him to step into the dark room. "Epione will be here for you soon, Clark. Until then, we wait here."
Sighing lightly, Clark followed her inside.
