Family Secrets

A/N: I'm incredibly sorry for the delay but a nasty case of writers block nipped me in the butt for this fic. But never fear! Here is the next chapter. Don't ask when the next one will be up… Because even I don't really know. Life is extremely hectic at the moment, so all I'll say is hopefully after Christmas but before or soon after New Years.

Disclaimer: Nup. Don't own any of them. I only own Kairi and Dorian and the plot. Don't sue. I'm broke from buying so many Christmas presents this year.

X

X

X

Chapter 5: Epiphany

X

X

X

Greedy hands snatched at the shared eye, spotted hands batting at nothing but air. A knarled crone cackled, pulling her arm up that held the eye above her sisters heads, chanting in an old tongue. The other two sisters stopped their squabbling, falling silent beside their older, leader sister.

The eye in the sisters hands floated out of her out-stretched, withered fingers, glowing eerily a golden sheen that illuminated the three crones mutilated features and the pitch-dark swirling fog around them.

One of the crones clucked her tongue, pulling her hood down with one hand while another yanked a strand of iridescent blue hair from her scalp and pulling it taught between her fingers.

The remaining crone, also pulling down her hood only to reveal a rats nest of ginger hair, reached into the tattered sleeve of her robe and pulled out a pair of golden scissors and cackled somewhat evilly. She paused for a second, her warty fingers tracing over the archaic runes engraved onto the blades and slowly handed them over to the first sister who had grabbed hold of the eye and had canted the spell.

One after the other, the two other sisters took up the chant, the eye that had glowed eerily above then suddenly flashing once –twice!– before the dark pupil of the eye faded to a bright and cheery scene of an elderly woman holding a young baby that was wrapped up in pink blanket.

The woman, an obvious grandmother, was bouncing the young babe in her arms to keep it from crying, but steering clear of the IV pole that was connected to the babies arm. A large smile rested on the grandmothers face, faltering slightly when her dark grey eyes flashed over to the heart monitor that beeped every now-and-then to reinforce the fact that the child was sick.

The sisters stopped chanting.

"'Tis but a shame." The first sister almost sighed sadly, opening and closing the scissors in her hands.

"Aye." Replied the other, holding one end of her hair taught and handing the other end to her remaining sister.

"But it cannot be helped." The last said steely, her mouth set in a grim line and the first sister opened the scissors, cutting the taught strand of hair in a fluid movement, almost wincing at the high-pitched, near inhumane scream that echoed in the vast expanse surrounding them.

The scene playing in the glowing pupil of the eye had changed dramatically. The heart monitor in which the young babe had been hooked up to had suddenly given out a long an piercing wail, calling all in the immediate vicinity of the hospital ward to attention. Doctors in white coats and nurses in pink and green had rushed around the grandmother, ripping the baby from her arms and placing her in the cot next to the old woman, performing series of life-saving routines only to have the young child slip from their world and into the next. The last scene was of the grandmother wailing, louder and more agonising than that of the heart monitor.

The sister-crones sighed collectively, sadly, and the elder, the one who had started the chanting, reached up and grabbed the eye, yanking it down angrily and thrusting it into one of her gapping eye-sockets. The glow almost instantly dispersed when her knarled fingers brushed over the sclera. As it re-entered, it made a sickening squelching noise, like someone walking through a large mud puddle.

"'Tis but a shame." She said yet again, turning her eye to the shadow in the mass rolling fog surrounding them.

"Aye." Replied the blue haired crone.

"But it cannot be helped." Replied the last, and walked off in a different direction than that of her sisters, disappearing into the fog that was a fallen goddesses exile.

As they left, they knew they were immune to Eriss' wrath, sadly content in their knowledge that they had foiled her plan.

What they didn't bank on, was the fact that Eriss was smiling coldly in the shadows as she roamed about her domain, thinking of the all the punishments she would see fit to release on to the Fates when she was released from her exile.

X

X

X

Themyscera…

With a flick of her wrist she dismissed the hastily established council, throwing their bitter feelings for man out the window like a piece of old meat. They had argued their case, she had argued hers, and in the end only her authority won her this fight. Suffice to say, she would have bitter enemies in the way of politics, but there was a war being fought and the Amazons needed all the help that they could get.

Once the last of the now disbanded council had left the small meeting cave they had founded in the safety of the mountains, Diana hung her head, a hand coming up to rub her temple and the bridge of her nose against the sudden pain of a headache. Movement from the entrance to the meeting cave caught her attention and Diana raised her head, smiling slightly when she saw the young Amazon that had defended the golden bridge so.

"Your majesty, Diana," she said, bowing her head in a show of respect, "My name is Kairi." She hesitated slightly, feeling uncomfortable. "Although I am by far one of the most inexperienced women here, I would like to offer you my services. Your argument to the council was true, though many women will fight against such an alliance and I only wish to help to ease the tension between the two."

Diana looked at the younger woman and smiled. She stood and walked over to where she stood by the door and motioned for her to move slightly out of the door so she could exit. As she walked down the partially deserted stone corridor, she motioned for Kairi to follow her. "So, Kairi, you wish to act as liaison for Man and the Amazons?" she looked back and saw her nod. "Not many Amazons will like what you have offered to do. You will most likely be cast out after this war if you do not die."

From the corner of her blue eyes, Diana took the time to actually take in Kairi's appearance. Although she didn't have the muscular build that many and most of the Amazon women had, Kairi had the build of a gymnast. A smooth and toned stomach peeked out from the bottom of a mid-drift revealing shirt that was covered by a thin but strong-looking armour chest plate. The shirt had straps that tied around her neck, leaving her back exposed save for the two crossed sheaths that held her twin elbow blades. Around her hips hung a belt with various pouches and a third sheath on her right hip that held a slim but sturdy looking sword. The belt itself held up the short chain-mail skirt over a pair of tight black pants. Sandals on her feet tied up her calves to just below her knees.

At the moment she looked like some kind of barbarian cheerleader.

Diana shook her head, waiting for her answer.

"I am well aware of what I am getting myself into, Queen Diana. I forfeit that right to my safety in order for us to win this war." Kairi spoke, head held high.

Diana smiled. "Well answered. In that case, I must introduce you properly to my team-mates." She smiled slyly, turning down a stone corridor and hearing Kairi follow her. "Don't take this the wrong way, Kairi, but you are not from Themyscera, are you."

Kairi stopped walking beside Diana suddenly, her blue eyes widening slightly. She stood silently for a minute before defeat seeped into her posture and she sighed. "It is true, your highness. Although I have been living on this island a long time, I am in no actual means a true Amazon."

Diana looked at the young woman who looked no older than nineteen. She searched her posture for any sign of a lie and smiled slightly when she detected none. "How so, Kairi. Did you wash up on this island and fear it uninhabited?"

Kairi fiddled with her hands then, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "Er… Not exactly."

She narrowed her blue eyes at the woman before her and she was about to reply when a scarlet flash blinded her and she moved to press herself against the wall of the cave. "Wally, watch where you're going next time." She said, voice monotone.

The Flash grinned at her, winking to Kairi behind her who only smiled demurely, blushing a pretty pink. Behind Flash appeared Green Lantern and Hawk Girl, both arguing over something that she neither cared about or wanted to know. "Sorry Diana. But I found you anyway. Some old lady keeps calling for you. She said its urgent."

Green Lantern had come to a stop beside Flash and glared slightly at Hawk Girl who continued down the hall, nodding her head to both Diana and Kairi as she passed. She seemed extremely annoyed at him. "Goddamn woman. I say one thing she don't like and it gets her feathers ruffled." He muttered, shaking his head.

Kairi cleared her throat, stepping next to Diana. "I am Kairi. You must be the Flash and the Green Lantern. I am sorry to say but I have not had the privilege of meeting you after you saved us all from the Bridge. For that, I thank you." She bowed to them in respect and stood up, her cheeks flaming when Flash gave her one of his trade-mark grins. Green Lantern just scratched the back of his head.

Diana laughed slightly, feeling the unease slowly lift away. "Kairi will be acting as liaison for you and the Amazon women." She explained, then remembered what Flash had come to tell her. "You said something about an old woman. Who was it?"

Flash looked thoughtful for a moment before he turned to Green Lantern. "I wasn't there man. All I saw was you tearing out of a hall looking like the Hounds of Hell were at your heels."

Flash shook his head before he turned to Diana and grinned. "I think her name was Floran the Post-It, or something." He shrugged.

He was met with quizzical faces.

"What's a 'post it'?" Kairi asked, puzzled.

"I think you mean Dorian the Prophet." Diana said, her face darkening slightly.

"Dorian, the woman cursed with the messages of the Gods?" Kairi whispered, her eyes troubled. Diana ignored the look, focusing on Flash infront of her.

"Yeah, that's it. She said that you need to get to her a-sap. Something about 'the world turning to ash' or something." Flash said nonchalantly, shrugging once more.

Green Lantern, who had started to leave the three, stopped and grimaced in Flash's direction. "You are one sad puppy. That's a line from a Pokemon movie." Before he turned and hurried away.

"It is, isn't it?" Flash mumbled to himself. "Anyway, do you know where she it? I can take you there if you want." He offered.

Diana turned to Kairi and nodded to him. "Lead the way Flash."

X

X

X

They walked through the network of caves for a near half hour, often getting lost in the maze but quickly finding their way back. They had found themselves deep underground, deep into the very heart of the mountain where Dorian preferred to live.

Flash and Kairi talked all the way there, mostly what the world of Man was like and the such. Diana paid it no heed and instead took noticed of their route, memorising with agonising detail where they were going and how far away the last Amazon warrior was.

It was when Flash suddenly stopped and motioned to Diana that she realised they had arrived.

They entered a small cave, all but dark save for a small candle that burned yellow beside a lump on a hastily made bed of straw. The light danced along the cave wall, the dark shadows moving and elongating to create the sense of malevolence and sinister creatures ready to pounce on them all.

The lump on the bed moved and in a sharp instant an old woman had sat up, back ram-rod straight, white hair flying wildly and matted with sweat while her blind eyes stared ahead of her. "Diana? Diana!" she cried, her voice cracking and croaky.

Diana moved forwards and froze on the spot when the old woman turned to her suddenly, blind eyes narrowing and her wrinkled mouth breaking into a frown. "A message from the Gods to you, I have Diana. They are angry. Oh, so very angry." She rasped, turning then to look at Flash in an accusatory manner.

He shivered uncomfortably.

"He must go. He was not borne of the gods nor do his ears see fit to hear this message. The girl may stay. She is a creature of the Gods. Her blood mingles with that of a mortals, but it still rings true with the blood of the Gods." She stopped, stilling for a moment, waiting for Flash to leave. "I can still hear you lad. You have yet to leave. Now go with your Devil Wind and run from here!" she commanded and the last Diana saw of him was a scarlet blur.

Diana was about to speak when the Prophet beat her once more.

"Your blood flows with that of the Gods, as well, Diana. Not because of the articles of power you 'borrowed' from the Temple, but from birthright." She seemed to sigh. "Dear, precious Diana. But the blood that flows through your veins wars deep within you, dear child. And all that remains is still a mystery to you. A secret enough to be your salvation…"

Diana felt her stomach drop suddenly. She didn't like what was coming.

"… Or your downfall." Dorian seemed to deflate, sagging a little as she sat. Kairi rushed forwards and knelt next to her but was not needed when the woman straightened, smiling slightly at the two. "The gods are very angry at their older brother, Diana. Since his imprisonment, he had been searching for a way to escape and extract his revenge on all who had wronged him.

"And he has found an escape by replacing himself with his spawn."

Kairi gasped, turning her head to see Diana's reaction, watching as the new Queen fell to her knees. The blood had drained from her face, her blue eyes widening.

"The attacks," Dorian continued, "that he wrought in Themyscera now four nights ago, was but a taste of his anger. It was a slip in the crack in his prison and he knew how very little time he had, for you see, the magical binds that keep him chained to his prison have been loosened by his child. Whether the child knew it or not, I cannot be certain, but the blood-lust that surges through Hades himself is now slowly corrupting his child. And with this he can change places with his child, dominating the Earth while his child takes his place down in the Underworld."

Diana was at a loss for words. How? How could this happen? How could he spawn a creature that now walked the Earth, unaware of Hades' plans?

Or maybe they do know? Came another voice in her head, darker and harbouring all her anger and hate and spite to the man that had made her life start to crumble around her. Maybe they could be working together. She shook her head against the thought.

"He plans to set free the Titans when the planets align at Midnight's commencement tonight to make the… Transition easier for his child." Dorian added in a low tone, the words creating an almost blanket like effect over the room.

"How!" Kairi was the first to act, blue eyes burning in anger and fear. "Why did the Gods see fit to only warn us now? They must enjoy toying with all our lives!" she screamed. "They must enjoy toying with my own." She added in a low whisper which Diana only just caught.

Silence reigned in the cave for slow minutes until Diana stood from her sitting position. "We must destroy Hades before he can free the Titans. We must do it before he trades places with his spawn." She said with a determination that was tinged with slight fury.

"We…" Kairi started, turned from Diana to the blind prophet, "We can defeat Hades, can't we? We can stop him successfully before he is truly free… right?" she urged.

"If we Amazons were to shed our mortal skin and become even half as omnipotent as the two of you, we cannot. The Gods are angry at their mistake, angry that they must entrust the power of the Gods themselves to mortals. But Gods cannot interfere with a conflict such as this in the Mortal Plain; it is a mortal matter." Dorian smiled faintly, laying down on her bed of straw and blankets.

"But one of their own is threatening to destroy the mortal plain in which their subjects reside! Will they not help us!" Kairi stormed, her eyes flickering to Diana who stood stoic near the door of the cave-room.

"To a certain degree… They will not. But the Gods will help one of their own, yes, because of the blood that runs through your veins."

Diana's blue eyes narrowed suspiciously and she watched Kairi who looked at her, shaking her head and shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'she's not talking about me'.

"Sadly, darkness lurks in the depths of you spirit, waiting for the moment in which your blood-lust matches that to Himself. But you are kind-hearted, vigilant and honourable just like your mother who is with the Gods now… No… Not like your father…" she breathed, "Never like the Dark Prince."

Diana stared at Dorian then, the old woman was speaking in riddles that not even Kairi understood. "My father? Dorian… What are you talking about?" she asked, frustrated as the woman in the bed closed her catatonic eyes to the world and breathed in deeply.

"I must sleep now child." The woman sighed, falling asleep almost instantly.

Kairi looked down at the woman and stood up, the words she had said sinking in. "Diana, we must hurry and tell the others this news. It is already mid-morning and we must prepare for this battle." She said hurriedly, heading to the entrance to the cave.

Diana nodded her head, a constant niggling sensation clawing at the back of her mind making her palms itchy and sweaty. She followed Kairi out into the stone corridor and mindlessly followed her, her thoughts shifting through the things Dorian had just stated.

What had Dorian been talking about? She thought, looking down at her hands and flipping them over to look at her palms. 'Not like my father.' She had said, but just what did that mean?

The two walked in companionable silence, reaching the mess-hall-like-cave in just under ten minutes. Diana called to attention all the Amazons and the few members of the Justice League around her, explaining what Dorian had told both her and Kairi not minutes earlier. Just as she was about to agree to a plan of attack, a dark thought passed her mind, making her breathing choppy and face go pale.

"Never like the Dark Prince."

That thought hit her like a speeding bullet and she lurched, many Amazons around her exclaiming as her knees buckled. The last conscious thought she had brought everything in her life into a shocking new focus… And her eyes rolled back into her head, her body being swiftly caught by Batman.

X

X

X

The Underworld…

The portal shimmered to a close, the scene of the Amazon leader fainting in front of her entire surviving people, making an infernal grin appear on his cold face. Oh so soon he'd reveal the truth to her and he would revel in her screams of denial. She and her mother were so alike…

But that other wench, the one that had those blue eyes, always around Diana… Something seemed off about her. She had been tainted by powerful magic that could only be used and wielded by the Gods themselves.

He laughed coldly then, his dark eyes glinting with malice. "So the Gods wish to protect what is rightfully mine? And by sending a Gollum no less!" he barked.

It would not matter anyway. By the time dawn would settle over the world tomorrow, the world would be his domain while his daughter would keep his throne warm for him for the rest of Eternity.

"Don't be too long, Diana. It's rude to keep father waiting."

X

X

X

TBC…

X

X

X