Fic: The End Of All Things (1/10)
Title: The End Of All Things (1/10)
Author: BradyGirl
Pairings/Characters (this chapter): Diana, Aphrodite, Athena, Destiny (Also, see Author’s Notes below)
Genre: Drama
Rating (this chapter): PG-13
Warnings: There will be character deaths in various chapters.
Spoilers: None
Continuity: Comicsverse (mix of pre-COIE with current canon) and a dash of Smallville.
General Summary: Can a new world arise from the ashes of the old?
Chapter Summary: Diana must accept her Destiny.
Date Of Completion: February 24, 2008
Date Of Posting: February 26, 2008
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 853
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
Author’s Notes: While this was written from Diana’s POV, this story is structured like Strange Brew and The Family Series with multiple characters and pairings. The prominent pairings are Clark/Bruce, Dick/Roy, Ollie/Dinah, and Steve/Diana, and there are other pairings and characters included as well. Each chapter will list those who appear in that particular segment.
All chapters can be found here.
This is a story of loss, grace under fire, and hope.
I
DESTINY
Fourteen Months Ago
When the invasion first began, the Justice League of America had been confident they could stop it. They had stopped at least a half-dozen against Earth in the last two decades, and this one didn’t look to be any different.
The aliens used simple technology, not much more advanced than Earth’s military fighter jets. The Davons were humanoid and were not especially big nor super-intelligent or super-powered, just a race out for conquest like so many. The JLA didn’t take them lightly, but they figured they had an excellent chance of ending the invasion before too many people got hurt.
They were wrong.
& & & & & &
The Present
Diana stood on the Acropolis before the Parthenon, smoke swirling up from the city below. Mists shimmered around the ancient pillared temple, and the two figures within those mists were solemn and garbed in Greek clothing, one in a long, flowing chiton, the other in battle dress.
“Great Goddesses…” Diana choked. Her long skirt and cape billowed out behind her.
“I am sorry, Diana,” said Aphrodite softly.
Diana looked out at the city, remembering other cities and towns and so many of their inhabitants gone…
Athena spoke. “You acquitted yourself well, as did your colleagues. We need you again.”
Anger sparked in blue eyes. “I have nothing left to give!”
The Goddesses exchanged looks. “It is your Destiny, Diana.” Aphrodite’s voice was soft but firm.
Diana clamped down on an urge to stamp her boot. “I don’t care about Destiny anymore.” Suddenly all the fire went out of her. “I’m sorry, Great Ones. I can’t…”
Sympathy suffused Aphrodite’s voice. “Understandable, Diana.” She waved her hand and another figure appeared to the right of Athena. “You can rail against Destiny, but it would do you no good. Eventually you would embrace it, but years would be wasted. Time is not your friend.”
“Time is all I have now.” Diana’s voice was steady, nearly emotionless. She touched the Medal around her neck.
Destiny was blond like the other two, and her chiton resembled Aphrodite’s, but her eyes held a faraway look. The color was indefinable, shifting and changing as she Saw.
“I am sorry, Highness,” she said softly.
Diana sighed. “I know better than to fight Destiny.”
A small, sad smile appeared on the face of the Goddess.
Diana looked at Athena. “Was this Ares’ doing?”
Athena shook her head. “He enjoys war, of course, but there is little use for him to work for this result. He was, in fact, on your side.”
Diana stared, then asked, “Is that why some of us survived?”
“It was at least a help.” Athena’s golden armor glinted in the reflection from a fire on the nearby hillside. “But it was your courage and those of your comrades that ensured your survival.”
“Sometimes I wonder if that is a good thing.” Diana’s eyes were tired. “I not only lost good friends and people close to my heart, Athena, but some have been lost to Lyssa.”
Athena nodded solemnly. “Such is the toll of war.”
Diana looked once again to the city.
“Do not grieve muchly for the city, Diana. Athens will endure. She always does.”
“I can’t do this alone.” Weariness laced her voice.
“If the Canary survives her grief, she will be the one who will stand by your side foremost of all.”
Diana nodded. She looked down at the ground, then up as she squared her shoulders. “I will fulfill my Destiny. But I have some requests to make of you.”
“Speak.”
Diana removed the Medal from around her neck and held it out to Athena. “You gave this to me to protect my Beloved in war. I ask that Vulcan make some modifications.”
Athena took it sorrowfully. “It shall be done.”
Diana turned to Aphrodite. “The Island?”
“It will grow over and return to its roots. There will be a Day of Return. That I promise thee.”
Diana nodded. She gave Athena her specifications, then looked at Destiny. “Who should I take?”
Destiny named them, and Diana said, “It shall be done.” She looked a final time at Athena and Aphrodite. “I can’t let…Lyssa must not be allowed to keep…”
Aphrodite nodded. “We have prepared a place on Olympus for him.” Gentle sympathy shone in her eyes. “Love is not easy, Princess.”
“No.”
Athena gestured towards Athens with her sword. “The world will burn clean, and civilization will begin anew. Your Mission will ensure that Earth will prosper again.”
Diana bowed her head, her cape blowing in the wind. She gripped her sword, then raised it.
“That Earth will prosper again, I vow, Great Goddesses.”
They returned her salute and she turned and walked away down the Acropolis.
Aphrodite watched sadly. “Her heart is broken.”
Athena clutched the Medal in her hand. “I know.” She curled her fingers around the cold metal. “Her love has been burned out with the fires of war. Her survival will depend on that cleansing.”
“For now.”
“For now.”
Destiny spoke dreamily. “It shall be done.”
The three Goddesses melted away into the mists.
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Author: BradyGirl
Pairings/Characters (this chapter): Diana, Aphrodite, Athena, Destiny (Also, see Author’s Notes below)
Genre: Drama
Rating (this chapter): PG-13
Warnings: There will be character deaths in various chapters.
Spoilers: None
Continuity: Comicsverse (mix of pre-COIE with current canon) and a dash of Smallville.
General Summary: Can a new world arise from the ashes of the old?
Chapter Summary: Diana must accept her Destiny.
Date Of Completion: February 24, 2008
Date Of Posting: February 26, 2008
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 853
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
Author’s Notes: While this was written from Diana’s POV, this story is structured like Strange Brew and The Family Series with multiple characters and pairings. The prominent pairings are Clark/Bruce, Dick/Roy, Ollie/Dinah, and Steve/Diana, and there are other pairings and characters included as well. Each chapter will list those who appear in that particular segment.
All chapters can be found here.
This is a story of loss, grace under fire, and hope.
I
DESTINY
Fourteen Months Ago
When the invasion first began, the Justice League of America had been confident they could stop it. They had stopped at least a half-dozen against Earth in the last two decades, and this one didn’t look to be any different.
The aliens used simple technology, not much more advanced than Earth’s military fighter jets. The Davons were humanoid and were not especially big nor super-intelligent or super-powered, just a race out for conquest like so many. The JLA didn’t take them lightly, but they figured they had an excellent chance of ending the invasion before too many people got hurt.
They were wrong.
& & & & & &
The Present
Diana stood on the Acropolis before the Parthenon, smoke swirling up from the city below. Mists shimmered around the ancient pillared temple, and the two figures within those mists were solemn and garbed in Greek clothing, one in a long, flowing chiton, the other in battle dress.
“Great Goddesses…” Diana choked. Her long skirt and cape billowed out behind her.
“I am sorry, Diana,” said Aphrodite softly.
Diana looked out at the city, remembering other cities and towns and so many of their inhabitants gone…
Athena spoke. “You acquitted yourself well, as did your colleagues. We need you again.”
Anger sparked in blue eyes. “I have nothing left to give!”
The Goddesses exchanged looks. “It is your Destiny, Diana.” Aphrodite’s voice was soft but firm.
Diana clamped down on an urge to stamp her boot. “I don’t care about Destiny anymore.” Suddenly all the fire went out of her. “I’m sorry, Great Ones. I can’t…”
Sympathy suffused Aphrodite’s voice. “Understandable, Diana.” She waved her hand and another figure appeared to the right of Athena. “You can rail against Destiny, but it would do you no good. Eventually you would embrace it, but years would be wasted. Time is not your friend.”
“Time is all I have now.” Diana’s voice was steady, nearly emotionless. She touched the Medal around her neck.
Destiny was blond like the other two, and her chiton resembled Aphrodite’s, but her eyes held a faraway look. The color was indefinable, shifting and changing as she Saw.
“I am sorry, Highness,” she said softly.
Diana sighed. “I know better than to fight Destiny.”
A small, sad smile appeared on the face of the Goddess.
Diana looked at Athena. “Was this Ares’ doing?”
Athena shook her head. “He enjoys war, of course, but there is little use for him to work for this result. He was, in fact, on your side.”
Diana stared, then asked, “Is that why some of us survived?”
“It was at least a help.” Athena’s golden armor glinted in the reflection from a fire on the nearby hillside. “But it was your courage and those of your comrades that ensured your survival.”
“Sometimes I wonder if that is a good thing.” Diana’s eyes were tired. “I not only lost good friends and people close to my heart, Athena, but some have been lost to Lyssa.”
Athena nodded solemnly. “Such is the toll of war.”
Diana looked once again to the city.
“Do not grieve muchly for the city, Diana. Athens will endure. She always does.”
“I can’t do this alone.” Weariness laced her voice.
“If the Canary survives her grief, she will be the one who will stand by your side foremost of all.”
Diana nodded. She looked down at the ground, then up as she squared her shoulders. “I will fulfill my Destiny. But I have some requests to make of you.”
“Speak.”
Diana removed the Medal from around her neck and held it out to Athena. “You gave this to me to protect my Beloved in war. I ask that Vulcan make some modifications.”
Athena took it sorrowfully. “It shall be done.”
Diana turned to Aphrodite. “The Island?”
“It will grow over and return to its roots. There will be a Day of Return. That I promise thee.”
Diana nodded. She gave Athena her specifications, then looked at Destiny. “Who should I take?”
Destiny named them, and Diana said, “It shall be done.” She looked a final time at Athena and Aphrodite. “I can’t let…Lyssa must not be allowed to keep…”
Aphrodite nodded. “We have prepared a place on Olympus for him.” Gentle sympathy shone in her eyes. “Love is not easy, Princess.”
“No.”
Athena gestured towards Athens with her sword. “The world will burn clean, and civilization will begin anew. Your Mission will ensure that Earth will prosper again.”
Diana bowed her head, her cape blowing in the wind. She gripped her sword, then raised it.
“That Earth will prosper again, I vow, Great Goddesses.”
They returned her salute and she turned and walked away down the Acropolis.
Aphrodite watched sadly. “Her heart is broken.”
Athena clutched the Medal in her hand. “I know.” She curled her fingers around the cold metal. “Her love has been burned out with the fires of war. Her survival will depend on that cleansing.”
“For now.”
“For now.”
Destiny spoke dreamily. “It shall be done.”
The three Goddesses melted away into the mists.
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