Who is the night goddess?

Meanwhile… On Themyscira…

Diana Prince had landed in the cobblestone landing space just outside the city of her people. Turning off the engine and stepping out of the invisible jet, Wonder Woman breathed in the ocean air of her island home and smiled, sighing pleasantly as she looked over the horizon to her people’s civilization. In the distance in the valley of her home island she could see the sprawling towers of the palace, the terracotta roofs of her people’s homes and arched domes of the temples to her people’s gods.

She rarely visited her island home, what with her activities in Man’s world and the Justice League. Making her way down the winding stone pathway, the princess smiled up at the trees overhead where birds flew by and deer could be heard running off in the distance, laughing to herself at the peace the island provided, a paradise. Over the distance on the outshore of the island stood the black spire of Dracula’s castle. Like a splinter or scar it stood out amongst the bright and cheer of her island home, it was a disturbing sight for those who were unfamiliar with it. Even in the brightness of daylight it stood in stark cold contrast, almost as if the contradicting structure exuded darkness and fear. But for now, Dracula had been honourable in his dealings with her mother; Obeying Amazonian law and keeping his presence to a minimum. She also had positive relations with his wife Selina, the werecat was amicable and visited often as she could do so.

So, it was no surprise when she found Selina in the market square of her people purchasing the local fruit and grain. Unlike the others who wore linen robes and leather sandals and belts, Selina Kyla wore a modern attire from man’s world that made several gasp or leer at the tailoring, the colour, and the style of it all. Choosing to wear low rider leather bellbottom pants with black heels and a hot pink sleeveless shirt with the words ‘Meow!’ over the front, tilting her pink sunglasses off her eyes to rest over her head where her hair was tied back in a stylish bun held together by a pair of stems that had kitten faces on their tips. “Selina!” She called out, smiling as she approached the dark-haired woman and embraced the lycanthrope wife of Dracula, the two smiling and laughing as they separated, Diana eyeing the woman’s attire and smirked. Everyone else in the square watched the two as they made their way deeper into the market, trading small talk of affairs on the island and outside of it. As they walked, Diana noticed her amazon sisters kept an eye on the werecat, many giving looks of disapproval.

“Honestly, Selina, I do not mind you visiting our island, but MUST you wear such provocative clothes? My sisters are not accustomed to man’s world.”

“Pff, and who’s fault would that be?” Scoffed the Cat Woman with a wink, tilting her shoulder with a coy remark. “Dracula and I have been living on your island like cozy neighbours for five years and I’ve started to understand something about your people…”

“And what’s that?”

“Bliss is ignorance…” turning to a fruit cart filled with apples and pears, Selina plucked a few from the tray and offered coins to the shop keeper with a thanks, leaving Diana confused with the woman’s reply as they moved on. “I’ve explored your island home and its people and let me tell you, its BORING! One of your sisters tried to show off her craftsmanship with me with a new shield she spent 8 months forging… I showed her my cell phone and everyone’s heads nearly exploded when I pulled up sugar rush.”

Making a face and folding her arms in front of her, Diana tried to be patient with the woman. “They live peaceful simple lives by choice Selina, thousands of years ago they were the slaves of men who broke free thanks to the gifts of the gods, this island is a final gift so they could live in peace and splendour for all eternity.”

“YES! Speaking of peace and splendour, what about Oliver Queen?” Asked Selina, crossing her arms and giving Diana a stern look. “He spent five years looking for his wife Diana, five years abandoned by his friends because of ‘Amazonian law’ preventing him from knowing where she was this entire time.”

“It’s not that simple Selina, I am honour bound by my Mother’s laws to keep men from entering our island home, to preserve our way of life and protect us from the evils of man’s world.” Diana explained, heart broken by what had happened to Green Arrow after the battle in Gotham. “Even the League is left to secrecy.”

“So how shocked would you be to learn that I showed Green Arrow where to find his wife.”

Appalled and betrayed beyond measure, Diana stepped back unable to speak until she finally raised her voice in anger. “HOW COULD YOU?! How could you betray our most sacred laws?” Gasping from shock and the implications of Cat Woman’s actions. “My mother would have you banished for this, or worse… Why could you do this?”

“Because I didn’t break any of your laws, I didn’t tell him how to find the island, I told him where to find Castle Dracula.” Waving her cellphone between her fingers, Selina’s smirk was almost catty. “Like I said, the things you can do with this would make your head explode.”

Shaking her head, Diana looked towards the black spire still visible from the rocky outcrops of the beaches and back to Selina Kyle, Diana had no idea how to react. “But why?”

“Why?” Pocketing her cellphone, Selina closed her eyes, opening them again as feline slits and with a sharp breath her body quickly began to change, in broad daylight. Growing taller and more toned in physique, her body became enveloped in black fur while she kicked off her heels and stood on padded feet, a tail grew out behind her to over 6 feet in length and her ears becoming triangular points above her head where her pink sunglasses still perched. Standing well over a foot taller than the amazon princess, Selina cross her arms over her now skin-tight top and frowned, her tail snapping back and forth angrily. “Take it from a woman who has lived a LOT of lives Diana, my husband spent 5000 years trying to bring me back from the dead. FIVE THOUSAND YEARS!” Yelling loud enough for everyone within ear shot to hear, the other amazons in the market stopped what they were doing to watch as the werecat loomed over their princess menacingly. Some of the guards even unholstered their swords in alarm. “Do you have any idea what that DOES to a person? Centuries of loneliness, pain and bitterness wearing down your soul until you are an empty husk. Five… Thousand… Years Diana! Seeing it happen all over again between Oliver and Dinah? Believe me; 5 years was 5 years too long for me to see it happen all over again to someone else.”

“But… If Oliver came here to wrest Dinah from the Count, Dracula would kill him! He would never give up what was his.”

Shaking her head, Selina looked back at Wonder Woman with a sad expression. “Dracula offered Oliver sanctuary after Dinah renounced him, he’s been living with us for a week now. Had he not, your Amazons would have killed him on the spot in the halls of our own castle for even being near your island, heck Artemis nearly started a war with my husband before he reminder her of the truce between Dracula and your mother.” Leaning close until they were cheek to cheek, Selina whispered into Diana’s ear. “The evils of Man’s world indeed…”

Unsure how to react to the information, Diana looked to the rest of her Amazon sisters who were watching the entire affair between their princess and the werecat. “This is why I’m out shopping for food, seems I’m not the only one in the castle that doesn’t drink blood anymore.” Slipping her sunglass back over her eyes and picking up her heels from the ground, Selina quickly spun around and made her way back down the market square to pick up food for Oliver.

“I…” Looking over her shoulder with a glaring frown, Selina found Diana approach and rest a hand on the tall werecat’s shoulder with a caring look in her eyes. “I would like to come with you… To help you… I know some good deals in the marketplace and who are my sisters to question the princess’s approval?”

Smiling back, Selina reverted to her human form. “Know any good bakeries?”

*

The two made their way through the market of Themyscira and continued to explore the city, catching up with current events that the other didn’t know about; with Selina explaining to Diana that the Krypto-wolves were given the privilege to go to the fortress of Solitude at the North pole to learn more about their lost people and Diana telling the Cat Woman that Damien was the new Batman in Gotham. Which made both women laugh to no end as they shared each other’s most embarrassing stories of the little whelp now all grown up.

“I honestly can’t believe he relinquished the cowl to Damien! What did Dick have to say to that?”

“He doesn’t want it, he’s been quite pleased being Nightwing and the leader of the Titans, and it would seem he is lovers with both Starfire… And Talia.”

“The brat’s MOTHER?! My goodness, my mistress would be amused to hear that.” Chuckled Selina as the two made their way to the open training grounds of Themyscira. Watching the training grounds where the Amazon’s soldiers practiced their combat arts to such fine precision it almost looked like a choreographed dance to the two onlookers. Lancers, archers, shield guards all acting in unison in a beautiful display of martial prowess. Looking over her shoulder to Diana, Selina found the woman smiling before she was caught staring.

“Tell me Selina, how IS Oliver doing?” Diana asked, a look of concern on her beautiful face.

“He took Dinah’s rejection terribly, Zatanna tried to sooth his pain, but then she went missing and we have no idea where she is.” Plucking out her phone from the basket hanging from her arm, Cat Woman checked her calls. “I’ve tried messaging her, but it keeps telling me she’s out of range.”

“Which either means she’s too far to reach or not on Earth anymore.”

Both women looked concerned until they noticed a trio of Amazons from the training grounds approach them. They looked… Pale, but at the same time they did not look unhealthy, if anything quite the opposite, even though they had been training with the others in the field all day. Unlike the others who trained or exercised wearing white linen, these three wore black. Bowing in unison to their princess the three greeted their Wonder Woman with open arms.

“Welcome back Princess Diana, we have missed you so since your last visit.”

“Yes, so much has happened in your absence my princess.”

“Oh?” Asked Diana, her curiosity peaked. “What indeed?”

“Our scholars had found texts of an ancient night goddess we have left unworshipped for centuries!”

“Yes! The night goddess, the siren of the night.”

“She was known to sing on nights and bring peace to the sleeping, protecting us from the predators of man’s world, would you like to join us in a sermon tonight my Princess?”

“Yes, please join us your highness, we would be so honoured.”

Looking between the three amazons and back to Selina, Diana stood to bow and smile back at her sisters. “Sadly, my visit is a short one, I came to speak with my mother about affairs abroad, perhaps another time.”

Bowing back to their princess, the three stepped aside to let their princess and Dracula’s wife sit up to leave, heading further down the cobblestone path towards the beach. Once they were a distance away, Diana leaned down to whisper to Selina. “I have not heard of this ‘Night Goddess’, how long has this been going on?”

“About 5 days now, a cult practically cropped up over night and has been growing ever since, so far there are dozens of these goth amazons running around asking for new members.”

“Hmm…” Making their way to the beach where Castle Dracula stood just outside of the island’s borders, Diana offered to carry the werecat the rest of the way to the castle. Once they had reached the steps, they were both surprised to find Dinah waiting for them at the doors of the castle.

“Black Canary, it is… Good to see you.” Replied Diana though Selina was hesitant to speak. With a smile and tilt of her shoulder, Dinah greeted the two at the entrance of Dracula’s castle, wearing a black gown that was form fitting save for a slip that exposed her left thigh and leg and her back and chest, a black silk scarf furled behind her back and draped down her arms, giving her a regal beauty she hadn’t seen in Dinah before. “Indeed, it is, I’ve always seen vampirism as a beauty enhancement myself, what brings you to the castle Princess?”

“Diana was helping me with groceries for dinner, I picked up some food for Oliver, more than likely he’s pretty hungry by now.”

“Oh, believe me… He’s ravenous by now, if you like, I can take it up to him.”

“Does that mean you two have reconciled?” Asked Diana, seeing some hope out of this tragedy as she watched Dinah gently take the basket from Selina’s arms.

Tapping her clawed finger to her pursed black lips, Dinah looked up deep in thought before answering. “I don’t think we’ll have the same relationship we once had, but we’re trying again.”

Smiling at the news, Diana floated overhead bowing to the two women. “I must return to my island, thank you for the talk Selina and Dinah?” Seeing the vampire look up to the Amazon princess, Diana smiled warmly. “Tell Oliver I am sorry, and that I wish you both well.”

“Thank you Diana, I’ll let him know you cared.” Watching Diana fly back to the island, Dinah lingered on the front steps of the castle even after Selina entered to get warm. Once she knew she was alone, she tossed the basket into the waters, brushing her hands clean before entering again minutes later.

*

Seeing their princess fly overhead, the three amazons in black watched her fly directly to the palace with a stern look in their eyes. “The princess refused our invitation.”

“It does not matter; if our mistress cannot sway the princess, then the queen will do just as well, soon ALL will join our sisterhood.” Standing in the shade of one of the barracks interior out of sight, the three smiled with fanged teeth and burning red eyes. “Our amazon sisters will know the promise of eternal night and the pleasures it offers under our NEW goddess!”

“All this sun makes me ill, when do we get something to drink?!” Hissed the one amazon. Seeing a bird land on the terracotta window sil, the blue bird chirped and sang before it was snatched up faster than it could react, and the woman sunk her teeth into it.

“Be patient my sisters, there will be plenty to feast upon when the time is right.”