"Patrons of the Amazons, I humbly request an audience," the somber and pain filled voice of Princess Diana stated into the emptiness of the Temple.

It was late, as she had stood at the pyre until the last flames had died out. It was a small thing really, given the sacrifice Artemis had made, but it was all she could do. She had allowed the tears to fall throughout the funeral procession, and that had allowed her sisters to do so also. Grief was not an emotion the Amazons knew well because of their own immortality. Diana, during her years in the outside world, had encountered it more often. The pain still cuts as deeply, she thought, but it also reminds us of what has been lost.

She looked around at the magnificence of the inner Temple to the Gods and spoke once more, "Hear me Goddesses of the Amazons. Will you grant me an audience?"

Statues of the Goddesses that had created the Amazons circled the hall.

Diana left a brief sensation of dislocation and when it cleared she found herself, surrounded not by statues, but by the Goddesses themselves. Slowly she dropped to one knee and bowed her head.

"Daughter, we have granted your request. What would you ask us?"

Looking up Diana found herself looking into the soft green eyes of Demeter. The Goddess' blonde hair fell effortlessly over her shoulders to accent the deep green of the robe she wore.

"I would know what is expected of me now," she hesitated and then added, "and I would know why my sister had to die."

"We too mourn the loss of our daughter, Diana, but your question is misdirected," replied the oldest of the Goddesses present, Hestia.

"There was no reason that Artemis had to die. However, she won your title from you, which placed her in harms way," added the stern, gray eyed Athena.

Diana looked at the Goddess and saw something in her eyes. There was more information here than was being simply stated. What exactly are they getting at, she thought.

The silence grew as Diana pondered the words. The Goddess stood silently, awaiting something from her.

"You are saying," Diana broke the silence, "that if Artemis had not borne the mantle, she would not have died. But that would mean that I would have died instead."

Still the Goddesses said nothing, and Diana continued to weigh everything she had already learned.

"Are you saying, that if I had been Wonder Woman, I would not have been killed?"

"We have no way of knowing that for certain Diana. Only the Fates can tell with certainty when a person's line will be cut. Would you have done things the same way that Artemis did?" asked the golden-haired Aphrodite.

Diana thought back on what she knew about the events leading up to the tragedy, and swiftly concluded that she would have done things differently.

"Daughter, when people attempt to divine what the Fates have in store, they invariably attempt to change things. Do you think that the Fates are not aware of everything that could affect their weavings?" asked the Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis.

Diana turned to face the Goddess and with a mix of confusion and anger on her face replied, "Someone thought that they could change the outcome of this event? Someone foresaw the death of Wonder Woman and tried to change it. That someone could only be my mother."

"No Diana. Your mother saw the death of 'a' Wonder Woman. She simply assumed it was you. Mothers can be very protective of their children," Demeter replied softly.

Diana paused before adding, "That means she found a way to fix the competition to select the next Wonder Woman. It also means she killed Artemis."

The last was said almost silently, as if Diana could not bring herself to believe the truth.

"Not true Diana. Hippolyta is certainly to blame for placing Artemis if harms way, but it was Artemis' own choices that led to her death," replied Ahprodite into the silence.

"Diana, you also asked us what you should do now. Do you still need an answer to that question?"

Diana looked back at Athena and said, "No. I know what I must do now."

"Do you daughter? Or are you letting your anger affect your judgment? Do you remember why an Ambassador was needed or what your responsibilities were?" asked Hestia.

"I was to bring the values of peace to the outside world," Diana answered slowly.

"Yes daughter, that is one of your responsibilities. However, have you forgotten that you were also expected to re-introduce us to those that have forgotten us?"

Diana looked at the speaker, Artemis, and pondered the significance of what she had just heard.

Diana sat on the deck chair that looked out at the ocean. She had changed her clothes to the simple loose toga that she favored and held a glass of iced water in her hand.

In truth she did not see the view before her, as many other thoughts dominated her mind. It had been more than two weeks since she had talked to the Goddesses and many changes had been made.

She had decided a fresh start was needed and had then taken time to find out what that had meant.

Boston was thousands of miles to the east and north. She had looked at the dispersment of heroes when deciding where to live, and had discovered that the West coast was almost unprotected. Superman and Batman could take care of the East coast, so she had moved here, to Gateway City. She was satisfied with her new home.

It was an interesting blend of old and new as the city had grown out of a small border town between the US and Mexico. Diana found the differences between neighborhoods staggering and that had lent itself as another reason for moving here. Feeling the need for solitude she had purchased a small house on the oceanfront to the north of the city and had spent the last week moving her belongings in.

She pondered the meeting she'd had with her mother, Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. After talking to the Goddesses, Diana had insisted on a meeting with her mother. The feeling of shame that Hippolyta displayed when she had been confronted had surprised her. She had been prepared for a fight when she told her mother that she was taking back the mantle of Wonder Woman, but none had come.

Diana knew that her mother was an honorable woman, but she was also a mother. She had wanted to protect her child and that had led her to make a foolish decision. The feelings between the two of them were raw and would take time to heal, so Diana made no plans to return to Paradise Isle anytime in the near future.

Diana also recalled the time she had spent with Circe before leaving Boston. Wearing a mortal body for so long had changed the sorceress. She had even forgotten her true identity until Diana had forced her to remember. She recalled the ending of the conversation they'd had.

"Circe, you have a great choice before you. You could return to your old ways and we would once again become enemies. Or you could grow and merge the old with the new. I hope that you choose the latter, but each of us makes our own path through life. I would like to still be able to call you friend, and it would sadden me if we became enemies once more."

The ancient sorceress had looked deep into Diana's eyes for long moments before replying.

"You have given me much to think on Diana. I do not know what I will do yet, but you can be sure that you will be one of the first to know when I do. For now, I will take my leave of the mortal world while I ponder these questions."

The conversation had ended after that and no-one had seen Circe since.

Finishing the contents of her glass, Diana moved back inside the house and changed into her Wonder Woman outfit. She had secured a teaching position at the local Museum of Antiquities and was due there soon. She had decided that she would not be hiding who she was anymore.

If she was to be an Ambassador of Peace from the Amazons of Paradise Isle, then she could no longer hide. She realized that this had its own downside as it made her, and anyone she associated with, a target.

Returning to the deck she launched herself into the air and sped southwards.

Two weeks later, Diana sat once more on the deck of her house looking at the sun rise over the ocean.

The battle against the invading Martians had taken much out of the members of the JLA and they had been grateful that few other threats had manifested themselves since.

As the sun burned the ocean a deep crimson, Diana, Princess of the Amazons, looked out and smiled.

A new day was dawning and she planned on taking full advantage of it.