It lay more in her inner
strength than anything else, although she was tough on the outside as
well.
Kal had spent long hours thinking of her, alone, on the dark side
of the moon.
He remembered her dark hair, her passion, that inner flame
that refused to die within her, no matter the odds. She was both noble and
gentle, and no one else in his life had left the mark she had -- seared into his
consciousness until the end of his days. Now that flame was
gone...extinguished.
And Clark Kent had died with
her.
__
"Kal?"
He stifled a sob as the shadow passed over
him, identifying the other's presence to him. She had a way of being able to
sneak up on him like that. It was almost a comfort to him, knowing that if ever
he were lead astray, she would be able to help right him -- to put him in his
place, no matter the consequences.
Diana was always dependable in that
way. Another noble being, who sought the greater good over her own
needs.
And now...he wanted to reach out for her, as he always
had.
But this time, the guilt was too overwhelming.
Before it had
remained in his head; a private pleasure...a fantasy that was never to be. But
now that *she* had died, what was to stop them?
He would.
Never
would he allow himself to feel such pain again. A part of him wanted to destroy
this world and everything on it to wipe the memory away. But the good man
inside, the hero, wouldn't allow it. The boy that had grown up on the Earth with
two human parents who he now mourned as well.
Their passing had affected
him terribly, but not so much as hers.
And there was always the Batman to
consider.
Bruce.
He had loved her too, once. They were all so
young and untamed then. They never though about the consequences. And the Batman
knew the dark secrets in Clark Kent's heart.
He knew of his desire for a
woman that could move the Earth itself.
__
On more than one
occasion, he'd wished in her later years that he'd never met her, but he never
had the courage to tell that to her face. He imagined with her insight she had
known anyway, but the thought was too painful to bear.
And now she was
gone. Stolen from him by Time, a cruel creature that had somehow spared him and
a few of his other fellows.
"Kal?"
She said his name again, with
such warmth that the human in him ached to be in her comforting arms. He knew if
he broke that barrier that she would more than willingly give it. But no, he
couldn't...
So he didn't answer. He just cradled his head in his hands
and faced the darkness that covered the lunar landscape.
Could Diana even
save him? A mad thought peered through his consciousness, wondering if Diana
could lead him to the Underworld of her Gods...was she there? Could he grasp her
from the depths of Hades and bring her back?
No.
Kal began to
cry.
She would hate him for that. It would spit in the face of all she
fought for and believed in. He would never be sure of what he truly brought
back.
After all, her God was not the same as Diana's God.
Maybe
madness would be better than this...
___
"Kal!"
This time
she wasn't taking no for an answer. She lighted her hand on his shoulder and
drew him backwards.
He knew she'd rarely seen his eyes stained red with
tears.
And he had never seen hers so stained as well.
She could
make things so difficult sometimes.
No words were spoken between them,
but she fell to her knees in the soft dust, and grabbed him to her bosom.
