Title: For the Honor of Leaving All Behind
Fandom: Wonder Woman (Comics)
Rating: G
Length: 800
Author notes: A little missing scene for Wonder Woman (2016) #4
Summary: Diana wants to win the contest and finally get a glimpse of what’s beyond the shores of her home. She knows it’s going to be an honor that comes at a prize.

She hears about the contest the way all the Amazons hear about it. There is no favoritism where the princess is concerned. Diana is relieved to find though that there is no attempt to keep her out of this matter either. In this too there is no preferential treatment. Her mother doesn’t meet her eyes and Diana feels a pang of fear and excitement. She’s been looking at the horizon for all her life and here now is this man, a strange marvel of a lost world she has never seen; a world she wants to see and explore for herself. But Themyscira is the only home she has ever known. Leaving will be easy and hard at the same time.

Despite everything, mindful of her mother’s slightly strained expression, she tries not to smile too brightly at Steve Trevor, as he stand uncertainly behind Phillipus, gazing up at her fellow Amazons in amazement. The poor man has no idea what is going on around him. Diana has tried to explain, but none of the languages taught to her seem to get through. They can communicate in simple words now, but she can’t make him understand what this contest is about. Not yet.

She readies herself like a warrior, like Phillipus and her mother and all her teachers taught her over the years: alone and with the knowledge that honor lies not in the victory, but in the battle fought justly and true.

This is her chance to see different stars. This is her chance to make her own legend. To show the Amazons that hse is more than a favored child. But in the light of the contest it doesn’t matter as much as she thought it would.

“Are you ready?” She looks up to find Phillipus standing in the door, silently watching her.

“I am.”

Phillipus nods and makes to turn and then stays, meeting her eyes once more. “I love your mother, Diana, very much so.”

“I know.” It had never been a secret to her. Her mother had loved this woman for years, as a shield sister, a good general in the field, as her greatest friend and for years as a lover. Phillipus had seen her grow up by her mother’s side, coming to know her better than anyone else on the island.

“I don’t want her to grief,” she says slowly. Diana braces herself for the unwanted advise, the plea to stay, the demand to behave like a dutiful daughter and give up her dream. “But there is honor in this quest. You are old enough now to seek your own battles, Diana. This is your choice and if you make it I have no doubt that you will win the honor to be our emissary to the world. At a cost.”

“I know.”

“I want you to know something more. When you’re away from home, your mother will grieve, she will be sad and feel your absence every single day as will all of Themyscira. But my queen will be proud of her daughter. And so will I.” She pauses. “And I will be here. Doing my duty,” she finally added and turned to leave.

A burden is lifted from Diana’s shoulders. Phillipus isn’t here to hold her back. Not at all.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

With new found determination she grabs her helmet, checks her armor plate one final time. She’s determined to show the rest of Themyscira what she’s made off. The little princess is an adult now and she strives to be the best of them, following her mother’s honored example.

She will leave home to devote herself to a new task. She will be cut off from home and the people she loves most in the world. But she knows she has a loving home to return to one day if the gods are kind enough to grant her the grace to find her way back here at the end of her journey.

It might never happen.

She knows that and feels sadness.

But even if she’ll never find her way back, Themyscira will always be her home; the place of her origin, where she had spent the happy childhood she’ll always remember. It will always be in her heart. And she will honor it with every breath wherever she goes.

She steps out on the sand, the sun hot in the circle of the arena. She meets the eyes of the Amazons who are competing with her here today and nods at each of them, knows their names, knows their strengths and weaknesses, knows many of them would make fine champions. All of them want the honor of this task, to serve their queen, to serve their home.

Diana is ready.

She’ll do her best.

Finally and just for a brief moment she meets the eyes of her queen, as she lets her eyes pass over all of them.

Then the trials begin.