An Alternate Amazon Adventure (Chapter 1)

      Cheers could be heard across the Amazon Isles as Princess Curia and Honorary Amazon Athena Nikos touched down. The two, better known to the rest of the world as the superheroines Wonder Woman and White Owl respectively, had come to answer the summons of Curia's adoptive mother, Queen Hippolyta. The subject of her summons remained a mystery, but they both knew that the queen understood and respected their mission of defending the world and fighting injustice too much to recall them over something minor.
      Curia's lips curled into one of her famously radiant smiles upon seeing the adoring crowd around them. Athena, though, simply sighed and took her companion by the wrist, dragging her through the crowd before Curia could be caught up in the torrent of praise and adoration she would inevitably receive.
      Some of the ladies in the crowd gasped at this action. Athena lowered her head to mask the reddening of her cheeks. Given their closeness and their connection to the all-female society, rumours of a secret romance between the two were common, even in the outside world. And not just those two. Many theorised about possible relationships the two might share with other Amazon heroines such as Ultra Woman or the two modern Amazon Arrows, Chryseis or Aella; or any other given superheroine such as Spectra or Ubergirl. Perhaps, this was fine for a born-and-raised Amazon, but for an adopted Amazon and an honorary one, it was incredibly embarrassing.
      More cheer surrounded them as they quickly marched up the street toward the Queen's Garden, where they were to meet. Luckily, things quietened down considerably once the two entered the small overlook garden, where the queen herself stood waiting for them in a delicate violet robe.
      She turned away from the balcony overlooking the deep blue ocean to face them, beaming brightly as her eyes met theirs. It was often easy for many, Athena included, to forget that the two bearers of those radiant smiles were not related by blood.
      "My dear daughter!" the queen cried, extending her arms as she crossed the garden towards them. Curia instantly closed the gap and accepted her mother's warm embrace. Athena stepped up beside them a moment later, only to find one of the queen's arms pulling her in to join the hug.
      Queen Hippolyta often treated the likes of Athena and the Amazon champions like her own daughters. Given what had happened to her only biological daughter, though, it was easy to understand and sympathise with her attachment.
      "How are your heroic duties going?" she asked as she finally relented and allowed the two to pull away; Athena more eagerly than Curia.
      Curia thought back on recent events for a standout example to relay to her mother. Just that morning, she and Athena had done battle with the Red Behemoth. In the course of the long, gruelling battle, the hulking brute had managed to overpower Curia and bind her with her own lasso, compelling her to expose her deepest, darkest desires and turn-ons. Athena promised the severe concussion she had then given him would prevent him from remembering any of it. She had even kindly offered to allow Curia to use the lasso to compel her to forget as well. She was such a good friend.
      The day before, Curia and Chryseis had attempted to stop the infamous hypnotist Becca from robbing the Deviant City Bank, only to find themselves helping her do it and becoming her personal cheer squad with an utterly humiliating chant. She still wasn't sure where the skirts and pompoms came from.
      And then there was the time a week before that Curia had been transformed into a rubber blow-up doll for forty-eight hours. She wasn't used during that time (thank the gods), but a few of her compatriots had fallen into the same trap trying to find her. One fortuitous intervention later from a chloroformed Cracovia collapsing onto the control panel, the heroines vowed to never speak of the incident again.
      "I-It's alright..." she replied feebly, praying to the gods that her mother wouldn't pry any further.
      "I'm glad to hear it," Hippolyta replied happily. Whether oblivious or respectful of her daughter's privacy, Curia was thankful, all the same. "Now, about the reason I called you both here..."
      "My queen?" uttered a voice from the doorway behind the two heroines. They turned to see a young blonde woman adorned in the unmistakable, iconic attire of the Amazon Arrow. "You called for me?"
      "Aella!" Curia cried excitedly. She was quick to embrace the third bearer of the Amazon Arrow mantle, only providing further similarities to her mother. "How've you been?" she asked as she pulled back to arms length.
      "I-I- Fine, Princess Curia!" the newcomer stuttered, completely taken aback by the sudden display of affection. Athena nodded in her direction, prompting a short "Hello" from Aella. Aella was still relatively new to the role of Amazon Arrow, while the other two heroines were legendary across the whole world; especially among the Amazons, who looked upon them with such intense pride that the idea of standing alongside them as an equal was a concept Aella had trouble handling.
      Aella was also the only one of the three who was a born-and-raised Amazon, having been born a few thousand years ago. Despite her significant seniority over the other two, the sheer difference in status and respect between them was such that she could only look upon them as her seniors.
      "Please, take a seat," the queen urged, indicating towards a nearby bench in the pergola, which the trio of heroines happily obliged. The queen sat opposite them on another bench, crossing her right leg over her left as she began to speak again.
      "The reason I summoned you all here- It is not a dire situation; worry not." The three heroines visible relaxed upon hearing these words. The queen chuckled and brushed some raven hair behind her ear. "You three are always so on edge."
      "We have to be, Mother," Curia responded defensively. "The fate of the whole world often rests on our shoulders. And then there's the peril situations..."
      "There's the what?"
      "Nothing!"
      "Uh, please continue, Your Highness," Athena urged, hoping to move away from that particular subject.
      "Oh, yes. So, I summoned the three of you here to discuss... certain matters, relating to the Amazons' relations with Man's World."
      "'Certain matters'?" Curia parroted. "What do you-?"
      "Chryseis," Aella said sullenly. "Right, Your Highness?" Her comrades quickly glanced from Aella to each other, then the queen. Hippolyta's expression took on an equally sullen tone as she nodded with a forced smile.
      Chryseis was the second Amazon Arrow and perhaps the most famous. She had been granted the title after her lover Pyrrah, the original holder of the mantle, was corrupted by the Lord of Lycans. She had held the title for less than a single year, yet her contributions to both the safety of the world and Amazon-Human relations were by far the heftiest.
      Yet it was almost all for nought when she suddenly went mad with power and defeated most of the Earth's superhero population. Her actions, including the betrayal of Curia, her unwitting empowering of Pyrrah, and the exposing of what her predecessor had become, had threatened to undo all the good either Amazon Arrow had ever done.
      It was with a heavy heart that Hippolyta had acquiesced to the First Ones' demands to strip Chryseis of her title and pass it on to Aella. She had then publicly disowned Chryseis on behalf of the Amazons, hoping that by turning Chryseis into a martyr, at least for the time being, the world might not cut off ties with her people. Given her motherly nature, she had, until then, always treated Chryseis in much the same way she did Athena and Aella now. It must have been like losing Diana all over again.
      That was two years ago, and the plan had worked. Aella, although received warily at first, had since become widely accepted in her role as Amazon Arrow. However, it was clear for all to see that the whole sordid affair lay heavy upon the queen's heart. She had rarely left the palace since, remaining mostly isolated and lost in thought. Curia had begun making a point of visiting more often, but seeing the woman who had lovingly accepted her into her family attempting to put on a brave face in light of everything that had happened... it was heartbreaking.
      "I can see why you didn't invite Rienne..." Curia muttered under her breath, envisioning the spiteful bile the arrogant and prideful successor to Ultra Woman might spew about Chrys, were she here with them.
      "I was hoping you might have some news," the queen explained. "Anything at all?"
      "None of the other heroes hold what happened against her," Athena responded quickly, her expression sympathetic. "Given how often most of us end up forced to fight our friends under mind control and stuff, it would be hypocritical to think otherwise."
      "Even if she's not the Amazon Arrow anymore, we still welcome her as our close friend and ally," Curia chimed in. Hippolyta's smile grew a little more genuine upon hearing this.
      "She was even asked to speak at a high school in Virginia last year," Athena added.
      "Oh?" The queen perked up at this. "Did she say what she was there to speak about?"
      "The consequences of shoplifting, I think?" Curia answered, exchanging a glance with Athena, who nodded in confirmation.
      "A little on criminal reformation as well, I believe," Athena added.
      "Even now, she continues to endorse our ways," Hippolyta uttered with melancholic pride. "If only things had not turned out that way..."
      Curia moved across to her mother's bench and gingerly placed an arm around her. Hippolyta had lost much in her long life. Her daughter Diana, the original Wonder Woman, had been killed years ago, leaving a hole in her heart that Curia was ashamed to admit she could not fill. Even after Diana made known her ascendance to the position of God of War, Curia could sense that the hole was still there.
      But Diana was not the first she had lost. Her younger sister, Penthesilea, had led the Amazons into battle in the Trojan War due to Hippolyta being indisposed following her encounters with Heracles and Theseus. Penthesilea was killed in a duel, leading to a total withdrawal from the conflict for her army. From what Curia could tell, this too was something her mother had never quite been able to move past.
      "You did your best, Mother," Curia assured her. "No one can fault you for placing your responsibility to your people above your personal relationships."
      "It is laudable," Aella added. Athena nodded her agreement.
      "Thank you," Hippolyta replied, wiping away a tear. "I couldn't ask for better ambassadors of our people than you three. But I would like to be alone for a while, if you don't mind."
      "Of course not, Mother. We understand." Curia and the others stood and exited the garden, exchanging worried glances as they closed the door behind them.

      "I wanna do something to cheer her up," Curia admitted as the trio walked down the now calmed streets. A few of their sisters called out or waved as they passed, but the excitement had largely passed, allowing the three time to think.
      "Maybe a gift would lighten her spirits?" Athena suggested.
      "Her favourite flower, perhaps?" Aella expanded.
      "Her favourite flower, huh?" Curia pondered. "Hmmm... I suppose that could work. But they're pretty rare, aren't they?"
      "They were," Aella replied, "until Euryleia the florist opened a small patch of her garden for them to celebrate your inheritance of the Wonder Woman title. Her cottage is a little ways down the hill towards the edge of the Eastern side of the island."
      "Sounds like a plan then," Athena said, the trio nodding firmly in affirmation.
      "Still, there's no rush," Curia smiled as she stretched, taking in as much of the sun's brilliantly blazing rays as possible.
      "True. We don't get sun like this, even in Queen City," Athena replied, doing much the same.
      "Great Helios smiles brightly upon our isle," Aella declared. Even if one didn't believe the Greek gods existed, it would be difficult to argue with her. The sun was bright and warm, but not excessively so. The glare was a little hard on the eyes at first, but it didn't take long to adjust to the light. The trio continued their jovial stroll down the road, the reason behind their objective almost forgotten as the sun's embrace enveloped their bodies.
      "Um, Princess?" Roughly half an hour into their journey, Aella noticed something slightly odd. "These Amazons... Many of them are strangely unfamiliar to me."
      Curia cocked an eyebrow at this. She and Athena hadn't been raised on the island as Aella had, so the two of them not being on personal terms with every other denizen of the island was to be expected. But Aella had been around for over a millennium and the Amazon population was largely stagnant, rarely ever expanding in size. For someone like Aella to not recognise a large group, that meant something of significance was happening here.
      "Could they be stranded from some accident?" Athena offered. "Maybe a plane crash or shipwreck?"
      "If their demeanour were more frantic or their fashion more modern, perhaps. But they seem far too at home; as if they have lived here for decades."
      "It's true that the three of us seem to stand out more than any of them," Curia added. "They even seem to be gawking at us like we're the outsiders."
      "A lot of them are wearing red and purple, too," Athena noted. "Not a common combination on Themyscira."
      "Yeah, not a lot of blue or gold either."
      "New fashion trend, maybe?"
      "I would know if such a thing had happened on..."
      As Aella trailed off, mouth agape, Curia and Athena curiously followed her gaze to a sight even they knew was highly unusual.
      "A man?" Curia uttered in disbelief. "On Themyscira?"
      Needless to say, it was an unusual sight for men to be present on the Amazon Isles. Historically, the only men that had ever been allowed to set foot in the home of the Amazons were Steve Trevor, a handful of male heroes and the incredibly rare son of an Amazon. Having lived here for so many years, steeped in the traditional Amazon mindset, Aella had become a little uneasy around men, though that was starting to clear up since her adventures in Man's World had begun.
      "Let's not jump to conclusions, ladies," Athena urged in a wise, authoritative tone. "The stranded theory hasn't been debunked yet. We should at least ask them before we make any rash decisions."
      "Y-Yeah. Right." Curia approached the man and the slightly less modern-dressed woman beside him. "Hi. Excuse me. Um, would you mind telling me how you came to be on this island?"
      The man looked her over, one eyebrow raised, as if it was Curia who was somehow out-of-place on the Amazon Isles. The woman beside him had much the same reaction, which seemed more than a little odd. His reply came in an accent Curia was sure was British.
      "Uh, our plane went down because of a storm and we got... rescued by the women... Why... are you dressed as Wonder Woman?"
      "Pardon?"
      "I mean, I get that there are similarities between the real Amazons and Wonder Woman's, but actually dressing as Wonder Woman in public is laying it on a bit thick, isn't it?"
      "What are you talking about? I am Wonder Woman."
      "Riiiiight," he replied incredulously.
      "Hey!" Aella called as she stomped over towards the three. "You can't speak to the princess like that!"
      "First of all," the other woman spoke up with a sudden and surprising ferocity before fiercely shoving Aella back with both hands. "How dare you speak to my husband like that? And second, there's no princess on this island!" She then rounded on Curia. "If this little Wonder Woman fantasy of yours involves abusing people for not playing along, I'm going to have you reported to the guards." Curia stood dumbfounded. There was a lot to unpack with this whole situation.
      No Princess? But anyone who lived on the island, native or newcomer, would surely know about Queen Hippolyta and Princess Curia - it was basic knowledge about the hierarchy of Amazon society! It would be like someone living in America and not knowing who the president was.
      'Fantasy'? Wonder Woman was a world-famous title, even before Curia had taken up the mantle, and she'd made quite a name for herself since. How could anyone, especially on Themyscira, think Wonder Woman wasn't real?
      And husband? Amazons didn't take husbands! Men were only rarely allowed to set foot on the island, and only a few exceptional circumstances had allowed a man to live on the island.
      What in Zeus' name was going on here? Some kind of mass mind control or mindwipe? Were the three of them the ones being manipulated? Could it be some form of fear toxin? Could it be a parallel universe or alternate timeline, somehow? There were just too many possible explanations for such a bizarre scenario, but Curia had precious little time to do much beyond mentally list them off before the woman demanded a response from her.
      "Huh? Oh, I..."
      Aella cut her off. "You have no reason to explain yourself, Princess. This woman has no right to speak to you that way, regardless of the circumstances."
      "Who do you think-"
      "What is all this commotion about!?" demanded a voice from nearby. All present, including the myriad onlookers who had stopped to observe the proceedings, turned in the direction of the voice.
      Approaching with a great sense of authority was a tall, muscular woman - a very traditional Amazon build - with blazing red hair crashing against her broad shoulders in tune with her determined march. Her attire matched her seemingly living locks, though in a darker shade and accompanied in equal measure by a regal purple; much like many of the other women in the area.
      The attire itself was simple, yet very telling. It was a sleeveless red tunic leading to a purple pteruges. The two colours were divided by a black belt with red accents and decorations, carrying full sheathes for her sword and a dagger. Above her dark brown sandals were a pair of dark purple greaves with a red accent along the edges. The vambraces covering her forearms were of a similar theme, but in a glimmering silver. Beneath her fringe was an armoured tiara in the same colour, but bearing the red symbol of a Corinthian helmet. Her shoulders were covered in a flowing purple cloak that fluttered gracefully in the calm breeze.
      "Queen Penthesilea!" the woman sputtered in surprise, quickly bowing in equal reverence to the, likewise, bowing onlookers and her alleged husband.
      "Penthesilea?" Curia uttered without thinking. As in, Queen Hippolyta's younger sister - the tragic Amazon queen who died in the Trojan War? Impossible.
      'Penthesilea' came to a stop beside the couple and fixed her fiery red eyes squarely on Curia first. Their gaze was so intense that, even framed by her fiery hair, her eyes stood out like a lighthouse in the fog. Curia had to avert her eyes for a moment.
      "Wonder Woman?" she said with a hint of both disgust and amusement in equal measure. "I am unsure if I should be amused or insulted by your audacity. You have a lot of nerve coming to Artemis Isle dressed like that."
      Again, there was a lot that made no sense. What on Earth was Artemis Isle? Unless that was an archaic name for Themyscira, Curia had no idea what this woman was talking about.
      "Dawn, Jason," Penthesilea said with a regal kindness that was identical to Queen Hippolyta's. "Please, leave these three to me. You get back to your day."
      "O-Okay, Queen Penthesilea," Dawn replied, seemingly taken aback by the alleged queen's decision to intervene.
      "Thank you, Your Highness," Jason said, ushering Dawn away before the situation could escalate any further.
      "You three," Penthesilea said, the kindness in her voice almost entirely removed. "Come with me." Before any of them could reply, she'd spun on her heel and started walking back they way she'd come. After exchanging a brief glance, the three knew they had little other choice, and the alleged queen knew that too. As such, they obeyed.

      They were led to what was definitely a throneroom, but not the Amazon throneroom they were familiar with. Hippolyta's throneroom lacked the massive war table that dominated the centre of the room. Hippolyta also didn't keep a set of armour right beside her throne, like this woman did. The marble support pillars were all coated in bright red banners bearing a black version of the symbol on Penthesilea's tiara.
      The entrance was guarded by a pair of large marble statues. One was adorned in robes and held a sword. The other dressed in a full suit of armour, including a Corinthian helm, which greatly resembled the purple helm with the red horsehair crest beside the throne, suggesting that the latter statue depicted Penthesilea.
      But most out-of-place was the bank of computer monitors off to the side. The throneroom on Themyscira had always remained very traditional, regardless of any technological advancement the Amazons embraced.
      The journey here had only further confused the trio as the closer they came to the palace - which did, admittedly, look very similar to Themyscira's from the outside - the architecture had taken a noticeable turn. Like the palace, Themyscira's architecture was very classical. Somehow, a simple walk down the road had yielded a number of much more modern-looking buildings, as well as other traditional structures in the styles of other nations, such as Italy and France. It was like each structure had been design by a completely different team from completely different places and times.
      The people were also different. The mix of both race and gender had become much more diverse as they moved closer to the palace. Despite such a colourful collection of people being such an alien concept on the Amazon Isles, the citizens of this place looked on the three heroines as if it was they who stood out. Curia felt strangely self-conscious about her costume now that she was being gawked at for the first time since she'd taken up the mantle.
      Once inside, Penthesilea finally came to a stop by the war table, where she turned and leaned back against it, arms folded expectantly. When none of them said anything, she sighed and spoke first.
      "Despite your companions looking like a costume party attendee and a Hollywood adaptation of the same costume, your attire suggests you are a superheroine." It seemed the redhead was addressing Athena, specifically. This made Curia feel somewhat offended, but she first had to place a hand on Aella's shoulder to keep her from responding in defence of the Amazon Arrow attire. False queen or not, they needed answers before they pissed her off.
      "We all are, Ma'am," Athena responded promptly, seemingly overpowered by the other woman's authoritative aura.
      Penthesilea cocked an eyebrow. "Really? I am familiar with every superhero and villain on the planet, and on personal terms with every citizen of Artemis Isle. It is strange, then, that I have neither seen, nor heard, of any of you."
      "But... we're famous worldwide. Especially on Themyscira-"
      "Themyscira? I have never heard of such a place."
      "What? But this is Themyscira!" Aella retorted.
      "This island has never been known by that name. It has been named for the Goddess Artemis since its creation thousands of years ago. Yet, you seem somehow genuine. You, Wonder Woman."
      "Yes?" Curia snapped to attention at the mention of her name.
      "Look me in the eyes and answer honestly. Who are you and where are you from?" Whether it was some mystical power or sheer intimidation, Curia found herself compelled to speak only the truth; not that she would have lied, anyway.
      "I-I'm Princess Curia of the Amazons: the current Wonder Woman. These are Athena Nikos, the superheroine and Honourary Amazon, White Owl; and Aella, fellow Amazon and the third Amazon Arrow. We come from the Amazon island of Themyscira. We were searching for a flower for the queen, my mother, when we found ourselves on an unfamiliar part of the island."
      Penthesilea maintained her gaze a few moments longer before, finally, relenting and releasing Curia from her grasp. "Hmm... I sense no deceit within you, despite the discrepancies with reality. I wonder..."
      She stood straight and turned back to the table, passing a hand over the model of the island, only for it to sink into what had initially seemed to be blue paint to represent water. Once the strangle liquid was the only thing remaining on the table, she placed her hand on the surface of the water lightly enough to cause a single ripple to spread the full length of the table.
      An armour-clad figure rose from the spot she had touched until he stood tall above them, full sized. Although his face and his red and gold armour were different, the trio knew on an almost instinctual level that this man before them was a deity of war.
      He briefly considered them before turning his gaze to his summoner. "Penthesilea," he said with a warmth one would not expect from a war god.
      "Father," Penthesilea greeted with a deep, respectful bow. "I sense there may be a dimensional anomaly at this time." 
      Her father's lips curled into a smile. "Very astute, Penthesilea. Indeed, there is a dimensional overlap between our reality and... theirs." He looked past his daughter once again to properly inspect the trio. The power of his gaze was greater than that of Penthesilea's, but it was undoubtedly the same power. There was no denying their familial connection. "It will pass within nine hours or so. Ensure that nobody is stranded in the other reality once the event concludes."
      "Yes, Father," Penthesilea replied, showing the first sign of subordination so far. "As you say, it shall be done."
      "I trust it will be. You are a daughter of Ares, after all."
      Ares!? Curia thought. Ares wasn't Hippolyta and Penthesilea's father. At least, not as far as Curia knew. She certainly hoped he wasn't, given the rumours surrounding Hippolyta's sexual partners. Penthesilea pressed on, oblivious to the mounting questions within the minds of her guests.
      "Is this overlap a part of some grand plot?" she asked.
      "No, no," Ares replied, shaking his head. "This is simply a natural overlap. You need not worry about it. You must focus on ensuring the two realities leave the overlap event the same as when it started. Is that clear?"
      "Yes, Father."
      "Very good. Now, I leave you to explain this phenomena to your guests to impart the seriousness of what is happening."
      "As you wish."
      Ares' form sank back down into the 'water', leaving his daughter to turn back to face the three heroines, whose expression betrayed their utter confusion.
      "Come," she commanded, extending a hand towards the table to usher them over. They did as they were told and watched Penthesilea from the opposite side. "No doubt, you have many questions. The first, I am sure, is 'What is a dimensional overlap?'"
      "That's... probably the first question, yes," Athena nodded.
      "This is a parallel universe thing, right?" Curia asked. Aella simply nodded her approval of the question.
      "Put simply..." Penthseilea again tapped the surface of the liquid, with both hands this time, and slowly brought her hands up, bringing a pair of misty white discs up with her. "Imagine, if you will, that these are two separate realities. You may also know them as multiverses."
      A series of coloured dots appeared across the two discs. Penthesilea then began to move the two discs around in a random pattern. "Universes are grouped together into multiverses. Those universes will be very similar to one another as they stem from the same prime universe. Even in a gender-swapped, alignment-swapped or setting-swapped universe, the inhabitants are likely to be the same between the connected universes. So, you three are likely to have counterparts in every universe that is part of your multiverse, but not in mine. Do you understand so far?"
      The trio nodded.
      "Normally, these separate realities remain closed off to one another to both maintain order and prevent existence-level extinction events. However, they do sometimes overlap." Penthesilea moved the two discs to align one dot from each.
      "I'm sorry; overlap?" Curia asked.
      "As in, they move?" Athena added to clarify the question.
      Penthesilea paused a moment, as if she hadn't been expecting this question. "In a certain sense, yes. A multiverse does not simply lie still within an infinite void. It is not too dissimilar to planetary orbits. However, as these bodies do not occupy the same reality, they cannot collide; they instead pass over, or perhaps through, one another. Does that answer your question?"
      The three, again, nodded.
      "When this happens," the queen continued, "the dimensional boundaries surrounding the affected realities become weak, causing various anomalies within those realities. These can allow travel between the multiverses at their least damaging, but more serious anomalies can occur, such as temporarily merging the universes, or creating completely new universes that draw on both realities. In our case, the anomaly would seem to have left parts of our realities in a quasi-merged state. We are in a sort of limbo state - in neither my reality, nor yours; yet also in both."
      "And this sort of thing is... common?" Aella asked, scratching her head in confusion.
      "Very. It just very rarely causes a problem. Most of the time, the impact is practically imperceptible. If what you say is true, you yourselves had no idea any of this was happening until you you were already on a part of the island that is primarily steeped in my reality."
      Penthesilea lowered the discs back into the water and her fingers caused two near identical islands to rise. Neither was a perfect match for Themyscira, but that one of them was a match for Artemis Isle was obvious to the trio.
      "I suspect the effects of this overlap are largely localised to our two islands. Their inherent similarities as islands created by the gods as a refuge for the Amazons away from the outside world likely caused our two islands to become the focal point of the event. Were this more widespread, no doubt, my father would have come to me to task me with ensuring no one is stranded."
      "Stranded?" Curia asked concernedly. "You mean, like, trapped in the opposite universe?"
      "More than that, I am afraid. As I said earlier, multiverses are separated for a reason. Travel between them is only possible during an overlap, which are entirely unpredictable, even for the gods."
      "So, we'd be trapped here forever?" Athena asked, a sinking feeling rising within the pit of her stomach.
      "Given the average human lifespan, most likely. Fortunately, your story seems to indicate that the overlap is primarily at the centre of the island, splitting it right down the middle. So long as our people remain on their respective sides of the island, everything should be-"
      "Queen Penthesilea!" a desperate voice cried from the entrance as a silver armour-clad Amazon burst into the chamber. "Pardon the intrusion, but more individuals acting in a manner similar to your guests are appearing across the island!"
      "What!?" Penthesilea's eyes widened with a degree of fear so at odds with her previously composed demeanour, the three heroines could only grow more and more concerned. What could possibly have happened that was bad enough to shake one with intimate knowledge of the workings of all reality this badly?
      Penthesilea and her guard wordlessly sprinted outside. Without much other choice, the trio followed suit.

      It was anarchy outside.
      As far as the eye could see, arguments and fights were breaking out between two very distinct groups of people. One group were the more modernised, mixed gender denizens of Artemis Isle. The other group were very traditional Greek-styled warrior women, obviously from Themyscira. Every encounter gave the impression of how Aella and Dawn's encounter likely would have escalated without Penthesilea's intervention, which made Aella herself shrink back in shame.
      Penthesilea was already directing her silver armour-clad warriors (likely the royal guard) into the larger groups to break them up, but it seemed that whatever one side had said to the other to cause this strife had incensed them to such a degree that even Penthesilea's personally chosen warriors were unable to make any progress.
      Thinking quickly, Curia concluded that only royal authority would be effective at dealing with this incident. She quickly flew over to Penthesilea and explained as much, to which the queen agreed.
      Taking note of the sun's position on the opposite side of the conflict, Curia flew directly upwards into the air. From her new position high above the battlefield, she brought her shining silver vambraces up over her chest and angled the reflected sunlight down towards the battle. This new Solar Flare technique worked exactly as intended; thanks to an enchantment from Helios, the vambraces reflected and amplified the light to such a degree that even those facing away from her were briefly stunned by the light. With the yelling and sound of battle quietened, Curia drew in a deep breath, drawing on her enhanced strength to empower her vocal cords.
      "AMAZONS!" she bellowed, loud enough that the entire island likely heard her call. But all that mattered was that those before her now heard her; which they did. Every pair of eyes, now recovering from the flare, were on her. Those she recognised as her Amazons quickly composed themselves and bowed deeply in reverence.
      "This conflict will end, NOW! None here are false Amazons! Our two islands have become the focal point of a multidimensional event that has brought together two very different, but no less legitimate, groups of Amazons! Our histories may be different, and our values may diverge, but we are all still sisters... or brothers, as the case may be! Unless you wish to risk being stranded in the other reality once the event concludes, I suggest you stand down so that Queen Penthesilea and I can focus on investigating this incident so we can best ensure that no one is left behind!"
      Down below, while Curia's Amazons seemed ready to comply, Penthesilea's people looked to her for her command. After a moment, she nodded her agreement. With this, both groups backed away from each other and gathered together with their own neighbours.
      "Impressive," Penthesilea praised as Curia touched back down on the ground, rubbing her throat.
      "I can see why you don't do that often," Athena said with a slight wince as she and Aella joined them. "Are you alright?"
      "Just a little sore," Curia wheezed.
      "Guess I'll have to do the talking for a while, huh? 'What's that, Princess? You'd like to abdicate the throne and instate me in your place? Well, if you say so.'"
      Curia chuckled and winced. "Aaaah, don't make me laugh like that."
      "Sorry. What's next, Your Majesty?"
      Penthesilea took a minute to think before she replied. "If more of your Amazons are appearing here, that would suggest that overlap now covers more of the island, possibly all of it. You mentioned your queen earlier. Do you see her amongst your people?"
      "I'll take a look," Athena replied with a pat on Curia's shoulder. After a quick aerial search, she returned to report that the queen was not present anywhere among the crowd.
      "Do you think something might have happened to her?" Aella asked, trying her best to mask her evident worry.
      "It is possible, though not very likely. Where did you last see her? At your palace?"
      "Yes. We came here directly from there - further up the hill."
      "Hmm... My palace seems to remain unaffected. Perhaps yours is, as well. One of you will stay and help me search here, in case the two palaces have merged. The other two will return to where your palace was and search there.
      "Curia and I can fly," Athena responded in a take-charge tone. "We'll head over there now. Aella, you're with the queen."
      "Understood," the archeress responded with a professional salute.
      "Come on, C." Athena took Curia by the hand and the two lifted off. Once the two were out of earshot, Penthesilea turned to Aella and asked her, "I must ask, does your princess simply enjoy dressing up, or is Wonder Woman a real title in your reality?"

      It didn't take long for the two flyers to traverse the landscape. From up high and moving so quickly, the change in architecture that they had barely noticed earlier should have been much easier to spot. Only, it never really came. The more varied and modern buildings were now scattered all across the island, indicating that their fears had come true.
      There were numerous familiar confrontations occurring all over the place, forcing the two to stop to break them up manually, now that Curia was in no state to shout again. Her Solar Flare was still an indispensable tool, however. After recruiting the guards from both realities to help break up the conflicts, the two were able to leave the rest to them and head directly for the palace.
      From the outside, it seemed unchanged, though they couldn't be completely sure until they were inside. As they touched down, Curia told Athena they would need to find the First Ones as well, once her mother was found. But not before.
      Fortunately, the search was a short one thanks, in no small part, to how well Curia had come to know the layout of her second home. Hippolyta had taken to the royal bathhouse, a place she often came to to raise her spirits with a nice, long rose petal bath. The heat from the water emitted a thick mist throughout the chamber, but it was clear enough for the heroines to see that neither queen, nor the rose petals, had yet been added to the bath.
      "Mother!" Curia called out, startling the queen. She whirled around, adorned in only a bathrobe. She seemed to be totally oblivious to the anarchy beyond the palace walls.
      "C-Curia!?" the startled queen stuttered. "W-What is it? Why are you two here? And in full costume, too?"
      Seeing Curia rubbing her sore throat again, Athena stepped forward to explain the situation. She described how the trio had passed into part of an alternate reality's Amazon island, summarised as best she could what they had been told about dimensional overlaps, explained that the overlap was now affecting the entire island, and that they were currently working with the other reality's Amazon queen to investigate the full ramifications of the overlap.
      By the time the lengthy explanation was concluded, the trio had moved into the queen's chamber to allow her to redress for the coming address to her people. Once again, she donned a violet dress.
      "Luckily, the guards from both sides were willing to help maintain the peace so we could come looking for you," Athena finally concluded. "The palace seems unchanged, from what I can see."
      "Same," Curia added, her voice clearly on the mend thanks to being given an opportunity to remain silent for a while.
      "I see," the queen replied ponderously. "And what is your take on all of this?"
      "I think the palace remaining untouched must have some meaning to it," Curia responded, looking around as she did so in case anything around them contradicted her. To her delight, nothing seemed out of place.
      "We didn't notice the area of effect widening while we were inside the other palace, just like mother didn't from here," Athena added, eyes widening in joyous realisation. "We should ask if anything's changed over there when we head back. If not, that might indicate some kind of immunity to the effects of the overlap."
      "And we could use the palaces to house the other Amazons until the overlap passes," Hippolyta suggested, receiving nods of agreement from the heroines. "Very well. Curia, can I leave relaying our plan to my counterpart to you, while Athena and I search for the First Ones? I feel a member of the royal family would be the most appropriate envoy, and your flight makes traversal across the island much more expedient."
      "Of course, Mother," Curia responded with a smile. "But, are you sure-"
      "I will make my own way over once the First Ones are accounted for. Until then, Curia, please."
      "Okay, I will. But can I have a minute with Athena before you go?" Athena's response displayed her curiosity and confusion, while the queen simply smiled warmly and gave her blessing. Once Hippolyta was waiting outside, Curia asked her friend a favour. "While you're with my Mother, please don't mention Queen Penthesilea by name. It's a sore subject for her, you see."
      "Oh. Yeah, okay. I'll just call her "the other queen" or something and feign ignorance."
      "Thanks, 'Thena. I knew I could count on you."
      "Remember that next time we split the bill."
      "It was one time! When are you gonna let that go?"

      "I think we can safely conclude that your queen is not inside this palace," Penthesilea said as she sat on her throne to rest following the completed search.
      "Then, I guess we will just have to wait for word from the others," Aella said as she carried a chair over from the war table.
      "Indeed."
      "If our queen remains untouched by this incident in her palace, as did we in here, it could suggest a kind of blind spot within the palaces that could keep our people safe for the duration."
      Penthesilea smiled. "Very astute, Champion. I see you are as sharp as the arrows that fell your enemies."
      Aella shuffled uneasily in her seat. "Actually, I... I have only ever taken a single life..." she said bitterly.
      Penthesilea looked Aella over. Aella felt like Penthesilea was looking into her very soul. She averted her eyes, hoping she wouldn't be able to see her great shame.
      "It may sound slightly queer, spoken by an Avatar of War, but neither inexperience, nor the refusal to take a life, is anything to be ashamed of. Inexperience is merely the adolescence of expertise; and a refusal to kill reveals one's convictions to not travel down the easy path."
      "It is not the number that shames me, Your Majesty. It is the target of my arrow..."
      Aella briefly summarised the events surrounding Chryseis' recent power quest - Chryseis' corruption, her own assignment of both the Amazon Arrow title and her placement on the strike team to hunt down Chryseis, Pyrrah's theft of Chryseis' power, and finally...
      "Lykopis, she... she knew that Pyrrah could replicate the effect of the Black Arrow back onto me; if the arrow struck Pyrrah, I too would be killed. She used her super speed to intercept the arrow. My beloved Lykopis allowed herself to be erased from existence to keep me from suffering that same fate."
      It was now Penthesilea's turn to fidget uncomfortably. "I... I apologise, Champion. I did not mean to dredge up such an unsavoury memory."
      "N-No, I... you didn't know. I apologise for saddling you with so much of my own misery."
      Time itself seemed to evaporate around the two as they sat in silence. Tears welled up in Aella's eyes, which she hoped Penthesilea wouldn't notice. To her dismay, she heard Penthesilea rise from her seat. No doubt, she had noticed. But, somehow, her trepidation gave way for comfort as Penthesilea wrapped her arms around Aella and held her close.
      "Few things are certain in this erratic existence we share. But one thing you can be absolutely sure of is that noble Lykopis loved you more than life itself. Your life is the proof of her love, and that will remain with you for the rest of your days."
      By now, Aella was openly weeping into Penthesilea's chest. The Amazon queen held her tight. She gingerly rubbed one hand up and down her back soothingly.
      "I cannot speak for your reality, but in mine, once something exists, it can never be erased completely. Some trace of your betrothed may still exist somewhere in the ether, waiting to be reclaimed. Never lose hope, Champion. In times when you feel that your life is nought but an endless cascade of misery and suffering, a little hope can summon untold strength within you. Never forget that."
      Aella continued to cry out loud, louder than before despite feeling markedly better. The sound of approaching footsteps caught Aella's attention, but only Penthesilea looked up to observe the doorway.
      "Penthesilea?" asked a somewhat frail, older-sounding voice. "Is everything all right?"
      "Yes, Mother," the queen responded. "Our guest was merely-"
      "Queen Penthesilea!" the same guard from earlier once again rushed into the chamber. "Another dispute has broken out and I fear you may be the only one who can diffuse the situation."
      Penthesilea looked down at the woman in her arms and sighed. "Mother, if I may ask-"
      "Of course, my queen. I will stay with our guest while you fulfil your duties."
      "Thank you, Mother," Penthesilea replied gratefully as she relinquished her hold on Aella and slowly back away. "I apologise, but this is something I must deal with."
      "O-Of course," Aella responded through her tears. "I understand."
      "Take me to them, Alayla." Even without looking, Aella could sense the hesitance to leave in Penthesilea's motions. As the queen and her servant departed, the older woman approached.
      "Here," she said kindly, producing a soft cloth and wiping away Aella's tears. Now that her eyes were clear, Aella could properly see the woman before her. As her ears had concluded, the woman was older, seeming around her late-fifties or early-sixties. She wore a silken lilac dress, a simple pair of sandals, a golden tiara sporting the same symbol as Penthesilea's, and an assortment of other jewellery.
      "Th-Thank you," Allea mumbled, taking the cloth to wipe her eyes herself.
      The old woman smiled. "I am Myrina, former queen of the Amazons."
      "Former queen?" Aella felt like a fish taking the bait; she had a suspicion that the woman had introduced herself this way to spark curiosity and distract Aella from her sorrow.
      "Indeed." Myrina quickly glanced around the room before sitting on the throne with a very exaggerated expression of satisfaction. "I abdicated the throne a few years ago in favour of my daughter."
      "But... you seem in good health. Why?"
      Myrina's expression shifted to one Aella had seen many times: an expression of nostalgic remembrance - specifically, remembrance of an old love. "One does not simply disobey when the God of War himself asks them to abdicate, any more than one rejects him when he asks them to mother his child."
      "Then... Ares really is the father of Queen Penthesilea in this world?"
      Myrina arched an eyebrow. "This is not the case in your world?"
      "No. Or, at least... not as far as I know."
      "I see. Fascinating. In our world, he is the father of Penthesilea and her three sisters."
      "Hippolyta, Antiope and Melanippe," Aella responded automatically.
      "Indeed. I wonder if, perhaps, there are more similarities between our worlds than differences. But I must ask you, please refrain from discussing Queen Hippolyta around Penthesilea."
      Aella was taken aback by the older woman's sudden shift to a much more serious tone. She was also confused about her choice of words: Myrina had said that she abdicated the throne for Penthesilea, but unless such details were different here, Hippolyta should have been the eldest and, thus, the one to become the queen. Clearly sensing her guest's befuddlement, Myrina elaborated.
      "Tell me, child, did the Amazons take part in the Trojan War in your world?"
      "Y-Yes. Queen Hippolyta was indisposed following her encounters with Heracles and Theseus, so Princess Penthesilea temporarily assumed command and led the Amazons into battle and was killed in a duel."
      "Ah, I see the difference there. In this world, Queen Hippolyta was not... indisposed, as you put it. She had departed with Theseus, though none knew why, at the time. Penthesilea led a force in pursuit and attempted to slay the man that had stolen the Amazon Queen. However, it later transpired that Hippolyta had fallen in love with Theseus and had willingly eloped with him. As a result, although meant for Theseus, the lethal blow of Penthesilea's weapon was intercepted by her sister, killing her."
      Aella sat in silence, contemplating Myrina's story and feeling a sense of tension welling up in the pit of her stomach as the parallels between this story and her own became more and more apparent.
      "Even after her own death and rebirth, Penthesilea is still haunted by those wretched memories to this day. So, I ask of you, please refrain from discussing Queen Hippolyta in Penthesilea's presence. She has enough on her mind with the co-ordination of our people to be distracted with thoughts of her past. I trust you understand."
      Aella nodded and held out the cloth to return it. "Yes, I understand."
      It was easy to say this, but inside, she knew instinctively that Penthesilea had already begun thinking about her past thanks to the parallels her story shared with Aella's. Not to mention that co-operation between two two queens would be necessary to ensure that everybody made it through this okay. She would need to discuss this matter with Curia and Athena once they returned.

      Curia found, to her dismay, that yet more of her Amazons had found themselves lost and confused near the other palace as she returned. She quickly descended towards Penthesilea's position once she spotted her. After helping to deal with another conflict, Curia finally had the chance to inform Penthesilea of the plan, making sure to avoid using her mother's name in her explanation.
      "So, if your palace is a safe haven like ours is-"
      "We can house our respective peoples within the palaces, yes. Your compatriot and I also reached this conclusion."
      "Oh. Well, I guess Amazon intellect extends beyond the boundaries of reality."
      Penthesilea grinned. "Indeed. Come. Your friend is inside with my mother, awaiting my return. I will explain the plan to them. You take this." She handed Curia a small container with a milky white balm inside. "Rub that onto your throat. It should help reduce the strain somewhat."
      "Thank you," Curia said as she dipped her fingers into the cool substance.
      The two entered the main chamber to find Aella and Myrina, waiting for them. Penthesilea explained the plan as Curia had explained it to her, while Curia herself rubbed the balm into her throat, beginning to feel the rejuvenating effects almost instantly.
      "But, I recall Ares saying that we had roughly nine hours," Aella pointed out once Penthesilea concluded her explanation. "Nine hours is a long time to keep so many frightened people cooped up in one place."
      "This... is true," Penthesilea admitted. "Perhaps we can allow some free time for a few hours, but we must set a strict curfew for around an hour before the event ends."
      The others nodded their agreement.

      "This is an emergency transmission from Queen Penthesilea of Artemis Island and Princess Curia of Themyscira."
      Informing a few thousand people of the plan and keeping them updated on the time would have been difficult on Themyscira, but Artemis Island's technology had progressed much further thanks to so many of the island's inhabitants being modern people who became lost in the Bermuda Triangle. This became much more apparent as time passed; the combined island (dubbed 'Artemiscira' by Curia) became much less segregated in terms of, not only citizenship, but of architecture and infrastructure as well.
      Thanks to this, telephones and video screens began popping up everywhere, even close to Hippolyta's palace - the palaces seemed to exude a nullifying aura that limited the influence of the overlap in the area around them.
      Penthesilea and Curia used the monitors and CCTV set up around the island to broadcast an explanation of the incident. Even through these methods, there was no guarantee everybody on the island would find out, but both palaces had extensive registers of every citizen, making a headcount a viable option of keeping track of them all.
      From their estimates, the time on both islands was the same: 1pm. With the time taken for both the back-and-forth and the transmission, two hours had passed since Penthesilea had contacted Ares. By his estimate, the overlap would conclude at approximately 8pm, leaving them seven hours together. Since it was only an estimate, the curfew was set for 7pm to give them time to perform final searches for any stragglers.
      "Now that order has been restored," Penthesilea said with a relieved sigh, "I would like to get to know some of your people. I feel a cultural exchange would be beneficial to us all."
      "I'd like that, Your Highness," Curia replied with a smile and a bow. The two left the main hall and found Athena and Aella waiting for them outside.
      "What's the word, 'Thena?" Curia asked upon seeing her friends.
      "Queen- Our Queen is meeting with the First Ones now. They're all safe in the council chamber and they've got no intention of leaving, so we shouldn't have to worry about them for now."
      "Good to know. Hey, Queen Penthesilea suggested a cultural exchange thing between us."
      "Ooh, that sounds interesting," Athena replied with surprising enthusiasm. "But you two go first; I saw an Owlery on the way here, and I wanna check it out!"
      "Y-You seem more enthusiastic about the Owlery than the culture exchange..."
      "I assure you, it's a total coincidence. Bye!"
      As she watched her friend depart, Curia was unsure if Athena's pace was due to embarrassment or excitement...
      "Yes, well..." Penthesilea said, clearly having no subject to move on to, but desperate to do so. She turned to Aella as she thought of one. "We do have an archery range, if that would interest you. I am certain you could show our elites a thing or two."
      Aella contemplated this a moment before nodding. "All right. I can never pass up an opportunity to improve my skills. I'll see you both later, Your Highness, Princess." With a bow, Aella departed, following a guard Penthesilea had indicated to guide her to her destination.
      "I guess that just leaves us, Your Highness," Curia commented.
      "Please, Princess. Although we are of different worlds, we are both Amazon royalty. I ask that you refer to me by name; and I wish to do the same to you."
      Curia smiled. "Of course. Then, by all means, Penthesilea, you can call me Curia." Penthesilea returned her smile in earnest.