#wonderstage

It was different to say it aloud now that they’d finally seen the full scope of Themyscira with their own eyes. Zatanna felt her heart pound at the idea; what if Raven was right? What if they were remembered as greats in their fields and this off-the-rails expedition was actually seen as a success, not just to their fields but to science as a whole?

Getting Victor and John to agree to leave them behind was one thing; nearly being squashed by an angry ape was another; but to see the island where their future lay, not even an afternoon’s sail away?

Zatanna didn’t know what to say to fill the quiet of their trek back to the cabin, not with her mind racing and her heart flipping at the idea of greatness. Raven was still so caught up in her own musing she didn’t notice how the anthropologist had to brace herself against a tree to keep her panting under control; and even if she did, Zatanna didn’t know if she could blame it on the exercise. 

--

Zatanna was half asleep at the stack of crates that the academics used for a table, roughly rubbing her eyes with her palms. Next to her, Raven was biting at her pencil, her eyes flicking between the replicas she’d drawn to the carefully folded letter that she’d written not an hour earlier. She’d made copies of all her sketches so far, even going so far as to annotate for Victor when he’d see them. There was still a quarter notebook’s worth of observations to rewrite so that the rest of the expedition could view the backups in case something catastrophic occured, but Raven couldn’t focus. 

The zoologist took off her glasses and pinched between her eyes, futilely trying to will her vision to stop being so blurry. She wished instead of a crate she could sit on a chair, if only so that she could lean back and glare at the cabin’s ceiling. Raven’s head turned when Zatanna’s forehead finally met the table. As the anthropologist’s soft snores began to fill the small cabin, Raven closed her eyes. She listened to the soft crash of the waves on the beach, hearing the unnatural rustle of leaves just beyond the cabin. 

Making up her mind, Raven put her glasses on again, pushed them as far up her nose as she could and silently slipped out the door. 

She avoided the creaky step and sighed at the press of wet dirt and sand under her feet. Raven sat on the thin strip of sand that made up the beach now that the tide was high, closing her eyes and listening to all that she could. Her nose twitched as she heard as one of the Amazons crouched on the branch that they were sitting watch on; ignoring the stare on her back for the moment, the zoologist opened her eyes and stared out at the ocean. 

Although she hid it well from Zatara, a pit of nerves had coiled in her stomach. The young scholar thought of Victor and his seasickness, of Donna and Diana, of Zatanna’s concerns for their journey and the apes that howled throughout the day, of Themyscira and all that they would find, of Bruce and whether this discovery would allow her to see that same pleased look on his face like when his children fawned over the copy of her first published field report, mud splattered as it was. 

Blinking away the salty sea air, Raven dramatically fell back onto the ground, kicking her legs up and letting them fall down hard enough to imprint against the wet sand with a thud. With her glasses askew she could just barely make out Diana watching her, the Amazon’s posture amused at her antics. 

Raven smiled at the older woman and waved, folding her hands atop her stomach as her gaze went back to the stars. It was really, truly sinking in that they had found living Amazons but now… now Raven didn’t quite know what their next move should be. 

She thought of Victor again, of how she took his trust in her abilities to lead them in just the right direction whenever they went out in the field together. Gray eyes shut as Raven imagined her brother sitting next to her on the wet sand, trying to guess what he’d say to the sight of their lifeboat anchored against the tree stump in preparation for tomorrow’s sailing. 

A small smile filled her face as she considered that he’d first admonish her for rushing headfirst like she always did. 

That smile immediately disappeared as another screeching howl cut through the air, echoing eerily over the sea’s waves. The zoologist tilted her head back and watched as Diana gave her a fleeting look before heading off in the branches, both women cognizant that the howl had been closer than the others. 

Raven’s gray gaze went back to the stars, trying to spot the constellations that Victor loved to point out from his desk against the window; a prospect that was a bit different now that they were one the opposite side of the planet, but easy enough. “Find the dipper then follow your gut,” He’d always remind her, a comfortingly heavy hand on her shoulder as his brown eyes eagerly looked over whichever blueprints could aid in combining their research efforts even further. 

Raven let the air out of her lungs in a sigh. They’d found Themyscira; now it was time for her to lead in the face of uncertainty as she always had. Glancing at the dark cabin, Raven decided that she could spare another few minutes until Diana came back. Satisfied once she spotted the bright light of Ursa Major, the zoologist closed her eyes and waited for the apes to howl some more.

--

The two Amazons looked statuesque in the light of early dawn. Curious and somewhat apprehensive at the brightly colored life jackets that adorned the wooden life raft, Donna was poking at the raft’s edges. Her brows were furrowed as she poked a toe against the panels of kapok and cork wood, obviously untrusting that the heavy raft could float. 

Diana was sitting on the sand next to the anthropologist, resting her chin in her hands and gazing up at Zatanna as the scholar fussed about the crates. Zatanna had her hands perched on her hips as she did yet another check over their list, trying to ensure that everything they recorded would survive long enough for the expedition to find if they did perish on the sail over. Raven casually glanced at the three of them from one of the cabin’s dilapidated windows, unraveling her note and rereading her handwriting once more:  

“My Dearest Victor, 

When you get a chance to read this letter, I’ll be by your side so don’t you dare retroactively panic at the idea that Zatara and I have come up with. 

It is just past sunset on June 15th, 1902 and we are to leave for Themyscira tomorrow morning, right as the sun starts to rise. As per our logs, we first caught full sight of Themyscira on June 13th; we’ve taken a full day to organize all our supplies and, as already stated, will leave the morning of June 16th. The clouds have all but vanished with you and the expedition back home, and as you can imagine even with our hiking clothes we want to avoid excessive heat the best we can. While effective communication is still an issue, Donna has made it clear that she and Diana would have already returned to Themyscira had Zatara and I not stayed. We four will take the lifeboat, although I am still uncertain if the two Amazons will actually get onto the raft with us. It looks to be a two hours’ sail if the weather and seas stay fair. From what I can understand, the two of them swam across to our current island over the course of a few hours shortly after we originally spotted Themyscira. Zatara seems to believe that Diana told her they reached this island before our ship did, which wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. These two Amazons are incredible; surely there’s a reason as to why and how they have been able to survive for so long. 

Please do not worry too much, Vic. Our initial route is to reach Themyscira, see if there are any signs of seafaring technology, spend a night on the shores and then return the next morning; if everything goes to plan, you should see a carved quote on the tree I pointed out to you dated June 16th, 1902. We have to do this now. I know it is early -- you, Constantine and the returning expedition aren’t due for another seven weeks, but the apes on this island are numerous. They howl at random times throughout the day; they would have succeeded in killing us had Donna not intervened; they seem to fear the ape that howled from Themyscira as well as the Amazons, but they do not fear Zatara, myself, or the pistol. 

I will not lie to you, I want to explore even if we are underprepared; but Zatara’s logic is equally as sound as my curiosity: we need to know that there is somewhere else for us to stay if these apes get too bold before the expedition can return. 

I can’t wait to tell you about everything that’s happened so far, and of everything that will surely happen in these next few days, and it hasn’t even been a week! Regretfully, this has to be it for now. We hope to finish packing before the sun sets. While I write this, Zatara is copying our notes and storing them and our sketches within the pots we shall leave behind, wrapped in our spare dresses. If anything happens (which, given the fact that I am beside you as you read this, proves that nothing fatal occurred), all of our observations are fully recorded.

Think of the advancement of science, Victor! I’ll somehow find a way to contain my excitement until I can see you again.

Your sister, Raven.”

Her eyes moved away from the paper when Zatanna called out her name and the zoologist sighed. Pushing her glasses further up her nose, Raven carefully retucked the note within her folded up dress, hoping that no damage would come to it before she and Zatanna could return to the little structure. 

Satisfied that the crate’s burlap lining and their stuffy clothing would keep the note safe, Raven tied the crate closed, patted the rope twice to ensure that it wouldn’t snap apart, and stood to head outside. Her boots crunched against the clumps of sand that scattered over the cabin’s doorway and, without giving herself a moment to rethink the Wilde of the day, jogged to the long-since-fallen tree. 

Zatanna let out a laughing sort of sigh as she finally realized that Diana was staring at the insanely complicated checklist that she held in her hand, the Amazon’s bright blue gaze trying to figure out the letters. Feeling Donna’s stare on her back, the zoologist etched out her fourth quote to her brother: 

“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.” -R. June 15th, 1902.

Raven morosely stared down at the quote, tucking her knife back into her belt. She turned to look up as a shadow covered her, a small smile fighting its way onto her face as Donna curiously peeked over her shoulder at the meticulously carved writing. She leaned back on her haunches as Donna kneeled next to her, taking a moment to watch as the Amazon carefully traced the letters.

Zatanna’s voice rang in the air, “Roth?”

Gray eyes went to the anthropologist, a laugh bubbling out of the younger scholar at the sight of her peer’s necklace, the pendant being a dried four leaf clover encased in amber. Raven stood and brushed the sand off her knees, “So you’ve got Constantine’s good luck charm and all our recordings are sealed tight. Everyone’s ready to go, then?” 

Zatanna lazily ran a thumb over the amber, wishing that John had kept the thing on an actual necklace instead of a watch chain. Her blue eyes closed for a brief moment and she sighed, hoping with everything she had that they wouldn’t perish too quickly. 

When Zatanna opened her eyes again Raven had already gone into the water; she was up to her knees, awkwardly balancing on the lifeboat’s side as the zoologist dragged it beyond the surf. The girl looked grateful when Zatanna jogged to aid her, both Gothamites reeling between the cold waves and the warm hands that guided them as the Amazons helped them up into the raft.

Once Raven was settled in the small boat Donna, who was particularly distrusting of the brightly painted contraption, elected on swimming ahead to guide them towards Themyscira. The Amazons took on a leisurely pace as Raven fiddled with the paddles, a triumphant “Aha!” escaping her as she finally got everything in place and began to row. 

Zatanna sat on the opposite end of the small raft, trying to keep her sense of balance as she kept checking the somewhat outdated map that their expedition’s captain had left with them. The anthropologist held her compass like a lifeline; although the islands were close enough that they wouldn’t get lost, yet alone with Donna and Diana there with them, Zatanna knew that with Raven’s impulsiveness in the face of scientific discovery that someone had to be the overly cautious one. 

Unfortunately for Zatanna, caution wasn’t enough of a reason for Raven to row the entire way to Themyscira. 

Halfway between the two islands, the zoologist rested her head on her aching crossed arms. Her cheek smushed against her bicep as she watched Donna swim, a bit amazed that neither Amazon seemed to be tired after almost an hour. Between the pain in her biceps from rowing and the furious blush on her cheeks, Raven couldn’t help but wish she was a bit more desensitized to the Amazon's casual nudity. 

Behind her, Zatanna was huffing as she took her turn to paddle. The scholar pointedly ignored the giggles behind her, refusing to turn around at Diana’s obvious amusement. 

Finally free to look around, Raven averted her eyes from the expanse of Donna’s back and gazed down into the water. Not as clear as right on the coasts that surrounded the island, the water was just cloudy enough to obscure all the sea creatures that called the open ocean home.