The lovely crystal blue skies above the beautiful island were calm and serene in their casual habitation. The breathtakingly beautiful endless ocean rolled as far as the eye could see, its waters sparkling with a bright gleam. Here, this realm was in perfect harmony with the universe.

Until, suddenly, the flowing skyline was startlingly split open by an unimaginably powerful massive strike of lightning which tore open the very fabric of reality. The continuum of space and time shattered with a booming bolt which shook the molecules of the universe. Out of the rift soared two free falling figures, spinning through the atmosphere almost faster than the speed of light. Comets of sparkling and blazing stardust trailed behind both of them.

Kal-El of Krypton, known to the world as The Man of Steel, soared unconscious through the clouds at breakneck speed. His majestic red cape whipped around his falling body as he fell backward toward the ocean floor. With the amount of force and momentum with which he was moving, his impact had the potential to be earth shattering.

Slowly, Kal's eyes opened as he began to regain consciousness. His super sharp senses immediately came into awareness, and he knew how much of a weapon that his molecular structure could be if left unchecked. Slowly closing his eyes as he channeled his immense power, The Man of Steel extended his arms out to his sides and began to slow his falling form.

A massive cosmic boom resounded through the atmosphere as his body slowed to a halt in a crucifix likeness, his cape flowing smoothly almost in a glorious kind of slow motion. Below him, the ocean cascaded outward in a circular concussion, causing huge tidal waves to flow outward in all directions.

Using his enhanced vision, he searched on all sides around him, making certain that there were no inhabitants which would be hurt or injured by the upheaval. At that moment, he caught sight of another body falling several hundred miles distant from him. Instantly, he was cutting through the air so fast that several sonic booms exploded behind him as displaced air crashed back together. Kal was focused only on reaching her.

Diana of Themyscira, known to the world as Wonder Woman, split the sky as a glowing halo of cosmic debris trailed after her. Unconscious, with her beautiful long mane of black hair framing her face, she was an ultimate vision of feminine loveliness soaring almost gracefully through the atmosphere. She was seconds away from striking land and causing an impact which could produce a torrential upheaval.

With a gentleness which seemed in stark contrast to his incredible power, The Man of Steel took The Woman of Gold gently into his arms, absorbing her momentum into his own as he aligned himself with her trajectory. The speed of her descent began to disperse as he flew in conjunction with her, his brilliant mind knowing that this was the best way to dissipate their momentum. Seconds later, two massive sonic booms resounded with the torrential displacement caused by his excessive motion and the still too sudden slowing of her incredible speed. With the powerful winds thundering around them, their long red and blue capes swayed wildly as they slowed to hover in the air.

Knowing that he still needed to continue slowing their momentum, Kal carefully swung Diana into a slow spin a few miles above the surface. His motion was smooth and graceful, but the resulting effect on their surroundings was massive. The entire forest below them instantly completely flattened. Huge trees toppled like toothpicks, miles of dense foliage lay down as twigs, and firm structures of rock were reduced to dust.

The effect was similar to that of the infamous Tunguska event.

Hovering above it all, seemingly lost in a gentle carousel ride, the two lovers gazed into one another's eyes.

With the booming noise of the sonic concussions resounding and the atmosphere howling around them, The Woman of Gold drowsily began to flutter open her eyes. Slowly waking from a deep peaceful rest, Diana felt even more of her heart slip away from her as she opened her eyes to find Kal staring down at her lovingly. She absolutely adored this man more than she had ever dreamed was possible. She looked up into the eyes of the man of her heart, and her ruby red lips curled into a gentle smile. Nestled within his powerful loving arms, she had never felt more at peace in her entire life.

The more she was with Kal, the more Diana understood the danger of which her Amazon sisters had warned her. There was simply no end to this ... falling in love. It simply became deeper and deeper, taking one to heights even higher and higher. Thinking of the horrors which had befallen her race, Diana felt a touch of fault at how much of herself she had already lost in him. On a spiritual level hidden inside the warrior, the woman knew that she could be perfectly happy giving herself completely to this man.

This feeling was so intense that she felt stirrings of trepidation. The Amazon warrior could face down armies standing alone fearlessly, but the power of true love tempted her to shy away. She couldn't allow herself to let go into this bliss of Kal.

Maybe ... Maybe in a few hundred millennia, when they were the only two beings left in the physical realm of creation, then she could indulge herself, she laughed in her thoughts. The joy in her heart manifested as a light within her eyes.

Kal returned the brightness of her light with his own. No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't take his eyes off of her. Every single time he looked at her, he was once again reminded that he had never seen anything more beautiful than she. His Christian parents Johnathan and Martha had taught him to reverence all of the beauty which God had made in the universe, and in all of creation, for him there was no more glorious visage than her lovely eyes.

"Good morning, My Princess," he whispered tenderly, lovingly staring down at her.

"Good morning, My Prince," she answered, never breaking his gaze for a single moment.

Unable to resist her any longer, Kal found himself leaning down to claim her lips. Diana responded with all the passion in her heart, and the kiss slowly became deeply touching and searingly intimate. When they parted, their eyes locked once again.

"Why do you kiss me like that?" Diana asked wistfully.

"Like what?" he smiled.

"Like ... you need me to be your air to breathe."

"Diana, you are my breath. You are my life, my world, and my universe."

"I knew inside your chest beat the heart of a writer, Kal. I should have known you had the soul of a poet."

Her slender hands laid down upon his firm broad chest, and his arms began to pull her toward him once again.

Unbeknownst to the two starstruck lovers, they were already being influenced by the adoringly amorous

affections of the atmosphere.

"Are you all right?" asked Kal.

"I'm fine," Diana answered. "I do feel a little disoriented. Where are we?"

"I don't know. It's a strange location," Kal told her, drawing a breath to regain and compose himself. "I've used my vision to look everywhere around us. There isn't another living soul in sight." Kal paused for a moment as he glanced at their surroundings before turning back to gaze upon her for emphasis. "This is absolutely the most beautiful place i've ever seen. We're all alone here."

"There's no one else?" Diana asked brightly. "Anywhere? We're completely by ourselves?"

"Just us," Kal said.

"What do you remember before catching me?"

"I … I had just sealed the Phantom Zone inside the fortress after locking up a dragon," he answered with his brow furrowed in the effort to remember. "Then, I was on my way to your apartment in London. What about you?"

"I had just finished sparring with Hessia. For some reason, it's hard to remember. I was on my way to the fortress to see you. There was nothing pressing on you? No battle or villain which could have transported you here?"

"No," Kal said as he let go of her hands and focused his vision off in the distance. "However, I think we have just received our first clue as to what is going on here."

"What is it?"

"There's a temple of some kind on the other side of the ocean. I don't think it was there before. It just appeared out of a low cloud."

"We're obviously meant to find it."

"Let's go have a look around inside and see if we can solve the mystery of why we've been brought here."

The Man of Steel took off over the ocean with The Wonder Woman at his side. Kal flew just slightly in front of her, and Diana took notice.

He was such a man. She knew that his actions toward her were almost unconscious and in no way intended to demean her. Even though she was quite probably the most powerful woman in the universe, Kal was still very protective of her. Although she wouldn't tolerate protectiveness from any other man, when she was with Kal it felt right and unnervingly normal. His being so much man made her feel like a natural woman. As with so many things with Kal, it was frustratingly wonderful for her.

In minutes, they were descending upon the entrance steps of a large stone pyramid like structure with a steeple atop it pointing toward the sky. Kal reached out to hold Diana's hand in the classic pose of a prince guiding his princess as they ascended the short steps. With her spike high heeled boots echoing off the bricks under them, she was glad she had worn them. Allowing herself to feel more comfortable with her femininity, she couldn't help but cherish this attention from the man of her heart.

As they approached the perfectly square sunken in door, it began to rise upward with a loud and heavy resounding grind.

"It seems we're expected," said Diana.

"Whatever this structure is made out of, my vision doesn't penetrate it. I can't see inside. I've never seen anything like this before."

The latent scientific side of Kal inherently inherited from his biological father Jor-El was quickly awakened within Kal. Also, the writer inside of him enjoyed the intrigue of mystery, and he was suddenly a little anxious to explore the temple.

Whatever element this temple was composed of was resistant to his enhanced vision. As with kryptonite, he always made it a point to study things which enemies may one day use against him. The stone appeared on the surface to be the usual composition found on earth, yet it clearly was not. He determined to extract a sample before they departed.

Stepping inside, Kal walked a foot ahead of Diana. He understood her pride, but the woman had no idea of what she truly meant to him or the fathomless depth of love he felt for her. For all his vaunted power, the man didn't want to admit to himself that he couldn't handle it if anything ever happened to her. The power he wielded as Superman caused him to be protective of all those around him and indeed the entire world, but to The Man of Steel, this woman Diana of Themyscira, was the most special to him in the universe.

A strong breeze blew around them as they entered the doorway, and the two of them stayed so close to one another that their capes brushed against one another as they walked. Suddenly, a torrent of light bathed the space in front of them with brightness. A set of torches positioned in a straight line around the upper wall of a large circular room burst into fire. The flames from their upper openings were pure white, giving them a majestic regal glow. Although the light was soft and soothing, it was uniquely piercing.

There were no shadows cast from their illumination.

The space itself was akin to a wide auditorium. A lovely circle, apparently empty besides the torches. However, the very appearance of there not being anything in the room led to the suspicion that there was something more within.

"There's nothing here," Diana said as she walked over to the other side of the room.

"Oh, there is," Kal said firmly with his brow slightly furrowed as he slowly gazed around them. "It's just difficult to see."

"Look closer," Diana said as she made her way around the edge of the wall, gliding her fingers lightly along its surface.

"There are images," Kal told her as his eyes lowered to squints. "Light. They seem to be … flowing … just outside the edge of this realm. I can't seem to draw them into focus."

"Are they for us?"

"I'm not sure."

"Perhaps we're the key," Diana said as she made her way back over toward him near the center of the room. "There are hidden places on Themyscira which respond to posture. Let's stand here in the center and …"

Before Wonder Woman could finish her sentence, a thin plume of smoke began to fade into the room surrounding them. It quickly grew into a small transparent cloud, smoothly flowing above, around and through their bodies. A gentle yet unbelievably massive power lifted them upward off the ground beneath them. The torches in the room simultaneously increased their light hundred fold, and the entire space became so bright that only a white expanse could be seen.

Sensations. Feelings. Communication. Not with words, but from within.

Time ceased to exist. Space was no more. The physical was gone. Everything was ethereal. Spirit was reality.

Together, Kal and Diana were granted understanding, given a universal history their minds could only barely comprehend, and conveyed a message only for them.

Then, more suddenly than the unique conversation had begun, it was over.

Kal felt the stone floor underneath his feet, and he opened his eyes not even realizing he had closed them. At the moment that he could see again, he immediately caught sight of Diana falling forward in a nearly unconscious daze. Reacting quickly, Kal slipped an arm around her waist to pull her body against him and steady her. In response, the barely coherent Diana wrapped one hand around his neck and held on to the center of his broad chest with her other.

Regaining herself, Diana opened her eyes to gaze up at Kal. In his arms, she was reminded that all of her holding on to her foolish pride was folly. This man had already proven to her that he would love her above all others. He would never look down on her in weakness or consider her lesser than himself. Within herself, she conceded that she may one day learn to welcome his loving protectiveness.

"I'm okay, Kal," resisted Diana, yet allowing herself to remain in the comfort of his arms. "It's just that … the power … was so overwhelming."

"I know. I've never felt anything like it. And, i could sense that what we felt was only barely a fraction of the full essence, just a drop in the ocean. Come on," he said, drawing her toward the outer doorway. "Let's get you outside."

The large stone doorway again began to open of its own accord, the sound reverberating through the inside space around them. Then, as the two of them stepped outside into the sunlight, a unique change began to take place. At the instant that the rays of the sun flowed over their skin, both Kal and Diana slightly recoiled from it.

As the sunlight showered them, it imbued their spirits and bodies with an intense health, vitality and power. Their bodies began to react of their own accord, lifting up and starting to float up into the air simply from the intensity coursing through their veins. Both of them instantly realized that they had been given a special kind of gift.

"Did … Did you understand?" asked Kal as they continued to lift higher into the sky.

"I think so," Diana answered quietly. "It was a message. Some kind of a communication, but unlike any I've ever experienced before."

"As i understood it, we're here to protect this island and keep it safe," said Kal. "By protecting this realm, we're also preventing harm from befalling our earth."

"Yes, that's what i understood," she concurred. "This place is some kind of a … nexus, or central convergence point for the universe. By defending here, we're stopping great evil from entering our world."

"Or, our former world," Kal said solemnly.

"I know," she answered in a whisper. "We're not supposed to look back."

"If we can't look back, then it follows that we can't go back," he said thoughtfully. "Do you believe this to be true?"

"I sensed it," she said firmly. "Right now, our earth is experiencing a level of peace greater than any in our lifetime. There is still some discord there, but the level of safety is … immeasurable by comparison."

"I believe that, whatever this offer is, it's legitimate. We should take some time, try to fully digest it, and think on it."

Then, Kal's demeanor changed. He became more eased and relaxed, and he floated close to within a hair's breath of her lovely face.

"Did you sense anything else?" he whispered in a low voice.

"I did," she told him, her visage breaking out into a slight smile. "It seems that the vibrations of this island are filtered into the realm of our earth."

"And …," Kal prompted sweetly, floating even closer.

"And feelings of … amore … are strongly encouraged here. It's somehow encoded in the very atmosphere of the island."

"All this … almost seems too good to be true. It's like some kind of paradise."

This is truly quite a gift for us," Diana told him with a smile adorned with a touch of mischief as she slipped her arms around his neck. "It seems we have both time and space here."

"The freedom to enjoy what we have," whispered Kal as he wrapped his strong arms around her slim waist, then leaned in and kissed the special sweet spot they had found underneath her right ear.

Diana didn't hold back the gasp which slipped from her lips before she'd realized it, and she indulged in the moan that he drew from her as he followed his kiss with a long slow suckle which he knew she would love. Her hands involuntarily tangled in his hair as her mouth fell open, and she wanted nothing more in the universe than for him to continue playing the orchestra of her body as the master conductor he was.

Then, Diana let her hands flow downward and feel along the broad planes of his muscular pecs before she forced them to push her backward away from him. With a playful laugh, knowing what she was doing, Kal floated near her with a manly enticing smile. He loved the way they were with each other.

"Unhand me, Great Kal-El and Heir of all Krypton," Diana spoke with a playful regal air while floating out of his arms. "I am The Princess of Themyscira, and i am your equal in every way."

"You're the only woman in the universe for me, Diana," Kal whispered to her. "I … I could imagine living happily ever after with you here on this island. Perhaps this is the very reason we were brought here?"

"It could be," Diana whispered thoughtfully.

"What would you say, if i got down on one knee, and asked …" Kal said with a quiet reserve, knowing that he loved her so much that he could barely handle the thought of her rejecting his proposal.

"If … If you asked," Diana said with a glow in her eyes as she glanced up at the heavens. "I would say yes."

"Would you promise?"

"I would pledge myself to you forever."

"Would you?" Kal whispered as he slowly floated around behind her.

Softly placing his large hands on her slim hips with featherlight touches, Kal gently caressed Diana as they pressed together in a lover's embrace. Lost in love as they floated in the sky, she laid her left cheek on his right, basking in the wealth of tender emotions between them. Her left hand fell onto his hip while her right held his hand more tightly on her, drawing them as close as possible. Their hair blew together in the winds around them, and their capes slowly started to enfold them in a cocoon of love. Kal and Diana were so happy, in love, and at peace that the two of them could have stayed floating through the universe in this embrace forever.

"Oh yes," she answered with a bright smile to him over her shoulder. "If you can catch me."

With that, Diana was out of his arms and gone in the twinkling of an eye. Booming winds resounded from her departure, and Kal's cape whipped wildly around him as he calmly looked after her.

With the wind howling around her with her incredible momentum, Diana turned to glance behind her. Waiting for her to look back as he knew she would, Kal continued hovering in place and gave her a feigned yawn of fatigue. His comical demeanor was calm and uninterested.

Diana faced back forward and pushed herself even faster with a heavy growl of exertion. She was determined to beat him this time. The atmosphere around her split and crackled under her power.

As focused as she was on moving forward, she didn't even feel the torrent of air which slipped soundlessly past her.

Now cascading over a large island, it took Diana's eyes a moment to make out his powerful muscular red caped form suddenly hovering beside a large mountain range up ahead of her.

Diana's eyes widened in surprise. Her Kal was so powerful. His speed and might were truly unmatched. She absolutely loved seeing him cut loose and display himself like this. As immense as were his abilities, the times when he could really let go were very few and far between. This moment with him was exceedingly joyful for her.

Diana gave him a wide grin as she shot past him, angling her flight so that she missed hitting him by only a few feet. Seemingly calm, Kal gave her another yawn as if he was positively bored with her attempt to defeat him. Leaving him miles behind her, Diana smiled to herself. It would hopefully take him a few seconds to devise her plan, and it may give her the few milliseconds she needed to beat him. She flew even faster.

Kal's face broke into a wide open smile as his lady warrior soared past him. Hopefully, she hadn't noticed the slight sweat on his forehead or the tense posture of his muscles. Beating Diana in these races was actually far more taxing than he let her know. She was indeed very fast, and she truly did rival him in every way. He knew that it was a little cocky of him not to let her know this, but he so enjoyed playing with her like this. Also, watching her beauty in motion was a wonder to behold and truly one of the great joys of his life.

Kal was so focused on staring at Diana that her plan worked to perfection. A torrential force of atmospheric turbulence followed by several pounding sonic booms crashed over him. Kal bounced through the air in surprise, his invulnerable form remaining completely unharmed by the powerful forces around him. Still, he was momentarily annoyed at losing even a single moment of gazing at the beauty of the love of his life.

Then, catching sight of her once again, now miles away from him, he watched her glance over her shoulder at him. Her lovely eyes were full of determination, mischief and playful guile.

That's when it hit him.

She was trying to beat him.

Kal took off like a shot at full speed. His immense power forced the atmosphere in front of him to part unnaturally, bending it to his humble will. He smiled brightly as he raced after Diana.

Diana knew she had beaten him. She had him this time. Yes. Finally.

Her goddess level abilities could rival the powers of Kryptonians. She knew this to be true from the times when she'd had to release her full power to battle the mighty Faora. Still, Kal was the most powerful of any of them, perhaps because his physiology had spent an entire lifetime absorbing the enhancing rays of the Sun. Also, having been affected in his formative years, there was also the probability that his cells had literally matured with enhanced power.

However, in her mind, Diana also liked the thought that the great powers he wielded were simply Kal. She had never ever met a person with more virtue, honor and humbleness than he, and she imagined that there was none more worthy than he to be given such gifts. Above all, she was heady with the thought that she was the one blessed to be his love. She felt that she was the only one to be his equal in every way. It almost seemed as if they were truly made for one another.

As even more of her heart bound eternally to Kal, Diana felt that she couldn't love him more than she did at this moment.

Comically, one millisecond later, she was certain that she couldn't be more angry with him than she was at this moment.

Kal was hovering above a large field of lovely multi-colored flowers only a mile up ahead of her. He was yawning.

Diana screeched in fury and angled her flight directly toward him. Throwing her whole body on top of him, she crashed into his stationary form and sent them both soaring through several fields before skidding across the ground and eventually tumbling together through the soft flowers.

Kal laughed heartily as Diana beat her fists against his chest in feigned fury. With her strength, her blows would have reduced the body of a normal man to cinder, but Kal enjoyed being able to feel her like this.

"Ohhh, you're such a ... a man!" she beamed as she pushed at him.

Kal only laughed even harder under her assault. They tumbled side over side, holding onto each other tightly. Kal caught sight of a massive tree off to one side up ahead of them, and he reached a hand out to dig his strong fingers into the bark of its trunk. Gripping Diana around her waist to hold her steady on top of him, he halted their momentum and let the updrafts swing them high as he kept them anchored with his hold. The two of them crashed back onto the ground underneath him with Diana planted firmly on top of him, still pressed together like teenagers. Both of them felt free and young, completely undaunted by the responsibilities of the former world.

"Admit to me that i am your most formidable opponent," Diana demanded playfully.

"Well, you are certainly without a doubt by far the most beautiful," Kal retorted.

"Tell me i am your best," she requested sweetly, placing her hands on the sides of his face and caressing his cheeks with her fingers.

"That you are, Princess," her paramour smiled.

Diana smiled, then kissed Kal deeply and sensuously, allowing all the love in her heart to flow through her lips. Releasing all of their long pent up desire, the two of them pressed together sweetly and tenderly, feeling just a touch of the overflowing passion barely held at bay. Kal began to return her kiss vehemently, pulling her closer down upon him, making certain there was absolutely no space between their bodies. Their lips and tongues moved with one synonymous motion, forming together perfectly in their union.

It wasn't enough. For the two of them, there would never be enough. They desperately needed more of one another.

Giving him a dark eyed sultry smile as she stood up between his legs, Diana slowly and sexily reached up to undo only the top clasp of her golden bustier. Her corset slipped down just an inch, completely capturing Kal's undivided attention in her sensual allure. A little more of the creamy smooth skin of her ample breasts met his gaze, and his mouth was suddenly so dry from desiring the taste of her that he had to lick his lips.

That had been the reaction she had been going for, and Diana smiled down at him with joy.

She absolutely adored the fact that she was the only woman which could make this man lose control. She knew that he had spent his entire life maintaining this reign over himself, and the thought that she was woman enough to make him lose his control was intoxicating to her.

Flipping her long dark hair out to let it swing in the gentle breeze blowing around them, she then moved her hands up to the top of her shoulders. As transfixed as he was in gazing upon her every movement, Kal almost didn't register that she had left the ground and was now slowly starting to float away from him. With a playful twist of her lips, Diana quickly unclasped her cups while simultaneously undoing the last connectors on her bustier.

Smiling down at Kal with a gleam in her eyes, Diana released her corset and let it fall away. At the same time, she let go of her cape and let the wind carry it forward. Just as Kal's eyes widened to gaze at her unadulterated beauty, the cape comically whipped into his face and obscured his view. He chuckled at her playfulness as he quickly pulled the cape from over his head.

By the time his vision refocused, Diana was miles above him, hovering away up into the sky. As Kal watched, several items were falling toward him. His eyes narrowed.

Her heels bounced onto the ground near his feet.

Her bracelets landed beside his knees.

Her trousers floated down between his thighs.

Kal looked upward to see her shining face gazing down at him as she was silhouetted by the sun behind her. He smiled brightly back up at her. In less than a second, he was shooting up through the air between them. His uniform was left lying on the ground beneath him, and his red cape slowly floated down onto the soft grass.

The two of them embraced, with the beauty of the heavens surrounding them as they soared through the universe.

Stargazing.

That's what it's called when two lovers embrace the trichotomy of physically lying in each other's arms, while mentally exploring the heavens, and spiritually learning to see the true beauty within one another.

Both Kal and Diana had seen the far reaches of outer space up close and personal before.

But ... not like this.

Never before had the two of them been free to allow themselves to affect the world around them.

This view was now something very new.

For most couples, when they experience ultimate intimacy between them, the common colloquialism says ... the earth moved.

For these two ... the universe moved ... literally.

They had created their own personal celestial light show.

Above them, the shining bodies and stars of the heavens were a spectacular display. The unbridled intimacy of their love had literally lit up the sky. Beautiful sparkling stars streaked over the skyscape, glowing cosmic debris constantly criss crossed to leave lovely trails written across the halo, and bright lights continually burst in explosions like fireworks from the waves of energy still radiating throughout the realm.

It was as if the universe was roiling with a playful turmoil. Powerful gravimetric waves were thundering throughout the solar system, misaligned planets were slowly slipping back into their natural orbits, and rocky debris which had been turned into shooting stars left beautiful glowing streaks blazing across the heavens.

The heavens seemed to be joyful, basking in the burst of their release.

The planet itself had become a cradle for their love. Their continuous ... activity ... for the last three days had affected the physical universe around them. The lovers were truly in the most unique of positions, one which only the two of them could have created. They were lying entwined in one another's arms, comfortably resting on a small hill of soft gentle sand. Atop one of the highest mountains on the planet, they had actually turned it into a warm beach. The ocean waters, stirred into massive upheaval, now reached up to the height of the mountain ranges. Kal and Diana lay perfectly positioned at the edge of the receding tidal waves, almost the same as a normal couple would if they were enjoying a sunny day at the beach. Heated waves constantly bathed their feet and toes, occasionally surging upward to flow over their knees and thighs, soothing them like a warm cleansing. Underneath them, the ground was in a constant motion with aftershocks from earlier earthquakes caused by their gravimetric distortions, and it registered to the lovers akin to a waterbed massage or vibrating sofa.

With his flowing red cape stretched over them on top of her own blue cloak, his majestic hope symbol lay over their torsos. Bare underneath its warm material, their legs wrapped around one another's while Diana rested her head on Kal's chest, lazily rubbing his broad pecs as he leisurely stroked her long soft hair. His other arm held her slim waist tightly against him while hers gripped along the side of his toned abdomen. After so long, they had finally been able to truly release with each other, fully give of themselves, and completely explore all they could be without restraint. Even after all they had experienced together for the past three days, both of them could feel that the constant desire between them was only temporarily sated. They could tell by the way they were absolutely unable to resist kissing, nibbling or suckling at the other's skin every few seconds. Laying together like this, they were the perfect portrait of serene tranquility. In touch with the universe around them, the lovers were able to enjoy the effects they had left upon the cosmos as they gazed up at the glorious heavens.

"Ohhh," Diana cooed, snuggling closer against Kal as a crumbling asteroid burst into a million pieces amidst Saturn's rings in a dazzling display of multi colored light.

"Look there," Kal said with a smile as he pointed with his right hand while pulling her tighter against him with his left arm. "Look. Those two comets are about to collide."

"I see it. I see it," Diana said with a beaming smile. "Here it comes."

There was a short pause as the two stared transfixed. Then, the two comet trails near Mars exploded into a brilliant show of light which cast a warm glow down over the mountain where Kal and Diana lay together. The remnants of the comets sparkled through the color spectrum like diamonds in the sky.

"Ohhh," the two lovers cooed together.

With the light from the comets shining on them, Kal used the added illumination as he turned to gaze down at Diana nestled against his side. She immediately noticed him looking away from the sight of the beautiful heavens and turned to look up at him in confusion.

"What are you looking at, Kal?" she asked.

"You know, as glorious as these stars are, they absolutely pale in comparison to the beauty that is you, Diana," he said in a heartfelt whisper.

"Oh, Kal," Diana said as her eyes fell and a somber mood fell over her.

She gazed across at his chest instead of meeting his eyes. His brow furrowed as he looked down at her. That hadn't been the reaction he'd been hoping for.

"What is it, Princess?" he asked quietly.

"Is this real? Shall things always be like this between us?" she asked as she turned to look up at him. "Or are we ... are we just in the ... honeymoon phase ... as it is called?" she asked questioningly. "I read that it passes with time."

"I ... I think this is a perk," Kal said with a confident smile.

"A ... perk?" Diana asked as she slid over to lay completely atop him, crossing her arms over his broad chest, his surprising answer having garnered her undivided attention.

"Yes," Kal told her. "You see, we deal with so many things, Diana. Our powers ... our beings ... who we are ... things such as these make it impossible for us to lead lives which others would consider normal. We have a responsibility unlike any other. Only you and i know the true cost of what we must endure. I fully believe ... that this love between us will burn just as brightly a thousand years from now as it does today. We were meant to be, you and i, perhaps from before either of us was even born. I truly think that ... as a joy, respite and recompense from all that would befall us ... we were blessed with this love ... and it will prove everlasting."

He watched the light in the depths of her eyes brighten as he spoke, not realizing that his own were doing the exact same thing.

"When thousands of years have passed, and you and i are perhaps the only two beings still living on this plane of creation, we'll fly among the universe," he whispered. "We'll become one in the heavens, and maybe we'll keep going until we change into a star. Perhaps we're not alone as we think. Maybe all of these stars in the heavens were once lovers like you and i, and they loved one another so much that they took their place as part of the celestial body together."

His poetic words cut through her heart like a bullet from Eros' gun. Diana felt a slight strain upon her eyes, but she would not let herself cry. She hadn't realized that a single tear had slipped out until she felt Kal wipe it from her cheek with his hand.

"As long as my heart beats, Kal, you won't ever be alone," Diana whispered.

"Neither of us shall ever be alone again," he told her, leaning into her.

They embraced in a chaste loving kiss, their lips only just barely touching. It was a promise … a marriage … an eternal union.

Then, in seemingly stark contrast to the words she had just uttered, Diana extricated herself from Kal with a soft sweet kiss on his cheek. She slowly slid out from under their capes and started to depart their cozy embrace. Peering at Kal with a sly smile of playful guile, she met his eyes with a joyful gaze. He was her completely captive audience, and she loved it. For an Amazon, having the total attention of the most powerful man in the physical universe focused solely on her was near to intoxication. Rising up, she stood quickly while simultaneously slipping his cape around her slim body.

Kal gave a low playful grumble at his being deprived of even the most momentary glimpse of his most beautiful woman in the universe. He ran a hand through his hair in feigned frustration, and Diana loved the way that the gentle winds flowed over it. Even as she walked away from him, she absolutely couldn't wait to run her fingers through it once again.

As Diana's feet started to pad lightly through the waters on the edge of the shore, she slowly began to draw the lower edge of his cape upward, giving her paramour a tantalizing view of her toned shapely calves. Slipping into the glistening crystal waters, Diana continued to allow Kal's cape to slowly slide down her body, inch by inch in concord with her steps. Knowing that he was watching her, she kept an extra sway in her hips, a little twist in her thighs, and slightly more flip in her swinging hair.

Watching intently behind her, Kal sat up on his elbows. He was absolutely and completely captivated by her every movement. His eyes focused, savoring each stretch and tense of all her fully feminine physique. He simply couldn't take his eyes off of her, even if he'd tried. Kal could feel his heart thumping, his pulse racing, and the slight sheen of sweat which broke out over his skin. As Diana slowly drew his cape higher and higher, he found himself licking his lips involuntarily, mesmerized by the thought of getting to taste her sweet nectar once again.

Smiling seductively at him over her shoulder, Diana was enthralled with the exact same thought as Kal, so much so that the mere weight of his gaze upon her caused a slight tremble in her muscles and a gentle tingle under her skin.

Kal watched intently as the edge of his cape neared the very top of her shapely womanly bottom, and he was practically holding his breath.

His eyes narrowed to slits intently, awaiting the perfect moment.

Then, water. Just water. Water.

Kal's mouth fell open as he groaned loudly and threw his head back in defeat.

Smiling brightly, Diana uttered the closest sound to a girlish giggle that she had ever made in her entire life. She simply couldn't believe how free she felt here on this island, so youthful, bright and uninhibited. It was truly a joy unspeakable.

With an exasperated sigh, Kal laid back down. She was killing him softly, and he couldn't think of a more fun way to perish. He took a deep breath, and blew air out loudly. Then, he heard a light splash which he could tell was meant to garner his attention, and he quickly sat back up and gazed at Diana once again.

His eyes immediately caught her own, and he was instantly refreshed by the playful light beckoning to him from within them. She was beaming at him, her eyes bright and captivating. Maybe he would get a glimpse after all. Kal sat up again, staring at her with an almost childlike silliness. Diana's smile grew even more, enjoying this joyful connection of love between them.

Still facing away from him, she turned, just slightly, and Kal took note of the fact that her torso was still above the water. His eyes grew wide as he inhaled, again involuntarily licking his lips as he remembered the taste of her. Still holding the top of his cape over her breasts, Diana began to let it slip down as she started to slowly turn around. She watched a brisk breeze blow through Kal's hair as he stared at her intently, pouring over every inch of her soft lovely skin. Then, with a sudden move, she turned all the way around and slipped under the water just as the top of his cape unveiled her.

Kal groaned loudly, a manly sound which made Diana laugh, an actual giggle this time. Both of them were filled with more happiness than they had ever thought possible. She was complete in him and he in her. Kal slumped back down onto the sand under him and Diana laughed even more. He looked back up at her just in time for her to blow him a kiss as she began swimming through the strong waters at a brisk pace.

Kal knew that he could use his vision to eye her through the water, but he simply smiled to himself with genuine joy at their being able to be playful with one another like this. It was a freedom which he had never thought they would be able to experience in their lives. As he blew a solemn and meaningful kiss to his love which she didn't see, he closed his eyes and slowly laid down to rest.

Neither of them knew that this would be the final moment of their freedom.

With the sun disappearing below the horizon line a short time later, a brisk chill began to descend upon the entire realm. The temperature had dropped considerably with the fall of night, but the cold which had entered the land was much more primal. There were now dark forces at work which would soon affect the island, the environment and the entire realm.

Out in the depths of the ocean, Diana found herself much farther from the shore than she had intended to be. Her warrior's body felt so good from her exertions with Kal that she had to stretch and work all of her muscles, just for the pleasure of being able to glory in how good he had made every single inch of her physique feel. Having been raised to be in complete harmony with her physicality, Kal had truly given her a residual effect unlike any other in her life, and she wanted feel it in totality.

Being in touch with her body, Diana noticed the rather sudden cold instantly. With the resilience of her natural powers as Wonder Woman, she didn't usually react very much to weather changes because she simply didn't feel them as drastically as most others do. However, she felt this cold, and not only did it seem to be coming from around her, but it also seemed to be coming from within.

She felt the presence before she saw it. With her warrior instincts quickly going into overdrive, Diana's head snapped around to look behind her.

There it was. Her eyes couldn't quite catch a full sight of it, but she followed the movement of the ocean water to allow her to track it. Whatever it was, it's physical body seemed to be long and slender, wide but thin, large and yet small. This creature was an anomalous enigma.

A strange, unique and unusual communication began to develop between them. Again, similar to what had happened at the temple, there were no words. Yet, she was somehow able to comprehend what was being conveyed to her. Diana began to hover without motion in the water, standing transfixed and bewildered, staring at the formless entity.

There were sensations of worry, fear and doubt. After a long moment, Diana was unable to determine if they were coming from herself or the entity.

The world they had left behind. She was reminded. But … But she … she had been warned not to look back. Not to …

Behind her, a small transparent portal slowly began to fade into existence. Flashes of locations on Earth quickly faded in and out of view. They were strange, distorted, almost as if being seen through a glass darkly. Then, her eyes caught on her homeland of Themyscira.

In that moment, everything changed.

Diana felt it immediately. A cold and almost malevolent chill began to permeate everything around her. The ocean waters which had been crystal clear quickly became overcast and clouded. The bright illumination of the moon lessened to a low and dim shadow of its former glow. The clear and uninhibited atmosphere became dampened with spatial debris and precipitation.

Suddenly, she was alone once again. The entity was gone. The waters were devoid of its presence.

As Diana continued to assess the changes in the environment around her, she could sense that a major change had taken place. One which wasn't so much in the visible world, as in the invisible, more spiritual than physical. She could tell that she was only barely able to fathom its complete implications.

As she began to sense the alterations in the world around her, only one thought focused in her mind.

Kal. She had to get to back to Kal. Water exploded upward in her wake as she took to the sky.

Miles across the ocean, the strange effect quickly swept over every part of the realm.

Still resting on the shore in a light sleep, Kal sensed the change instantly. However, he was in touch with it on an even more intimate level than Diana. He hadn't fully realized it previously, but after their communication at the temple, he had been in touch with the universe on a level more connected than ever before.

Alarmed, he sat up and looked out over the island and sea surrounding him.

Somewhere deep within his spirit, he had been able to feel the undercurrents of the universe, all the way from the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space. It was almost as if he had been in touch with all of it somehow. He had been connected with it, and a part of it.

Now, that connection had been somehow severed. He hadn't even fully understood the nature or extent of it, but he could feel that it had been lost. On the surface, everything seemed to appear virtually the same, but it was now different. Very different. Something precious had been lost.

"Kal!" he heard Diana's voice call to him as she came racing over the water.

"Are you all right, Diana?" he said with concern as he stood to his feet.

Before the two of them could reach each other, things around them quickly went from bad to worse.

Behind them, the rock of the earth itself suddenly burst into life. Forming out of the very dirt in front of them, large humanoid figures began to emerge. Their features transformed from thin gravel and dirt to rigid rock and firm brick. They stood at least four feet taller than the couple, and they stared at them with dark dead eyes.

"We've got company," Kal said with a stern focus.

"I can sense that they are a result of everything being out of balance," elaborated Diana.

Without taking his eyes off of the rock monsters before them, Kal picked up his shirt. Completely in sync with him, Diana took Kal's cape and expertly tied it around her torso, positioning the garment to cover her from her breasts to her thighs. In a swift movement faster than the eye could see, Kal quickly wrapped his upper garment into a form fitting set of short trousers.

Before them, the monstrous army began to advance. The very ground itself shook under the massive weight of their heavy footfalls. The black orbs of their eyes were dark and devoid of consciousness.

"This looks like a job for us," Kal said sternly.

In perfect unison, Kal and Diana soared into battle. The two of them were a near perfect combination of their opposite qualities. Where he was power, she was precision. As she exuded beauty, he epitomized braun.

In front of the army, Kal slammed into the ground, sending surface cracking shockwaves out in a radial pattern from his powerful impact. The entire first line of the rock creatures were thrown upward several feet from the ground, a few of them actually incinerated by the sheer massive concussive force of Kal's strength. The whole army recoiled from his power.

As their bodies were discombobulated in the air, Diana swung her sword with measured, precise, and smooth strikes. Every swing of her magically sharpened razor thin blade sliced off flailing limbs, severed heads, and cleft some of them completely in twain. With a final spin which dismembered five more of the creatures that was equal parts beautiful and deadly, Diana landed in a classic warrior's stance, her gleaming sword drawn back poised to strike.

Then, just as soon as the army crumbled in front of them, more of the rock monstrosities began to form up out of the gravel. The creatures began to growl even before they were fully formed. It seemed as if they were simply going to continue to multiply.

"Princess, it's time to end this," The Man of Steel said firmly as he hovered above the battlefield.

Completely in sync with him, Wonder Woman acknowledged him with a determined nod. Then, she jumped forward with Kal's majestic cape flowing around her in the wind and landed in the midst of the reforming front line of the creatures. She went low and executed a perfect spinning leg sweep which threw several of the earth monsters up into the air. They landed on more of them reaching out to try to grab her, and created a small pile in front of her as they began to try to get back up to get to her.

Behind her, Superman's eyes began to glow red as he summoned his power from the sun.

Keeping her sword in her right hand, Diana used her left to snatch a hold of one of the creature's arms as it swung a powerful punch at her and yank it over across her to crash into two of them on her other side. Spinning smoothly, she swung her sword and sliced off the leg of the one nearest on her other side, leaving it tumbling forward off balance and causing several of the monsters approaching behind it to fall over its large frame.

"Now, Diana!" called Kal.

With a sly and triumphant smirk, Wonder Woman flipped backward with her arms extended out to her sides, floating upward in the air like an angel of grace. She had successfully focused the army's attention and drawn them to her en masse, leaving all of them exactly where she wanted them. They were now the perfect target for her partner.

Suddenly, blinding red force shot outward from Superman's eyes and began to flow over the entire shoreline. The monstrosities in the forefront of the army were incinerated almost instantly by the overpowering heat. As their parts burned to pieces, the others behind them raised their massive arms to try to protect themselves, but Kal was too powerful for them. The fire from his eyes overwhelmed the rest of the whole army, bearing down on them until they faded into oblivion. After several seconds, all that was left in the wake of the army was a landmass of smoldering ground.

Dark grey clouds and tendrils of smoke rose steadily from the debris of the army. Unseen in the void of the darkness, an entity began to take form. Unbeknownst to Kal and Diana, they had unwittingly fallen into the brilliantly devious trap which had been set for them.

The Man of Steel landed hard on the ground underneath him and immediately dropped to one knee. Releasing so much energy always left him feeling drained, depleted and exhausted. After taking a moment to gather his breath, he quickly looked around for Wonder Woman.

His heart eased as he immediately caught sight of her a few feet in front of him. However, his eyes squinted when he quickly took notice of her unusual posture. Strangely, she was on her knees, her head hanging down with her dark hair covering her face, and there was a slight intermittent tremble all over her body.

Kal immediately knew something was wrong with her. Despite the strain on his body, he quickly stood and started over toward her.

"Diana?" he called as he drew near. "Diana? Are you all right?"

With a slow, odd and eerie movement, she began to stand to her feet. She didn't answer, turn to face him or raise her head. As a low whisper of a hiss resounded from her, Kal stopped walking.

"Diana?"

Suddenly, she spun around swiftly. Her skin was pale, her body was shaking with some kind of inner turmoil, and her long hair was lifting in the air in an unnatural wind. Kal could only stare into her eyes, which were no more those which he knew so well.

Her eyes … were covered by a dark cloud.

"Princess?" Kal whispered quietly, hoping that her favorite term of endearment may somehow bring her back.

It had the opposite effect. Diana tore into the air toward him. Her sharp fingernails were poised to slice into him.

Despite the fact that she was cutting through the atmosphere at nearly the speed of light, time itself seemed to have become locked in a soundless slow motion.

Kal knew he could stop her, but with her force, it would almost certainly mean that he would have to execute … a final move … one which would probably only have one result. He could never bear to hurt her. Instead, it would be better if he let her do what she desired to him. If he didn't survive, so be it.

Wonder Woman had become the unstoppable force. The Man of Steel was the immovable object.

Their final moment was upon them …

To be continued ...

Author's Note:

Thank you for taking the time to read this story! Just to provide some measure of clarity concerning this work, for those of you which have read the Romanogers chapters under this title, these continuing stories shall serve as both prequels and eventual sequels featuring all of the couples listed on my profile page. Please feel free to send requests for anything you may like to see included in this ongoing story. Again, thank you for reading and please enjoy!