Author's Note; The last chapter! The Language of Flowers is done! Everybody CONGA!
Also, I've put these stories in a easy to read HTML format at; home(dot)comcast(dot)net/jenesisdark
Every day is so wonderful
And suddenly, I saw debris
Now and then, I get insecure
From all the pain, I'm so ashamed
I am beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring me down
I am beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring me down
So don't you bring me down today
Christina Aguilera - Beautiful
Jason felt the breeze against his back and turned to the window, the dark shape against it almost blending into the curtains. Jason raised an eyebrow at the shape, he stood from his over-sized chair and walked over to close the window. He gave a courteous glance at Batman, "Welcome, would you like some tea?"
Batman brushed his cape back, "No, thank you." he paused, "I need a favor."
Jason smirked, "Well, considering I owe you one anyway... how can I help?"
"A... friend of mine suffered some permanent damage. The doctors can't cure it."
"Ahh, so you need magic."
Batman said nothing, which was Batman for 'Yes'.
Jason walked over to his bookcase and pulled a book from the shelf, "First, how serious is the damage?"
"Nerve damage all over her body."
Jason snapped the book shut and frowned, "This is a bit worse then a burn or scarring."
He put the book back and thought for a moment, "The problem is this is a rather delicate and powerful magic. The problem is many of the more powerful magic users use their magic like sledgehammers and can't quite approach this problem delicately. The others who have enough of a delicate touch do not have the power to approach this problem." Jason glanced at Batman, "I'll need her name then, to try to find a being who might be the most sympathetic."
"Catwoman."
Jason let a sly smile touch his lips, "This may take a while then, you might want to have a seat."
Batman sat down while Jason looked through his books.
Jason stopped at one book and pulled it out, "Alright, let's start at the beginning; The first record of felines was back in the Neolithic era... the isle of Cypress, which was both in Greek and Turkish favors at one point. We'll skip the obvious for a moment... I'll tell you why later. In Norse Mythology, cats were often associated with Freyja, the goddess of love, fertility, and war." Jason frowned, "Catwoman is about the last person I'd see in a war..." he shook his head, "Moving right along, Maneki Neko is a rather small Japanese deity. However, it's a bringer of good-luck—especially with money." Jason frowned, "But he isn't exactly known for any sort of healing... unless it's paying hospital bills."
"Who else is there?"
"Other legends, minor deities you shouldn't be digging up. Beings like the Cait Sith would rather kill you both then look at you. Others are just as flighty... or not nearly powerful enough."
"You're missing one."
Jason sighed, "For very good reason... Bast hasn't been seen for centuries, and there's too much folklore to know which is true and which is wishful thinking. She has the power, yes..." Jason licked his lips and looked at Batman, "Diana has been given the powers of the Greek Gods, yes? The lasso of truth from Gaia, her bracelets from the shield of Aegis, strength from Hercules, her speed from Hermes, the wisdom of Athena, enhanced sense from Artemis, even her beauty from Aphrodite."
Batman gave a single nod.
"Now, Diana was just given a touch of each of those deity's powers. Imagine a deity with all those powers and perhaps, a much darker side." Jason turned and pulled out a very dusty tome and continued, "Bast is confusing. First she's seen as a protector of lower Egypt, a lion. Then we see her as the chief god Ra's protector and given the eye of Ra as her symbol. Very popular, an elaborate eye. The Greeks then give her the power of the moon. Already we see some problems in her power... Is she the Goddess of the Sun? Of the Moon? Both? Also the lion Goddess that's spoke of could be Sekhmet... Who is seen as a much more evil deity." Jason sighed, "And that's just the beginning."
Batman frowned, "I see your point, but continue."
A simple nod from Jason before he continued, "Bast has also been seen as another God of the Dead, at one point being Anubis's mother. A goddess of ointment. Later, when Upper Egypt conquered lower Egypt, her ferocity had been lessened to that of a domestic cat. And since domestic cats are actually quite protective of their young, she was given the credit of being an excellent mother as well. At another point, she was given the credit of being the mother of another god... All this was well and good until all these different cultures around Egypt were brought together through war. Bast was given a bit of an identity crisis and no one was quite sure what she was." At this Jason frowned a bit, "So she was given all of the cat god powers and became the all-powerful being known as 'Mut'. The Greeks give her similar standing as Artemis, the daughter of their most powerful gods."
Batman raised an eyebrow, "Is that all?"
"The Egyptians, at one point, called her the mother of their most powerful God. The Greeks gave her the ranking of one of their most powerful deities as the daughter of Zeus and Hera." Jason shut the book, "In any case, no one's seen her in thousands of years Bruce. And I fear she's more powerful then legend says. All she has in common with Selina is they both like cats... More, maybe, since there's so much confusion on her powers."
Batman sighed, "She was given the title of 'Goddess of Ointment, right?"
Jason nodded.
"Ointment is just another type of medicine. She has the ability to heal."
"I don't doubt that. It's said Imhotep, who was the Egyptian god of medicine, had a mother... Sekhmet." Jason thought, "If you asked Bast, she might be willing to ask her son to heal Selina."
"Could I contact Imhotep then, instead of waking Bast?"
Jason thought of it for a moment, "I doubt it, you have little you could offer him. Especially Egyptian Gods need offerings to be summoned."
"Other deities who heal?"
"Apollo is a wash... even if you could get Diana to help you, he's the god of healing, justice, and light."
Batman frowned, "None of which are Selina."
"Eir is the goddess of healing... she likes women." Jason shrugged, "Only teaches her medicine to women, actually. She's the handmaiden of Frigg... meaning you'd actually need to summon Frigg... The Goddess of... well, being the perfect 1950's housewife. A housewife who reads tarot would probably be a better description." Jason smirked, "Her husband is Odin."
Batman frowned, "Pass."
"The problem is that most of the gods who govern healing are also the gods of justice." Jason snapped the book shut, "You have to summon Bast if you want a chance of healing Selina."
Batman leaned forward, "So, how do we do it?"
The room was empty again, looking as if Selina had never been there. She almost felt a sort of bittersweet sadness at leaving because, still, Batman had never visited her.
It was getting harder for her to walk and, reluctantly, she sat in the wheelchair that had been brought for her.
She gave a deep sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. This was going to be hard. Not just moving in with Bruce after such a short period of time... but being so dependant...
She closed her eyes and bit her lip. No, Selina, Catwoman, the greatest thief that had ever lived, was not about to be some... some... timid little dependant... whatever this was starting to become!
She sat abruptly and winced. This was going to be harder then she thought... Her eyes flashed, but this would be fun...
When Alfred came to the room, he wished he could say he was surprised at the sight of the wheelchair in pieces, or the bent and broken IV stand that was tossed on the pile. He was, however, amused by the sight of Selina leaning against the wall in a white turtle-neck sweater, holding her bag and looking like the proverbial 'Cat that ate the canary'.
"Hello Alfred," She said calmly, "How are my babies?"
"They seem to enjoy clawing up the Italian leather sofa in the lounge." was the dry remark.
She gave a wincing few steps, "They sound happy." she said simply.
"Miss, do you require any assistance?" he asked, noting her visible limp.
She kept a death-grip on the handles of the duffel bag if only to concentrate on the pain from her fingers digging in her palm then the pain from everywhere else, "Probably," she admitted, "But I'm not taking any."
Used to this type of behavior, Alfred replied with only a, "Very well Miss Kyle, the car is idling out front."
"Thank you, Alfred." She paused as she walked down the hall, "Where's Bruce?"
"I'm afraid Master Bruce has work tonight with a colleague of his. He said he might stop by tonight for dinner."
She nodded, "Did you bring everything Alfred?"
Alfred raised an eyebrow, "If you are asking if I brought the costumes in the panel behind the closet, I did. I was unable to figure which one you would prefer, so I brought them all up."
She nodded, impressed by how thorough he was, she continued, "What else did you find?"
"If you mean the small closet behind the china, I have no idea of what you are speaking of. And my thanks with the lovely salt seller set."
She smirked, "You're welcome Alfred."
When they reached the car, she allowed Alfred to help her inside. She was beginning to remember the fondness she felt for him the first time she met him at Wayne Manor.
"Maybe, this won't be as bad as I thought," she said to herself.
She was just getting comfortable in the car, with the idea of becoming something of the live-in girlfriend—she frowned, no, not that. It was more of a live-in-friends-with-benefits—with Bruce when the phone rang.
"Miss? A 'Bat-Man' on the phone."
Her eyes narrowed, "You're going to want to roll up the partition." she said as she took the phone.
He nodded, "Very well Miss."
She put her ear to the phone and said in a very calm manner; "I'm giving you ten seconds to explain yourself before I start yelling."
"I think I've found a way to reverse the damage."
She thought for a moment at the promise to have her life back and how mad she was at him. Damn, he always won. "Keep talking."
"It involves magic."
Her eyebrow raised, "You? Magic?"
"It was a last resort."
She mulled it over, "Probably, knowing you."
"I need to find a way to summon Bast."
A smile crept across Selina's lips, "I think I may know a way..."
"Oh?"
"A few years ago, I stole a statue. There was a legend of how it could summon Bast."
A small pause, "Where is it now?"
Selina's smile grew even wider, "I stole it for a museum curator, oddly enough, from a mafia boss. The statue is under lock and key..." she kept her urge down to laugh, "You're going to have to steal it."
There was another pause from his side, "When do we begin?"
The End
To be continued in the next installment...
Author's Note; Selina's released, Yay! Now for the fun to begin...