Sunrise

   The bright morning Kansas sun shone in through the windows of the Kent home. Diana stood in the kitchen, letting the rays soak into her skin. It felt warm; comforting. Something about this place felt... right. And yet Diana had never been more confused in her life.
   "Coffee warm enough for you?" a warm voice said at her side.
   Diana glanced at the cup in her hand, then gave a polite smile. "Oh, yes, Mrs. Kent. Thank you."
   Martha smiled back at Diana, but her sharp eyes detected the sixteen-year-old's distress.
   "Something on your mind?"
   Diana quietly stared into her coffee. "...I don't know."
   Martha leaned in to peer into Diana's eyes. "You know, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here. I promise not to tell anyone."
   Diana felt a bit touched by Martha's kindness.
   "I guess I just don't know what I'm doing here. I mean, you've been amazing, and I'm really grateful that you guys took me in and everything. But this isn't my life. Not the one I was supposed to have."
   "What life were you supposed to have?"
   Martha and Jonathan had been told everything already, but Martha knew that Diana needed to talk it out.
   "I was... I was training to be the Amazons' Ambassador of Truth to the world of man."
   "The world of man?"
   "Yes. 'Patriarch's World,' as my mother sometimes called it. I was primarily supposed to be the ambassador to America, since it's the closest thing the world has to a leading nation."
   "The world isn't just controlled by men, you know."
   Diana sighed. "Yeah, but from the perspective of a thousand women who've lived for a thousand years alone on an island with no men, everything is masculine by comparison. My job was supposed to be to 'teach' the world the proper way to live, according to the gods' decree."
   Martha wrinkled her nose slightly at that. Diana didn't notice.
   "...And then I... died. I think. It felt like dying. Like the life left me, or like I was leaving my body, or... I don't know."
   Diana was having trouble finding the words. Martha took Diana's hand and squeezed it comfortingly.
   "When I woke up, that 'Phantom Stranger' told me that the gods had put me together wrong, and Clark said that they were unwilling to... to fix me. They abandoned me."
   The coffee in Diana's cup trembled slightly.
   "I was supposed to be their ambassador, and they left me dead."
   "Sounds like they're not really the gods you thought they were."
   A year ago, Diana might have slapped Martha for speaking such blasphemy. But now, she was surprised at how she didn't react in the slightest. She had to admit that she'd been thinking similar thoughts herself.
   "The Phantom Stranger said he served 'a higher power.' I wish I knew what he meant by that."
   Martha smirked. "Well, you're welcome to come to church with us anytime you like."
   Welcome. At the sound of that word, a deep sadness washed across Diana's eyes.
   "What's wrong?" Martha asked.
   "Amazons aren't allowed to just leave Themyscira without permission," Diana explained. "Anyone who leaves is barred from returning; it's a law my mother laid down. And now I'm banished from the island... I don't even know if I'm technically an Amazon anymore."
   "Regardless of that, you're still a person."
   Diana appreciated the sentiment, but it didn't mean much.
   "It's more than just what race I belong to. I was supposed to BE someone. I had an identity; a purpose. I knew who I was and what I was meant for. Now I don't know who I am at all."
   "Who do you want to be?"
   "...I... I don't know." Diana smiled slightly as a small memory flashed in her mind. "When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a hero; the Amazons' fabled champion. My mother was that champion in her day, when she led my sisters out of slavery. I think I always grew up trying to hold my head up high and act like that hero; to live up to my mother's title, so I might one day get that title."
   "You're already a princess; what higher title is there?"
   "It's hard to translate into English, but I think, most accurately, it would be 'Wonder Woman.'"
   "That sounds like a lot of importance for a young girl to try and keep on her shoulders."
   "...It was, but I thought I was doing it well, at least. And now, I just... gods, what am I talking about? That doesn't even matter anymore. I can't be their champion; I can't even go home."

   Clark energetically bounded down the stairs. "Morning!" he said cheerfully, kissing Martha on the cheek.
   Diana couldn't help but crack a smile. Something about the Kents' genuine positivity was infectious.
   Clark snatched half a piece of toast and stuffed it in his mouth, gestured toward Diana. "You ready for your firsht day of shcool?"
   Diana sighed and nodded. It was the morning of her first day of class at Smallville High, and she was mildly nervous.
   Clark swallowed his toast and glanced at his watch. "The bus is about to get here. We should go."
   Diana and Clark grabbed their backpacks and walked to the door, but Martha gently grabbed Diana's arm before she could leave.
   "I just want you to know," Martha said quietly, "no matter what, this is your home now."
   Diana was surprised. She'd spent the last month doing nothing but feeling the pain of what she'd lost; she hadn't even stopped to consider what she'd gained. As Martha's words sunk in, Diana felt herself slowly fill with a gentle warmth.
   Home.