The Edge of Nowhere
Part XII
Thalia froze as the first outcry pierced the air. She and Dorian had been lead away
from the square and were now being dragged through a deserted street towards the palace.
Another scream sounded and the redhead choked out a sob, her composure falling to shatters
as the complete failure of her rescue attempt became evident. "No
" She
breathed. "No!" The rage that had been building in her exploded and she started
struggling again, twisting and turning, trying to get away from the two men that were
holding her down.
"Hey, watch it!" Brutus called out, from his spot next to an equally struggling
Dorian, who was surrounded by four soldiers.
Her despair gave Thalia strength though and she somehow managed to smack her elbow into
one guard's jaw, sending him staggering back, freeing one hand. She kicked out, managing
to nail the second guard in the knee. She staggered back as he let go, but before she
could regain her balance a fist impacted with the side of her face, sending her tumbling
to the ground. A body came down on top of her, pinning her to the ground. "You are
not going anywhere," Brutus stated, reaching for his dagger with one hand.
"Pompey wants him alive," he nodded his head towards Dorian. "But he didn't
say anything about you
" He tightened his hand on the dagger, then pushed it
down.
But before it could touch skin, a kick to his wrist sent the metal flying off.
"How about you get your stinking body off of my friend?" A voice growled, then a
knee jabbed into his face, sending him sprawling back.
Thalia blinked up, then a helplessly relieved breath escaped her as she recognised the
person who'd come to her aid. "Ephiny."
"Hey, red." The Amazon shot her a smile over her shoulder. "I thought I
told you to stay out of trouble."
From the corner of her eye she spotted Brutus rising back to his feet and she hastily
unsheathed her sword, blocking Brutus's strike, then using her strength to push the
lieutenant's weapon out of the way, before smacking her hilt against his nose. Brutus
staggered back a few paces, swiping his arms over his face, smearing some blood over his
skin. "You're good
" He complimented her, before trying a jab at her left,
which she easily diverted. "One of the best fighters I've met."
Ephiny shot him a charming smile. "Why thank you
Coincidence is
" She
saw her opening, plunging her sword forward, the weapon slicing through skin and flesh.
"
I'll also be the last fighter you'll ever meet."
Brutus gazed down at the blade sticking out of his chest, then back up in shock at the
Amazon in front of him, before his knees gave out on him and he thudded on the
ground
Ephiny towered over him for a moment, cocking her head. "Ya know
" She
murmured to herself. "That felt oddly satisfying
"
Dorian used the confusion created to kick a guard in the shin, then he head butted
another, freeing his right side. He grabbed onto a collar on his left, pulling a man up
over his held arm and then letting him fall down again, bringing up his knee into the
guy's path. A vicious crack followed. "Better start saying your prayers,
fellows
" He hissed, elbowing another across the jaw. "Cause I'm in a
really bad mood
"
Meanwhile Thalia had scrambled back to her feet. "They got her, Eph
" She
choked, having lost all hold on her emotions now. "I tried to stop
b
but
I
I couldn't
"
Ephiny laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Thal, listen me. It's not too
late. There's still time. "
Thalia sucked in a breath, managing a nod.
"We'll have to hurry though
" Dorian came running up to them, holding a
bloody sword in his hand.
"Solari is meeting me at the Agora." Ephiny informed them. "I need to meet
her there. How long before you two can get your people ready?"
"They are ready." Dorian stated. "I just need to give them the
signal."
Ephiny nodded. "OK
That just leaves us with one more problem
"
Thalia frowned. "What?"
"Iona." Ephiny sighed. "I managed to hold back the other two, but
when Iona heard the scream she sped up. I lost sight of her." The Amazon glanced from
one to the other. "She'll be at the Agora by now."
Iona rushed onto the square, sliding to a halt as she spotted the huge crowd blocking
her path. The yells she'd heard had stopped moments ago, so whatever Alti had been doing
to hurt Xena and Gabrielle, it must have ende
Her breathing caught then, as with a croaking of wood two crosses were pulled upright,
towering over the crowd.
It was like the world around her dropped away. All sounds. All sights. Everything turned
to black, whirlpooling around her, leaving only the two crosses in focus. Xena's face. The
agony there. Gabrielle. The blood.
"No!" Iona felt her feet moving forward and she plunged herself into the crowd,
roughly pushing people aside, skimming by others until she'd moved through the masses and
past the fences that were placed to hold the people back. She staggered onto the square,
ending up on her knees in the centre, slowly lifting her head to look up at the two
crosses towering over her. A helpless sob racked through her body, her eyes filling with
tears.
Xena's eyes widened as she saw the girl stumble onto the square. "Iona
"
Gabrielle pulled her head up in alarm, spotting the girl herself. Then her eyes darted up,
past the girl to the podium a little way off, where Ares was sitting.
"Iona, go!" Xena called out. "There is nothing you can do. Go!"
"You said you'd come with me!" Iona choked out. "You said you'd be right
behind!"
"I know I did," Xena responded, tears forming in her own eyes now. "But I
couldn't
I couldn't
Now, please
Please, leave
"
"No!" Iona shook her head frantically. "Don't tell me to go
I won't
go
"
"Iona, listen to me
" Xena continued her pleading. "Listen
"
But Iona wasn't listening. She just gazed up at the nails embedded in Xena's hands and
feet. In Gabrielle's
If they would only move. Xena could get off if they would only move. She could come down
and hold her and they could go home
If they would only move. She narrowed her eyes
at one of the nails, willing them all away, willing them to move. With every fibre of her
body she wanted them to move
And then they moved.
Xena gasped as the metal slid from her skin and flew across the square. She blinked, then
gazed at her hand, down at her feet, before she turned to Gabrielle, who gazed back at her
with an equally stunned expression.
A nail embedded itself in a wooden pole of the platform, making both Alti and Ares jump to
their feet. "What did just happen?!" The shamaness growled.
"I don't know
" Callisto stepped up behind her, peeking over her shoulder.
"But it looks like this crucifixion thing might turn out to be more fun than I
thought."
Meanwhile Ares had walked over and wrapped his hand over the nail, pulling it from the
wood. He held it in his hand palm, looking down at the bloody bit of metal.
"Hmm
" He murmured, intrigued, before looking out onto the square again, at
the blonde who'd scrambled to her feet now and was staring up hard at Xena's left hand.
Ares could see the bit of rope around Xena's wrist slowly starting to unwind
A grin tugged at his lips, growing slowly until it had become a feral smirk. "Oh,
Xena
You sneaky, conniving little mother of a half god
" He chortled
then.
"Xena
"
Xena's stunned eyes darted from the unwinding rope to Gabrielle.
"It's Iona
" The warrior whispered on a pained breath.
"Look
"
Her gaze shifted and she looked down at the girl, who was staring at her wrist with great
intensity. "No
" She uttered. "No, Iona
Don't!" She glanced
up, seeing Ares descending down the few steps of the platform, grinning broadly.
"Iona, stop it!" She called out, desperately. "You have to run! Run,
now!"
Iona didn't hear her though. She was completely focused on her task. The rope was nearly
untied now. Just a little bit further and she could
"Well, hello little girl
"
The dark voice drifting up right behind her made her jump and she spun around. Dark
leather filled her vision. Her gaze drifted up, until she was staring right into the face
of the King of the Gods. She hastily staggered back a few paces.
Ares chuckled softly. "Ow, come now
" He drawled, taking a step closer.
"You don't have to be afraid of me
"
"Ares, you leave her the Hades alone!" Xena growled, tugging at her ropes.
"Shh, now you be quiet
" Ares scolded the Empress with a smirk. "I
think you should allow us this bit of quality time, after all you've done..." His
gaze turned back to Iona. "Don't you agree?"
Iona swallowed, taking another step back. "I
I d
don't
"Now, I just came over to get a better look at you
" Ares said, reaching
out and grabbing onto her arm, pulling her closer to him. "Let me get a better look
at you
"
With a growl Xena pulled her right wrist free from its half untied binding. She grabbed
onto the ropes holding down her other wrist, closing her hand around them and pulling with
all her strength. The ropes snapped and came loose, soon followed by the one holding down
her ankles.
With a yell she pushed herself off, flipping through the air and landing right next to
Iona, slamming her elbow at Ares' face, sending him staggering back. She stood, slightly
shaky, but she stood, pain searing through her as her injured feet pressed down in the
tiles. The pain was irrelevant though as arms wrapped around her, hugging her
mindlessly.
She wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders, pulling her closer. Iona buried her face
in the fabric of her bloodstained tunic.
Soldiers rushed forward, but Ares lifted a hand, stopping them in their tracks. "No,
no, boys. Back up
" He turned back then, looking at Xena. "This is family
business
"
Blue eyes shifted up and met his. "You are not getting near her. You'll have to kill
me to get to her."
The god chuckled. "And kill you I will, but first
" He clapped his hands
together. "I want to applaud you for this
brilliant
act of yours
Brilliant
" He tossed up a hand. "The whole thing with the baby
slaying
Stroke of genius
Could have sworn you'd actually killed
her
"
Xena narrowed her eyes at him. "Shut up, Ares
"
"But now here she is
Years later
" The god crossed his arms, eyeing
them both. "She looks like you, Xena
The shape of her face, the blue eyes
All except for the hair
" A smirk. "Bet you dyed it, hmm? Too keep her
hidden from me? Smart
Very smart
"
Iona blinked, looking at the god, then up at Xena. "What is he talking about?"
"Oh ho
" Ares chortled. "You didn't tell her?" He wagged a finger
at her. "Oh, Xena, Xena, Xena
You've been keeping your secrets well
"
He glanced past the Empress to the girl hiding behind her. "You didn't really believe
that boring old Advisor of hers was your daddy, did you?" A wicked chuckle. "No,
no
You, my dear, are divine
Semi-divine anyway
You could have been the
real thing, but your mommie never took an interest in ambrosia for some reason
"
He glanced up at Xena, his eyes twinkling. "Or have you changed your mind, Xena? A
bit of ambrosia would come in mighty handy right now, wouldn't it? Get rid of all those
pesky wounds for you?"
Iona frowned. "Xena, wh
" Then her eyes widened as she understood what he
was getting at.
Xena closed her eyes for a moment, then she glanced down, meeting Iona's questioning gaze.
She reached out, cupping the girl's cheek. "I couldn't tell you
"
The girl stared back up at her, breathlessly. "You're
"
Xena gently stroked her cheek. "I'm so sorry." Her voice broke. "I wanted
to tell you. But I couldn't
"
"Well, this is all very touching," Ares drawled, lifting a hand, a fireball
forming on his palm. "But I'm afraid the part where I kill you to get to her has just
begun
"
When Xena tore her gaze from Iona's the ball of fire was already on its way, speeding
towards her. There was no time to get out of its path by then and Xena realised that,
instinctively pushing Iona behind her. She watched it as it soared closer and closer and
then
It stopped.
The flamey orb hovered in front of her for a moment, suspended in thin air.
Ares blinked. "What the
?"
Suddenly it reversed course and soared back, hitting the god square in the chest, sending
him flying back.
Xena looked at the whole scene, then she half turned and looked at Iona
inquisitively.
"Wasn't me." The girl said honestly, clearly as confused by the recent events as
she herself was.
Xena frowned. "If it wasn't you, then who
?"
Her thoughts stopped suddenly, and her gaze tracked up, up to the cross on which Gabrielle
was still hanging. The warrior's eyes were staring ahead of her, calmly, straight at Ares
who at that moment was scrambling back to his feet. As Xena watched, the warrior moved her
hands forward as far as she was able, and a gust of wind shot from her palms, straight
towards Ares, knocking him off his feet a second time. "Lao Ma's powers
"
Xena mumbled, amazed. "She's got Lao Ma's powers
"
Pompey rushed over, helping the King of the Gods back to his feet. "Are you all
right, great Ares?"
"What is going on here?" Alti demanded to know, stepping up behind him.
Ares dusted his pants off. "Just uhm
Family squabbles," he muttered,
squaring his shoulders and heading forward again. "Let me deal with this
"
A sound alerted her, a shifting, and Xena looked up to see something soaring through the
air, bounce off a building, then head straight towards her. She reached out, snatching the
chakram from its course. She looked at the weapon, then back up at Gabrielle. Green eyes
turned and locked with hers. 'Is this...?' she mouthed, recieving a nod from the warrior
before she could finish
"All right, Xena, I've had about enough of this
"
Xena turned her head to see Ares approaching again, his dark eyes blazing now.
"Give me the girl," the god demanded. "Just give her to me and I'll leave
you be, OK? How's that?"
Blue eyes narrowed at him, as Xena lifted the chakram, tightening her hold on the metal.
"Not a chance
"
Ares looked at her, raising both eyebrows. "Oh, you're gonna toss your little ring at
me?" A laugh. "You know that thing can't hurt me, Xena
You
can't
"
A gasped in a breath as metal pierced his skin, stuck in his chest. He glanced down
slowly, seeing the metal had embedded itself in his chest.
He felt pain. He blinked. Why could he feel pain?
Slowly his eyes tracked back up, now wide in shock, meeting Xena's calm gaze. "
hurt me
" he finished, before his knees gave way and he clattered to the
ground.
A stunned silence fell over the square, as everyone gazed at the still body of the King of
Gods.
Then a giggle pierced the silence. "Wicked!" Callisto chortled in delight,
smacking Alti on the back enthusiastically. "I take it all back. Crucifixions
rock!"
Alti growled, slapping her hand away. "Pompey!" She snapped. "Get
her!"
Pompey nodded, waving a hand at the soldiers around him. "Attack!"
The soldiers ran forward, but as they did several other screams filled the air. Before
they realised what was happening, dozens of arrows came raining down on top of them.
Xena looked up to see a group of Amazons standing on a nearby rooftop, laying arrows over
their bows for a second attack. Another yell behind her, then from all directions people
started to pour closer, jumping over the fences or just knocking them over all together.
Callisto leaned her chin on Alti's shoulder, grinning wickedly. "Chaos
Don't
you just love it
"
"Not particularly, no," Alti growled, gritting her teeth. She watched her troops
being stormed from all sides, then she half turned and looked at Callisto. "Get out
there."
The blonde's eyes turned to her, glinting wickedly. "What's the magic word?"
"Now!" Alti snapped.
"Nope, that's not it."
A grave sigh. "Please?"
Callisto smirked, then straightened. "Of course, dear
I'd love to
"
She pulled her sword from her scabbard delicately. "But, if you don't mind me
asking
While I'm out there slaying to save your butt
What will you be doing?
Cause if you're just gonna run off and hide
"
"I'm not running anywhere
" Alti's eyes narrowed, then slowly tracked up,
gazing at the cross towering over them. "I prophesied Gabrielle's death
And I'm
not going anywhere before that prophesy has been fulfilled."
Several men and women ran up to Xena, hastily forming a circle around her, and the Empress
soon recognised them as her soldiers.
"Empress!" The next moment Dorian was at her side, grabbing onto her shoulder.
"Are you all right, Empress?"
Xena didn't respond to his question, simply reaching behind her and picking Iona up, then
handing her to the lieutenant. "Get her out of here. Now."
"No!" Iona reached out to her. "I don't wanna go! Don't make me go!"
Xena raised an eyebrow, meeting blue eyes identical to hers in a battle of wills. Finally
Iona released a breath, dropping her gaze and Xena managed a small smile, lifting her eyes
to meet Dorian. "Go."
The lieutenant gave her a firm nod, handing her his sword before he turned and ran off,
carrying Iona away from the battlefield.
Xena watched the two take off, then yelling from nearby made her focus on the battle being
waged around her. The soldiers, rebels and Amazons had formed a line and were trying to
push Alti's troops back. The untrained rebels were having a much harder time at this than
her men or the Amazon warriors though and they were being driven back slowly.
Xena ran closer, tightening the hold on her sword. A few feet away an attacker broke
through the line, grabbing onto one of the rebels as he stumbled through and dragging the
woman to her knees, raising up his sword.
Two long strides and Xena was on top of him, smacking her hilt against the side of his
head, making him topple over to reveal the person kneeling in front of him.
It was Thalia.
Their gazes met for a moment, then Xena reached down a hand, and Thalia took it, allowing
the Empress to help her up.
Yelling came from right behind them as more soldiers stood on the brink of flooding
through the lines. Xena glanced at the battle, then shot a look over her shoulder, up at
the crosses. A breath, then she turned back to Thalia. "I'll worry about the
fighting." She told her then, tightening her hold on her sword. "You get
Gabrielle."
Thalia glanced at her for a moment, then she nodded, darting off.
Another burst of power shot from her palms, and Gabrielle watched it lift up several
attacking soldiers and blow them up against the wall of a nearby building. Gabrielle
sucked in a breath, then slowly released it.
Things were getting fuzzy. Her eyes were growing tired. She could still recognise some of
the people below though. She'd seen Dorian carry Iona off, she'd spotted Xena throwing
herself into the battle, Thalia smacking up some guy to get to a ladder
Gabrielle watched the ongoings below. Pompey was pushing through the battling masses, on
his way over to Xena by the looks of it. Xena could handle him though. She spotted
Callisto, but the immortal was looking far from serious, skipping around through the
ranks. Gabrielle's hearing could vaguely pick up some song about coconuts in a row.
Alti seemed to have vanished from the centre of the battle. Gabrielle managed a small
smile. But that didn't surprise her, really
She closed her eyes for a moment,
searching deep inside of her for a bit of leftover strength.
"Xena's little pawn
" A growl sounded from below, and Gabrielle glanced
down to see the shamaness standing at the foot of the cross. "You know, you keep
messing up my plans
"
Gabrielle met her gaze calmly. "It's what I do
"
Alti smirked, then the shamaness spread out her arms, mumbling a few words in a language
unknown to the warrior. The next moment the shamaness was soaring up, higher and higher,
until they were at eye level. "The woman Xena met in Chin
" Alti spoke up,
her eyes drilling into hers. "You knew her, didn't you?"
"She was my teacher." Gabrielle acknowledged.
A smirk took over Alti's face. "Well
Your teacher should have told you
then
It would foolish to take me on
Our powers come from opposite
sources
And mine are far greater than yours..."
Gabrielle smiled calmly. "The greatest of trees may look invincible
But in the
end they too will turn to dust
"
Alti shot her a bored look. "We'll see who of us will become dust
" She
growled, then reached out in a flash and grabbed onto the warrior's neck.
Calm green eyes met hers, gazing back at her, and Alti found herself unable to probe into
the warrior memories. Alti growled, intensifying her gaze.
"Xena!"
Xena looked up, spotting Pompey making his way towards her. She glanced around, then
spotted Ares' body a few feet away. She fought her way over then reached down, pulling the
white chakram from his chest, before straightening to await Pompey's arrival
The lieutenant elbowed another soldier out of the way, then folded both of his hands over
the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowing at Xena. "You know, I'm glad you didn't die
at that cross
" He growled, as he started to circle her. "Because now I get
to kill you myself
"
The Empress chuckled deep in her throat, letting the darkness inside of her surface,
vanquishing the pain and replacing it with pure bloodlust. Her fingers clenched and
unclenched around her swordhilt and the metal of the chakram, quietly waiting for him to
strike.
And he did, lunging out his sword towards her, aiming right for her wounded side. She
caught the blow with her own sword though, pushing him back, then starting an attack of
her own.
They parried each other's blows for a moment, used as they were to each other's techniques
from endless sessions of drilling. Xena had proven superior in every fight though, and
today was not going to be any different, Xena decided as she ducked under one of his
slashes, then came up fast, slamming her hilt against his chin.
Pompey staggered back several paces from the force of the blow. Before he could recuperate
a hard object impacted with his chest.
He blinked, then glanced down at the chakram Xena had thrown into his ribcage. His fingers
hesitantly reached out and touched the object, then he looked back up, meeting Xena's
eyes.
A wicked grin took over his face as he pulled the chakram from his chest. "Your
little weapon can't kill me, Xena!" he chortled in triumph, raising the chakram and
his sword up in the air. "I'm invincib
"
Xena's sword cut through the tight collar he was wearing, then a smack against the side of
his head send his skull flying off. He winced as he thudded on the ground, rolling on the
sand for a few times until he ended up upside down. Moments later a severed arm, which
looked remarkably like his arm, fell into his line of sight, soon followed by a foot.
Pompey released a breath. "Oh
bugger that
"
She could feel the currents of power shifting between them. It was like a ball of energy
that they were pushing with just their minds, back and forth. "The life is flowing
out of you
" Alti's breath was coming in heavy rasps. "I can feel it
It won't be much longer
"
Gabrielle smiled calmly. "I won't need much longer. Your strength is nearly exhausted
from fighting. Mine isn't, cause I haven't fought."
Alti sucked in a breath as she felt the current shift in Gabrielle's favour.
"No
" She growled, as the energy ball got closer and closer and then
suddenly shot forward and impacted with her chest. With a scream her powers failed her and
gravity got a grasp on her again, sending her falling back down. As she fell, the energy
consumed her from within.
All that hit the ground were ashes.
Gabrielle closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wooden beam. Slowly she
opened her eyelids again, gazing up at the skies that had been blue only moments before.
But now the shades of blue were darkening, the sky turning grey.
Someone called out her name. She could vaguely hear the sound of wood scraping on wood,
the light shiver of the cross as something was placed against it.
Her name was called again and she recognised the voice this time. She forced herself to
turn her head. She smiled. "Thalia
"
"Hey, you
" The redhead managed a smile for her. "Hang on, OK?"
Gabrielle chuckled weakly. "Bad pun."
The redhead snorted softly. "You are so horrible, ya know that?"
The warrior smiled, then her eyes widened a trifle and the muscles in her neck tightened.
"Thal?"
"Easy now," the redhead murmured, starting to untie the ropes around her
wrist.
Gabrielle swallowed, gazing up. The grey had turned to black. "Tell Xena
"
She whispered, almost inaudibly. "S
she can be
the hero."
Thalia frowned. "What do you mean?" A pause, then she looked up.
"Gab?" Her eyes widened as Gabrielle head fell forward, limply.
Lifelessly.
Xena smacked the hilt of her sword against Callisto's forehead, sending
the immortal staggering back several paces. "Give it up, Callisto." She said,
swinging her sword towards the blonde's head. "It's over
"
Callisto giggled, ducking under the lunge, then straightened and blocked a second attack
with her sword. "No, it's not
"
A pained cry called out over the Agora then. Xena's head shot up as it did, her eyes
lifting to look up at the cross, to see Thalia hanging half over Gabrielle's body, her
face buried in the warrior's shoulder. The woman was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Then again
" Callisto stated, her voice a mixture of wonder and
thoughtfulness. "Maybe it is
"
With a clatter of metal, Xena's sword dropped onto the ground, the battle having become
completely irrelevant.
A grin worked it's way onto Callisto's face at the sudden opportunity and the immortal
raised her sword, tightening the hold on her hilt.
But before she could take advantage of the situation a form jumped her, pulling her down
to the ground. "Hey!" Callisto called out indignantly, casting an annoyed glance
at Dorian, who had a knee placed on her wrist, so she couldn't use her sword. Before she
could shake him off though, more bodies started piling on top of her, pinning her down.
"Hey, no fair!"
Xena's feet moved forward of their own accord, careful steps at first but soon the pace
increased and she was running, the thuds of her boots impacting with stone deafeningly
loud.
Agenor had climbed up the ladder behind Thalia, and was now carefully prying lose the
redhead's hold on Gabrielle. A second ladder had been placed against the cross, on the
other side, and another man had climbed up and was untying Gabrielle's left wrist. As the
last binding fell away the warrior's body fell forward limply and the man hastily leaned
over to catch her before she could fall, lifting her onto his shoulder before he started
moving back down.
People had gathered around, staring up in shocked silence. Xena forced her way through,
roughly pushing away those that blocked her path. When she'd finally passed through the
crowd, the man who was carrying the warrior had reached the bottom of the ladder and was
gently laying Gabrielle down on the ground.
Xena dropped down to her knees beside the warrior. "Gabrielle?" She cupped the
blonde's face between her hands. "Hey? Hey, talk to me
"
Agenor managed to half carry, half drag Thalia back down the ladder and as soon as she hit
the ground the redhead sagged to her knees, wrapping her arms around her head and hiding
herself in the darkness.
"Gabrielle, c'mon
" Xena wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulders,
pulling her closer, into her lap. "C'mon
Wake up now
" She ran her
fingers over the pale skin. "You gotta wake up
"
The crowd split again as Ephiny forced her way through. "Thalia? What's
?"
Then the hazel eyes shifted down, taking in the scene before her. "Oh
gods
" She took a shaky step forward, kneeling down besides the warrior, across
from Xena. "She's dead."
"Of course she's not dead!" Blue eyes snapped up at her, raging. "She's
just
" Xena swallowed, looking back down at the still face. "She's just
tired
She's
asleep
But she'll wake up soon
" She stroked a lock
of blond hair out of the warrior's face. "C'mon, Gabrielle
Show her
Open
your eyes." She hugged the warrior closer, laying her cheek against the pale hair.
"Open your eyes."
Gabrielle opened her eyes.
She found herself standing in a corridor, which appeared to have been cut out of the solid
rock around her. There were a few torches shedding their light over parts of the corridor,
but she couldn't see where it was leading to. She could hear the soft trickling of water
in the distance though.
She moved forward, sliding from light into darkness and then back into the light as she
past torch after torch, until finally the corridor ended in a cave of sorts. The source of
the trickling water turned out to be a river, which was flowing through the centre of the
cave. Gabrielle walked closer and kneeled at the river's edge, peering down. The liquid
was a pitch black.
A soft stirring of water made her look up, to see something coming towards her. It was a
small boat, which was being pushed across by a cloaked man.
A moment, then the man looked up and spotted her. "Oh great!" He tossed up a
hand. "Another one!" He shook his head, muttering. "Back, forth, back,
forth
My arm is killing me
If I keep this up I'll have to row myself across in
a moment
." A sigh. "This job is way underpaid
"
Gabrielle straightened, waiting. The boat slid over the water, final hitting the
embankment, skidding to a halt on the sand.
The man looked up, glancing at the warrior from head to toe. Gabrielle could see now that
he wasn't actually a man, but more of an
uhm
a
pale, bumpy
sorta
He stuck out his hand, palm up. "Pay me."
Gabrielle blinked at him. "You uhm..." A pause. "You're Charon?"
The rower of the dead produced a fake smile. "What clued you in? Was it the classy
outfit or the great tan, hmm?" He wiggled the fingers of his outstretched palm.
"Now pay me."
"I
" Gabrielle glanced down, then back up at him. "I don't have a
coin."
Charon rolled his eyes. "Figures
" He muttered crossing his arms. "So
what's your excuse, hmm? Left it at home? Dog ate it?"
"Uhm
" Gabrielle scratched the back of her neck. "I was busy fighting
a powerful shamaness in a spiritual duel and forgot?"
Charon shot her a look, then snorted. "Well, that's a new one
" He cocked
his head a little. "So you lost, huh?"
"No." The warrior shook her head. "I won."
An eyebrow raised. "But you're here, cause
?"
"I got a sword pushed through my gut and I got crucified."
"Ouch
" Charon winced. "Nasty life
"
A wry smile. "You're telling me
"
"Hey, wait a sec
" Charon straightened, looking her over once again.
"Crucified, you said? You that Gabrielle girl then?"
"Yeah
"
Charon tossed up both his hands. "Well, why didn't you say so then?" He took a
step back, motioning for her to get into the boat. "You mortals always have to make
things so damn confusing
"
Gabrielle blinked at him. "I don't need a coin?"
The rower of the dead looked up at her. "You killed Ares, didn't ya?"
A light shrug. "I helped
"
"Yeah well, we have this policy down here in Hades. People who help kill obnoxious
gods who've been suppressing the rest of the Olympians don't need to pay the
fee
" Charon told her. "So hop on in
"
Gabrielle smiled at him, walking closer. "Thank you."
"Damn policy ain't my idea. If it were up to me you'd be paying double cause of your
lousy timing." Charon muttered, stretching his arm a bit, some bones popping back
into place as he did. "Now get in already
Ain't got all day
"
Gabrielle stepped up to the boat, then placed one foot inside, feeling the wood gently
sway under her weight.
Before she could fully step into the vessel though, a voice drifted up from behind her,
softly whispering her name. The warrior spun around as she recognised it, to see a form
materialise in a twinkle of light.
Her eyes widened and for a moment she just stared at the figure in disbelief.
The spirit chuckled softly. "After all these years, don't I even get a hello?"
Gabrielle slowly took a shaky pace towards the figure. "Naxos?"
The young rebel smiled.
"Naxos!" The warrior jumped forward, wrapping both her arms around her friend,
who returned the hug happily.
Charon crossed his arms, looking at the newcomer. "Hate to break up this lovely
reunion, but what the Hades are you doing on this side of the Styx?!" The rower of
the dead tossed up his hands. "I've got enough work as it is, OK?! I don't need
people coming back for a second ride!"
Naxos ignored him, pulling back a little from Gabrielle's embrace, to see tears on the
warrior's cheeks. "Hey
" He wiped them away with the back of his hand.
"Seeing me again isn't that horrible, now is it?"
"No, no
" Gabrielle hastily shook her head. "No, it's just
"
A shaky breath. "I
I'm so sorry, Naxos."
The rebel smiled. "You have nothing to be sorry about."
"I do, I
I wasn't there
I wasn't there when
when you needed
me
"
"Gabrielle, you were there
" Naxos told her gently. "On that day, when
I died, you were in here
" He placed a hand over his heart. "And I wasn't
afraid
Because I knew that you were still out there somewhere
And that you
would come back, and finish what we started together
"
Gabrielle sniffled, resting her forehead against his. "I still wish I'd have been
there."
"That was not your destiny." Naxos said softly. "We all know that
Gabrielle, no one ever blamed you
Please believe that
"
The warrior managed a small smile. "That
means a lot to me
"
Her friend squeezed her shoulder gently. "You gotta stop dwelling in the past. What's
done can't be undone
It's the future that matters
"
Gabrielle frowned at him. "What future? Naxos, I'm dead
"
The rebel grinned. "You don't have to be
"
"Gabrielle?" Xena let her hand graze over the pulse point in the
warrior's neck. There was no heartbeat. She held a shaking hand above the warrior's lips.
No breath. "Gabrielle, c'mon
" She laid the warrior back on the ground,
lightly shaking her shoulders. "Come on, breathe
"
A hand gently touched her shoulder. "Empress
" Dorian's voice drifted down,
softly. "She's gone
"
Xena shrugged him off angrily. "No!" She cupped the warrior's head in her hands.
"Gabrielle, I know you're in there
" A pause as she waited. Nothing
happened. She felt tears brimming in her eyes but she wiped a hand at them angrily. Crying
meant excepting Gabrielle was... And she wasn't going to accept that. She was not going
to
"Air
" She muttered to herself. "She
she needs air
"
Xena pushed down the warrior's chin with shaking fingers and closed the warrior's nose
with the thumb and forefinger of her other hand, before leaning down and gently blowing
air into the woman's lungs.
"The rebels, the Amazons, the Imperial forces
They fought
today, together, because of you
"
Gabrielle dropped her head, shaking her head. "Alti
"
"They fought against Alti. They fought for you." Naxos cut her
short firmly. "They fought because you asked them to, or because they love you.
Gabrielle, you've accomplished something that we could only dream of before. You've united
the fractured parties. You've laid the foundations for peace." He touched her cheek.
"But you
You're the glue
The glue that's holding everything together out
there. And if you leave them
"
Gabrielle released a breath. "Naxos, I'm tired." She told him, honestly.
"I've lived two lives already. Filled with so much
hurt and pain and
anger
" She dropped her eyes. "I found peace now
I knew I was going
to die and I accepted it
And I found peace
"
Naxos was silent for a moment, considering this. "After we'd just arrived
here
" He started then, thoughtfully. "After our execution
We were
restless. Angry. So to give us peace, Hades let us listen to Xena's thoughts."
Gabrielle cocked her head. "You heard Xena's thoughts?"
Naxos nodded. "We heard her thoughts
We felt her pain
And we
understood
" He managed a small smile. "Close your eyes."
The warrior frowned. "What
?"
"Close your eyes
" Naxos repeated softly, reaching over and covering each
of her eyelids with a finger, gently pushing them down. "And now listen
"
Gabrielle obeyed, focusing on her hearing, on the soft rippling of the river Styx, on
Charon's annoyed muttering, on the sand beneath her feet that was
Gabrielle?
The warrior sucked in a breath as a sudden wave of intense pain flooded over her,
clenching at her chest.
Gabrielle, please
Please breathe
The words were a choked whisper. C'mon,
you have to breathe
You have to wake up
Gabrielle? I can't
I can't do
this without you
Please
I need you
Don't leave me
Gabrielle's eyes shot open.
I love you
Naxos smiled at her. "Do you understand now?"
Gabrielle swallowed, gazing at him for a long silent moment. Then she softly nodded.
The young man touched her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Gabrielle, part of me wants
you to just
forget them
and come with me
Cause I've missed
you
" He swallowed. "But the Fields will always be there
And I will
always be there waiting for you
" He leaned closer, placing a kiss on her
forehead. "Go."
Charon watched the two converse, then hug, then the warrior turned and headed back for the
corridor she'd come from. "Hey!" He called after her. "Where do you think
you're going?"
Gabrielle shot a look over her shoulder, a smile crossing her lips. "Home." She
told him, before turning around again and continuing on her way.
The ghost on the shore chuckled happily, then he disappeared again in a twinkle of
lights.
Charon glanced from the corridor Gabrielle had disappeared into, to the empty spot where
the ghost had been and back to the corridor. Then he tossed up his hands. "I have had
it!" He stepped from his boat, dragging the pole he used to push the vessel across
with along behind him. "People walking in and out, ghost popping up out of
nowhere
This place is turning into a mad house!"
A soldier walked into the cave at that moment, looking around quite dazedly. He spotted
the cloaked Charon and hastily dug into his pocket, pulling out a gold coin and holding it
out. "I think I'm supposed to give this to
"
Charon took the coin, then handed the pole to the soldier. "Here, row yourself
across
I quit!"
A white light consumed her and she felt her feet leave the ground. It was
like a whirlwind had picked her up, dragging her away, sucking her back, the whiteness
twirling around her uncontrollably.
And suddenly it ended and she was lying, silently, cold stones pressing against her back.
The pain was excruciating. The numbness she'd felt just before death had faded away and
the damage caused to her body became known to her with a deafening intensity. And for a
moment, she tinkered on the brink of life and death once more, the hurt challenging her
resolve to come back.
But the hurt was no match for the warm arms wrapped around her, or for the pained voice
pleading for her to return, or for the soft lips that pressed against hers and breathed
life back into her.
She responded without so much as a though, gently capturing the lips so close to hers,
weakly lifting a hand and sliding it up around the nearby neck.
There was a soft intake of breath, then those lips backed away just a little. Gabrielle
blinked open her eyes, looking up into wide, watery blue ones. She absently stroked her
thumb over the woman's cheek. "Hi."
Xena stared at her, breathlessly, for a long moment of complete silence, then the Empress
uttered a small incoherent sound and the arms around her tightened, pulling her closer
into a warm, wonderful embrace. "Don't you ever leave me again
" Xena
whispered hoarsely, before a gentle kiss was pressed against her cheek. "Not
ever
"
Gabrielle closed her eyes and sucked in a breath, filling her lungs with the smell of wood
and battle and Xena. The scents seemed more vivid for some reason, like she was
experiencing them for the first time. But then again, she was in a way, wasn't she?
"Gab?"
The warrior looked up to see Thalia dropping down next to her, pushing aside a wide eyed
Ephiny. "Thal
" She managed a smile, lifting her free hand and finding the
redhead's hand, curling her fingers around it.
Thalia gazed at her, her face a mixture of delight and utter disbelief. "You're
back
" She breathed. "You came back
"
"Had to
" The warrior murmured softly, shifting a little.
"I
"
She gasped in a breath then as the wound in her stomach roared up in pain.
The gasp brought Xena back to her senses. She pulled back a bit, looking at the pale face
distorted in pain. "We
We need to get you out of here
" She murmured,
before looking up. "Dorian
"
The lieutenant nodded, then half turned and brought two fingers up to his lips, whistling
loudly and catching the attention of two men who were tending to the wounded a little way
off.
"Hold on
" Xena murmured soothingly, running her fingers through the blond
hair. "Stay with me
"
It felt like
Like they'd come full circle in a way. The person who'd sent her to her
death three years ago, had brought her back. And as Gabrielle felt herself drown in the
seas of blue above her, she felt the past had suddenly become
just that
Past.
Hands wrapped around her shoulders and legs, gently lifting her up and moving her onto a
stretcher that had been placed beside her. The movement jarred the wound in her stomach
painfully and she winced in pain, closing her eyes and biting back to keep from crying
out.
"Careful!" Xena warned, watching as the warrior was transferred onto the
stretcher, which was then lifted up.
Thalia quickly straightened, clinging to Gabrielle's side, placing a hand on the warrior's
shoulder.
Gabrielle opened her eyes, shooting a reassuring smile up at her friend, then she turned
her head. "Xena?"
The Empress was at her side within seconds, a hand reaching out and touching hers.
"I'm here
Are you OK?" She inquired, her eyes anxious.
Gabrielle squeezed the hand holding hers gently. "Xena, you need to go
"
The Empress shook her head feverishly. "I'm not leaving you
"
"I'll be fine
" A small smile from the warrior. "Go. Go see your
daughter
"
Xena blinked, her eyes darting up at Thalia instinctively, wondering why Gabrielle would
just talk about her secret in front of
Then through the chaos of her brain came the realisation that her secret wasn't a secret
anymore. Her eyes tracked up glancing around to see countless faces focused on her, eyes
watching her in intrigue.
Athens knew. Which meant the rest of the world would soon follow.
In just one day the image people had had of her for years, of the heartless, stoic
Empress, had tumbled down and been replaced by this flawed one, with countless
weaknesses
Xena's eyes tracked down again, meeting green eyes looking back up at her warmly. A smile
worked itself onto her face instantly in response, and she lifted their entwined hands.
Let them know, she decided, placing a kiss on the back of the warrior's hand. She'd
just defeated a shamaness, an immortal, an undead and a god
She was in a serious
state of not caring about petty mortals coming after her throne. "We'll
talk
later
right?"
Gabrielle nodded softly. "Definitely
"
The soldiers started moving forward then, carrying Gabrielle off. Xena slowly let the
fingers she held slip from her grasp, holding the warrior's gaze as long as she could
manage.
Someone stepped up behind her and she finally turned and looked at her lieutenant.
"You're wounded
" Dorian said quietly. "You should rest
"
Xena considered this for a moment, feeling her exhausted body eagerly agreeing with her
lieutenant. She shook her head though. "Not yet
" She told him, placing a
hand on his shoulder for support. "Status?"
Dorian looked like he was about to argue for a moment, but then he conceded.
"Callisto has been captured. Pompey's been
" A faint grin.
"
collected. The remaining traitors surrendered
They're being escorted to
the prisons as we speak
"
Xena nodded a little. "Good
We'll deal with 'm later
Now, focus on the
wounded." She ordered. "Find them and take them to the palace."
Dorian glanced up at her. "All the wounded, Empress?"
"If it fought on our team and it's bleeding, help." Xena clarified for him, them
reached over, taking his sword from his hand. "Now
there's just one more thing
I have to do
"
The lieutenant frowned. "What's that, Empress?"
Xena didn't answer him, simply walking forward, until she was standing at the foot of the
cross Gabrielle had been hanging from.
It only took one powerful swing. In one clean stroke she cut through the wood. The cross
balanced for another moment, then it tumbled over, people skidding out of the way hastily
as it fell, finally thudding on the stones of the Agora, croaking.
Xena dropped the sword again, then turned around and walking off without looking back.
"Chop that thing into bits." She instructed as she passed Dorian. "Then
burn it. Then take the ashes and toss them in the Aegean."
Dorian managed a small smile. "That would be my pleasure, Empress."
Callisto scowled as the cell doors were shut behind her with a clatter of
metal. "No fun
" She muttered, unhappily sagging down on the small
stretcher. She glanced across the bare cell in boredom. "This is even worse than my
pit
" She complained. "No rats here
"
Her hearing detected a muted murmuring then and her eyes slid across the area she was in,
finally spotting a burlap sack leaning against the bars. Curiously she walked, pulling the
sack open and peering inside.
Her face creased into a delighted smile. "Oeeeeh
" She giggled, sticking
both her hands inside and pulling out a head by its hair and an arm by its pinkyfinger.
"It's a Pompey Puzzle
3D no less
"
Pompey narrowed his eyes at her. "This is all your fault!" He called angrily,
the index finger of the arm Callisto was holding pointing at her accusingly. "If you
would have just stopped playing around
"
The blonde ignored him, placing the severed arm on top of the lieutenant's head.
"Much better than rats
" She placed the arm against his ear, giggling in
delight. "Much, much better
"
Xena slowly stepped up the stairs, giving the guards at the door a small
nod. They both saluted her, then swung open the doors and allowed her entrance.
The halls of the palace were quiet. Xena walked inside, then stopped as the door thudded
closed behind her again, just gazing at her surroundings in silence. She touched a marble
pillar, letting her hand trail down the cold polished stone, before she moved on again,
heading towards her chambers.
The corridor had been cleaned. There wasn't a single trail left to remind of the battle
that had been fought here the previous night, and she was happy for it, since she really
didn't need a reminder of that particular fight right now. She really didn't need any more
chaotic memories, her head was already spinning with today's happenings as it was.
Xena glanced up, at the door up ahead on the right, leading into Pyrron's quarters. The
kids were there, Dorian had told her.
Iona was there.
Xena sucked in a shaky breath, then glanced down at herself, at the torn fabric of her
tunic and the blood liberally staining the larger part of herself.
She couldn't just walk in like this, right?
Right.
She grasped onto the little delay with both hands, turning and walking into her study,
pushing open the door and stepping inside. Another door led her into her private bathroom
and she walked up to the sink, pulling a stop from the tap and letting it fill with
water.
She watched the water trickle down, listening mutely to the hypnotical splatter, until the
bowl was filled.
She stuck both her hands in the cold water and held them there for a moment, gazing at the
clouds of red that drifted up in the liquid. She lifted one hand finally and picked up a
bar of soap lying nearby, running it between her hands.
She only managed to hold on to it for a moment though before it slipped from her fingers
and splashed into the sink, sending a spray of water up.
Xena released a breath, closing her eyes for a moment, then opening them again, lifting
her hands and holding them up in front of her.
They were shaking uncontrollably.
She lowered her hands again, letting them fall back into the cold water in search of the
soap. It was ridiculous really. She'd just been faced with death, had fought off
innumerable opponents, killed a god, defeated an undead
And now she was standing
here, shaking, because she was afraid to face a twelve year old girl.
She'd led Iona on for twelve years. Had lied to her, had made her believe her mother had
died, her father had died
Iona had her spirit, Xena knew that all too well, and if she imagined how she would feel
if someone had done that to her
Xena swallowed, closing her eyes. Would Iona hate her? Would the girl even want to talk to
her now that she had a few moments to think about everything, had realised exactly what it
was that Xena had done to her?
The Empress lifted her lathered hands and pressed them against her face, rubbing at the
skin there. A few small wounds stung as the soap slipped in, but Xena hardly even noticed
the pain.
What if the girl never wanted to see her again? What if she couldn't accept this? What
if
Xena shook her head wildly, discarding the thoughts. She scooped up a bit of water with
her hands and then tossed it into her face, before blindly reaching for a towel, drying
herself off again.
She turned and walked into her bedroom. The place was still in chaos and her garments lay
tossed across the room, some half slung over the upturned bed. She walked across the
space, collecting several bits of clothing and some bandages.
A few moments later her most prominent wounds were tended to and she was dressed in a pair
of leather pants and a long sleeved, dark blue shirt, which covered all the remaining
blood stains and her wounds. She absently smoothed the fabric a little, fiddling with the
edge of her shirt.
She released a tired breath as she realized what she was doing. "Stop being such a
wuss, Xena
" She muttered to herself. "Just
Just
get this over
with." She swallowed again, but squared her shoulders, then walked out of the bedroom
and headed straight for the door to the Advisor's quarters, pushing it open before she
could change her mind.
"Sena!" A delighted voice called out as she was spotted. Niobe came toddling
over and threw herself at the Empress happily
"Ugh
" Xena uttered as the air was squeezed out of her by tiny arms. She
returned the hug wholeheartedly though, closing her eyes and enjoying the comfort the
toddler was providing. "Hey, shorty
"
"Sena, Sena, Sena
" Niobe warbled, placing a kiss on her cheek and then
laying her head on the Empress's shoulder. "Love ya. No go no more. Kay?"
Xena smiled, placing a kiss on top of the small head. "OK."
"Good," Niobe murmured, then she pointed a finger forward. "Go. Go play
with wocks."
Xena glanced up to look at the pile of stones in the centre of the room, under which she'd
buried Callisto the night before. Some of the rocks were now piled on top of each other to
create shaky looking towers. "You thinking about getting into construction, short
stuff?"
Niobe giggled. "Fun!"
"Xena!" Caspar came running from his room and into the living room. "Are
you all right?" He skidded to a halt beside her, looking up. "I heard all this
screaming and then Ephiny told us to stay back and
"
"I'm fine
" Xena cut him off, placing a hand on the top of his head and
ruffling his hair. "Don't worry."
"And Gabrielle?"
Xena managed a small smile at the mention of the warrior's name. "Gabrielle's
going to be fine too
"
Caspar released a breath, apparently very relieved. "It was just all so
confusing
"
"Cofusi
" Niobe agreed seriously, sucking on her thumb.
"The soldiers that took us here wouldn't say anything
" Caspar continued.
"And then Iona came back and she was acting real weird
"
Xena swallowed. "Did she uhm
" She cleared her throat. "Did she
say anything to you?"
Caspar shook his head. "She just walked to her room and closed the door behind her.
Dorian said we had to leave her be and then he ran off again
"
Xena nodded a little, then lowered Niobe back down to the ground, which got her a very
disgruntled look from the toddler. "I uhm
I need to talk with her for a
moment
You two just stay here." She hastily continued as she saw Caspar open
his mouth. "I'll explain everything later
OK?"
Caspar released a breath. "Fine
" He muttered, then reached out a hand to
his little sister. "C'mon, Niobe
Let's go
uhm
"
"Play wocks!" Niobe immediately suggested, wobbling off and dragging her brother
along.
Xena left the two be, heading in the opposite direction, ending up in front of the door to
Iona's room.
She stopped there, closing her eyes for a moment and sucking in a shaky breath, trying to
get rid of the queasy feeling in her stomach. She had to force herself to lift a hand and
push the doorknob down.
Iona was curled up in a corner of the bed, her arms wrapped around her stuffed horse, her
face buried in its soft fur. As the door opened her eyes shot up and met those of the
woman standing in the doorway.
Xena winced internally as she saw the girl's eyes were blood-streaked and puffy. She
swallowed, forcing herself to stay calm as she stepped inside fully, softly closing the
door behind her.
It was only a few paces to the bed, but they were for certain the hardest steps she'd ever
taken. She felt Iona's eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to look up again,
afraid of what she might see, now that the surprise at her arrival had worn off. Carefully
she settled down on the edge of the bed, keeping a respectful distance between herself and
the young girl.
She folded her hands and placed them in her lap, staring down at her entwined fingers.
"I uhm
" The muscles in her fingers tensed, in an attempt to kept the
shaking under control. "I know you're probably
mad and me
And I
just
" She swallowed as she heard Iona shift next to her. "I
just
"
The breath left her then as Iona crawled into her lap, arms wrapping around her tightly as
the girl buried her face in her shoulder.
For a moment there Xena froze. Then her arms folded themselves around the small body and
she pulled the girl closer, hugging her as tightly as she could.
She closed her eyes, laying her chin on top of the blond hair, and she soaked in the
moment, which was, most likely, one of the best moments of her life.
A tear trickling down her cheek. "I'm so sorry
" She managed in a thick
voice, filled with dozens of emotions. "So very sorry
"
Iona released a shuddering breath. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked in a
whisper.
Xena gently ran her fingers through the tangled blond locks. "I
I was so
afraid
"
Iona sniffled. "Afraid that
that Ares would find out?"
The Empress nodded softly.
They were both silent for a moment. "He
" Iona took a breath. "He
wanted to kill me
"
"He would have never gotten to you." Xena murmured, gently rubbing the girl's
back. "I wouldn't have let him
"
"I know that," Iona said. "I just
" Another pause.
"Why?" She swallowed. "Did I
Did I do something wrong?"
Xena pulled back a bit, cupping the girl's cheek. "No
No, sweetheart, you did
nothing wrong." She pushed a stray lock from her daughter's face. "Ares
just
He's a jerk and he
He wanted to use you to get to me
That's why I
had to hide you from him."
Iona considered this for a moment, sorting through all of this information. "So
I
" She peered down, staring at the dark blue of Xena's shirt. "I was an
accident?"
"An ac
?" Xena frowned, but then she understood what the girl was getting
at. "No!" She blurted, lifting the girl's chin up so she was forced to make eye
contact. "You were so not an accident
"
"But
" Iona swallowed. "You didn't want me
I mean, I
was
"
"Now, you listen to me
" Xena cut her off, her voice just a bit shaky.
"Iona, when I
When I first saw you
" A smile at the memory. "I
loved you from the first second
You were so small and
and I held you and
I
" Xena closed her eyes for a moment, trying to find the words she wanted to
say. "Back then, I was
I was really tired
A lot of bad stuff had happened
to me, and
And there were so many moments, that
that I wanted to
quit
" She gently stroked the girl's cheek. "But when I saw you, I realized
I had something to live for again
That there was someone out there who
who
needed me
Someone who I needed
" She pulled the blond head closer, placing
a kiss on top of the dishevelled locks. "You weren't an accident
You were
destiny."
Iona laid her head against Xena's shoulder. "But
But I'm part of him
A
And
"
"You are nothing like him," Xena assured her softly. "The only thing he
gave you was
a bit of godly blood. Nothing more."
Iona closed her eyes, contentedly snuggling closer, smiling as she felt the Empress's arms
close around her.
There was another long moment of silence. Then finally Iona spoke up again.
"Mom?"
Xena felt a lump formed in her throat at the word, joined by a silly little smile.
"Yeah?"
"If
If Ares was the king of the gods
" Iona started, pensively.
"And I'm his daughter, and he's dead
Does that mean I'm the queen of the gods
now?"
Gabrielle stirred a little, then winced, dazedly opening her eyes.
"Ugh
"
"Hey," a voice drifted over as Thalia hastily settled down beside her. "Lay
still
You'll tear the stitches
"
Gabrielle blinked. "I fell asleep
"
"You did
" Thalia confirmed, pushing a lock of dishevel blond hair out of
her face. "You sorta drifted off when the healer came in." A wry smile.
"Scared the Hades out of me
Thought you'd gone and left me again
"
Gabrielle met her friend's gaze, pursing her lips. "Sorry
"
"Pff
" Thalia waved her off. "Just me being stupid
"
Gabrielle managed a smile. "Don't try that with me, Thal
Doesn't work,
remember?"
The redhead met the green eyes for a moment, then she dropped her head. "I uhm
I was
really scared
" She peeked up. "Don't ever die on me again,
OK?"
Gabrielle chuckled softly. "OK." She took her friend's hand in her own, gently
squeezing it. Thalia squeezed back.
A moment, then the redhead straightened. "So
You need anything? Some food,
water maybe?"
Gabrielle considered this for a moment. "Water would be nice
" She stated.
"But I'm not up for food yet, I think
"
"OK." Thalia walked over to a nearby table, taking hold of a pitcher and pouring
a bit of water in an empty mug.
Meanwhile Gabrielle glanced up at her surroundings. She was in the palace, in one of the
guest rooms, the one she'd stayed in before from the looks of it. She was lying on the
right half of the king sized bed. A look out the window showed her that dusk had fallen.
She'd been asleep for quite a while apparently.
"Here you go
" Thalia handed her the mug.
Gabrielle pushed herself up just a bit, then took it and lifted it to her lips, carefully
taking a sip. Her stomach wasn't too happy with this first bit of intake, but after a
moment of rebelling it settled down and she could take another sip.
"If there's anything else you need, just tell me, OK?" Thalia said, circling the
bed and then finding a seat on the other side. "Solari felt so bad about everything
she went into the kitchen and cooked all sorts of stuff for you
" She waved a
hand at a nearby table, which was loaded with several bowls and plates. "She's really
good, you know? Her Caesar Salad's great
There's these tiny flakes of meat in there
that are
"
Gabrielle chuckled softly, lifting a hand. "Don't go there
"
Thalia shrugged negligently. "OK."
Gabrielle took another sip of her water, then put the mug down on the sheets, leaving her
hands folded around it for balance. "Did uhm
Did Xena
stop by
while
I slept?"
Thalia leaned back against the bed's wooden frame. "Yep. She came by to check on you,
took a look at the stitching. We had a bit of a chat."
The warrior nearly sent a spurt of water flying across the room. She hastily swallowed.
"Excuse me?"
The redhead rolled her eyes. "Hey, I'm not saying I like the woman, OK? I still think
she's a bitch with a lust for the lethal
But, she saved me and, more importantly,
she saved you
So
" A shrug. "Besides, it wasn't a heart-to-heart or
anything. We talked business."
A blond eyebrow raised at her. "Really?"
"We discussed democracy." Thalia informed her. "She told me a bit about how
the Empire works and why she thinks a democracy won't cut it
"
Gabrielle considered this for a moment, knowing from what she'd learned during her stay in
the palace that Xena was most likely right to a large extent. "Can we
compromise?"
"She's open to the idea of a council, with a limited amount of power
"
Thalia said. "But there's one condition
"
"What?" Gabrielle mumbled, lifting her glass for another sip.
"You have to lead the council and take on the position of her advisor."
This time water actually did fly across the room.
Thalia chuckled, reaching over and gently dabbing at the liquid with the edge of her
sleeve.
Gabrielle took a breath. "You are kidding, right?"
"Nope." The redhead shook her head. "She thinks you're the best one for the
job
" She peeked up at her friend, with a small twinkle in her eyes. "We
actually found something we agree on there
A day filled with miracles, this
is
"
Gabrielle released a breath, slightly shaking her head. "I'm not a politician,
Thal
"
"No, you're not
" Thalia agreed. "But you're smart, and a good public
speaker and the people out there worship you
Besides, you need to be the link,
you're the only one who can get along with the Empress
" The redhead glanced at
her. "Getting along is probably an understatement actually, after this
afternoon
"
Gabrielle felt a blush creep up her cheeks. "Uhm
" She cleared her throat.
"You noticed that, did you?"
Thalia chuckled wryly. "Gab, the entire Athenian population was crowding around
watching you, and then you go and come back from the dead and start smooching the woman
giving you mouth to mouth
"
"Urg
" Gabrielle turned a deeper shade of red and attempted to cover it up
by burying her face in her hands. "I didn't
I mean, I didn't really realize
that
" A breath, then she peeked up at her friend through her fingers. "The
uhm
entire Athenian population?"
Thalia smirked at her. "Give or take a few
"
"Oh gods
" Gabrielle moaned softly, hiding her face in the darkness
again.
The redhead chuckled, reaching out and wrapping an arm around her shoulder amicably.
Gabrielle released a breath, dropping her hands on her lap, peeking up at her friend
hesitantly. "So uhm
does this mean you're not mad at me?"
Thalia smirked. "I'm your friend, Gab. Not your mother
I'm not gonna wag my
finger at you and tell you you're too good for her
" The redhead waved a finger
at her. "You are
But I'm not gonna tell you that
"
Gabrielle chuckled softly. "Thanks
"
"I'm not gonna say I'm thrilled about it
" Thalia continued on quietly.
"I don't like her, Gab, and I don't think I ever will
"
The warrior released a breath, nodding a little in understanding.
"But
If being with her makes you happy, then
" A shrug. "Then
I'm OK with that
"
Gabrielle smiled at this, leaning her head against Thalia's shoulder. "You are the
best friend in the known world."
Thalia grinned. "Flattery will get you everywhere. Keep it up
"
Gabrielle chuckled, then they both fell silent for a moment. "So
" Thalia
spoke up finally. "Now that we've talked politics and had our mushy chat
You
wanna tell me what happened out there? I am sorta curious to find out how you managed to
stop that fireball and how you made Alti blow up."
Gabrielle grinned. "That was pretty cool, huh?"
"Heck yeah
" Thalia's eyes twinkled enthusiastically. "I was standing
below and saw her looking all evil and narrow eyed and all that. And you just looked at
her calmly and then
pow
" The redhead tossed up a hand. "Alti goes
kapoof
"
Gabrielle laughed softly. "It was actually a bit more complicated than that."
She told her friend. "It was more like this
" The warrior took on a pensive
look, finding the right words. "This fight between primeval forces of good and
evil
"
Thalia smirked. "Sounds like a good story
"
Gabrielle smiled, releasing a happy breath. "It is
"
"That's amazing
" Thalia murmured, shaking her head a
little.
"It was," Gabrielle agreed with a small nod. "I didn't really think about
it when I was making fireballs float or anything, but
it was
"
"Do you think you could do it again?" The redhead inquired curiously.
The warrior considered this for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know
"
She admitted honestly. "I think I could, but
I'd have to be in a certain state
of mind
"
Thalia nodded at this in understanding, pulling up her knees and folding her arms around
them. "So.. then what happened?"
"Well," Gabrielle continued. "I was trying to keep some people down below
out of trouble, right? And then this voice drifted up and I looked down to see Alti
standing there. And she just looked back at me and she said
"
"Abby!"
Gabrielle couldn't quite supress a smirk as she spotted an enthusiastic toddler running
towards her. "Hey, you
"
"Abby!" Niobe repeated again, placing her hands on the bed and pulling herself
up, trying to clamber on top.
"Niobe
" A deep voice burred and the toddler stopped in mid motion.
"Did or did I not just tell you to be careful around, Gabrielle?"
Niobe scowled, then turned her head to look at the tall figure leaning in the doorway.
"Am caful."
Gabrielle chuckled, wrapping an arm around the small body and helping the toddler fully
onto the bed. "It's OK
" She stated, darting a look up at Xena, before
returning her attention to Niobe. "Just don't go jumping on my stomach or
anything."
"Kay," Niobe eagerly agreed, wrapping her arms around Gabrielle's neck and
placing a kiss on her cheek. "Love ya."
Thalia watched the whole exchange in amusment, glancing up to Xena, then back to
Gabrielle. Then she leaned over, placing a kiss on the warrior's other cheek. "Love
ya too." She drawled, before skidding off the bed and rising back to her feed.
"But I think I'm gonna take off now."
Gabrielle glanced up at her friend. "Thal, you don't
"
Thalia hastily lifted a hand. "I need to go see Eph anyway, I promised I'd let her
know how you're doing
" A smirk. "Besides, I heard the Amazons are having a
party downstairs and if what I've heard about Amazon celebrations is true, I definitely
wanna be there for part of it
"
Gabrielle chuckled softly. "Tell them I said hi
"
"Will do
" The redhead wiggled her fingers at her friend, then managed a
somewhat polite nod for Xena, before she exited the room.
Meanwhile Caspar had found his way over to the warrior's bedside and was looking at the
blonde's bandaged hand with a frown. "Did you get hurt bad?"
Gabrielle produced a reassuring smile. "Nah
Just a scratch
"
Xena snorted, shaking her head a little. "Right
"
Gabrielle glanced up, shooting the Empress a look, which was met by twinkling blue
eyes.
"Hey, Gabrielle," Iona crawled onto the bed on the left side. "Mom says you
got a hole in your stomach
"
Gabrielle's eyes took on a twinkle of her own. "Does she now?" She responded,
watching Xena drop her head to hide the stupid little smile that was tugging at her lips.
"Uhuh." Iona nodded enthusiastically. "Can I see?"
Gabrielle chuckled softly, turning her attention to the girl. "Not much to see right
now. It's bandaged."
"Ah
" Iona nodded at this. "But it'll leave a cool scar, right?"
"Oh yeah," the warrior grinned at her. "Very cool
"
"All right," Xena pushed herself from the door sill. "I think you've bored
Gabrielle enough now
Bedtime
"
Niobe pouted unhappily, having just found a really comfortable spot tucked in the
warrior's arms. "No good."
"Nuhuh
" Xena waved a finger at her. "No whining. Now say
goodnight
"
Niobe released a sad breath, then placed another kiss on the warrior's cheek.
"Night."
"Goodnight." Gabrielle patted her back, then gently lowered her down off the bed
again.
Caspar hesitated for a moment, then took a step closer and placed a kiss on her cheek as
well. "I uhm
" He glanced down, scuffling his feet. "I hope you feel
better soon."
Gabrielle smiled, reaching over and ruffling his hair. "Good night, Caspar."
The boy scuffled his feet some more.
Gabrielle straightened again as a hand touched her shoulder. She smiled as Iona crawled
closer, then wrapped both her arms around the warrior's neck, giving her a heartfelt hug.
"Thank you." The girl whispered softly.
Gabrielle smiled, gently rubbing the girl's back. "You OK?"
Iona leaned back a little, a huge smile on her face. "I'm great."
The warrior reached out and patted her cheek affectionately.
"Hey," Xena warned, having walked over to the left side of the bed. "No
stalling
" She crooked a finger at the girl. "C'mon
"
Iona crawled back over the bed again, giggling as she was lifted up when she reached the
edge and tossed into the air just a bit, before strong arms caught her again and placed
her back on the ground. She gave Xena a hug.
"You're stalling again
" Xena growled playfully, but she ruffled her hair
though, then patted her back. "Now go on
"
"Why?" Iona smirked up at her. "Want some privacy?"
Xena shot her an indignant look, then poked a finger at her forehead. "Out."
Another poke. "Now."
Iona giggled, but obeyed, skipping out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Xena rolled her eyes. "She is such a brat
"
Gabrielle chuckled softly. "Wonder where she gets that from
"
Xena raised a eyebrow at the warrior, but the huge grin on her face sort of took the
threat out of the gesture.
"So
You told 'm, huh?"
Xena sucked in a breath, then released it again. "Yeah
" She settled down
on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I did
"
"Iona is handling it pretty well obviously." Gabrielle smirked as the giddy
smile returned to Xena's face again. "What about Caspar?"
Xena chuckled softly. "He uhm
He started bouncing across the room chanting 'I
knew it! I knew it! We're not related!'"
Gabrielle laughed at this, shaking her head. "Maybe they'll get along better now,
huh?"
Xena snorted. "I doubt that for some reason
"
They both fell silent then, glancing down and avoiding each other's gazes. "You
uhm
" Xena cleared her throat. "How are you feeling?"
Gabrielle considered this question seriously for a moment. "Like the Athenian cavalry
just trotted over me
" She finally replied honestly. "Which is on the way
up from being crucified, so I guess I'm doing better
"
Xena lips quirked up at this, then she sobered again, fumbling with the blankets a little.
"You uhm
You saved her. And me
" She peeked up. "I owe you
big
"
"Yup," Gabrielle agreed, her green eyes twinkling. "And you are so gonna be
in trouble when I cash in, Empress
"
Xena chuckled at this, shaking her head a little. "I was trying to be
serious
" She accused gently.
Gabrielle smiled, then reached over, placing her hand on top of the Empress's. "I
think we've had enough seriousness for today
Don't you?"
Xena glanced down at their hands for another moment, then up at her with a small smile.
"You're right
"
"Of course I'm right
" Gabrielle drawled, watching the Empress's smile
increase. "And I have this feeling I'm also right about you not having had any sleep
today
" She added, having noticed the exhaustion in the woman's body language
and the bags under her eyes.
Xena grinned sheepishly. "I uhm
" she shifted her fingers a little,
absently entwining them with Gabrielle's. "First there was the whole thing with the
kids and then I had to talk business for a while, and after that
" She
swallowed. "I just sorta sat around and worried about the talk we were gonna
have
"
The warrior studied the dark profile quietly. "You scared?" She asked, half
jokingly.
Blue eyes lifted, open and honest. "Terrified." Xena admitted softly.
Gabrielle held the gaze quietly. "You wanna talk about it?"
Xena managed a small smile, then shook her head softly. "I uhm
" A breath.
"I've been having sensitive chats all day
I don't think I'm up for
another."
Gabrielle grinned softly at the words. "Me neither
" She murmured.
The blue eyes searched hers in a long palpable silence, then Xena's free hand trailed up
and laid itself against her cheek. Gabrielle smiled against the touch, then tightened her
hold on Xena's other hand, gently tugging her closer. The Empress responded, sliding
nearer until their faces were just inches apart.
Xena held her gaze for another moment, then almost hesitantly leaned closer. Gabrielle's
eyes fluttered shut her eyes as lips brushed hers, a feather light touch at first,
but soon it grew more confident and the kiss deepened. Gabrielle let her free hand drift
up, finding a spot at the base of the Empress's neck.
There was no awkwardness between them. Gabrielle would have thought there would be,
considering their history, but
there just wasn't. It was nice, and warm, and
comfortable and she felt her battered soul soaking up the moment like a dry sponge.
After a long moment they broke off and Xena released a breath, leaning her forehead
against Gabrielle's. "You OK?" She asked softly.
"Fine," Gabrielle murmured, feeling Xena's heartbeat drumming against her
fingertips. "You?"
"Great." Xena responded, smiling.
Gabrielle carefully shifted a little, wrapping her arm around Xena's shoulders and pulling
her closer. The Empress returned the hug happily, burying her face in the blond
hair.
They ended up with Gabrielle half reclining against the pillows. Xena rested her head on
the warrior's shoulder and had an arm slung over her waist, careful to avoid the blonde's
wound. Gabrielle gently let her fingers run through the hairs at the base of the other
woman's neck.
Xena hummed deep in her throat. "Don't do that
" She objected feebly.
Gabrielle glanced down at her, stopping the motion. "Why not?"
The Empress yawned. "Puts me to sleep
Don't wanna fall asleep and squash
you
"
The warrior smirked, then gently continued the previous motion of her fingers. "This
puts you to sleep, huh?"
Xena mumbled something incoherent.
Gabrielle chuckled warmly, her fingers gently scratching Xena's neck. "Sleep
It's OK
"
Xena tried another protesting murmur, but this one trailed off slowly and ended up with
the Empress's breathing deepening as the dark-haired woman slipped into a deep
sleep.
Gabrielle smiled softly, gently reordering the dark locks scattered over her shoulder. She
faintly realized she'd just let herself tumble into something that was way too powerful
for her to control in any way
She could almost feel the bond between them now and it
was getting stronger with every heartbeat.
Gabrielle smirked as Xena nuzzled a bit of bare skin at the base of her neck. She found
herself seriously not caring about the concequences of their relationship though. She felt
happy here. Happy and loved and
And complete
Gabrielle smiled, resting her cheek against Xena's head and closing her eyes, letting
sleep claim her as well
It was a crevice. A deep, gaping crevice. Xena stood on the edge of it
and quietly glanced down, watching the steep cliffs disappear into a pool of
darkness.
A soft scraping of boots on sand alerted her of another presence. She lifted her head and
looked to her right, to see Gabrielle standing beside her, peering into the endless depths
as well. Xena faced forward again. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you."
The Empress released a breath, shaking her head a little. "You shouldn't have
come
" She whispered. "This is not a nice place
"
Gabrielle peeked up at her, studying the dark profile. "So why don't you leave
then?"
Xena lifted a hand, faintly motioning towards the abyss. "This is the end of the
line
There's no more road
"
The warrior faced forward again, gazing at the precipice pensively. "You can't go
forward, no
" She then agreed. "But you can go back."
Xena shook her head feverishly.
"Why not?" Gabrielle inquired gently.
"Cause
" Xena swallowed. "It's
It's a really long way
back
"
"Does that matter?"
The Empress dropped her head, absently kicking at a small pebble and sending it flying
into the crevice. Xena found herself waiting for the sound of the rock hitting the bottom
of the abyss, but it never came
"It
" A breath. "It wasn't much
fun, getting here
" Xena mumbled softly then. "A lot of bad stuff
happened."
She heard the warrior take a step closer. "You were alone then," Gabrielle's
voice drifted up, then fingers curled around her hand. "You're not alone
anymore."
Xena swallowed, then she glanced down, meeting warm green eyes gazing back up at her.
"I'm not?" She asked, hesitantly, her hand gently closing around the warrior's
fingers.
Gabrielle smiled up at her, a smile that melted the doubts lingering in Xena's heart.
"C'mon." the blonde said softly, then she turned around, her hand still clasped
around Xena's, gently tugging her along.
Xena glanced down at the crevice one more time, then she took a breath and turned
around.
A long road stretched out before her, twirling its way through the landscape. She stood
for a moment, just staring at it, then she glanced down at the woman by her side. "We
have a long way to go."
"We do
" Gabrielle looked up at her, a gentle twinkle in her eyes.
"But we'll get there."
"Yeah
" Xena found herself returning the smile, gently squeezing the hand
she held in hers. "We'll get there
"
The End