Disclaimer:  See Part 1

Copyright 1998, A. J. Firebaugh

Reclamation

Part 4

"If I'm your mother, then respect me and stop hurting her!" Gabrielle moved toward her look-a-like. "Stop this madness!"

"I'm sorry, Mother. I lost all respect for you some time ago, when I realized that you love this woman "more than anybody," as that Joxer-thing said. That you're capable of loving
someone who was once so evil but can't give me a chance!" Hope pouted. The imps moved
closer to Gabrielle. "Are you staying here to watch Xena die, or coming with me?"

Gabrielle did not reply, but instead set her jaw and her feet, silently daring Hope to move
her. Hope used her mental powers and forced her against the wall, away from Xena. "I don't
want to hurt you," Hope said. "Your grandchild needs your milk a few more days." One of the vine ropes reached out from the wall and snared Gabrielle around the waist. Gabrielle watched anxiously as the demon moved toward Xena. To Gabrielle's amazement, Xena threw her arms up above her face and cried out in pain as the demon stood and laughed!

The demon appeared to Xena as Caesar. In her mind, a hammer swung; her legs buckled. She fell to her knees. What she feared most was happening once again. She felt pain in her legs; she could not walk. And there was no Niklio to save her this time! She fought the fear, striking back, her conscious mind searching for a reality.

Hope stood beside Gabrielle, watching. Xena should have fallen with that blow, but the woman was not succumbing. "Oh, she is strong, isn't she?" Hope whispered, awed by the power of the warrior princess. "Perhaps another fear, my demon friend."

The demon ran a claw down Xena's arm, drawing blood. Xena struck back. The fight began in earnest. The demon grabbed her in a choke-hold. She gasped until she was able to maneuver her body so that she could throw the demon aside. The monstrosity rushed her again and she felt its full force against her. This time one of her ankles really did give way under the
weight of the demon and the vines which did not allow for movement. Hope waved her hand and the demon pounced on Xena once more. Gabrielle heard Xena's breath go out of her as the fear demon hit her in the stomach. The demon held her down, searching for her biggest fear. Xena began to feel the fear as the demon played inside her head, as the dark demons had done.

A small cry escaped Xena's lips as an image of Gabrielle dying, not by the bard's own action, but by an action of Xena's, entered her head. This was Xena's biggest fear: killing her best friend, somehow being instrumental in her death, even accidentally. As the fear became stronger, so too did the blows to her body.

"Stop it! You're going to kill her!" Gabrielle cried out. She struggled against the vine
which held her against the wall.

Hope rolled her eyes. "I've no problem with that, myself, but Father thinks we can use
her for something. Use her to control you, if nothing else." Hope smirked. "As long as we have Xena you'll do what I ask, won't you, Mother?"

"Let her go, Hope." Gabrielle's voice rolled deep in her chest as she watched Xena's agony. So close and unable to help! "I haven't tried to get out of here." The fear demon loomed above her fallen friend. Xena's chest moved rapidly; her breath heavy, and to Gabrielle's amazement the warrior princess let out a sob. She stopped fighting, and the demon hit harder and faster. "What's playing through her head?"

"Your death," Hope replied. "The only thing that brings her to her knees. Amazing.
She's not scared of Caesar; her anger with him only strengthened her. But the fear demon shows her images of you dying because of some mistake she made, and look at her. Weak."
Indeed Xena now lay nearly prone on the ground, sweat running down her face. Her injuries, bad as they were from the dark demons' beating, were intensified twofold by the fear demon. The fear demon was stronger, even, than the dark demons, because it manifested itself as a single deity. It's continual prodding and beating of Xena's body continued relentlessly.

"Hope," Gabrielle said softly, "is there any humanity in you? Hope looked surprised at the question. "Is there any of my flesh in you?" Gabrielle continued.

"Your blood fed me briefly, yes, if that's what you're asking."

"Then by the gods, please let Xena go!" Gabrielle wasn't sure Xena could climb back from the mental tortures the demon imposed. "It hurts me to see her hurt!"

"She's not going to be any use to us dead, I suppose," Hope said. She waved her hand
and the fear demon disappeared.

Gabrielle had to admire Xena's stoicism in spite of the warrior woman's fallen stance. She was enduring more than any other person on the earth could and still live. She was being driven to the realm of insanity, and then fighting her way back every time. Xena, in spite of the tears falling down her cheek, was not sobbing uncontrollably and she was in complete control as she pulled herself to her still-bound feet.

Xena shook off the pain in her side; the knife wound was reopened and bleeding. Her
ankle pained her and her whole body ached. "I don't think I can walk now. Are you satisfied?" She looked at Hope, her eyes icy. The vine around her feet released itself, as did the one detaining Gabrielle. The bard immediately went to her friend.

Hope laughed. "You can care for her all you want, but each time she heals a bit I'll have
her pummeled again."

Gabrielle moved close so that Xena could lean on her as she helped her to a rock. She examined the slashes on her arm, noticed the gingerly way Xena placed her weight upon her right ankle. Gabrielle knew the ankle was badly injured; she'd heard it pop. Her hands reached up and smoothed Xena's hair back from her face after they sat down. "It's alright, Xena."
Gabrielle swallowed her anxiety, trying to sound calm for her warrior friend. "Maybe if you stop struggling, things won't be bad. Be good for me, please?"

Xena did not reply, and Gabrielle took the non-response as assent. Gabrielle turned again to Hope. "We won't give you any trouble." Gabrielle squeezed Xena's arm, then handed her some water. She drank slowly, never taking her eyes off Hope and the wicked, grinning imp that stood beside her.

The ankle, if not broken, was badly sprained. Her wrist was broken; she was sure of that. The fear demon had been cold, and Xena shivered involuntarily as she tried to put the images the demon had fed to her from her mind. There has to be some way out of here, she thought. There has to be another way to control these demons. They seem to be fed by emotions. Her body remained tense and ready to fight even though she needed to rest. Her arms were painful; her legs ached. The imp watched her continuously. Xena thought about the things Hope had said. Dahak needs her for something, but what? It had to be more than controlling Gabrielle: they were doing that before Xena showed up. After the images, the horrors of the last days, Xena wasn't sure what was real. She had experienced hallucinations before, but none as vicious as the images Dahak was forcing on her.

Gabrielle knelt by her friend. Xena realized that Hope was not in the room, and frowned.
She had not seen Hope leave. Her senses were failing her. Could she be sure this was Gabrielle?

"It's me, Xena. You know it's me because...." Gabrielle leaned close and whispered into
Xena's ear. "I know that Caesar's favorite fighting method is divide and conquer." She looked at Xena expectantly, but Xena shook her head. Gabrielle had to try again. She sat back on her calves. "You should take my word for it, Xena, but..." she leaned over and kissed Xena softly on the cheek. "I'm so glad you found me, even if we are stuck down here."

"You're Gabrielle," Xena said. "I don't think Hope is capable of something like that."
Xena took a waterskin from Gabrielle and quenched her thirst, noting a salty taste in the water.

"She's not much on tenderness." Gabrielle searched through the items she had placed
beside Xena. "Am I going to have to go through this every time I am out of your sight?"

"I don't expect us to be separated much. I'm getting us out of here." Xena put her right
hand against her side, and pulled it away. It was covered with blood. She picked up the
waterskin and poured water on the wound to clean it. The salt in the water stung.

"Why did you think I was still alive?" Gabrielle looked anxiously at the bruising on
Xena's face, which appeared to worsen as the minutes passed. She touched Xena's swelling lip; her friend moved her head away.

"Ow. Your lifeline wasn't cut."

Gabrielle frowned at the mention of the lifeline. That was their problem; if Xena killed
Hope, Xena would die. Gabrielle didn't think Hope could be killed now. She had grown too
strong. "Hope lives within all us," Xena said suddenly. Her head snapped up from her
examination of her battered body. Gabrielle looked puzzled as Xena shrugged the thought away.

"Give me a couple of sticks; I need to tie my ankle."

Gabrielle instructed Xena to remove her boot, but Xena refused. "More support if I leave
it on." Xena took the sticks from Gabrielle, and picked up some bandages. Gabrielle had
brought everything she thought Xena might need. Gabrielle protested as Xena started to wrap
her ankle with her boot on, recalling how Xena had cared for the bard's foot when she had
injured herself. Xena ignored her and instead instructed Gabrielle to pull on the toe of her boot, forcing the ankle into place. Xena winced as the cavern echoed with a small "pop." She then had Gabrielle "stake" her ankle on both sides and wrap it tightly. It wasn't the best way to fix a break, but it would do for now. With the support of her boot and the sticks, she could probably support herself. Fighting might be a different story.

Gabrielle turned her attention to Xena's wrist. It was swollen and grossly discolored.
The bard winced and asked Xena if she was in much pain. Xena shrugged it off, watching as
Gabrielle rewrapped the wrist. Gabrielle could not remember ever seeing Xena so bruised and
battered. Xena grabbed Gabrielle's wrist and locked eyes. "I saw what they did to you," she
said, indicating the cavern exit.

Gabrielle hung her head. Tears stung her eyes. "I don't know how they were able to make me nurse him," she said. "I didn't want to."

Xena pulled Gabrielle close and gave her a quick hug. Gabrielle quickly stitched Xena's side, flushing the wound clear. It was red around the edges and Gabrielle feared there might be infection, but there was little to be done about that now. Xena ignored the pain. She had to think of a way out of this. Something she knew from King Gregor's castle kept running through her mind, something she had said to Gabrielle. Hope lives inside each one of us. She had told her friend this when she had dropped Pandora's box. The box sprang open, revealing its' emptiness. If Hope lives inside each one of us, and Hope has any humanity at all, then Hope is a manifestation of something inside of every person, and if she is a manifestation of the evil inside of people, and I have a strong dark side -- could she be feeding off of my dark side? Xena wondered. It sounded convoluted. Would that make Hope just another demon?
"Gabrielle, has Hope shown any signs of being human?"

"Well, she hasn't killed me," Gabrielle replied as she washed away the last of the blood
on Xena's forehead. "I took that a possible sign."

Xena grew quiet. "Do you think it's my fault? If you'd raised her, would you have been
able to influence her, turn her to good?"

Gabrielle shook her head. "I don't think anything I could have said or done would have
stopped the influence of Dahak." Xena nodded. She closed her eyes as Gabrielle stroked her
hair. Xena focused totally on Gabrielle and good things. She thought of things she had done
that were good accomplishments; things she was proud of. Saving Prometheus. Saving Celestia
from King Sisyphus. She'd done a lot of saving, she thought, surprised at the numbers adding up in her head. She turned to Gabrielle and asked her what she was thinking. Gabrielle looked surprised. "I was thinking you're being very quiet for someone who is hurt badly. And I was thinking that I'm glad you're here even though I don't think we'll ever leave this place."

"Hope that we get out. Hope it hard. Hope nothing else," Xena said. Gabrielle began to
wonder if the various mind demons had affected Xena after all. "No, they haven't," Xena said, answering the unspoken question.

"That's scary," Gabrielle stroked Xena's cheek, noting more swelling around her friend's
eye. "You know me too well."

"Obviously not well enough, or I would have foreseen your diving down into that hole
with Hope."

"You weren't thinking clearly," Gabrielle said. "We both weren't." Gabrielle spread out
a blanket and helped Xena to the ground as she leaned back against the rock to rest.

Xena grimaced when she put her weight on her foot. An hour's rest, and she was ready to move again. She could walk and was relieved at that. But she didn't know what to do now, even though Gabrielle looked at her expectantly.

"Where does the water come from?" Xena asked suddenly.
"There's a trickle from the wall."
Xena leaned against her friend. "I want to see it."
Gabrielle took her to the wall and Xena examined the crack. She remembered the salty taste in the water. "Was this here when you came, or did Dahak supply it?"
"I think it was here when I came, before I ever asked for water."
Xena reached for her sword before remembering it was gone, then removed the breast dagger from its hidden spot between her luscious mounds. She poked at the rocks. "This isn't very solid. The water's eroding it." Gabrielle raised an eyebrow, watching as Xena moved around the wall, feeling it. Xena put her ear against the rock. She could hear a rush of water behind the rocks. "There's an underground river through here."

Gabrielle glanced dubiously at the water. "I've been drinking water from the River Styx?"

"No, just underground water." The warrior woman looked at the shield on her arm, then attached it to her right hand and arm. With all her might she flung herself into the wall. The crack grew larger, and the trickle became a stream.
"Here's our way out." Xena looked around her. "Gather up those waterskins, and use them like we did when we were trapped underwater with Autolycus."

Gabrielle objected. "We don't know where it goes. We could be underwater too long
and we'd drown."

"I'd rather drown than stay here." Xena blew into a waterskins, trapping air. Gabrielle did the same. Xena capped a few and turned her attention to the flowing water. It was becoming more than a puddle around her feet. She flung herself once more against the rocks, and the stream became a torrent. Xena pulled Gabrielle to the side, allowing the water to sweep
into the cavern, rushing down the unknown halls. "Now be prepared to hold your breath. By all means, shed that gown if we get into a lot of water."

Xena sorely wished for her sword, but she would worry about that later. She had her chakram, a knife in her boot, and her breast dagger. The hole was widening as the water sought the lower level of the room. Xena shoved at the wall again with the shield, wetting her body and splashing Gabrielle. The water was leveling out as it reached Xena's chin; she doubted it would get much deeper. "Hold onto me if you need to; I'll get us out of here!"

Gabrielle nodded and gulped air before diving in after Xena. To her relief Xena turned with the current, allowing them to move swiftly beyond the halls of Dahak. Just as her longs began to burst, Xena pointed up, and Gabrielle followed. Her lungs greedily gulped in the stale air as they emerged into another underground cavern. "How are you holding up, Xena?" She was concerned about her friend; she knew she was drained from the many fights she'd had and all of the beatings she had received in the last few days.

Xena gave Gabrielle a weak smile. "No time to waste." She was afraid Dahak or one of his minions would come for them, although she was hoping the water would drown them all. A few strokes took Xena to the end of the cavern, and she found the hole the water rushed through
on its way to the ocean. Xena tasted the water; the salt was even more apparent. She sucked in a huge breath and dove beneath the surface, slowing only long enough to be sure Gabrielle
followed. Now the water ran at them in both directions as the incoming tide mingled with the
outflow of the river. Xena's pulse increase in anticipation. The passage was narrow; she moved a rock so she and Gabrielle could get through. She caught sight of sunlight filtering through the water and looked back to check on the bard, who was struggling in her gown. Xena took a drag of air from the waterskin and pulled out her breast dagger. With a few sure cuts, she trimmed the gown away from Gabrielle's body. Gabrielle's eyes were large; she indicated she was out of air. Xena forced her remaining waterskin upon her friend and pushed her toward the surface.

Xena thought she would pass out before she could reach the loving touch of the sun, but
she found a final burst of strength and pushed Gabrielle to the top. Gabrielle in turn reached back and caught Xena's gauntlet, pulling her to the surface. They weren't far from land; a few huge waves and they would soon be on shore. They treaded water, letting the waves take them toward the small beach by the cliffs. When their feet hit the ocean's bottom, Gabrielle put her arm around Xena's waist and helped her wounded friend to the dry ground.

"We made it! By the gods, Xena, I never thought I'd see the sun again. Thank you."
The wind blew across Gabrielle's now-naked body. Her breasts still hung heavy with milk,
Xena noticed, and took that as a bad sign. Effects of Dahak would disappear if the "god" had
been destroyed. But she kept those thoughts to herself and instead smiled at the beautiful young woman beside her before closing her eyes, exhausted but happy.

Gabrielle was home.

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