Studies
In Light
Chapter Six-Fates And Destinies
(Conclusion of Series)
Written
by: Caina Q.
Fuller
The weather
seemed to match Xena’s mood again on this morning as the Warrior Princess mounted
Argo and rode through camp. She had been back
with Ares for over six months and she was shocked at how easy it had been to fall back
into her old life rhythm without Gabrielle there to remind her how wrong everything she
was to do the things Ares led her to do.
Xena took a
great deal of comfort in her conquests to eventually take over the world by telling
herself that mankind needed a firm ruler. People
had to have someone to tell them what they could and could not do. Otherwise they tended to run rampant, indulging
their lusts to no end while only upholding an ideal of what was right and what was wrong. If there wasn’t someone around to enforce the
rules of society then all one was really left with was a bright, shining lie that allowed
the innocent to suffer and the wicked to prevail.
On this day
the start of a new beginning was coming. She would use the manpower she had amassed, with
Ares’ public approval, to take not the first village, but the first city. In the battle plans she’d been making with
Livia and Ares, Corinth would be the first to fall. Rumors
of her growing army had attracted much attention, and it seemed every thug in the world
was rushing to join forces with her. Same
ole, same ole.
Livia…Xena
had made certain that Ares had not just brought back one of the coldest individuals in
history, but she’d made certain he’d altered her personality just a tick. If she
was going to be his warrior Queen then he couldn’t resurrect the past completely. Instead he’d taken Eve and altered her into a
warrior much like her mother. Like mother,
like daughter, almost. He’d done little
more than brainwash Eve into believing in Xena’s new cause to cure the world of the
disease of freedom. Any time man had freedom,
chaos ruled. Only a stiff dictatorship under
Xena’s fist would put an end to the horrors and injustices people committed against
one another.
Along with
her new and “improved” daughter Xena had masterminded an attack that would bring
Corinth to her knees…gently. This time
around on Xena’s campaign, there would be as little blood shed as possible. Though Xena could feel her heart growing cold and
numb without Gabrielle’s love, she was determined not to have a repeat of Amphipolis
or of Varia. She would kill of course, but
only when necessary. She wanted people to at least be able to feel loyalty to her. She wanted the people to do more than fear her: She wanted them to believe she was what they
needed. It would start where she left off with Boreas in
Corinth.
********************
Of course no
warrior could rise up and conquer the world without someone to oppose her. Humans weren’t the only ones to discover
Xena’s plan to take over the world in Ares’ name, with Livia on her right hand
and the god of War on her left. Hercules, who
was living with his wife Morrigan and
their four children in Ireland, was returning home to put an end to Ares’ latest
crusade and to find out just what had happened to Xena.
He’d been absolutely shocked to discover that the woman he still thought of as
his Xena would ever stoop to side with Ares again.
He took no
joy in returning to his native soil this time. He
wasn’t coming home to visit with old friends, but to go to war. A war, he knew, that could cost thousands of lives
before it was over. With Xena and Ares
working together there was a chance that even after all the shedding of innocent blood he
may still lose to them. Xena had always been
the one mortal he was in danger of losing to in the heat of a battle. He was the son of
Zeus and the son of a mortal. He could
be killed.
He finally
arrived at the temple of the goddess who’d summoned him and when he entered he was
just as shocked to see the changes being made inside as he was at the changes he’d
heard happened to Xena. The pink tapestries,
feathers and mirrors that had once adorned the walls were gone, replaced by weapons of all
kinds. The place looked like an armory, and
indeed perhaps with the impending war it was.
“Aphrodite? Sis?”
Hercules
didn’t have to wait long before the goddess of Love appeared before him. She had changed so much he almost didn’t
recognize her. Aphrodite’s once
luxurious blonde hair was now short, straight and a beautiful auburn that reminded him of
Morrigan’s hair, only hers was longer than his wife’s. Her pink, see through
dress was gone, replaced with a battle uniform eerily reminiscent of Athena’s. Truth be told it was Athena’s uniform, only
the crest on the helmet had been replaced with a black dove. She was also heavily armed with Athena’s
sword, daggers in each boot and a chakram.
“Aphrodite…I
don’t know what to say. I’ve never
seen the goddess of love dressed like this.”
Aphrodite’s
looks weren’t the only thing that had changed. There
was something in her eyes, coldness perhaps, that Hercules had never seen in her before. She eased from the throne and walked toward him. Gone was her irreverent and somewhat flighty
attitude. She was all business now.
“There
is no goddess of Love anymore Hercules.”
“What?”
“Some
changes have been made on Olympus. Since the
death of the Olympian’s and the loss of Gabrielle the remaining gods have taken over
the-“
“Wait a
minute. Hold up. The loss of Gabrielle?”
“Yes. Gabrielle is no longer with us, and it is because
of me that this war is about to happen. There
is much to explain Hercules.”
“Then
you’d better get started. From the
rumors I’ve been hearing over the past few days we don’t have much time to get
our men into position in Corinth.”
“You
won’t be going with me to Corinth Hercules. I
have a much bigger plan in mind for you.”
************************************************************************************************************
Xena rushed
through the front door of the Inn. She had one last card to play to save Gabrielle and she
intended to use it for all it was worth. She
came through the doors to find Athena facing Gabrielle down, an energy ball glowing
furiously in her right hand and getting larger by the second. Amaranda stood beside Gabrielle.
“Athena!”
The goddess
wasn’t happy to find her former champion interrupting her execution. “Forget it Xena. If you get in my way
I’ll kill you too.”
“I’m
calling in our vow.”
The energy
ball dissipated as quickly as the shock could form in her eyes. It was apparent Athena had
completely forgotten about it.
“You
can’t be serious.”
Xena planted
herself between Gabrielle and Athena, knowing that what she was about to do next would end
her freedom for the rest of her life, but Gabrielle would live.
“What
vow?” Amaranda asked from her position beside Gabrielle.
“When
Athena first asked me to become her champion I said no.
Not without a little insurance. Care
to tell them?”
Fuming,
Athena stood quaking with rage. She was being
robbed of her victory and there was nothing she could do to stop it. “No, I don’t.”
“Fine,”
Xena said. She was clearly enjoying her bittersweet victory. “She vowed that should I ever fall out of her
graces she would grant me one request. After
that my very soul was hers to do with as she pleased. She could sentence me to oblivion,
she could put me in Tartarus or she could keep me her slave forever. It was up to her. Regardless of what she would
have to grant me one request.”
“Then
request godhood,” Gabrielle said, hoping her new friend wouldn’t do something
foolish in the name of love like sentence herself to an eternity in Tartarus over her. “That way you can fight her. Forever if
necessary.”
Athena never
took her eyes from Xena, even as she spoke. “God-hood was the one thing Xena would be
denied.”
“I asked
for this in the event Athena would ever decide to harm someone I loved. At the time I was thinking of my mother and
brother but now that they’re both dead, I have you to use it on.”
“State
your request,” Athena said, a smile forming on her lips. If Xena gave Athena her
soul, then she would finally have the one thing she’d wanted from the moment
she’d met Xena: Complete, total possession of her soul. It was all so perfect.
“I
request that you spare Gabrielle and return her to her universe.”
“That is
two requests.”
Sudden rage
boiled within Xena and it was all she could do not to slap that smug, self-righteous grin
off her face. “You’re splitting
hairs Athena. Send her back alive.”
“I will
spare her and that is all. If she wants to
return home she will have to convince one of the other gods to send her back before the
universe is destroyed. I won’t do both. Now
Xena.”
Athena held
out her hand and Xena felt her innards churn with disgust. She knew this god and she knew
exactly what was coming for her. All hope was
not lost however: Gabrielle was alive and
Xena was determined to find a way to get her home somehow.
Alive.
“Xena,”
Gabrielle grabbed onto her hand before it could connect with Athena’s, much to the
goddess’ anger. “Don’t do
this. Don’t give up your soul for a stranger.”
“I’m
not giving up my soul for a stranger Gabrielle. I’m giving it up for love.
Good-bye.”
Before anyone
could object Xena pulled Gabrielle to her in a final kiss.
A kiss through which Xena tried to convey a lifetime of pure, selfless love, and
Gabrielle returned it with every bit as much passion.
When they parted, Xena felt she was losing any hope of ever knowing happiness
again, but it was all worth it.
Athena
jealously pulled Xena to her and they faded away. Would
it be the last time Gabrielle ever lay eyes on this world's Xena?
******************
Gabrielle and
Callisto rode full gallop down the road until they were stopped by a small group of Amazon
warriors, one of who looked oddly familiar. It took both girls a moment to realize that
one wasn’t a warrior at all, but Lila. They
quickly dismounted and ran to a tearful embrace.
“Excuse
me,” one young woman said. She was
beautiful with innocent looks and curly blond hair. “I
am Terreis, Princess of the Western Amazon Nation.”
“I am
Callisto and this is Gabrielle, Lila’s sister. It’s an honor to meet a real
Amazon.” Callisto pumped Terreis’
arm enthusiastically and the Princess found herself liking the plucky girl more and more
with each passing second. She’d been next to tears at being reunited with her sister,
but there had been an underlying boldness to her gait and her eyes that attracted Terreis. This was no ordinary village peasant. She could
sense that there was much to be mined from Callisto.
“It’s
a pleasure to meet you as well. I was sent
here by Aphrodite to reunite you with your sister, but also to tell you that you’re
not safe here.”
Gabrielle was
just about to answer when a decidedly male voice interrupted her. “You got that right sister.”
They turned
to find Marcus of all people standing behind their group.
He was damned sly to have managed sneaking up on a group of Amazon’s.
“Marcus.”
Gabrielle spat the word out as if it was venom, and to her and everyone she held dear it
was.
“That’s
him,” Lila said to Terreis. “He’s the one I told you about.”
As the
Amazon’s drew their weapons Marcus held up a hand. Without saying a word arrows began
to shower down on the group. Lila pulled
Gabrielle to safety but Callisto saw Terreis in immediate danger and rushed to pull her
into the trees. She was too late however, and the Amazon Princess took an arrow to her
gut. That didn’t stop Callisto from
shielding her with her own body however.
“Terreis!” Another Amazon shouted, coming out of the safety
of the trees to check on the closest person in her life. She and Terreis had been friends
since they were four years old. They were
sisters in every sense of the word except blood, and now Terreis was dying.
“Ephiny,”
Terreis said. Her voice was frighteningly
weak. “I give Callisto my right of
caste. Please accept it.”
Callisto
didn’t know what to make of what she was hearing.
What was a right of caste? “Oh,
ok. Sure.”
“Terreis,
you don’t know what you’re doing!” Ephiny’s
eyes bored into Callisto’s with something akin to anger but not jealousy. “That should go to someone born of Amazon
blood.”
“I see
something in her eyes…” Those were
Terreis’ last words as her life drained away from her.
Ephiny did
what she did best: She utilized her feeling’s to make her strong. Right now she was
hurt and angry over the loss of her sister, and she was going to make this male bastard
pay for separating them.
Ephiny drew
her sword as she yelled back to the sisters waiting in the trees. “Get Lila, Gabrielle and Callisto back to
camp. Now!”
Her sisters
did as told as Ephiny faced a very smug group of four men standing behind Marcus.
“You’re
outnumbered five to one little girl,” Marcus said, examining Ephiny’s physique
with open lust. “Try not to cut her up
too badly. She’s going to make an excellent addition to my harem.”
The men
charged and got a big dose of Amazon skill and anger. Ephiny cut one man after another as
each clumsily charged her. In seconds it only she, Marcus and one man remained.
“Not
bad,” Marcus said. He was practically drooling with anticipation of taking this proud
warrior down and humiliating her the way he’d done Lila for years. “Remember. Don’t kill her.”
The two men
attacked in unison, and Ephiny began to realize that she was out-skilled. Between the two
of them it was only a matter of time before they had her captured and were leading her
away to a life of misery and abuse.
Ephiny
succeeded in cutting Marcus’ partner down but it cost her her balance. Marcus was on her in seconds with his left hand
around her throat and his right hand exploring her body.
“Your
skin is so rough. Don’t worry though. A few years in doors and I’ll have you as
smooth as-“
His voice
suddenly cut off and his eyes widened in shock. Marcus
began clawing at his back in panic before he collapsed onto Ephiny. It was a struggle
moving his dead weight off of her but she wasn’t alone. Callisto had returned and was
helping roll him off, and when Ephiny stood she found a sword stuck in the center of the
filthy mans back.
Ephiny looked
up at Callisto with new respect and she too saw in Callisto’s eyes what Terreis had
seen: Bravery.
************************************************************************************************************
Ares wasn’t sure how long he would
have Xena’s loyalties so he’d decided to live next to her, and eventually with
her, on the battlefield. There was no telling how long she was going to be his Warrior
Queen so he wanted to make the best of it while he still could. He’d set up a luxurious tent on the field and
situated it squarely between Xena and Livia’s tents.
Livia…That was a strange story in
and of itself, for she wasn’t really Livia. At least not the Livia he’d known
and had fun with. Xena had been very specific
in the changes that were to be made to her daughter’s new personality. It had been
tricky carrying out Xena’s wishes but he’d succeeded fairly well.
She was ruthless...in the heat of
battle. However getting her into battle was a war in and of itself. She was still Eve in the respect that she desired
to spare life as much as possible, but Ares had brainwashed her into her mother’s new
world-view: Peace through conquer. The world would have to be forced to be peaceful
and just, so if a nation or a village refused to surrender and live under Xena’s
laws, Xena would have to give the order to kill. If not, Livia would not kill.
He was pleased to learn another thing: Xena had erased her daughter’s memory of Eli
completely as an act of loyalty to him. Livia
also had no memory of being lovers with Ares, which was his own handy work. He didn’t
want to deal with jealousy should his ultimate fantasy of him and Xena becoming lovers was
ever realized.
As Ares passed Xena’s own massive
tent he heard the distinct sound of an argument inside. He stopped outside and peeled back
the flap, just enough to listen. From what he
could tell it was Xena arguing with Aphrodite.
“You what!”
Xena stared at the new goddess of war with a rage so intense it even made Aphrodite nervous. “I sent Gabrielle’s soul to another universe. She’s not dead.”