Deus Ex Gabrielle

Alt Spice Warning : This is the spicier section I alluded to in the disclaimers. This section, and especially the first three paragraphs of Chapter 20, are a trifle spicier then the rest of the story. Feel free to skip these paragraphs if the idea of two women being depicted in an intimate situation is something you find objectionable. Even this chapter is still non-explicit (at least by my standards) but it does get rather... heated in places. Be aware of this if you choose to continue. This is the only part that nears this boundary, and is necessary to the development of the story.

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*****

"Oooh, Yes! Right there," Ephiny moaned in delight. She shivered as her back involuntarily arched, thrusting her hips forward and throwing her head back. Sweet Artemis, but that feels so incredibly good, she thought blissfully. Her mind blanked and her eyes opened in sudden surprised delight as another finger abruptly joined in the action and made a delightful swirling motion, adding to her pleasure... Until she blinked in surprise at seeing Gabrielle standing next to her bed. Startled, her confused mind's first reaction was to wonder, Why's she wearing that cloak?

Panting in surprise, she began to say, "Gabri-" only to finish by throwing back her head and crying out the last syllable in delighted ecstasy as she finally reached her climax "ELLE!" When she had recovered from the aftershocks and was able to reopen her eyes, Gabrielle was gone as though she had never been there.

"Wh-" she started to ask somewhat breathlessly. Feeling a sharp pinch in an indelicate location, she looked down to see a pair of very angry brown eyes staring up at her from between her twitching thighs.

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"Gabrielle?" Lysia demanded furiously, anger dripping from every syllable.

"But... but..." Ephiny tried to explain. "She... I..." Gabrielle was standing there. I wasn't thinking of her when I came, but... how do I tell her that? And where did Gabrielle go, anyway?

"I'm sick of it Ephiny," her lover snarled harshly. "It's always Gabrielle this... Gabrielle that... and now this," she sneered with contempt. "I don't care if she is the queen, I'm not going to put up with it anymore."

She stood up and roughly pulled on her skirt, fury radiating from every visibly tensed muscle. "I'm going back to Nadira," she bit out. She paused a moment, and then with a sly sneer on her lips, her voice turned cruel as she added, "At least she never calls me by anybody else's name when we make love. Goodbye, Ephiny." She stormed out into the darkness, not bothering to finish getting dressed, carrying the rest of her clothing and her boots in one hand, and her chobos in the other.

Ephiny stood frozen in shock, her mind whirling furiously. She's... with Nadira? But... but... and Gabrielle had been... hadn't she? She climbed out of bed and hurriedly pulled on her own skirt. Maybe if I catch up to Lysia and explain, she'll...

A knock at the door interrupted her. She slipped on an old leather top that was lying on the floor and angrily snarled, "Enter."

Poking her head inside the door before slowly entering, Gabrielle humbly apologized. "I'm so sorry, Ephiny," she explained softly, face downcast. "I didn't stop to think before I came in. You'd think I'd have learned better by now, but this whole day has got me on edge."

Gabrielle had been there! Ephiny didn't know whether to be relieved that she hadn't imagined Gabrielle's presence or infuriated by the response her unthinking actions had provoked. Crossing her arms across her chest, she demanded, "What? What are you doing here?" Remembering she was speaking to her queen - and more importantly her friend - her expression thawed slightly and she moderated her tone. "I mean, it's good to see you, but what's wrong? What was so important you had to barge in like that? Couldn't you tell I was... busy?"

Gabrielle hung her head in shame. "Unfortunately, you see I was..." she trailed off as Ephiny's skirt, which had been pulled on but not fastened, chose that moment to drop into a puddle of leather around her feet. They both looked down and, since the regent hadn't bothered to pull on breeches, simultaneously blushed. Gabrielle hurriedly said, "Why don't you meet me by the practice grounds? It can wait a few minutes." She rushed out, face glowing bright red in embarrassment (only figuratively though - she was too embarrassed to even think about using her powers).

Ephiny immediately bent over and pulled up her skirt; she felt a strong need to cover her nakedness, even though she was alone once more. The reason was simple : the Amazon wasn't sure which was stronger at that moment : her embarrassment, or the sudden surge of arousal exposing herself to her queen had evoked.

She'd always liked Gabrielle, though at first she'd been ashamed of herself for desiring the... frumpy peasant girl. Regardless, this was definitely not how she'd pictured herself initiating something with her queen, nor was it the proper time. She grimaced as she also remembered the small matters of Lysia... and Xena.

Emotions in turmoil, she cinched the tie holding the edges of her skirt closed with unnecessarily rough tugs. The thin leather immediately snapped in her unsteady grip. "That's just great! This night can't possibly get any worse!" she groused, then clapped a horrified hand over her mouth. Wonderful, now I've jinxed myself, she thought irritably. She slipped out of the skirt and kicked it away, cursing loudly and sulphurously all the while at the broken tie.

Choosing to pull out a different skirt rather than waste time searching for a replacement for the broken tie, she finished dressing, continuing to mutter sour imprecations under her breath. Heaving a great sigh, she walked out into the night.

Gabrielle was waiting for her by the practice grounds, idly twirling a fighting staff in a complicated pattern under the flaring light of a torch and trying desperately to forget what she'd interrupted with her teleportation. First Aphrodite and Hephaestus, and now Ephiny, she thought in embarrassment. If nothing else, becoming a goddess is certainly giving me an education my one-night marriage never did.

The Amazon regent stomped grumpily towards the practice grounds, still muttering under her breath. She halted when she saw the swift, precise staffwork her queen was engaging in. She's gotten a lot better, Ephiny thought idly as she gauged her skill professionally.

Her close inspection of her queen's fighting form soon turned into a close inspection of a different form. Her eyes roamed freely, tracing along every luscious curve and clinging to her body like iron to lodestone. Ephiny didn't understand it, but just the sight of her queen in action was making her palms damp - and other parts of her even moister. Sweet Artemis, she's gorgeous, the Amazon thought admiringly, feeling a jolt of desire shoot through her as she watched the muscles of Gabrielle's abdomen flex.

Firmly telling herself to calm down, she walked up next to the practicing queen, taking care to stay well out of the path of the whirling wood. When Gabrielle reached a break in the routine, Ephiny gently interrupted her. It took a great deal of effort, but she was able to keep any of her... inappropriate emotions from revealing themselves in her voice, though the effort made her sound a bit more formal than usual. "I really am glad to see you, Queen Gabrielle, and I'm sorry that I was a little short with you." For a moment her confusion showed on the regent's face. "I was very surprised to see you, and not just for the obvious reason... I hadn't been informed you were approaching. Where's Xena... and how did you manage to get past the sentries and the outer perimeter guards without being seen?"

Setting aside the staff, Gabrielle grimaced. "Well, that's part of the problem," she began. "I teleported in. You see, yesterday..." she then launched into her story - again - unconsciously using her skills to heighten the drama and increase the tension of the strange tale. Not that it needed much heightening; it was weird and complicated enough even without the usual bardic license she used to spice up her stories (and to cover up her inability to write good action scenes). Having told it several times already, the story was much more polished for the practice, and flowed smoothly from her lips. She settled happily into her storytelling, the familiar routine comforting despite her current straits, earlier embarrassment, and the personal nature of her tale.

The Amazon regent was enthralled. Her eyes never left her queen's face, and she hung on her every word; of course she usually did that already, but this was different... this time the erotic allure she was feeling colored her perceptions and kept her riveted. She remained entranced by the story until part of the story penetrated... Gabrielle ate ambrosia?

For a moment her thoughts turned away from the story - and away from amorous thoughts about her queen. That would explain a lot, the Amazon realized. She'd thought Gabrielle looked very good - and the strength of her reawakened arousal so soon after satiation testified to that fact - but she'd assumed it was simply because of her own feelings and the... intimate circumstances of their reunion. But if even Velaska - who she'd loathed with a passion - had looked desirable after eating ambrosia, that would explain why Gabrielle...

Shaking her head at having missed the changes in her friend, which were obvious - if admittedly subtle - once you knew to look for them, Ephiny felt greatly relieved; she hadn't felt like this since she was about thirteen and had her first crush. She chuckled softly at the memory. Gods, it seems like so long ago... When did I get so old?

Gabrielle raised an eyebrow at the soft laugh, but waited patiently for Ephiny to return from her mental wanderings before continuing. It was hardly surprising to have her audience react oddly to her strange tale. She paused in her storytelling, and resisted the brief temptation to read her friend's mind to find out what was so funny. Ephiny deserved better from her than that. Not to mention the fact that if her first reaction to a situation was to use godly powers, than she definitely needed to get rid of them soon - it was proof that she was changing already, and corrupting her with their inherent potential for abuse.

Relieved to find an explanation for her sudden surge of almost volcanic passion, the regent settled back to hear the rest of the story, which Gabrielle quickly resumed once it became obvious the regent was listening again. Now that Ephiny knew why she was feeling like a horny teenager, she could better ignore the lusty urges she was feeling and concentrate on the story - which was getting more intriguing all the time.

When Gabrielle had reached the point of the tale describing Artemis' subtle revenge on Ares, Ephiny simply nodded in acknowledgement, taking Gabrielle slightly aback. How can she know about that? the goddess wondered silently.

"I'd wondered where that scroll came from. Nelia, the archivist, found a copy of it next to her bed this morning when she woke up. It was... interesting." Ephiny explained, answering her friend's questioning look. She looked briefly amused, especially when Gabrielle began to look faintly embarrassed. Her experienced look was faintly smug as she added, "It was an entertaining story, but equines just can't do some of the things you said that poor donkey did. Not to mention Ares would have broken something - even if he was able to get into that position." She chuckled slightly at the look on Gabrielle's face, then added, "And just for the record, I still can't figure out what reticulated rutabaga is, either."

She didn't think it was possible for Gabrielle to flush any brighter, but somehow she managed. "I..."

Ephiny managed a short laugh. Now that she had wrestled her hormones into grudging submission, she was actually enjoying the situation a little; in fact, she hadn't felt quite this good in years... She was refreshed, full of energy, with a gentle buzz running through her body just being near the goddess... Not to mention very turned on... and it felt very good. "I recognized the handwriting, Gabrielle, so I already knew the story was yours - we just couldn't figure out how it had gotten there." She paused, then added curiously, "What did Ares have to say about it?"

Gabrielle's eyes glowed briefly as she fought to suppress the surge of anger that arose at the mention of the war god, and the goddess' expression darkened. "I haven't seen him since Artemis distributed the scrolls... and I don't care if I never see him again." She visibly fought for control of her emotions, and despite herself, Ephiny couldn't help feeling a faint twinge of unease at the burning look in those eyes; it unpleasantly reminded her of Velaska's rampage... Once the goddess had mastered herself however, Ephiny's brief fright faded.

Gabrielle smiled wryly when she was back in control. Slightly ashamed of her own reaction - and Ephiny's momentary cringe in turn, she resumed her story. "Anyway..."

She told the rest of it, leaving nothing out, not even the embarrassing parts - and there were many embarrassing parts. Ephiny was probably her closest friend next to Xena, not to mention also her regent, and she deserved to hear it all - especially since she'd have to help her deal with the consequences. Thankfully, the regent let the description of walking in on Aphrodite pass without comment. She was embarrassed enough about having repeated her mistake without having it pointed out to her.

When the goddess had finished her recitation, and had brought her regent up to date with what had been happening, Ephiny could only stare at Gabrielle in amazement. "You know, after hearing how you got married to that dead king and were going to be cremated, were chosen as a bride of Morpheus, were healed of your wounds after that drag through the village by Illusia, and threw yourself into that river of lava with Hope - not to mention Hope herself - I thought there was no way you could ever come up with a more bizarre way of getting yourself into trouble. Looks like I was wrong." Gods above, the Fates must really hate her, the Amazon thought.

Gabrielle had to laugh a little at that, though the memory of Hope still remained painful. "I do manage to get myself into trouble a lot, don't I? Somehow I don't think I'll ever be able to top this one, though. Let's see... got turned into a god, beat up Apollo, decided to ignore a decree of Zeus, messed up my regent's love life..." She trailed off as she tried to gauge her friends's mood. After a brief pause as Ephiny shifted uncomfortably, she ventured, "I'm really sorry about... Lysia was it? Do you want me to talk to her?"

"No!" Ephiny began, then stopped and repeated herself more gently, "No. I'll talk to her. We've been having some problems lately, but..." she sighed. "I hope she'll come back, but frankly I don't think she will." She didn't even want to think about the sly insinuation Lysia had made before storming out. Could it have been true? Had Lysia and Nadira really...? Somehow she had the sinking suspicion they had, and the pain of that betrayal was enormous.

It was painful for Ephiny, Gabrielle could tell, as the Amazon quietly admitted, "She's already been spending a lot of time with someone else, and... This has been coming for a while. If it hadn't been this, she would have left me over something else. It was just a matter of time." The depression in her voice was plain.

Ephiny looked up, and froze. Looking at the vision of divine beauty standing before her, she somehow couldn't feel quite as bad about the breakup. Where bare moments before, she'd felt depressed and gloomy, now she found herself filling with a surge of relief at being free - and unbelievable desire. Her face flushed as she felt a delicious tingle starting in her lower belly. A shiver ran through her, causing her nipples to crinkle to attention, and she thought, Aphrodite's mound, but Gabrielle is... is...

She firmly interrupted that chain of thought before she said or did something she might later regret. Visibly forcing herself to change subjects, she asked brightly, "So... what do you want the Nation to do... my goddess?" Concentrating on the problems at hand, the Amazon was relieved to find both her sorrow and arousal decreasing... even if only for the moment.

Frowning, Gabrielle resolved to do what she could to make things right for her regent. Ephiny had suffered too much at her own and Xena's hands, and had helped her through too many crises of her own despite that fact to leave her regent in the emotional lurch like this. "You can start by not calling me that." They shared a small smile. "Can you put together a small ceremony tonight? To handle the succession? If I get stuck as a goddess, I want you to take over as Queen, so I'll need you to formally accept my right of caste - and if things go really wrong tomorrow morning, well... you'll need my right of caste in that case too."

Grimly, Ephiny nodded. Maintaining the succession was too important to leave to chance - the mess with Velaska was proof of that - and even a brief ceremony to cement the succession would be enough to be binding... especially considering the circumstances. "When do you want to do it?"

The goddess thought carefully. "Maybe in a candlemark or so? Can you get things put together that quickly?"

Ephiny thought for a moment before answering. "Certainly. We won't be able to get everyone gathered together on such short notice, but enough will be able to attend to satisfy the law's requirements. What will you be doing in the meantime?"

"Going to see my parents." She grimaced wryly. "And frankly, I'd rather face Ares again than have to try and explain all this to them - but..."

The regent smiled slightly in understanding; her relationship with her own mother wasn't the best, either. Even her marriage to Phantes hadn't been the worst of their disagreements. "I understand. I'll have everything ready when you return." Gabrielle really does get herself into more trouble, she thought in wonderment.

Gabrielle smiled brightly, concentrating on what she'd tell her parents, then vanished in a flash of green light.

So intent was she on getting to Potadaiea, the goddess never noticed the effect her divine smile had on her friend. For when Gabrielle smiled, she made a small mistake.

Gabrielle had been attempting to suppress her divine nature as much as possible, since she was going to (hopefully) be rid of it. This allowed her to remain relatively unchanged by her transformation, but it also had one unfortunate side effect : she wasn't becoming accustomed to all the powers and intrinsic traits of her new nature as rapidly as had the other newly-made gods. Concentrating on other things, her divine nature momentarily slipped out of her tight control...

...and she instinctively reacted as a goddess, exposing her regent to the primal force of a goddess' naked emotions; unalloyed with either the mortal facade Gabrielle had been rigidly imposing on herself, or the shielding the gods learned to use to hide themselves when dealing with mortals. As a result, the impact was unparalleled. What in a mortal would have been described as Gabrielle's approval, love, friendship, some incipient unwitting desire, and the peerless energy that was uniquely Gabrielle, along with countless other feelings and emotions less well defined, shone forth upon the unsuspecting Amazon with an almost tangible force. To one such as Ephiny, who was predisposed by virtue of her native attraction to the goddess, and primed by the effects of the natural aura of appeal that all Olympian divinities shared... simply put, for the Amazon it was as though she was submerged in liquid ecstasy.

Ephiny's arousal, which had been held tightly in check by a fierce exercise of will, roared back with a vengeance, bursting free in a fiery rush of desire. Her knees grew weak as the full impact of Gabrielle's beaming divine visage smote her like a bolt of lightning between the legs. Quivering in rapture, she melted under the glorious weight of the goddess' glowing countenance and sank to her knees, unable to remain standing as the goddess' essence flowed over and through her.

Fortunately for Ephiny's sanity, the full effect vanished along with the goddess. With a final climactic shiver, she began to recover her control even as Gabrielle faded from sight. Ephiny was exposed for only a few brief seconds, but even that fleeting contact was enough to leave her quivering and almost delirious with inflamed excitement.

What in Tartarus? Ephiny thought, shuddering as she caught her weight on her hands and slowly began to emerge from the haze of lust and passion that had overtaken her. I've never felt anything like that before - not even with Phantes! She wiped her sweaty brow with one shaking hand, and tried to clear the fog of euphoria from her head.

Ephiny shook her head in dazed amazement as she slowly managed to regain control of her hyperactive libido. Rising to her feet, she stood on unsteady legs as she gradually recovered her equilibrium, her reason slowly suppressing the passion that burned through her body. Ephiny knew she had to hurry to get the ceremony ready in the allotted time, but first... She glanced down to see the large and highly visible wet spot darkening the front of her skirt (and from the feel of the cool night air on her backside and thighs, the rear as well). First, she'd have to change her clothes.

Gabrielle reappeared outside of her parents' small house in Potadaiea. Her embarrassment from popping in on Ephiny while she was... otherwise engaged was still fresh in her mind, and the thought of doing the same to her parents was enough to make her feel slightly ill. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she knocked firmly on the door. When there was no response, she knocked again, a little harder this time.

A muffled grumbling came from behind the door, and the sound of someone stumbling in the darkness. A muffled curse that made Gabrielle's eyes widen in surprise at the sheer vulgarity of it was soon followed by an irritated, "What?"

"It's me, father - Gabrielle. I need to talk to you."

Her father opened the door and stared at her owlishly in the pale moonlight. Her cloak covered her from neck to toe, but she seemed to be alright; no obvious wounds marred his prodigal daughter. "Of course," he said, stepping back and motioning her in. He followed her, then carefully lit a candle from the embers in the fireplace, before stumbling over to a chair, blinking as the light hurt his sensitive eyes. He'd been asleep, after all.

Taking a deep breath, she blew it out as she preceded her father inside her old home. This is not going to be easy.

"This is kind of important," she began softly, as she watched her father slump into a chair. "Can you get mother? I'm afraid it can't wait until morning."

Frowning, he just looked at her, but when she began to look a little nervous, he figured it must be one of those "female things," that men don't want to know about. Grumbling, Herodotus stood up again and headed towards their bedroom.

While he was gone, Gabrielle looked curiously around the sparsely decorated room. It looked exactly the same as she remembered... although it seemed a little smaller, somehow.

Frowning slightly in reminiscence, she remembered the pain of growing up in the small, closed community. Her stories had been greeted with scorn and derision rather than acclaim, and she'd felt like she was slowly dying, suffocating in the stifling and restrictive atmosphere. She'd leaped at the chance to follow Xena - and escape from Potadaiea - running after the warrior even though Lila had tried to convince her of the blatant stupidity of the move.

Shaking her head, she turned her mind away from the past and focused on the present. She could well imagine how her parents were going to react to what she was planning to tell them tonight, but... they needed to be told. She had enough familial respect to recognize that fact... and if something did go wrong, she hated to contemplate what would happen if Xena had to deliver bad news if she didn't tell them.

Hecuba walked in as her daughter stood quietly thinking, and Lila, awakened by the noise, soon followed. Her younger sister was almost 20 and still unmarried - virtually an old maid in a town like Potadaiea. She was very concerned by that fact, but her parents still had hopes of finding her a suitable match. Herodotus came in on her heels and the trio blinked at their returned relative in the dim light coming from the single flickering candle and the embers in the fireplace.

"What was so important you had to wake us at this time of night?" Herodotus asked, still grumpy from being awakened.

"And take off that silly cloak," her mother added. "it's too hot for that kind of nonsense."

Gabrielle grimaced knowing what they'd say when they saw what she had on underneath. "Alright," she carefully acquiesced. Holding her breath, she threw the cloak back off her shoulders, revealing the armor Ares had trapped her in - what there was of it - and the weapons she carried on her back.

"Great Hera above! What in Tartarus are you doing in that ridiculous get up?" her mother demanded.

It didn't matter that she was a goddess; confronted by her angry parents, Gabrielle still felt like she was eight years old and caught sneaking baklava before dinner. She never even considered using her powers, she simply stood there and faced their wrath as she had since she was a small child.

"I don't know what you think you're doing coming in here dressed like... like... a harlot, but you march yourself back to your room and put something decent on!" her father commanded. "No daughter of mine will go around looking like a hoyden in my house! I don't know what fool notions you've picked up out there on the road, but we won't stand for things like that around here - as you should well know."

"I can't take it off," Gabrielle tried to explain, her voice cracking slightly from her nervousness and the tension.

"Does that warlord make you wear it?" Lila asked, a strange intensity entering her words as she stared at her scantily clad sister. "Are you afraid of what she'll do if she finds out you took it off?"

"NO!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Xena's not like that... and she's not... I can't take it off because Ares put a spell on it."

"Don't you blaspheme in my house, girl," Hecuba commanded. "You're not too old for me to take a strap to if you don't watch your mouth."

It went steadily downhill from there.

*****

Artemis frowned in irritation as she continued to oil her bow.

Her chosen was in pain. She knew this with an awful clarity, despite having the bond connecting them together break after Gabrielle had eaten ambrosia. How can I feel...? Not that it matters. Artemis forced her mind away from Gabrielle with an effort. She couldn't think clearly when her chosen was involved - certainly not now at any rate - and she was frankly uncertain what she should do, torn as she was between two absolute and compelling desires.

She'd told Xena the unvarnished truth : she simply could not help Gabrielle. It was more than just the ultimatum from Zeus - though that was certainly an important factor to consider. The deciding factor for her, and the real reason why she couldn't aid her chosen, was simple : of all the people - mortal and divine - she'd ever encountered over her many long, long years of life, none had drawn her like Gabrielle.

The sudden possibility of having her chosen join her on Olympus had been like the realization of a dream - one she'd longed for all her life without even knowing it. With Gabrielle by her side, she would even be willing to put an end to her self-imposed isolation... it would mean having someone with whom to share eternity. Though she'd certainly respect Gabrielle's wishes if she chose not to join with her in her work - she cared too much for her not to... but even if she chose to join with Aphrodite she'd still be there for her to be a friend and companion for the rest of eternity - and maybe even something more...

Artemis knew she'd have to share Gabrielle with Xena, even if she were to remain a goddess - whether in Aphrodite's or her own service - but she could live with that; after all, she'd been doing just that for several years already. And, since Xena was only mortal... in hardly more than an eyeblink as the gods measured time, she'd be hers alone.

No matter how much she cared for Gabrielle and ached to help her become mortal again and thereby fix her problems, she simply could not bring herself to aid in the destruction of that so glorious possible future, even if it caused her and her chosen pain. And it did - she could feel that pain pouring into her even now. Consequently she remained torn between wanting to help her, and hoping she would remain trapped in her current straits.

Artemis felt more than a little guilty about the turn her thoughts were taking, but she couldn't help herself - she ached for her chosen with an intensity that was almost frightening. It reminded her - in a good way, despite the pain - of the first time she'd ever seen Gabrielle, and the emotions the girl had unleashed within her breast.

The huntress had been shocked and very displeased when Terreis had given some unknown peasant girl her right of caste; if she hadn't already been dead, she'd likely have killed her for it. Of all the twelve tribes of the Amazons, Melosa's was her favorite, being unwavering in their worship, and remaining true to their goddess despite the diaspora after the Centaur Wars and the many long years of the tribes' separation. And then this... this... Gabrielle comes along... The girl had known nothing of weapons, nothing of the Amazons... and had even been embarrassingly inept at dancing. After sulking for a while about the whole turn of events, she'd finally decided to simply kill her and be done with it, freeing Queen Melosa to choose a more worthy successor.

Armed with her bow, she'd descended to the mortal realms and hunted the unworthy one down. She'd found her alone and asleep by the side of a trail - she'd voluntarily separated from Xena and was on her way back to Potadaiea - the quaint little village she hailed from. Artemis had drawn her bow, aimed directly for the incompetent and accidental princess' heart...

...and stopped. She couldn't bring herself to shoot the girl, despite having done the same thing countless times before in her efforts to prune and improve the bloodline of her Amazons. Something about the girl child slumbering so peacefully and innocently before her had called to her in a way she'd never felt before. She didn't understand it, but had felt the power of the call nonetheless.

Slinging her bow, she'd secreted herself in some bushes... and simply watched the girl sleep. She couldn't help herself, she just had to stay close and watch her. The next morning (actually closer to noon... Gabrielle is not a morning person, after all), she'd invisibly followed along behind her when she continued on, trying to understand the strangely insistent pull she felt whenever she saw or even contemplated this mortal... "Gabrielle."

It wasn't sexual... not entirely, anyway. Artemis was virginal - like Gabrielle at that time - having rejected the attentions of all suitors, preferring to remain isolated and alone, save for her few handmaidens with only occasional visits to her Amazons and her fellow gods to provide diversion. She recognized the girl's youthful beauty and felt an attraction (she may be virginal, but she's not dead for Aphrodite's sake), but Eros' sting touched her only lightly. Besides... being hand-bathed daily by divinely beautiful naked nymphs tends to lend a certain... immunity to the allure of purely physical charms, and Gabrielle, while pretty, was nowhere near Daphne or Callisto's class (not her... the other one). No, the pull had to be something else, something... special.

She'd continued her observations, invisibly skulking through the small town. To her surprised amazement, the "incompetent" girl she'd been planning to kill somehow managed to rally the residents of her hometown, and even whip a drunken old warrior into good enough shape to defeat a marauding warlord.

The goddess had been thoroughly hooked. She considered her options carefully, through the victory celebration that followed, and while the girl hurried to rejoin Xena. Although uncertain and even a little nervous, she'd made her decision. That night, while Xena was away from camp hunting, she'd slipped into the darkened clearing and bonded with the slumbering Gabrielle, making the girl into her chosen - creating a level of intimacy with the mortal deeper than any she had ever shared with another being. Not that she told the mortal child she'd done it, of course... but she'd done it just the same. Smiling slightly, she remembered the feel of tying a tiny fragment of the girl's soul to her own.

Her smile faded as she remembered the close call she'd had shortly afterwards. Somehow Xena had managed to detect her invisible presence while she lingered in their camp, savoring the sensations flooding into her through the newly forged link. It was only by causing a deer to run by in the nearby woods, diverting Xena's attention for the fraction of a second she needed, that she'd managed to slip away without the warrior knowing for certain that anyone had actually been there.

"Clever child," the goddess mused, before resuming her former train of thought. Ever since that night, she'd followed Gabrielle's adventures from afar; sharing in her joy of discovery and the thrill of adventure with a kind of innocent wonder - the bond they shared let her feel things in a way that her own divine nature simply couldn't offer. She'd continued to watch over her from a distance, never coming close to her, but unable to stop herself from feeling at the bond they shared. Artemis had stayed away from that link sometimes, but always came back, sometimes with the desperate craving of an addict in need of a fix.

Through good times and bad, she'd shared in her chosen's emotions, delighting in the sensations as much as she did the touch of the girl's wondrous soul. Despite the girl's goodness though, sometimes that joy had slipped... and other times she'd shared in... other things. She still shivered when she thought of Gabrielle's wedding, and the sensations that had flowed through the link that night...

What was most horrifying to the goddess was that the wedding night hadn't been the worst. She was still ashamed of herself for failing to pay close enough attention to her chosen, despite the pain and anguish that seemed to be all that came through their link as her chosen's relationship with Xena had disintegrated. After the fact, she'd actually felt grateful for Khrafstar : the demon worshipper had blocked her link with her chosen with the aid of his master before they'd embarked for Britannia. It had kept her from knowing her chosen was in such mortal peril, but it had also kept her from sharing in the agony of her chosen's... despoilment. She could only be grateful Gabrielle hadn't known of their link when it happened... and consequently hadn't blamed her for not saving her from the fiery tentacles of the evil god.

Shivering, she tried to put the incident out of her mind. It was well in the past now; Dahak was gone, Hope was dead - again - and chained in the darkest recesses of Tartarus (next to Hera - the two deserved each other, Zeus had decreed), and the pain was, if not long healed, at least not quite as intense. She didn't even like to think about those dark days...

She turned her thoughts to better times, with a great deal of effort, and almost as much relief. Gabrielle had been like a draught of pure water to someone wandering lost in the desert. She'd filled her empty life even while merely being her unknowing chosen, and after she'd revealed her connection... There was no telling the joy Gabrielle would bring with her if she were to become a fellow god.

But now she'd driven Gabrielle away with her possessive and uncaring behavior. She shook her head sadly. She'd even been driven to seek her chief rival for reassurance. True, Xena had said that Gabrielle still loved her but... she didn't trust herself around her chosen. The feelings she evoked were just too intense... too raw and primal. And at the moment, too painful. She winced as the sensation coming from Gabrielle spiked in intensity again. It's getting worse.

The connection between a god and their chosen was nothing direct and simple, like telepathy. It was better for all concerned that way: having the weight of a god's mind - powered as it was by ambrosia and divine energy - invade the delicate fabric of a mortal's in that manner tended to have catastrophic results: like wiping the mortal's mind clean or causing an embolism - and feeling either of those things happening through that bond was... not pleasant.

After some attempts to bond with mortals early in the gods' reign had failed disastrously, Athena had experimented with Aesclepius' help until she'd managed to devise a way to bond safely with a mortal. She'd killed a few score mortals over the course of her tests, but there were always more of them after all, and she had managed to figure out a way to do it safely... so it had clearly been worth the small sacrifice.

Only Ares had ever flouted Athena's clever method once it was devised. He'd continued to bond with mortals in the old, dangerous manner so as to be able to continue wallowing in the killing rush they felt as they conquered, sharing their emotions via the parasitic link he employed... but swiftly killing most of his favorites in the process.

That's probably why he's so obsessed with Xena, the goddess mused. She'd been his most successful follower ever, and had glutted him on the raw emotions lurking in the darkness of her soul - and somehow survived the process intact. More than just rejecting him, she'd somehow also managed to damage their link - she'd seen that much for herself when she gave the mortal the stag, although she had no idea how the mortal warrior had accomplished the feat - severing all but the most tenuous access to her soul, but more importantly also preventing him from truly Choosing another while she lived; though for one who had gloried in her emotions and slaughter like Ares did, that was less worrisome than contemplating her death and the permanent cessation of those glorious feelings.

But that was Ares... and his ways had never been hers. Under Athena's gentler method, the bond involved only a sharing of the emotional state with the god on a purely one-way link. A thin, but independent channel was also forged - this one in the other direction - and was used to send a wordless emotional message that conveyed the god's pleasure or anger at the chosen's actions. This kept the mortals that were bonded healthy and obedient by insulating them from the overwhelming power of a god's mind, while still giving the god in the bond the sensation and contact they craved.

Her own bond with Gabrielle was even more tenuous than that of the other gods : she was too solitary a goddess to ever fully exploit even the low intensity link that Athena had devised, though she'd been tempted at times, and she had never even sent a single message to Gabrielle through the bond, preferring to pass messages through her clergy the few times she'd had call to do so.

After Gabrielle had eaten ambrosia, even that spare, evanescent bond had dissolved. The healing ambrosia provided had washed away the tiny modifications in the fabric of her soul that allowed the bonding process to work. And yet... she was still feeling something, and she knew the flavor of her chosen well enough to recognize it as coming from her.

Somehow, through some unknown means, and for some unknown reason, over the past half candlemark or so, she'd been bombarded with progressively increasing feelings of horror, pain, and confusion - despite the dissolution of their now nonexistent bond. It was an impossibility... and yet it was happening just the same.

Finishing her work on her bow, Artemis restrung it before slinging it over her shoulder. She concentrated on the feelings she was getting from Gabrielle, and was disturbed by what she found. The intensity of the sensations was still increasing, but she had no clue how she was even able to receive the sensations, let alone what the pain she felt signified. She began to worry even more as the level of her chosen's pain increased.

She'd told herself she'd stay away; she'd let Gabrielle decide her own fate on this final day without any more of her heavy-handed influence. Gabrielle was wise enough to chart her own course. If her chosen decided to resume mortal life... well, she'd been alone for many years, and she could live with that decision. As long as Gabrielle was happy, she'd manage to live with it... somehow.

Her continuing pain - emotional, not physical, Artemis was only slightly relieved to note - was slowly eroding that conviction. A sharp jolt of embarrassed anger/sorrow almost took the goddess to her knees. If things were working as they had when their link was active, and she felt only a weakened reflection of Gabrielle's emotions... She swiftly gathered her weapons and mentally located her chosen. Convictions be damned; she wasn't going to let her beloved Gabrielle suffer this torment any longer. She flashed away in a teleport, heading to her chosen's rescue.

Gabrielle noted the subdued flash that indicated another god's surreptitious arrival with a mixture of relief and worry. Whoever it is, at least they won't be visible to my family, she thought gratefully. Her momentary sense of gratitude didn't linger as she looked around to see who it was. If it's Ares... or Discord... or Bacchus...

She breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw it was only Artemis. She turned back to her father in time to hear him finish his sentence.

"...and I don't know what you think you're doing looking away when I'm talking to you, but you'd better stop that right now, or I'll tan your hide, young lady!"

Wincing, Gabrielle hung her head as she waited for Artemis' reaction. She didn't know what the goddess was doing in her parents house, but it was unlikely to mean anything good. She glanced over to see what she was doing, and was abruptly made very nervous when she saw her unlimbering her great black bow.

"Listen to your father," Hecuba insisted, frowning in displeasure as her scapegrace daughter turned her eyes away from her lecturing father once more. She'd suspected her daughter had changed for the worse after she'd run off after the warlord like that; the scrolls she'd sent home had told more by what she had omitted, then by what she had included.

Even after she'd come home the last time, she could tell her daughter had changed - carrying that staff and spending so much time with that drunken lout Meleager, but she'd still mostly been the same good girl she remembered. But now... In her worst nightmares, she'd never pictured her returning like this : dressed like a trollop and carrying weapons, blaspheming the gods, and telling outrageous lies. Shaking her head sadly, she stood ready to interject additional scathing comments as necessary to help guide her wayward daughter back to the true path.

Gabrielle's eyes widened as Artemis drew her bow. "No!" she cried, leaping up and interposing herself physically between her parents and the vengeful goddess. "Don't do that - they're my parents!"

"My sister's insane," Lila murmured, burying her head in her hands. She'd actually enjoyed - if a little guiltily - the thorough lecture and disciplining her sister had been subjected to - having been through similar experiences more often than she liked to remember. It had apparently been too much for her sister though. She'd obviously snapped under the pressure.

"Hecuba," Herodotus gravely intoned. "Get the healer."

Artemis didn't reduce the tension on the string. "They've made you suffer enough Gabrielle. No one does that to my chosen - no one."

"They didn't know," Gabrielle tried to soothe the goddess. "I haven't told them much about what's happened to me, so it's no surprise they don't believe me."

Her parents watched in dismay as Gabrielle continued talking as though she were having a conversation, but to an empty corner of the room. They shared a look and then Hecuba slowly approached her - making no sudden moves so she wouldn't trigger an attack from her armed and insane daughter. "Gabrielle... honey... there's no one there. Why don't you go lay down for a while until the healer gets here?"

"Mother," Gabrielle began, shifting slightly so she could also block Artemis' shot at her mother, "be quiet. Artemis is angry, and I'm trying to calm her down."

"My sister is insane!" Lila cried, turning away. With a record of madness in the family, she'd never be able to find a husband.

Rolling her eyes, Gabrielle shot her sister a dirty look. "If you weren't so obviously concerned with landing a husband, maybe you'd be able to find someone you care about on their own merits."

Lila froze. How could she have known what I was thinking?

Gabrielle's small movement when she looked at her sister was all the opening Artemis needed. An arrow shot out from under Gabrielle's arm and struck her father squarely in the heart.

Gurgling, Herodotus fell over, clutching in one hand the shaft where it protruded from his breastbone. He felt no pain... but felt some very strange sensations coming from his legs. Hecuba screamed at the apparent sudden death of her husband and slumped over in a faint. It was probably just as well... she completely missed seeing her husband contort and thrash on the floor until he'd transformed into a stag.

Her two daughters didn't have the benefit of unconsciousness. They watched in mingled shock and horror as their father's limbs shrank and contorted until they'd reformed into the thin, straight brown legs of a stag, and saw his fingers shrivel and blend together to form small, hard hooves. A brilliant yellow glow surrounded him, making Lila cover her eyes (though Gabrielle didn't need to), and when the light faded away, the arrow was gone, and a small stag lay curled in the middle of the floor.

"Artemis!" Gabrielle shrieked, aghast. "That was my father! Turn him back, now!"

Lila stared as with a subdued flash of white light, a tall woman wearing a short deerskin outfit appeared in front of Gabrielle. She couldn't quite decide which frightened her more - the sudden appearance of the woman, her sister's casual acceptance of this fact, or the sheer gall Gabrielle showed in commanding what was obviously a god to undo the horrible transformation.

"I've been feeling the pain they were inflicting on you, Gabrielle. My chosen will not be treated like that."

Growling, Gabrielle grabbed the bow away from the surprised huntress. With one swift movement, she drew to the ear and shot her father, trying not to enjoy the experience.

Feeling faint, Lila was relieved to see her father's transformation begin to reverse itself. She stared with wide eyes as Gabrielle handed the bow back to the stranger... and then she abruptly realized who she must be. "A...A..." she couldn't bring herself to say it. She ran over to her parents and frantically tried to wake them. She needed their support in the face of this crisis.

"You shouldn't have done that, Gabrielle," Artemis complained briefly, ignoring Lila's frantic efforts. "He deserved far worse."

"He's my father," she retorted. "Besides, I haven't told them much of anything that I've been up to - admittedly because I knew they'd react like this - but I'm still at least partially to blame for not telling them."

Sighing, the huntress grudgingly gave in to her chosen's wishes. "Very well. But since you can't seem to tell them... I will."

Looking a little nervous at the idea, Gabrielle reluctantly agreed. Artemis could have demanded far worse ways of being appeased, and it was almost time for the ceremony at the Amazon village.

Lila had finally managed to wake their parents, and the three huddled together on the floor. Hecuba was too relieved to find her husband alive to say much, and Herodotus was too busy clutching his chest with one hand and flexing the fingers of his other in front of his eyes, trying to convince himself that becoming an ungulate was all just a horrible dream. They all froze when an unknown female voice loudly interrupted. "Ahem."

Artemis stared down at the family cowering before her in disgust. They torment my chosen and then I'm supposed to show them mercy? Gabrielle looked up at her with pleading eyes, and she sighed. Well, there is mercy and then there is mercy...

"I am Artemis," she began impressively, staring down into their fearful faces and frowning, "and if it were up to me you'd be facing the hunt for the suffering you've inflicted on my chosen."

They looked fearful but confused. Artemis turned back to Gabrielle in disbelief, "You didn't even tell them that?"

"No, my goddess," she reluctantly admitted, looking faintly embarrassed. "I didn't even realize I was your chosen for a long time, and when I did... Well, I didn't think they'd handle it very well."

"Evidently not," the huntress was forced to admit. "But," she resumed, turning back to face the mortals, "Gabrielle, my chosen," she emphasized, "has pleaded for your lives, and in deference to her wishes I have agreed to spare you."

They looked relieved, but still confused. Herodotus' mouth moved, but no words came out.

"Since Gabrielle has apparently left you ignorant about certain important facts regarding our relationship, I have decided to explain to you the pertinent details." They looked even more confused, but Artemis forged on regardless. "Gabrielle is my chosen one; she is the Queen of my Amazons, and is my most favored amongst all mortals."

Lila stared incredulously, and her parents looked like they were going to faint. Gabrielle looked even more embarrassed as she quietly admitted, "Maybe I should have told them a little more..."

"You obviously needed to tell them something," Artemis wryly agreed. A sudden thought struck her. "Did you tell them about Hope?" Artemis asked too softly for her parents to hear.

"NO!" Gabrielle hurriedly responded. "Please don't..." she pleaded quietly. It hadn't taken much to convince Seraphin to keep her mouth shut, given her own guilt in succumbing to the cult of Dahak, and Xena had been untalkative at best. She'd never even contemplated one of the gods telling her parents, and the fear that they'd learn of her... Dahak's spawn left her pale and frightened.

"Perhaps too much truth at one time isn't a good thing," the huntress mused quietly. She swiftly revised what she'd been planning to tell them. Her chosen noted her mental reworking and sighed before smiling up at her with gratitude.

The smile lit her face, and reassured the Amazon goddess that she was doing the right thing. "All this is simply for background information," she began again. "The fact you need to know is that yesterday my brother Apollo kidnapped Gabrielle and took her to Olympus."

The three mortals turned and stared at their relative in shock. "Gabrielle?" they asked in unison.

Shaking her head, Gabrielle prompted her, "Tell them the rest of it." Turning back to her family, she said only, "It gets worse."

Artemis picked up the thread of conversation. "He'll pay for his transgressions, but... what is important for you to know is that while in Apollo's... care, Gabrielle ate some ambrosia."

"You're a goddess?" Lila gasped.

Gabrielle concentrated and made her eyes flare into glowing life. "At the moment, yes."

"So... what you said... about Ares... and... and... Artemis..." her mother haltingly began. She had just wanted to make sure her daughter lived a proper life, respectful, honorable, and humble before the gods. What's my little girl doing messed up with the internal affairs of the gods?

"It was all true," Gabrielle confirmed.

Artemis cleared her throat, bringing their attention back to her. "If I may continue?" she asked sardonically.

When they'd settled down a little and turned to look at the huntress, she resumed. "Zeus, my father and the King of the Gods, has judged her and found her worthy of joining us on Olympus. Yes," she added as she contemplated their shock, "The very woman you've scorned and failed to respect was honored by the king of the gods himself." Hecuba looked faint, but Artemis continued ruthlessly on regardless. "However, she has chosen to return to being a mortal, to live out the rest of her days among you," she sneered slightly, unable to hide the depths of her feelings entirely, "rather than return with me to Olympus."

The three mortals' eyes widened again as they contemplated that. They felt very small and insignificant under the weight of her openly contemptuous gaze.

"Since she is going against Zeus' plan for her by seeking to lose her godhood, I cannot aid her in her efforts to escape this fate. She is risking death or worse to remain among you." She paused to let that fact sink in before continuing. "She also chose to waste some of the precious little remaining time she has left before she must undertake this perilous act, because she thought she should inform you unworthy ones of the danger she faces, and the risk she takes by so doing." She sneered again, before concluding. "In my opinion, she shouldn't have bothered."

Turning back to her protégé, she concluded, "It's almost time, Gabrielle. We need to leave for the Amazon village."

"You go ahead," Gabrielle demurred. "I just want to say goodbye first."

Sighing at her companion's impossibly forgiving nature, Artemis nodded once before vanishing in a flare of smoky white light.

The silence was deafening for several minutes before Gabrielle's mother broke it. "She was going to kill us?" Hecuba asked in a very small voice.

"Yes, Mother. She had already transformed father into a stag, and would likely have done the same to you and Lila, as well."

"You saved us?" she asked again. Herodotus remained mute, overwhelmed by his close brush with death.

"Yes, Mother," she answered again. "I know I haven't told you everything, but I knew you wouldn't approve and I didn't want you to worry about me." She sighed as she helped her family to their feet. "I had to let you know what was going on, in case..."

"In case something goes wrong?" Herodotus gruffly asked, brushing himself off.

"Right." She turned away briefly as she sought to avoid the look in their eyes. "I know I didn't turn out quite how you wanted me to, but... I just had to tell you the truth. I really am happy," she admitted, turning back to face her family, "and even if I wind up stuck as a goddess, or die trying to undo this, I think you should know, I don't regret leaving home. I love you, but my destiny simply wasn't here."

Her parents didn't look very pleased with her summation, but they accepted it - reluctantly, to be sure - nonetheless. Faced with a daughter transformed into a goddess, there wasn't much they could say to dispute it.

"We'll pray for you," Lila tearily sobbed.

"No!" Gabrielle hurried to put a stop that idea. She hugged her sister, then quickly explained, "Thank you for thinking of me, but I don't want to let Zeus know what I have planned. He probably already knows, but he might have to take action if he gets 'official' notification, if you know what I mean."

They didn't, but they nodded in agreement anyway. They didn't want to know the inner workings of the gods - life was hard enough without getting involved in things mortals weren't supposed to know. Herodotus put an arm around his wife and youngest daughter, and pondered ruminatively as he considered his narrow avoidance of a short life as a stag. Reluctantly, he slowly said, "We're sorry Gabrielle. You've changed so much, and we only..." he trailed off, uncertain how to phrase an apology to a goddess - even if she was his daughter.

"I know," Gabrielle smiled at them as she felt a weight on her heart begin to ease. She knew their hearts had been in the right place, even if they had been overly heavy-handed at times in their efforts to keep her on the "right" path. "I'm glad you know the truth now. I have to go... there's a ceremony at the Amazon village I need to attend, and I need to try to... undo this godhood before dawn." She took a deep breath, but when she spoke again, she whispered only, "I love you," and then, "Goodbye." She faded out in a flash of green light.

Lila ignored the sounds of her mother sobbing and her father trying to comfort her. "Good luck," she whispered, still staring at the empty spot where her sister had stood.

Gabrielle flashed back into existence just outside Ephiny's door, the darkened path to the village proper thankfully empty. Already she could see the activity proceeding at a fever pitch throughout the village as the Amazons frantically prepared for the mysterious last-minute late night ceremony that Ephiny had ordered, and she didn't have the time she'd need to explain her problems to anyone who happened to see her sneaking around.

Glancing about, the goddess appraised the situation. Torches lit the common area in the center of the village, and the raised platform where the leaders stood to conduct ceremonies had several braziers arranged around its perimeter, filled and ready to be lit. A pair of bonfires burned brightly as well, adding more light to the open ground and easing the night's chill.

A group of yawning young women were clustered around one of these fires, smearing colorful body paints on each other and debating which of the dances they'd be called upon to perform for the coming ceremony. To Gabrielle's hidden but watchful eyes, several of the women looked to be taking more time to apply the paint than was strictly necessary... though the sleepy women painting and being painted looked to be enjoying themselves too much to protest the extra attention.

The goddess was not alone in her observations; several of the guards in the towers, posted to maintain a heightened watch during the unusual levels of activity, were watching the dancers with almost voyeuristic intensity as they painted themselves. Fortunately from a security standpoint, most of the guards remained suitably professional in their devotion to their duties... though a few more were also joking with their watchmates about their "watchful" eyes.

Even with this sleepy teasing going on - among both the guards and dancers - it was readily apparent that something unusual was happening. The activity buzzed through the atmosphere, and an excited hum energized the village. Something was definitely in the air - even if the Amazons didn't know exactly what it was - and they were plainly eager to confront and explore the possibilities the ceremony presented.

Smiling at the frenetic activity - and the excitement - that the Amazons required for a ceremony that was in essence very simple, and was truly only to validate a simple event - confirming she who had already been her de facto successor - Gabrielle turned back to the door and knocked loudly.

"Come in," Artemis and Ephiny called out the response in unison.

Gabrielle smiled and opened the door. Thankfully, this visit to Ephiny's hut was less embarrassing than the last; this time Ephiny was fully dressed and ready to conduct the ceremony. More than that... she was dressed in her full ceremonial garb.

The Amazon smiled at her friend and spread out her arms before spinning slowly for Gabrielle's appraisal. She didn't often wear her "official" clothes - and never before during one of the Queen's visits - but Gabrielle's approval of her seemed very important right now... both as her friend and as her Queen. Her godhood and her own hormones were purely secondary in the regent's mind. The Amazon knew she looked good, but she was still human enough to like validation of her self-image now and again, and after everything that had happened to her this night - both with Lysia and with Gabrielle... She raised an eyebrow and waited expectantly for her friend's response.

Ephiny wore an elaborately decorated russet leather outfit, similar in cut and design to her own queen's vestments, Gabrielle noted, eyeing her friend closely. The swirling brass curlicues circling the cups of her brief top had been polished to a high sheen, and her usual wild mane of hair had been tamed and neatly braided with pure white feathers for decoration. The fringed edge of her short skirt glittered with inlays of mother-of-pearl, and wafted saucily as she spun, partially revealing the small dagger secreted underneath it.

Her pendant glinted brightly from its nest within her cleavage, and the silver rosette on her headband sparkled in the shifting light, matched by the glitter of small silver studs in her ears. The sword at her back and the matching dagger hilts visible at her waist, boots, and even bracers looked entirely appropriate as accessories to the warrior, giving her beauty an exotic and dangerous appearance... Indeed, she looked a vision of barbaric feminine splendor, and the goddess slowly pursed her lips and nodded in pleased approval at the overall effect. Ephiny completed her turn and stood patiently waiting for her assessment, looking both regal and proud.

Gabrielle was about to comment, when something caught her eye. The regent's mask rested on a nearby table, waiting to be donned, and the sight of it sparked an idea in the new goddess' mind. Considering several possibilities, Gabrielle's greeting was almost off-handed. "Hello, Eph', you look great... you should wear that more often." Turning to face a back corner, she added, "Hello, Artemis. I'm really glad you're both here."

"Artemis is here?" Ephiny demanded, her eyes opening wide. She had almost glowed under the weight of Gabrielle's approval, but the off-handed greeting to Artemis took her aback. After all, Gabrielle was a god, but she had been her friend first, but Artemis... she'd grown up worshipping at her temple. She quickly looked around the small hut, but still saw no one. "Are you sure?"

Looking curiously at the smirking huntress, Gabrielle said, "She must not want to be seen... she's standing in that corner, though," she helpfully pointed out to her regent.

Ephiny immediately prostrated herself and pulled open her top, running through the ritual faster than she ever had before.

"I can tell who taught you that ceremony," Artemis laughed to Gabrielle. "Tell her she can rise, and not to worry... I'm quite pleased with her."

Shaking her head a little at the need for her intervention, she obeyed the goddess. "Rise, Ephiny," Gabrielle relayed. "Don't worry, she's pleased with you - though I don't know why she doesn't want you to see her."

The regent rose very slowly. She looked to be torn between apprehension and pleasure at being in the goddess' favor - with apprehension dominating. "Um... Gabrielle?" she asked hesitantly, ignoring her disordered clothing. "How long has she been in here?"

Looking curiously at the entirely too nonchalant goddess, Gabrielle slowly answered, "I don't know. Not very long, I'd guess. She left my parent's house... oh, about a quarter candlemark or so ago." Ephiny paled at that news.

"Tell her I didn't mind," Artemis explained with a smile. "Though I never thought a chobo could be used like that."

"A chobo?" Gabrielle asked the goddess curiously. Ephiny flushed and prostrated herself again, mumbling incoherent apologies.

The two goddesses watched her for a moment, though Gabrielle didn't understand what exactly she was apologizing for. Before her apologies could become too specific, Artemis intervened and stopped her. "Oh, just stand up," Artemis said, this time so Ephiny could hear as well. "I didn't mind, and you obviously needed it. Now get up - it's almost time to perform the ceremony."

Surprised by the voice speaking from nowhere, Ephiny slowly stood, her eyes darting about like a trapped animal's as she unsuccessfully tried to locate her goddess. "I... I..." she began, but couldn't make a coherent sentence come out.

Artemis sighed as the heir-apparent to the throne of her Amazons remained dazed when confronted by the presence of her goddess - even invisibly. It happened sometimes to mortals, but it had been many years since it had happened to one of her Queens - or even to a regent. Perhaps it was only her embarrassment at the goddess' voyeurism that did it - especially after Gabrielle's own... mishap. If that was the case, she could remedy the defect.

Gabrielle smiled slightly at her regent's confusion. Even though the new goddess was well in control of herself, her divine aura and her natural charms were still more than adequate to spark a fresh wave of desire in Ephiny - even if not quite as... orgasmically as the last time. Still, the Amazon's breathing caught and a delicate flush rose in her cheeks.

Artemis simply rolled her eyes at Ephiny's obvious reaction; aside from the blush, the sudden stiffening of the nipples on her bare breasts was hard to miss. If Gabrielle doesn't learn some control, she thought, and soon, we'll never get the ceremony done... not to mention the effect all of this is having on poor Ephiny.

The funny thing is, Artemis mused, Gabrielle is still ignorant of the effect she has on her regent. Gabrielle's shields may have been adequate to protect her from mortals (and usually vice versa), but to a god they remained quite permeable, and the thoughts she was broadcasting were quite shocking...

Now that she had all the Greek Amazons back under her control, Artemis refused to let any god seduce one of her Amazons... she wouldn't make an exception even for her beloved Gabrielle. Ares and Hera had each used that technique to drive a wedge and lure tribes away from her in the past, and Zeus had used it to weaken Hera's hold in turn. She had no intention of letting her chosen people slip away ever again. If it hadn't been for the wars with those damn centaurs... but there was finally peace, and the tribes were unified under her aegis again. Now that the Nation was wholly under her dominion, she could protect them fully once more from the depredations of the other gods - and that was simply too valuable a commodity to risk losing, no matter the cost or the temptation.

Leaning over, she whispered in Ephiny's ear so that not even Gabrielle could hear, "Look Ephiny, I may be a virgin goddess, but I'm not ignorant... and in case you hadn't realized, Gabrielle hasn't learned how to ease up on the divine appeal yet. Believe me, I completely understand your problems." She straightened slightly and gently planted a kiss in the middle of her forehead, holding the regent's face steady with her hands. More importantly, she also granted a small benison to protect her from the power of Gabrielle's inadvertent charms (her divine ones anyway - her native charms remained just as potent), using her body to conceal the small glow from Gabrielle's sight. "Now, calm down," the goddess emphasized, a touch of humor showing in her voice as she softly released her grip on the regent.

Ephiny felt the flood of desire she had experienced fade to manageable levels as a pair of invisible lips caressed her brow. Her eyes widened as she realized some of what had just happened. My goddess just kissed me! She couldn't tell what else Artemis had done, but had she known, she would have been grateful; she had learned it was possible to have too much of a good thing.

When it looked like the regent was beginning to recover her composure, Artemis delicately closed the Amazon's top and sealed it, her fingers cool and gentle on her breasts, then patted her lightly on the back in a gesture of support - which did just the opposite when Ephiny felt the invisible touches. "You have my blessing," the goddess said out loud, slightly amused by the whole situation, "Now let's get ready for the ceremony."

Gabrielle watched Ephiny's face become even more pale and flustered as she felt the invisible goddess kiss her and fix her clothing , then begin to return to normal. "You should just let her see you," Gabrielle offered. "It might make it easier for her to adjust."

"After the mess you made of things dealing with your family, I'm hardly going to turn to you for advice in dealing with my children," she sarcastically muttered back to Gabrielle in return. The goddess took a deep breath and calmed herself. She knew her chosen couldn't help it... Gabrielle was still ignorant of the effect she had on her regent, but Artemis knew time was short, and he was beginning to grow impatient to get things moving. She wanted this over and done with... before she gave in to the temptation to interfere with Gabrielle's plan. "Now let's go... it's past midnight, and you have to be finished before dawn."

Recalling her earlier thought, Gabrielle held up one hand to stop the proceedings. "I thought of something I need to do first. Get things moving, and I'll be back in a minute."

Ephiny stared at the spot Gabrielle had just disappeared from and shook her head. She nervously looked around, but still saw no sign of her goddess... though a strange feeling crawling up her spine told her that Artemis was still there.

Licking her lips and glancing nervously around, she wondered aloud, "How do I get myself into these things?"

The chuckle without visible source did nothing to reassure her.

Gabrielle barely had time to reintegrate her molecules before she was smothered in a fierce embrace. "Are you all right? What's wrong? What's been happening?" Xena demanded fiercely, cradling the goddess in her arms and squeezing tightly.

"I'm fine," Gabrielle answered curiously, though a bit overwhelmed by the reunion. "Why?"

"For the last candlemark or so, she's been frantic with worry about you," Hercules answered for her. "She said she could 'feel your pain,' and 'could tell you were hurting.' I'm just glad Iolaus and Autolycus were already asleep when she started, or there was liable to be panic."

The demigod was greatly relieved to see Gabrielle was back - and apparently safe and well; Xena had been well-nigh panicked and unable to clearly articulate why - not an unusual reaction among mortals when the gods are involved, but very unusual for Xena. That the new goddess was as surprised by the warrior's reaction as he provided little relief, and only added to his confusion over Xena's strange behavior.

Casting a wary eye at the warrior, he couldn't see anything obviously wrong with her... though the intensity with which Xena was embracing the short goddess was a trifle distracting - though not surprising, given how good the short goddess looked. Even knowing of the glamour surrounding the Olympians, he found himself being affected. Inconspicuously, he edged closer to the campfire and away from them so as to give the two women a little privacy. He was concerned about them, but... He was many things, but he wasn't a voyeur, and their reunion was proving to be something intensely personal.

"That's odd," Gabrielle wondered aloud, unaware of Hercules' musings. She twisted a little in her friend's arms so she could breathe (not that she really needed to, but she was new to divinity and some habits were hard to break). She made no move to break away from the arms locked around her, comforted and comforting in turn by the snug embrace.

"I wonder why? And didn't Artemis say something similar..." she asked herself softly. Raising her voice, she asked, "You definitely felt something?"

"I've never felt anything like it before," Xena explained, "I could tell you were in pain, and confused, and scared, and..." she trailed off. "I'm just glad you're alright," she finished lamely, tightening her grip to reassure herself that she was indeed back and safe.

Gabrielle thought about that, leaning into Xena and savoring her comforting warmth. I was pretty miserable, facing my parents while being lectured to and disbelieved. Did I manage to convey those feelings to Xena and Artemis somehow? I'll have to ask Artemis about that after the ceremony. Hephaestus didn't mention anything about such a thing being possible, but his lessons were very brief.

She tried to slip out of Xena's arms, but the warrior only gripped tighter in response. "Xena, I know it must have been hard for you, but I have to go again... the Amazons are having a ceremony so I can pass my right of caste on to Ephiny - just in case - and it's about to start."

"I understand... but I want to go with you." The flood of emotions had frightened the warrior princess with its' intensity, and she had been so afraid that Gabrielle was hurt or dying... Even knowing the difficulties involved in that prospect - since Gabrielle was a goddess - had been no comfort. The pain had seemed so real... "I don't want to let you out of my sight again."

Sighing, Gabrielle acquiesced. "Alright."

Xena squeezed her a little more firmly, then slowly released her. A sudden thought struck her, and she cautiously asked, "Gabrielle, if the ceremony's about to start, why did you come back? Not that I mind; I was very worried, but..."

"I just came back to pick this up," Gabrielle explained. She bent down and picked up the skin of Artemis' white stag that Iolaus had trimmed and scraped in preparation for tanning. "If there's any doubt about Artemis favoring the succession, having tangible proof of it should quiet it down."

Xena nodded slowly in agreement as she thought about that. Leave it to Gabrielle to try to make things right for her friends, even while facing her own... deification. She held out her hands and took the hide from her. "Was that it?"

"No," Gabrielle answered, a fierce look of concentration appearing on her face. "I also wanted to..." she went quiet and frowned for several minutes in intense concentration until with a subdued pop, something appeared in her hands. "...do this."

"What is it?" Hercules asked curiously from his position near the fire.

"It's the Queen's Mask," Xena answered him. "The mask worn by the Queen of the Amazons. It was destroyed when Velaska attacked the Amazon village."

Hercules looked at the leather and feather creation curiously. He'd known many Amazons, and even several queens, but had never heard of anything of the sort - it looked pretty much like all the other Amazon masks he'd ever seen. Shrugging his shoulders, he fed the fire a few more logs. It wasn't anywhere near as impressive as Hippolyta's girdle had been - but at least it wasn't as silly looking as the feathered crown of the King of Syros.

"It is a copy," Gabrielle admitted a little sheepishly. "But... it's as identical as I could make it." She put it on top of her head, then doffed her cloak. She resettled the weapons on her back, then took Xena's free hand in her own. "Let's go."

They flashed away, leaving Hercules and their two slumbering friends alone by the campfire. The demigod sighed and threw several more pieces of wood on the fire. It had been a long night, and it was going to get even longer.

The drums changed tempo, and the ceremony began in earnest. Xena listened to the music for a little while, feeling herself beginning to relax slightly despite the thunderous rhythm reverberating in her bones from the massive Amazonian drums' pounding beat. It had been a long day filled with constant tension and worry, and after two mostly sleepless nights, combined with days of mixed fierce action and constant worrying during enforced inaction, her fatigue was catching up with her. Suppressing a yawn, she sat down on the edge of Ephiny's bed... then instantly stood up again. There was something under the blanket, and it had poked her in an indelicate spot when she sat on it. Curious, she lifted the covers, then pulled it into the light to identify it.

A chobo? And... she dropped it back on the bed and hurriedly wiped her hand off on the blankets. Leave it to an Amazon to use a martial implement as a marital aid, she chuckled.

She wasn't embarrassed - it took a lot to embarrass her, after some of the things she'd seen and done in her years as a warlord - but still...

Sniffing slightly and stretching, she changed her mind about waiting quite so long in the regent's hut. That bed was just too soft, and offered too much of a temptation. She may have an iron will and near boundless reserves... but she was tired, and nearing even her limit. Maybe she would get started early, just in case something went wrong... and to distance herself from the siren call of the soft bed.

Looking out the window, she verified that no one was watching. She had to smirk at what she was about to accomplish. Sneaking past the whole Amazon Nation - women who prided themselves on their stealth... She slipped smoothly out the door, moving silently in the night. Despite the pressure they were under and the tension and fatigue that had her tied up in knots, she felt a shiver of excitement run through her. This will be fun! She skulked deeper into the enveloping darkness.

Gabrielle followed Ephiny and the invisible Artemis onto the platform, keeping herself calm and formal only with an effort of will. She kept her nerves and divine abilities under firm control, and the watching Amazons remained completely ignorant of the tension and strain she was suffering. Despite Xena's reassurances, she couldn't help feeling nervous. She wasn't around the Amazons enough to ever feel truly confident of her position... and the mix of curiosity and even desire she could feel pouring from the gathered women was nigh overwhelming despite the shields she was forcing upon herself.

At least one thing went according to plan, she mused as she took her position. The recreated queen's mask she wore had been met with an expression of surprised joy on Ephiny's face, and open delight on Artemis'. As she stood on the platform, she could tell the other Amazons were uniformly pleased to see their queen wearing it as well. They easily recognized the mask, and although they assumed it had been created in a more ordinary way, they were still delighted their absentee queen had taken the time and effort to replace the one destroyed in Velaska's first flaming rampage. Their approval of the mask went a long way towards making up for her failure to wear the proper clothing for the ceremony. Though more than one was intrigued by the amount of skin she was showing...

Wearing Ares' armor, and with her face concealed under the feathered leather mask, the new goddess stood rigidly at attention on the dais, staring out over the assembled ranks of her adopted people. The gathered Amazons sang the ancient chants lustily while the drums thundered out the rhythm, the songs rising to Artemis in a prayer for her blessing.

Under her breath, Gabrielle bypassed the ceremony and simply asked the goddess directly, without moving her head or doing anything to show the observers she was speaking, "How much should I tell them?"

"Not much," Artemis slowly replied, most of her attention on the ceremony. "After Velaska... just tell them you have to do something dangerous. Ephiny can tell them anything else they need to know later."

Nodding in acquiescence, Gabrielle turned her attention back to the ceremony. She had always enjoyed watching the pageantry of the Amazon ceremonies. The bright color, even in the dim firelight, and the spectacle of them appealed to the bard in her soul.

Even her demonspawn daughter had felt some of the same stirrings... She'd delved into her memories of her brief visit to the centaur village - when she'd killed Solon - to recall the Amazon dances performed there in celebration of the peace treaty to add an element of spectacle to Dahak's worship. Gabrielle shivered uncomfortably at that memory. She had actually enjoyed the sight of the dancers at the ritual... before she knew who they were in honor of... She shivered again, her blood chilled by her dark memories. Not even her simple enjoyment of dance had been safe from Dahak and Hope's vile and corrupting grasp.

With relief, the goddess noted there were no red and black painted dancers in the ceremony... and the masks were simply stylized animals, and not the twisted forms and leering demon faces of Hope's mockery of the Amazon rituals. Gabrielle could still enjoy the pageantry, but she could never again look at them with quite the same innocent delight as she had before Dahak... Hope may be gone, but the wounds she'd inflicted lingered yet for Gabrielle.

Unlike the ceremonies of many nations, which tended to be cold and formal, the Amazon rituals were always festive, and this one was no exception. The women who weren't singing and drumming were dancing, and everyone - young and old - was involved in the ceremony in some manner. Even though they didn't know what the ceremony was for - not precisely, anyway : Ephiny had only told them Queen Gabrielle had an important announcement to make - they threw themselves into it with a fervor and passion that delighted both watching deities. Indeed, as the ceremony progressed, Gabrielle found her haunted memories beginning to fade from her mind, the negative associations washed away by the sheer exuberance and joy of the dancers.

The two bonfires were burning brightly, flanking the assembly ground, and five women were dancing around each. They were wearing only body paint with brief leather clothing decorated with feathers and bits of colorful shells and highly polished metal, and were performing an ancient dance of their own choosing, calling for Artemis' blessing on the ceremony with rhythmic movements to the pounding beat of the drums.

Gabrielle held herself perfectly still despite feeling the rhythm of the beat in her bones. She knew full well she couldn't dance - the people of Potadaiea had thoroughly pounded that lesson into her head long ago - and if she messed up this ceremony, Ephiny would be the one to suffer, and not her. There's no way I'll let that happen to her... especially not now.

With a small frown she noticed Lysia, the woman who had been "with" Ephiny earlier, in among the dancers. Her body was wrapped snugly around a muscular young warrior, and her hands were slithering across the warrior's skin and dipping into her leathers, despite their highly visible location in the center of the square. It almost looked as though she was flaunting her new attachment... She didn't wait long, Gabrielle frowned in disapproval. Fortunately, Ephiny either didn't notice, or pretended not to see the public demonstration of affection.

The music reached a crescendo, and with a ululating wail, the village went silent. The dancers prostrated themselves, and all eyes turned to the pair (they could see) on the stage.

Breathing deeply, Gabrielle stepped forward and raised her mask. "Amazons... tonight we have gathered for a very important purpose - to formalize the succession."

A surprised buzz of conversation passed through the crowd. They hadn't anticipated that... And why was it needed on such short notice, they wondered.

"Tomorrow morning, I must undertake a dangerous and potentially fatal challenge," she explained, and Artemis nodded in approval of her vague evasion of the details. When several of the warriors, including Eponin, looked ready to volunteer to accompany her, she swiftly added, "that I can only face alone." Looking disappointed, the warriors backed down, though the weapons master looked a little disgruntled about it.

"But because of the dangerous nature of this task, the Nation must be prepared in the event I should fail." Her expression turned grim, and all present could hear her sincerity and the depth of her belief resonating in her voice. "The Amazons have faced too many tragedies among their leaders in too short a time : Terreis, slain by a conniving warlord's arrow, Melosa, slain in a bid for power by her unworthy adopted daughter, and even Velaska herself... who in her bid for self-gratification slew her own mother, insulted and challenged our Goddess, and would have destroyed the Nation for failing to bow down in worship of her." Her expression remained grim.

The drums beat a sudden staccato pattern to underscore the seriousness, and then fell silent once again. Artemis watched in amazement as her Amazons were enthralled by the tiny figure of her chosen. Not one of them would question anything the slight woman asked of them, and she hadn't even used any of her divine powers. She was simply incredible.

"I have consulted with Artemis," Gabrielle resumed, "and the decision is clear."

Under her own mask, Ephiny looked vaguely disturbed at that phrasing. The others may have thought Gabrielle was only referring to simple prayer, but she knew the truth. Gabrielle may be blasé about meeting the gods, but she certainly wasn't. Having her goddess bless - and even kiss! - her, even invisibly, would have her shaking in her leathers for days, she realized. And she'd certainly never feel quite as comfortable when mast... alone anymore.

Artemis only rolled her eyes at her comments. Gabrielle was a good performer, but she could be overly dramatic at times - even if it was the simple truth.

"She has reigned during my absence," Gabrielle continued, "and has guided the Amazons with wisdom and skill. Ephiny, my regent and heir, please step forward."

The crowd hooted and cheered, and Eponin led a group of warriors in banging chobos together as the regent took her place at the center of the stage. The only one who looked at all displeased by her announcement was Lysia - though she didn't stop caressing her new bedmate. Gabrielle took off her mask, and while holding it in one hand, reached out and took Ephiny's hand in the other.

She addressed her regent, but pitched her voice to carry to the whole village. "Ephiny, you have served our people well, and guided them through many difficult times. I go forth to face my destiny tonight, knowing that should I fail, our people will continue to flourish under your and Artemis' care. I therefore present you with my right of caste, and all the rights and responsibilities that accompany it. Should I be touched by Celesta before designating another heir, you shall follow me as the Queen of Artemis' chosen people."

The cheers were louder this time, as the Amazons cried out their support for the new Queen-designate. The drums pounded out a booming backdrop while the banging chobos clattered above the sound of the applause. When the noise faded, Gabrielle looked for Xena, "Now..." she whispered, trying to project the thought as she had unwittingly done with her emotions while suffering at her parents' house.

"Now?" the audience all wondered, hearing the word, but not understanding the significance.

Xena's sudden appearance on the platform took everyone by surprise; even Artemis did a double take as the warrior silently walked to the front of the platform and held out the deerhide to her friend. Gabrielle smiled at her in response, and her face glowed with her pleasure. She loved it when one of her plans worked; too bad that didn't happen more often.

She smiled at the watching Amazons, and resumed speaking. "Artemis has blessed this succession, and in token of that blessing, presented me with one of the stags taken in her sacred Hunt. To thank her for her care, I present to you, Queen Regent Ephiny, my heir, the hide of that stag, to be used in Artemis' temple, that we may always be reminded of her blessings and the love she has for her people." She took the hide away from Xena, and held it out to her chosen successor as the warrior backed discretely away from the solemn presentation.

Artemis actually blushed, moved by Gabrielle's words, though she knew the less palatable truth of her gift - and was more than a little ashamed of herself. "No," she whispered softly to herself, "I gave it to try to buy her forgiveness."

"She knows that," Xena whispered back to the goddess' great shock - the goddess hadn't meant to say that out loud. "but she doesn't care. And the Amazons don't know... so let her have the moment." She had - knowingly or not - positioned herself directly beside the invisible goddess.

Ephiny knelt and with reverent arms took the white hide from Gabrielle. "We will treasure it always, my Queen." She carried the hide over to the beaming high priestess of Artemis, and gave it over to her for safekeeping.

"And now," Gabrielle proclaimed while lowering her mask, "though I will be unable to attend the festivities, remember that this is truly a time of joy. Celebrate the new heir to the throne, and sing the praises of our goddess!" She paused dramatically, and then, throwing up her hands and throwing back her head in triumph, she proclaimed to the heavens, "Let the celebration begin!"

The village dissolved into cheers as the music began again. Although many remained concerned about the danger the queen was to face, the majority accepted what she had said : she must face it alone (though everyone also assumed Xena would be there as well, which did much to reassure them). In the meantime... it was time to party!

Amazons rushed about, fetching food and drink, additional musical instruments, and readying themselves for the party. Many of the women hurried over to the delighted priestess to see the untanned hide, while others joyfully started to dance again as the party launched itself directly into high gear. A few even lingered by the stage and were plainly waiting to see the regent; Lysia's display had not passed unnoticed, and several of the warriors were interested in "comforting" the regent and new heir in her time of sorrow. Kegs of ale and mead were swiftly rolled out, and the dancers began singing while they danced and sang the praises of the goddess.

On the platform, Ephiny quietly thanked Gabrielle. "I'm completely surprised. Gabrielle, how did you manage to do that?"

The goddess only smiled and handed her the queen's mask. "I have many skills," she responded, the mimicry precise - if a register or two too high.

"It's getting close to dawn, Gabrielle," Xena reminded her, amused by the imitation. "We should go."

"I know," she replied, then turned to the other goddess on the platform.

"You are incredible," Artemis said simply, shaking her head in wonderment and beaming with loving pride at her chosen. "We don't deserve to have you on Olympus." Gabrielle looked faintly embarrassed, but Artemis didn't relent. After a moment, the huntress firmed her resolve. She held up her hands, and for a brief instant she was visible to the Amazons.

The crowd went silent as for a split second their goddess appeared before them in all her radiant glory. She gently touched one hand to the heads of both Gabrielle and Ephiny, then vanished in a flash of light. The tangible force of her blessing swept across the village, sending a shiver racing through the frozen Amazons. The silence was deafening as they absorbed the divine visitation...

...and then the Amazons roared with approval, and the delighted priestess led them in a hymn of praise. This would be a night that would be remembered for as long as there were Amazons - although few remembered many of the details after they'd sobered up late the next day. A few things, however, were universally remembered and accepted : Ephiny was the heir, Artemis had blessed them, and it had been one Hades of a great party.

Ephiny had to smile at the warm reception, and she drew her friend into a hug, making sure to keep it platonic despite the wonderful things being near the goddess did for her hormones - even with Artemis' block and Gabrielle's own tight control. "Come back safely, Gabrielle," she whispered. Holding her at arm's length, she added, "If you come back, we'll throw you a parade."

The goddess had to laugh at that. "I thought the Amazons didn't do parades?"

"For you, we'll change," Ephiny responded. She hugged her again, then traded forearm grips with Xena. "Be well," she concluded.

Gabrielle and Xena softly said goodbye to Ephiny, then slipped away. It was nearly dawn, and there was no time to lose. They vanished in a burst of green light, leaving the Amazons to continue their wild celebration.

Time was running out, and the moment of truth was looming directly before them.