A SMALL VILLAGE NEAR ATHENS, EARTH'S "MYTHICAL ERA"
Two years spent travelling with Xena broadened Gabrielle in ways
she could never have imagined. Now she found herself standing
back-to-back with the raven-haired warrior as they fought off a
seeming army of raiders, intent on pillaging this innocent
village.
Gabrielle spun her staff and cracked one bandit in the head,
taking him down, bloodlessly. She abhorred bloodshed, but she had
come to grips with the necessity of limited violence, in its
place.
Truth be told, violence came a lot easier to her ever since her
husband of only one day had been murdered by Callisto. Only Xena's
intervention had kept her from giving in to rage and killing
Callisto herself, which was what Callisto wanted: to see Gabrielle
give into her own darker side. But, although she resisted the
impulse, she now knew that potential was there.
The bandits routed, Xena turned to her and frowned. "Gabrielle!
You weren't paying attention! That'll get you killed in a fight."
Gabrielle blinked. "Oh, sorry Xena."
Xena shook her head and walked off to tend to an injured villager.
She had no idea that Gabrielle's occasional flighty lapses were
actually caused by deeper, more disturbing thoughts; and
truthfully, if she did, she wouldn't care because either way,
Gabrielle wasn't paying enough attention during the melee and it
could have gotten her killed.
Gabrielle followed after Xena, intent on providing whatever help
she could.
MEANWHILE, ON MOUNT OLYMPUS . . .
Zeus was looking over the battlefield. He'd heard things from the
other Gods about this woman, Xena. Ares' claims he dismissed;
Hades' rumblings he ignored; Poseidon's demands he repudiated; and
Aphrodite's whinings he blocked out with ear plugs made of moly.
But only a few months ago, his son had given up his partial
godhood for love of the woman Serena, who had been the last Golden
Hind. And while the fight with Ares' lacky Strife had been a
crashing failure for the now-mortal Hercules, Zeus had been
astonished that in his favorite son's hour of need, his former
lover Xena and her follower Gabrielle, had shown up and executed a
convoluted plan to expose Ares' machinations. And, frankly, the
way she yelled at Ares had been rather heartwarming. No, there was
something special about this one alright, something about the way
that Ares "coddled" her. He had his suspicions about the reason
for that but he wasn't about to confront his arrogant son.
He had a larger problem. He could sense a stirring in the ether,
caused by two mortals who had obtained ambrosia, and with it
godhood. They were both madwomen, and as goddesses were even more
of a threat to everyone around them than they had ever been
before. The amazon Velasca and the warlord Callisto had both been
encased in a lava flow by Xena, but time had passed and both were
now stronger. Strong enough to break free. And perhaps, since she
had been instrumental in *causing* the problem, Xena would be the
one who could deal with it for him?
If he could just arrange a little help for her, she might be just
the agent he needed. It was inappropriate for the Gods to fight;
even though Velasca had already destroyed one of Artemis' temples,
she truly hadn't done enough to invite direct reprisal. Yet. But
it wasn't Velasca that Zeus was worried about. She had dreams to
supplant Artemis, yes. But Artemis could deal with her when the
time came. It was Callisto. She lived only to deal out pain. And
it was forbidden for the Gods to take innocent mortal lives. The
law was broken from time to time of course; but those
trasgressions paled in comparison to what Zeus expected Callisto
to do.
Callisto burned with her pain and she would continue to lash out
at everything and everyone around her. She'd kill and kill to make
Xena crazed with remorse. As a dead mortal, she had been cast into
Tartarus, but Hera had resurrected her and given her an
opportunity for immortality, which she seized. Now she was a
goddess as well, and though a goddess raised from mortality would
be weaker than an Olympian-born, she would gain power from her
madness. It might take hundreds or even thousands of mortal deaths
before the other Gods would allow him to censure her; and then at
a price. Besides, even if he banished her to Tartarus, the bitch
might just climb out armed with the power of the banished Titans.
Zeus suddenly stopped his musings and smiled. 'Ah,' he thought,
'the power of the Titans.'
Zeus's smile broadened. He knew what he needed to do and who could
do it for him. It was time to cheat.
"Aphrodite!" he called. There was a scintillating blast of golden
light and the sultry blonde diva appeared amidst a shower of rose
petals in red and white, wearing diaphanous pink robes. Well,
robes was a bit generous. Nightgown might have been more correct.
"Like, what, Oh Mighty Overlord and King of the Gods? Say, them
are some bitchin' threads you're wearin' today. Been to Persia
recently?" she said pointing at his godly robes.
"Aphrodite," he said, starting to regret his plan already. "You've
met Xena."
"And her annoying little blond sidekick," said the goddess of
Passion, the 80's, Valley-speak, and Big Mall Hair. "Imagine,
breaking vases in my temple to get my attention? Who does the
little bimbette think she is, the Pink Ranger?!?" She pouted
cutely, hands on her hips, the pale pink cloak over her robes
billowing fetchingly in the non-existent breeze.
Zeus looked at her blankly. It was really annoying that thanks to
her direct parentage from Uranus (thanks to his father, Chronos),
this third-rate goddess had time travel powers like no one else in
the Pantheon. Forbidden powers they all shared, yes, and probably
all used secretly, but she was the most skilled and powerful of
them all at traversing the timestream.
The Victoria's Secret catalogs prooved it.
"I wish you would . . . oh nevermind. I have something for you."
"A present?!" she squealed. "What is it, Pop?!"
Zeus winced. "Ah, yes, that rumor we have about you being my
daughter. Well, let's remember your true origins, shall we?"
"Uhoh," she said, deflating. "You've got a job for me don't you."
Zeus nodded in reply and she started to pout. "You are, like, so
totally no-fun that it's scary. The mortals ought to make you the
God of Boring-ness."
"Ah, but I don't just have a task for you. I also have a
compliment."
"Oh? What? That I'm the prettiest goddess? That I have the best
fashion sense? The coolest temples? I know all that." She tossed
her hair and turned partially away.
"That you're the cleverest, most conniving sneak on Olympus,
smarter than Athena, sneakier than Hera, and bitchier than
Artemis," he said matter-of-factly.
Aphrodite stopped her bubbling and looked at Zeus. In a more level
voice she said, "Oh, this has got to be bad . . . "
Zeus smiled wryly, "The Pantheon has need for your wits Aphrodite.
I'm merely selecting the right goddess for the job. And if you
repeat the compliment, I'll deny it."
Aphrodite sat down on a couch that appeared beneath her. "Well, go
on, old man. I'm listening now."
"The neonate goddesses, Velasca and Callisto, are about to break
free and go on a bloody rampage. I want them stopped."
Aphrodite shot him a look of disbelief. "Oh, you have, like, GOT
to be kidding me!" she said, laughing. "Like I'd pick a fight with
those wenches! Callisto especially, running around in her little
dominatrix outfit!"
"Actually, I wanted you to get Xena to deal with them for me."
Aphrodite paused, and looked at Zeus, her mouth forming an 'oh' of
surprise for a moment before she continued. "You mean you want me
to put her up to it and help her a little?"
In the corner, the three fates had stopped their work for a moment
and were watching the two Gods. Lachesis had taken out her ruler
and was preparing to adjust the mark on it.
Zeus stalked towards the Great Portal at the summit of the
platform atop Olympus. "I want you to help Xena to get her hands
on the Scythe of Chronos."
"NO! You mustn't!" cried Hades, materializing out of nowhere. He
was definitely hurried, as he hadn't taken the time to slick back
his hair, put on black armor, and make his face pale for that
'skeletal' look. End result: he was looking very alive, fairly
handsome, and not fearsome at all (as Persephone preferred). He
held his helmet of invisibility in the crook of his arm.
Aphrodite giggled at his alarm and his slightly disheveled
appearance.
Zeus turned around, taken aback. "What were you doing listening in
here?" he asked in a dangerous voice of his youngest brother.
"This is not your place."
"That scythe can slay a God! That makes it my business! Xena has
had bad dealings with several of us, what if she takes it into her
head to come killing Gods?!?"
"You've been reading way too much Saberhagen again," commented
Aphrodite wryly.
Zeus haughtily commented, "Well, if Ares gets involved in the fray
I suppose she might dispatch him; they have been enemies in the
past. Still, he has done her at least one good turn in restoring
her to her proper body. Something, which I might add, you might
have done yourself." Zeus looked his youngest brother over
consideringly. "You, I think, she does not like."
"Mortals aren't supposed to like death," said Hades petulantly.
"Xena likes Thanatos, or Celesta as she prefers, more than she
does you. And Celesta is the embodiment of death. Face it Hades,
you've been a perfect ass to her on several occasions." Aphrodite
said with scorn.
Hades scowled.
"Aphrodite . . . born of Uranus by the stroke of Chronos' scythe,
you alone among the Gods--other than myself, as his heir, of
course--are immune to its deadly touch. For this reason alone,
only you may safely guide Xena to it. No mortal can be trusted to
such power. The rest of us will withdraw for a short time to
confer about other Godly matters and leave you to your work."
Zeus entered the great portal and disappeared.
Hades was staring at her. "You're immune to the scythe?" he asked
in what might have been a "small" voice.
She put her hands on her hips. "You betcha. Are you starting to
buy into that myth we circulated among the mortals, that I'm Zeus'
daughter?" she chuckled. "Come to think of it, I think Herc thinks
it's true too! Then again, it's kinda cool having the big lug as a
brother . . . "
"So you could have grabbed the scythe and used it anytime you
wanted to," he pressed.
"Well . . . yes, I suppose so," she said. "But killing and
fighting is not my thing. I'm the Goddess of Love remember??"
"With the power of that scythe behind you, you could depose Hera
and make yourself Queen of the Gods. If you wanted to."
"I don't," she said, scowling, with eyes flashing in anger. Hades
was getting uncomfortably close to the truth of her origins: she
was an incarnation of a force that predated even the Titans. "That
old buzzard! Like, I can't believe what a mess he just dropped
into my lap!! Hey, Hades, where the hell do you think you're
going, mister?!?"
Hades, who had been turning away and about to teleport back into
the realm of the dead, paused.
"You want my help, don't you," he scowled.
"Well, for one thing, that damnned weapon can't be wielded by a
normal mortal," she began. "Though Xena had a touch of Ambrosia on
her lips to revive her once, so she should be able to. If not,
maybe Ares has given her a little something extra . . . but if
they need help, I'm not sure who I can bring in. I'm not getting
my baby, Cupid, anywhere near it!"
"You want me to provide another champion? I can't release anyone
else out of the underworld for Xena."
"Then, I guess you'd better FIND someone to be your *personal*
champion and do it toot-sweet, honey, because I'm not sure that
even Xena armed with the power of the Titans is going to be able
to deal with Callisto *and* Velasca."
Hades paused, and looked thoughtful. "Awaken my personal
champion?" He paused to consider for a moment and then glanced
over at the Fates and back to Aphrodite. "Perhaps . . . I do know
where I might find a champion." He looked at her. "But I may need
just a little bit of your help to bring her into play."
Aphrodite waved dismissively and cracked her bubblegum. "What-
ever! Just be ready if and when I yell for backup, ok?!?"
Hades nodded once; he turned and looked at the Fates, smiled
slightly, and then vanished in a dark cascade of smoke. Aphrodite
sighed like an injured diva and stalked away.
The three fates turned back to the tapestry. Lachesis handed
Clotho a green thread. The spinner attached a ball of thread to it
and handed it back to Lachesis. The measurer wove it into the
tapestry as far as the tapestry went at the moment and tossed the
remaining ball of thread up to the top of the wall where just a
very few other thread balls were sitting. Atropos scowled and
looked disappointed. Then she bent forward to examine another
thread. This one was golden and appeared in the tapestry out of
nowhere fully formed. She followed it with her eyes as its color
dimmed to yellow, in particular after it became entwined with a
strong black thread. She looked at it very closely. Both threads
suddenly looked to her like she might be cutting them soon.
BACK AT THE VILLAGE. . .
Xena walked into a run-down inn. The attack on the village had
been scarcely an hour before, but already some of the warriors
hired by the townfolk to protect them were sitting in the bar,
well on their way to being drunk. Xena sneered at them as she
entered. At the least they could have gone out on quick patrol
around the village to make sure all the attackers were gone before
coming in here and getting sloshed. She, on the other hand, just
needed to wet her parched throat and then she'd be back among the
survivors, rendering what first aid she could.
She pulled up a seat at the bar. By the odor, she could tell that
an *extremely* drunk man who hadn't washed in days was approaching
her. "Your best," she said in a commanding tone to the bartender.
"Hey baby, you look so fine in that black leather armor. I bet you
look better out of it!" he said. Xena only understood him because
she had learned to understand slurred speech over the years. She
casually reached out for a torch with her left hand and slammed a
mouthful of the alcohol back with her right. She figured it was a
little weak but should do the trick.
She turned to the drunkard and put the torch in front of her face.
His eyes widened appreciatively -- until she sprayed alcohol at
him over the torch flame, igniting it in a jet of flame.
He yelled very loudly and ran for the door, beating at his beard
as if it were on fire. On retrospect, Xena decided she *should*
have hit him with the flame. If she had, he might have gone and
soaked himself and then, at least, he'd have a bath.
She tested the flavor of the drink on her tongue. It wasn't bad
for where she was. "I'll have another," she said to the bartender.
She sipped her drink and thought back over the day's fighting. She
thought about Gabrille's distraction in combat and her smile froze
and faded. She enjoyed the thrill of battle, especially now that
she could pick fights for worthy causes, but Gabrielle was
bothering her again. She loved the woman as the sister she never
had, but for all Gabrielle's courage, she worried that someday the
woman's inattentiveness would get her killed in battle. That some
blow would fall that Xena couldn't stop. But, if she sent
Gabrielle away, who would help her keep her dark side in check?
Truth be told, Gabrielle was a part of the "warrior princess"
fighting for good. The Xena who looked out on the world was
something of both of them, and without . . .
She was still worrying when she stepped out of the tavern. "Penny
for your thoughts?" asked a cheeful, yet mocking voice.
"A what?!?" asked Xena looking up and pulling her sword. Her
senses hadn't detected anyone walking up that close to her. When
she saw who had appeared by the door, she nearly groaned in
dismay.
"Aphrodite. What do you want?" she asked.
Aphrodite put on a sweet face, took a deep breath . . . and
suddenly exhaled. "Argh! Look, I don't have time for playing the
usual games! Here's the deal: Callisto and Velasca are breaking
free, like," Aphrodite paused and consulted her digital pager,
"anywhere from tomorrow morning to about an hour from now.
Certain parties up on good ole' Mount Olympus have decided that
the best way to deal with them is to help you get the means to
kill them. So, we're on a quest as of now. Are we clear on
this?"
Xena stiffened at the presumption Aphrodite made of her. "What
power? What are you talking about?"
Aphrodite looked at her. "It's a secret of the Gods," she said,
"An artifact of the Titans, the--"
"Scythe of Chronos!" exclaimed Xena. Aphrodite's eyes nearly
popped out.
"Hidden in a cave in the side of the cliff that is the final fall
into the endless abyss that is Tartarus itself!" she continued.
Aphrodite blinked. "Hercules must talk an awful lot in his sleep.
I really must talk to Hypnos and Morpheus about that."
Xena smiled cunningly. "So, you want me to go to the edge of
Tartarus, get the Scythe, and kill two new goddesses with it?"
Aphrodite smiled smarmily. "Congratulations, you win the prize for
quick witds. Now you and whats-er-name--"
"Gabrielle!"
"Right. You need to get to the lake and get into Hades' realm."
Xena shook her head at Aphrodite's babbling. Just then, up walked
Gabrielle. "Xena, who are you talking to?" she asked, Aphrodite
being invisible to her.
"Nevermind, we have to go to Lake Avernus," replied Xena, talking
over her shoulder.
"Avernus? The gateway into Hades' realm? What have the Gods got
you up to this time?" asked Gabrielle plaintively.
Xena started to make an airy comment, but then her smile froze and
cracked. "Callisto's about to tear free. I've got to stop her.
You stay here, Gabrielle and I'll . . . "
"Wait, wait, I've got a better idea," said Gabrielle. "If Callisto
is breaking free, then that means Velasca is too. That means I
have to warn Ephiny and the Amazons right away."
"You're right, of course," Xena said in her most concerned voice.
"Gabrielle, I'm sorry . . . I forget sometimes that I'm not the
only one with enemies anymore." Gabrielle looked pensive, and
glanced away, at the ground.
"Velasca's probably going for Artemis' largest temple first,"
commented Aphrodite. "The main one near Hellespont."
Without pausing, Xena continued on. "We know Callisto will come
after me wherever I go; But last time, Velasca attacked a temple
of Artemis on the way after us. For her, the Amazons will keep--
she wants to deal with Artemis. Her largest temple is beside
Hellespont. I think she'll go there first and attack it. If not
first, then soon. It would be a good place to spring a trap, but
you have to get the priests and shrine visitors safely warned and
away."
Gabrielle nodded. She liked the 'evacuate the helpless innocents'
job; she did it well and she didn't crimp Xena's style while doing
it. "Sounds like a plan. As long as you're sure you'll be
allright in the underworld?" she questioned.
Xena smiled broadly, her blue eyes sparkling in the sun. "I'll be
_fine_, Gabrielle. And I'll be very relieved to know you're fine
too."
Gabrielle nodded thoughtfully. "Ok then, I'll go." She turned and
hurried off.
Aphrodite frowned and looked after Gabrielle. "That's funny,
there's something about her that I hadn't noticed before," she
said mostly to herself.
"Of COURSE there is!" exclaimed Xena. "Gabrielle is a Very
Special Person. She--"
"Oh save it," interrupted Aphrodite, who simply disappeared.
Xena made a rude noise, threw up her hands, and turned to walk
back to where Argo was stabled. "I sure hope Hades doesn't mind
me dropping in for a visit," she said to herself.
From the far side of the town square, Ares looked on from the
shadows. He smiled a smug and self-assured grin to himself and
faded away in a blast of steel-gray light.
ON MOUNT OLYMPUS . . .
Atropos leaned forward to look at the black and yellow threads
that were starting to separate from one another. It looked like a
nasty tangle would soon form all right. A tangle that would
require some cutting . . .
Backstory from the Xena TV Show
In the episode "Hooves and Harlots" Gabrielle throws her body over
the fallen body of the Amazon princess during an ambush. For her
simple, honest courage, the mortally-wounded amazon bestows her
caste-right on Gabrielle making her the new princess.
In a later episode, the Amazon queen Melosa has been challenged
and defeated by Velasca; Velasca is about to ascend to the throne
of the Amazons when Gabrielle is found and claims the throne. She
was on her way to Amphipolis, to bury Xena. Xena had been mortally
injured and apparently died, but her spirit was restless and
following Gabrielle. With her new followers and the help of
Autolycus the King of Thieves, Gabrielle got to a supply of
Ambrosia, the food of the Gods that grants godhood itself and got
a sliver to Xena's "dead" body. End result: Xena came back to
life. However, Velasca tried to get the Ambrosia for herself.
Xena's spirit used Gabrielle's body to fight off the sadistic
Amazon, and Velasca seemed to fall to her death in a pit of
spikes. Unfortunately, more than a sliver of Ambrosia fell right
next to her. End result: the Goddess Velasca, whose goal it is to
supplant the huntress goddess Artemis, for "failing" the Amazon
nation.
In order to stop Velasca, Xena and Gabrielle released Xena's
nemesis, the psychopathic Callisto, from the Labyrinth of the Gods
where she'd been confined after tricking Hercules into leading her
to the legendary Golden Apples of the Hesperides, which grant
immortality (but not godhood). Xena tricked Velasca and Callisto
into fighting; Callisto got some of Velasca's Ambrosia; and Xena
cut the ropes that kept the bridge they were on from falling into
a river of lava. End result: two evil goddesses being kept in
check ONLY by a river of flaming molten rock. They were weak and
newly made divine when they went in. But it's been a few months. . .
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