Rating: PG-13
All comments welcome… preferably constructive ones. The bard is hungry.
Disobeying Destiny
By Ares' Chosen (Rebecca)
The sun lurked around the corner off the bush, the remaining embers of day shining on the branches of some trees. Nearby if one walked by, you would notice a woman with a scroll in her hand talking to a dark haired woman.
“Xena, do you think we are all put on this earth for a reason?”
Looking up from sharpening her sword she glanced at her companion. “We make our own destiny, you should know that by now” Laughing the warrior princess got up and headed towards her horse.
“Here keep this with you…I won’t be needing it” Xena gave her sword to the bard. “Gabrielle wait here, I’ve got to do something…I’ll be back before you know it”
With that being said, she leapt upon her golden horse and set off down the road leaving Gabrielle at the campsite alone with her thoughts…and her dinner.
Making her way into the quiet city, she looked around for a place to tether her horse, that done she moved quickly and quietly through-out the buildings until she came to a marble building, on the front of it was a golden sword that looked like it was about to fall. Behind the sword were two black marble doors.
Xena walked up to the sword and with all her might pulled the sword from the building. The noise was immense, almost like the roar of thunder. It echoed throughout the town, but not a soul stirred.
Taking the sword she walked upto the marble doors and opened them. Inside was a small room with a small jug of water on a purple cloth. Picking up the water jug she drank from it. She then proceeded to lift the cloth, underneath was a gold key. She then left the temple.
Xena sheathed the gold sword; the cool air from outside bought her back to her senses. But then one sense overloaded the rest; a tingling sensation came over her entire body. “Ares, why are you here?”
The dark god made his presence known. “My dear Xena, your looking for answers to questions you haven’t asked?”
“If you don’t know by now, I’m not one for cryptic talk!”
“Oh yeah, I know. I’m here to tell you your destiny. You see unlike most mortals you have a choice, that you have to make tonight”
“Why am I always the special one!” sarcasm dripped from her voice.
“Because you are you!” accompanied by a low laugh. “Xena…something is going to happen tonight that is out of my control. I know that you have been to heaven and hell and back. You’ve even died before and come back, yet nothing will prepare you for this.”
Fear overcame Xena, something that she wasn’t used to. “Ares, what’s going to happen?”
He walked over to his warrior princess; he could smell the pine wood scent from trees in her hair. He pushed a stray hair behind her ear. “Gabrielle is going to die, Xena…by your hand”
Stunned senseless by what the war god told her, she acted instinctively and slapped him.
“Geez Xena, I came here to warn you!”
Her emotions were all off balance, suddenly a thought occurred to her. ‘He’s probably just riling you up!’ “How dare you, Ares. Come in here…invade my personal space and then tell me I would kill my best friend” By now her voice was raised and anger was clearly the overriding emotion.
Instinctively she turned away from him and started to walk back to her campsite.
Ares, now very irritable disappeared and re-appeared back infront of her. “Thanks Xena, thankyou very much. I come here to tell you that your best friends life is in danger and you hit me. Your very good at hurting people aren’t you. If you haven’t noticed I did something not for myself but for you”
“Ares, you’re just trying to delay me. You’ve probably kidnapped Gabrielle and done something with her and then you will use the whole blackmail thing on me. It won’t work; you’re a selfless and heartless bastard. Get out of my way”
“No Xena, not until you believe me!”
“Fine I believe you!”
“No, you don’t. You're not leaving until you do”
“Ares, don’t think you can stop me.” With that the warrior princess flipped into the air and over his head. Once landed, she took out the new sword and stalked off.
Running out of time and hope, Ares re-appeared infront of the warrior princess. “Fine Xena, you hate me…you probably always will. I try to help you and you don’t believe me. Well it doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t care. If you think that I’m trying to hurt the irritating blonde then attack me, do your worse, beat me up…like you’ve always wanted to. But I won’t fight back!”
“Does that mean I can now leave…good” With that Xena, holding the sword from the temple rammed the sword through the god’s abdomen and pulled it out. Without looking back at the god she walked on. “Thanks for that Ares, I haven’t felt so good in years”
The sound of metal falling onto the ground was the next thing Xena heard. Curious to what caused the sound she turned around. On the ground lay the god of war with a pool of blood around him. “Cut the dramatics Ares…I’m not buying it” Her eyes then fell onto the Sword of War. It lay beside Ares, shattered in pieces.
Concern all of a sudden won out over all the other emotions. Running over to where Ares lay she quickly placed her hand on his chest and her ear of his mouth. “Oh Gods, Ares…breath, please” She started compressions on his chest while breathing into his mouth every five seconds.
Nothing. The God of War, Prince and heir of Olympus was dead.
Lifting him into her arms, she cradled his body. Feeling like a part of her was missing, she started crying. “I killed him, he was trying to help me…I know he didn’t mean to hurt me ever…oh gods. Not him! WHY DID YOU TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME!! It’s my fault”
She couldn’t contain her grief any more. A primal scream erupted from the lungs of the warrior princess.
Gabrielle still sat at the campfire waiting for Xena to return. *I hope she hurries up, theres not much quail left and it looks really yummy*
Suddenly she heard a scream come from where Xena had rode. Dropping her dinner, the bard stood up. “Something’s wrong”
Grabbing her Sais and pushing them into her boots and grabbing her coat in the other hand she ran towards the village.
Entering the village, Gabrielle ran towards the huddle in the middle of the village square. Looking around she saw something out of the ordinary. *None of the villagers are outside, yet the screams…would have woken them*
Spotting Xena on the ground, she ran over to her. “Xena what’s wrong, I heard someone scream?”
Xena turned around on the ground to face the bard with Ares lying on top of her. “Gabrielle, I killed him…I killed him”.
The warrior princess broke down again this time in the arms of Gabrielle.
Several hours later, a small group could be spotted walking towards a nearly dead campfire.
“Xena do you –”
“No” came the curt reply. Lifting Ares off the back of Argo she placed him on the ground near the fire.
Gabrielle understanding what Xena wanted, walked away from the campfire.
“Actually Gabrielle”
The bard turned around.
“Could you start the fire up?”
“Sure, Xena” Gabrielle left to collect some firewood.
Xena stood up and fetched a blanket from Argo to put over Ares.
Placing a hand on his cheek, feeling the coldness of it. It was simple…she missed him.
Gabrielle walked back into camp with some firewood, as she was nearing the fire. A bright light engulfed the campfire. The bard was flung into a tree, hard. A sickening sound was heard on impact.
“Gabrielle!!!” Xena screamed as she herself was thrown back by the sheer force of the light.
When the light receded, Xena looked up into the faces of the Olympian Gods.
A god with silvery hair and dark brown eyes walked forward. “Xena, you’ve killed my son in cold blood. I don’t know how or why…but it is you who shall die next”
Gabrielle slowly was coming out of the black fog she was in. “Xe-…what’s going on”
“They want revenge Gabrielle, for Ares’ death”
“No! You can’t let them”
“What can I do?”
“Fight them” Gabrielle relapsed into the black fog.
Standing up, Xena looked into the eyes of the all powerful Zeus. “I’m a warrior, I was born one and I shall die one” She unsheathed the gold sword from the temple.
All the gods recoiled. “Child, where did you get that?”
*Xena, I think Daddy’s trying to pick you up*
Xena spun around, upon hearing Ares’ voice.
The king of the gods grew impatient. “Where did you get it”
“From a temple in the nearby village” Xena replied still edgy from the fright of hearing Ares’ voice.
*Don’t give them the sword Xena*
“Xena, I think you should give the sword to us now, we will give you your life back”
“Wait, why do you want the sword?”
“As a god I need not reveal to you my reasons”
*Xena, don’t give them the sword, it’s the only thing that stops him from having ultimate power…no mortal but you knows that*
“Forget it, Zeus”
“Insolent mortal, you will be in Tartarus for eternity”
“I’ve already been there, Zeus. It’s alright…I’ll still get to kick some asses”
“I’ll be back for you, Xena. I won’t forget this…and remember Ares’ death is on your hands. You will never see him again or hear him again and its all your fault” The god smiled cruelly.
“Well Zeus, I would of thought as his father those words would of hurt you as you said them”
“War is not my son, and never will be. He might be my flesh and blood and was heir to Olympus. But I can now reign peacefully knowing that the world will be a much happier place” With that he disappeared.
*Xena its O.Kay, I’m here*
“Ares, where are you”
*I believe you mortals call it a soul/spirit*
“Why are you here”
*Listen carefully I haven’t much time. My spirit is stronger than mortals because I am…was a god. You need to get my sword and fix it somehow…I don’t know how. The gold sword that you carry, don’t lose it. Go to the temple of the fates and look back in time at the village and…* his voice grew softer. *Then go to the temple of the Furies to find out about the sword…Xena?*
“Ares…is there anything you want to tell me at all, in case I…lose you”
*I love you…through all the cat and mouse games…I’ve discovered I love you, do you love me*
Xena started to cry again. “Yes I do…I’m so sorry…”
She felt a hand against her cheek, turning suddenly she faced Ares. “How did…your back?”
“No, Xena. I’m using my remaining powers to come before you like this. I want us to spend one night together…not out of guilt, but from love…please?”
Xena nodded.
Gabrielle woke up again and saw Ares standing before Xena. “I thought you’d died?”
“Gabrielle he has, he’s using his remaining powers to stand before us. I love him and he loves me….I’ll be back in the morning.”
“I understand Xena…uh…a quick word” Gabrielle pulled Xena aside. “We will find a way…we always do”
“Gabrielle, Ares said that you would die today. But instead of you, he did. While talking to Zeus he ‘told’ me that he got a vision kind of thing saying that some-one really close to me would die tonight by my hand. I guess he assumed it was you”
“Its alright Xena, now go…he’s waiting for you”
Xena walked towards Ares, who took her hand and disappeared with her.
Back at the campsite, the bard remained. “I hope they find a way”
Please e-mail the author of this story with your comments. ares_92@hotmail.com
bleeding-heart[dot]net