Author’s Note: Well, jeeze, lookie at all the people. *looks up innocently at the readers* A response to the Xenaficathon Solstice Challenge: "Xena isn’t feeling the Solstice spirit, and Gabrielle wants to do something special to cheer her up and help her out. This can be a subtext (Xena/Gabrielle) story, or a shipper story (Xena/anyone else) I don’t care what season this is, or who else is in the story. Just make sure the plot revolves around getting the Christmas spirit." Okay, finish the boring disclaimers and stuff and READ!
Dedications: Still the same people it’s always been dedicated to. Especially to Illy, LK, Tali, Tango, Rissy, Kat, and everyone who I still see online, as that’s not many anymore.
Summary: Challenge response. Xena isn't feeling the "Solstice Spirit" and it keeps getting worse. Gabrielle is determined to cheer her friend up, but her plan works in unexpected ways.
Warnings: Holiday drinking? Mild animal "cruelity"
Rated: PG-13
Date Started/Finished: 22 Dec. 2005 - 23 Dec. 2005
Solstice Colors
By Delenn
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous." There were ribbons hanging on the normally unadorned forest trees.
Xena cast an accusing glance at her traveling companion, as if this were all her fault. "What is all this?"
Either having missed the death-glare sent her way or choosing to ignore it, Gabrielle replied amicably enough, "They're decorations, Xena. You know, for the winter solstice? The one that's only days away?"
Less than amused, Xena cut off her friend. "I know when the solstice is, Gabrielle. I just don't see why normally sane people feel the need to run around like ribbon-loving lunatics."
As if to illustrate her point, a standard warlord in less-than-standard dress appeared. At Xena's drawn sword he simply grinned, pulled out a large wreath from somewhere in his mess of green and red clothing and, in a final act of insanity, gleefully placed the wreath atop the Warrior Princess' sword.
The warlord took off before Xena could lunge, and Gabrielle stopped any further pursuit with a chuckle that resulted in the offending wreath being hurtled at her head. Ducking and retrieving the cast-off wreath, Gabrielle twirled it, "C'mon Xena, just think of it as a harmless chakram. Kinda cute, actually."
Before something sharper could be thrown at her head, Gabrielle backed away, muttering something about the 'solstice spirit,' while Xena wondered if everybody and their mothers had lost their minds.
The final straw came when they reached a habitable town, and tried to rent a room at a local inn. The entire place was bedecked in green and red: stockings, trees, ornaments, and ribbons. Xena was, however, willing to overlook this unsightly aspect, given that the outdoors was starting to look much the same and sleeping in a bed definitely had its advantages.
That was, until the innkeeper started spouting off some nonsense about the 'season of peace' and attempted to confiscate her weapons. Once again, Gabrielle had to quickly intervene before Xena showed the poor man the meaning of violence.
"Xena, it doesn't matter, does it? There are hardly any fights breaking out in the inn."
Stunned by the turn of events, Xena refused to be swayed. "That's not the point, Gabrielle. When we were here last moon there was no problem..."
When the innkeeper held fast, despite Xena's argument of the chakram being a particularly festive ornament, the Warrior Princess turned on her heels and declared that she was taking Argo for a ride.
As Gabrielle was settling into the, admittedly a little over-zealously decorated, room, she decided that Xena and the winter solstice had simply gotten off on the wrong foot this year. It wasn't like Xena had anything against peace, per say, she just needed her space sometimes.
Surely though, there had to be something she could do. Gabrielle wasn't about to let her best friend be miserably unhappy at the happiest time of the year. Xena deserved some peace and quiet; she just needed to see the solstice from a new perspective. Maybe it was all the red and green - they'd never been Xena's favorite combination of colors.
Later that night, when Xena returned stripped of her customary weapons and armor, Gabrielle had a fully formed plan. However, if anything, Xena's mood had only soured. And was that a ... ribbon ... tied to her waist?
"Don't say a word, Gabrielle."
Holding her hands up in defeat, the bard wisely waited for Xena to tell her story. It was worth it.
Exasperated, Xena threw her hands up and sank down on the bed, "I was ... mugged ... by a screaming mob of children who tied this" she pulled at the knotted ribbon in vain, it appeared ribbons were not a part of Xena's many skills, "thing around me. Then, some messenger hawk, drugged up on eggnog, just about hit me in the head, trying to deliver a message. And, to top it off, Argo's been vandalized."
If she had been snickering before, the last sobered Gabrielle immediately. "Vandalized?" She barely had time to ponder the absurdity of it all before Xena was dragging her towards the stables to explain.
There stood Argo. In all her green glory, with the words 'Happy Winter Solstice' spelled out in red paint over her green-stained body. She neighed in dismay.
Gabrielle could only sputter, "Oh, my," as Xena sank down on a barrel of hay, apparently traumatized by recent events.
After a suitable moment of silence, so that Argo wouldn't bite her, Gabrielle suggested, "Well, the solstice does have one good point," the raised eyebrow and incredulous look rushed her, "presents. Solstice involves presents, Xena."
"Then maybe you'd like this," Xena handed her friend the scroll from the ill-fated hawk.
It unrolled in festive colors and sparkles to reveal an invitation to a solstice party on Mt. Olympus. "Xena, you're joking?"
"I wish it was a joke," Xena responded tiredly. "Apparently even the gods have gotten caught up in the solstice spirit. Actually, it makes perfect sense, they always enjoy something excessively gaudy."
Smiling as innocently as possible, Gabrielle announced, "We should go."
"No. Gabrielle, no."
Ignoring the pitiful look the Warrior Princess was giving her, Gabrielle forged ahead. "Aphrodite would be crushed if we didn't come. Besides, they could probably do something about Argo's dye-job."
At Argo's whinny and Xena's look, Gabrielle knew that she'd won - one step closer to getting Xena into the solstice spirit.
The eve of solstice actually found Xena looking forward to Aphrodite's party, if only for the opportunity to put her armor back on and escape the cramped inn-room. So off set Gabrielle, Xena, and the unfortunate Argo to the nearby temple that Aphrodite had conveniently deemed as the festive location.
Argo, already becoming accustomed to her painted burden, dutifully waited outside while Xena and Gabrielle entered the large, gilded doors.
Where they were almost run over by Ares, decked in green leathers and a red cap, swaying luxuriously drunk, and loudly attempting to make his escape. "I swear, whoever so much as smiles... Aphrodite, I'll have your head for this-"
A snicker sounded behind him, and he spun around tipsily to find Xena. Xena, there, snickering, and him in green. "Ares, I had no idea you had such solstice spirit."
Recovering admirably, Ares leaned in and brushed a hair out of Xena's face. "By all means, my dear. Laugh. And do come inside."
Almost enjoying herself at this turn of events, Xena gave the God of War one last smirk and allowed herself to be led further inside the hallway by Gabrielle. Whereupon, to her horror, her leathers began convulsing into colors of red and green, "What in Tartarus?"
Aphrodite whisked up to her, clad in revealing red and grinning, "Welcome to the party! Not to worry, Warrior Babe, the color changes only last the night. Couldn't have everyone clashing. Gabrielle, green always has been your color!"
And, before Xena knew how to respond, the bubbly Goddess of Love had drifted off again, distracted by Apollo and Cupid fighting over the punch. A glass moved into Xena's peripheral vision, as Ares handed it to her, and downed whatever alcoholic concoction he was drinking. "Trust me, you're gonna need it."
"Yeah," Xena gratefully took the drink as she tried not to laugh at Ares' green leathers. "For once, you're right."
A meaningful look was interrupted by Gabrielle, at her side, whisper-laughing, "So, what do you think of solstice now?"
Another glance at Ares' leathers and the rest of the drunken and colorful gods, and Xena had her answer. "I think, Gabrielle, that I'm starting to get the spirit of it all."
Gabrielle grinned as Ares continued to grumble about his leathers, while Xena laughed at the scene around her. Plan successful. She spun around to ask Xena if she wanted her other present, but the Warrior Princess and God of War were already lurching outside, presumably off to Argo's rescue.
As assorted shouts and muffled curses drifted back inside, Gabrielle didn't even want to ask how Xena had goaded Ares into fixing her horse's impromptu painting. She'd have to thank Aphrodite for the party by helping her get Cupid off the tree, where he was currently claiming to be the star.
When Gabrielle finally determined that Ares and Xena had been gone way too long to simply recolor Argo - after a near-death experience involving Zeus, Hera, and several priestesses - she went outside to survey the damage.
Amidst a town colored green and red, even more so than before, stood Xena and Ares, with their leathers returned to the customary blacks and browns. The two warriors appeared to be belting out some solstice carol; much to the chagrin of the local populous. Argo was off to the side, graffiti free.
Xena was wearing Ares' red solstice hat.
Please e-mail the author of this story with your comments. goddess_delenn@yahoo.com
...bleeding-heart[dot]net...