Author’s notes: This is a sequel to my fic, War-Bitten Apple. It is highly recommended that you read that first, or you won’t make sense of anything else. There is a short story between this and the other story. It is called “For Lack of A Sword," and while it’s not necessary for you to read, it just might give you something to do while you’re waiting for part 2.
This is for all of you who demanded a sequel.
I have to say, I didn’t expect such a favorable response—but obviously, you all agreed with me that it was one of my better works. The chemistry between Xena and Ares is amazing. I can only hope that I’ve done that justice in my fics.
Hey, maybe I should do a trilogy!
Also, italics and [brackets] mean a thought while someone is having a flashback. So those thoughts—in the present—would be the ones in brackets.
Disclaimer: I don’t own X: WP and am not intending to infringe on the copyright. Thank you.
Consequences
By Serenity Sea
“Come on, eat it—it’s good." Ares put the apple to her lips and she took it in her hands uncertainly. She opened her mouth…
… and took a bite.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Xena sat at the throne of her palace on Mount Olympus, pondering the past few months. It had been quite a change from what she was used to. One day she was mortal woman—granted, she was Ares’ chosen, but still mortal—and the next, a full-fledged Goddess. Not just any goddess, either—the Goddess of War.
On that note, Ares chose that moment to materialize in her quarters, stretching comfortably on her huge bed.
“You know," he said, while looking around the room approvingly, “I like what you’ve done."
Xena laughed. “After everything we’ve been through, you still flatter me, Ares. Why?"
Ares flashed her his most charming grin. “Because you, my princess, are in much need of flattery."
Mackenzie started at the girl next to her. She was Xena's daughter—that was unquestionable. Her blue eyes and determined nature gave it away. And after the first shaky meeting they’d had, she was surprised that Eve was planning to stay in the temple for a while.
The younger girl stared at her companion. “So you’re really the “Eve"? She asked.
Eve laughed, Mackenzie having repeated what she’d already said in the temple earlier, causing Eve some great swirl of affection for her ‘sister.’
“In a way, I suppose. That sounds reverential, though." She painfully closed her blue eyes. “And I don’t know if I really deserve reverence." A quick memory of her past, as Livia, flashed into her mind.
Eve shook her head, trying to get the image out of her mind. “We need to get you an outfit." She said, effectively changing the subject.
Mak looked very puzzled. Eve gestured to her green swing pants and halter-top. “This is mine—you need to have a set attire. Mom’s is—was—her warrior leathers. Just like Ares happens to be his black leather. What do you see yourself in?"
There was a storm of pink glitter, and Aphrodite materialized. “Hey girlfriends! I heard the word “outfit" and just knew that I had to pop in. Who’s looking to be dressed?"
The room was quiet. Cyrene’s “offering"-a basket of Xena’s favorite foods lay on the table. Neither the God nor Goddess of War was there. All that remained was a lone battle plan, and a heavenly figure.
“Training someone else in the warrior ways?" She mocked. “Be careful, Xena—be very, very careful. You know what happened to me…"
The deity left, a white feather in its place.
The battle plans were gone.
Xena had traveled to see how Meneka’s warriors were doing. Somehow, he’d shaped them up. He’d finally gained his men’s respect. She was very pleased. Walking over to the man, she tapped him on the shoulder gently.
“I have some plans we need to discuss."
Gone was the bumbling, spineless man she’d put in charge of her troops while ago, and this general nodded. With the respect of his men came the increase of confidence; something he sorely had needed. Now, the blonde-haired, green-eyed general seemed more than comfortable in his status, and no longer afraid of her.
They made it to his tent and Xena sat on her throne, which had shown up in the small tent after she’d entered.
“I want the troops to go after this city, Corte. Corte (AN: Pronounced Cor-tAy) belongs to a direct descendent of Cortez. Cortez murdered my brother and my innocence. Because of him, I became the fear-inspired Destroyer of Nations. Had I been the blood-lusting warrior I once was, I would destroy his entire name. But since I’m not, I looked for signs of weaknesses that I could prey on.
“The current ruler, Zerak, takes women and children and beats them. If they do not follow his laws, he learns of them, finds and tracks them down, and brutalizes them. He rapes women and young girls, the men and young boys he enrolls in the Cortean army, making sure they are placed at the front of the battle formation, causing, immediate death.
“He is a murderer, rapist, and pig, among other things. He deserves to be killed. He deserves to be humiliated so badly, that the line of Cortez will never rise, ever again."
Ares became visible, sitting next to her. “How I love when she exacts revenge." He sighed. “I just checked with the commander at my armies. They’re ready to go when you are."
Xena turned back to Meneka, fastening him with her blue gaze. “There is no room for error, Meneka. We cannot afford to lose this battle. Take up to a week and a half to prepare your men. After that, I’ll come and we can discuss the exact plan for attack."
With that, she and Ares returned to their separate quarters on Mount Olympus, leaving Meneka to break the news to his men.
Xena returned to her palace, searching frantically. “Where are they? I just had them—laid them out on the table just before we left." A thought struck her. “Ares!" She yelled.
He appeared, looking dismayed as well. Before she could speak, he did. “Have you seen the battle plans I had for Corte?"
The words that Xena planned to attack him with dissolved into thin air. “You mean yours are gone too?"
He nodded, focusing on her immediately.
The Goddess of War sat down. She looked up to Ares. “Any idea who would’ve taken them?"
“Mak said she wanted to look at them, but she can’t reach Olympus without our help. Neither of us brought her up here, and Aphrodite’s been on holiday with Hephaestus." He frowned darkly. “Which is why my weapons have been second-rate lately, with a flower attached to them. I’ve really gotta talk to him about that."
She almost laughed, despite the situation, but managed a grin and returned to her thinking.
After 2 hours of trying on outfit after outfit, Mak was getting tired, and Aphrodite was losing her patience.
“What do you want, little warrior chick? I’m outta ideas." The Goddess of Love whined.
Eve sat on a cushion, peering at Mak’s latest fashion. It consisted of feathers, lace, and white leather tassels. “Maybe something that actually screams “warrior," and not pretty, pretty princess." When she received a glare from the Goddess, she quieted.
“For your information, “Eve-ning," I tried 3 outfits in leather. They started to give me bad vibes. And the outfits I did try, Mackenzie didn’t even like." She explained.
“Because they were either looser than the shift I wear to sleep in, or they were choking me!" Mackenzie burst out, her violet eyes flashing.
The injured goddess stepped back onto a plush pink couch, acting very wounded. “Well excuse me if my fashion expertise is too much for you. The leather thing doesn’t suit you. You need feathers and lace," she clarified, and while she was talking the aforementioned materials appeared on Mackenzie’s slim form.
“AGH!!" The warrior-in-training screamed, frustrated. “This is not what I wanted!" Mackenzie yelled, savagely ripping the frilly pieces off her violet colored shift.
She was so mad, she had to leave the room, and stalked off, looking for a sword and an unsuspecting tree.
Aphrodite cast a look at Eve. “What’s with her? She’s usually so tame."
The daughter of the War Goddess said nothing, and munched on a handful of grapes.
She’d almost summoned Ares for a swordfight, and then realized that he was probably doing something with Xena. She felt guilty for taking up so much of their time, and left them alone.
Now, all by herself in Ares’ temple, she sat down on a step, breathing in deeply. She’d ridden hard from Xena’s temple to Ares’. The followers didn’t even look her way, and her priestess friends didn’t cast her a second glance as she stormed in towards the throne room.
It had become her habit to storm into his temple occasionally—whether it be from anger directed at Xena or at the World, or just maybe that she was late for her training session with him. Whatever the reason, an infuriated Mackenzie was not something unusual, and no one paid her any mind when she stomped in.
Without realizing where her steps were taking her, she stumbled into a room next to Ares’ throne room. There were all sorts of weapons in the room. Staffs, bow sets, and many different types of swords. Many tapestries portraying Xena in battle decked the walls. Mak was surprised to find all of Xena’s discarded clothing there, as well. She fingered a red silk dress.
“Now why would you need this…" She asked, trailing off to the empty room suggestively.
Then, something in black leather and silver studs caught her eye. Mackenzie walked over to the article of clothing and picked it up. It was a two-piece leather warrioress battle garb. The black leather pleated skirt looked a lot like Xena’s—but the top was what piqued Mackenzie. The top half of the attire was a halter. Xena never wore halter tops, she said they left too much open to your opponent—and she joked that Ares would enjoy that too much.
But this one—this was different. There was actually a piece of hair on it. Mak carefully plucked the hair off the tangled stud and held it up to the light.
It was blonde.
Ask the Fates to cut his thread.
Find some extra Hind’s Blood.
Toss him into a pit of fire—after knocking him out.
Ask Xena to
Gabrielle stopped her writing on the parchment there. Xena would have never killed Ares before, and she certainly wasn't going to start now. And the rest of the ways she had thought of for Ares’ untimely demise were simply impossible. The last of the Hind’s Blood was gone—no one knew where to find any of it.
She looked at the top of her scroll. “How to Kill the God of War" adorned the top, scrawled angrily in bold handwriting.
Just then, there was a blue flash behind her, and a powerfully muscled arm reached in front of her and snatched the scroll. Gabrielle stood up and whirled around to face the God of War himself—or rather, his chest.
“Hi." Ares smirked, looking down at her. “I need this for evidence. But thanks for writing it down on paper, Gabrielle. Now I don’t have to make Xena read your mind to verify that you have been plotting my—what did you call it again?—‘untimely demise.’"
His laughter remained long after his form did not, as he entered the ether and disappeared.
The bard ground her teeth in anger and screamed her frustrations out to the empty forest—scaring away several native creatures.
What happened next was more of a blur to Mackenzie than anything else. She picked up the garment, and with both hands, held it up to her body. Suddenly, a bright light filled the room, and she shielded her eyes. She could just barely make out a woman’s form, and waited for the rest of the light to fade.
When it did, an angel was in her midst. The angel had very short, blonde hair and deep brown eyes, and was staring at the leather in Mackenzie’s hands.
“I remember that top." The angel spoke, her voice having a strange, catlike lilt to it. “It always did leave too much of a weak spot."
She walked over to Mak and gently took the leather from her. Holding it up to her own body, she smirked. “Guess it really doesn’t fit with the job now, though, huh?"
Mackenzie, having finally found her voice, “Who are you?"
The angel laughed, withdrawing two intricate battle plans from the folds of her white attire. “Tell Xena and Ares that Callisto paid you a visit." The angel named Callisto leaned in to Mackenzie, and spoke in a conspiratory tone. “Keep the outfit. It’ll look great on you."
There was the bright light again, and when Callisto left, Mackenzie saw the battle plans resting underneath a dove’s feet on a small crate.
Gathering her bearings, and recognizing the name Callisto—but unable to place it—Mak put the battle dress on and called for her mentors.
“Ares! Xena!"
Upon the summons from Mackenzie, the God and Goddess stopped trashing Mount Olympus while looking for the lost battle plans and teleported to the source of the call. What they found, however, was something neither of them could have ever prepared for.
Mackenzie was sporting Callisto’s leather battle outfit. Xena, with a great shudder, remembered the attire all too well. Ares, who was too shocked to do anything, just stared.
“Where in Hades did you get that?!" The Goddess questioned, as if the battle leathers weren’t really leathers, but really a distinctive species of stink bug.
Mackenzie made an offhand gesture. “Some angel named Callisto told me I could have it."
Ares’ eyes bugged. “Callisto? She was here?" his gaze flew to the table, where he retrieved to forgotten battle plans. “Hey, there’s a note here! ‘To the God and Goddess of War: (AN: Callisto’s voice fades in…) Hope you like the parting gifts. The girl seemed quite taken with my old battle gear, so I decided to let her keep it. She shows great promise—perhaps she can erase the bloodshed and death in a way I never could. Anyway, here’s your battle plans. Everything seems ok to me. But if I were you, I’d get fewer men from the sea. Poseidon can be tricky, and the Cortean army can kill many of your troops by projectile launching. Be careful there. If it’s any consolation, the girl should be ready to lead one of your armies—perhaps commanding with that man—Meneka, was his name? If in doubt, go talk to Athena. I’m sure she’d be more than happy to help you plan—from what I hear, life in Hell isn’t terribly exciting. Until next time, (AN: Callisto’s voice fades out…) Angel Callisto."
Ares turned to Xena. “Whoa. When’s the last time you heard from her?"
“Athena or Callisto?"
He grumbled. “Either of them."
Xena had a half smirk on her face. “Let’s see… Athena; 5 months ago, shortly before I took Mak in. Callisto; that’s a tough one. I’d say 28 years ago—and that’s counting the Ice Tomb." She turned to Ares. “But that’s not such a bad idea, actually…"
“What’s not a bad idea?" He asked, sounded guarded.
“Talking to Athena… and having fewer men take the sea route…"
There was a burst—literally, a burst of purple sparkles, and the Goddess of War left to go see Hades.
Which left Ares to the Callisto-look-alike, who just happened to be his trainee. Sighing, he walked over to her and handed her a plate. Mackenzie took it, puzzled.
“If you’re going to wear that, you need to learn how to use a chakram." He raised his eyes heavenward and dropped his tone. “I can’t believe I’m doing this." Turning back to her, he said, “This is round, just like the weapon. Toss it, and catch it. Or better yet—just toss it. There’s no way a plate is going to come back to you. While you get the hang of it, I’ll go talk to Hephaestus, and see if he can make you one. Hopefully this time without the flowers."
Then, he too, disappeared, leaving Mackenzie alone to her un-ending supply of plates, which she started to aim at the temple wall far in front of her.
Xena arrived at the intense gates of Hades domain shortly after her run-in with Callisto—or rather, the note from Callisto. Seeing Mackenzie in that warrior dress was too much. It made her feel very, very old. And having Mak lead one of her armies? Not a chance in Hell. There was absolutely no way she was going to risk Mak’s life like that. The only good idea from Callisto’s note was probably the piece of advice to talk to Athena.
Who needed a mentor when you had a former Goddess of War at your disposal?
“Hades!" She yelled, making her presence known. Several people in line gasped at the sight of the Warrior Princess in Tartarus. She turned to them, a smirk on her face. “No, people, I’m not dead. Far from it, actually—You’re looking at the new Goddess of War." The nosy dead returned to their waiting, and averted their eyes very quickly. An annoyed Warrior Princess wasn’t all that fun to tangle with. But an annoyed Warrior Goddess was another thing entirely.
Hades finally made his way over to Xena. “What can I do for you? I didn’t think it was time to see—“
Xena cut him off. “No—no, it’s not. I need to speak with Athena about some plans. Can I take her back to Olympus with me? Ares and I have this loop in our plans for Corte that we just can’t fix."
The God of the Underworld formed 2 maps in front of him. He pointed at a place on the first one—Corte’s mark on the mortal world. “Here, you say?" Xena nodded. “Looks like I’ll be having another rush, then." He said, dismissing the one map and unfurling the other. A small golden scale adorned the top left hand corner. “Yeah, Athena’s back from tormenting some of Ares’ warriors, you can take her now." He concluded, purposely not registering the amused look on the Goddess’ face.
“Thanks."
There was a loud, feminine sigh behind them and both deities turned around to face the former Goddess of War. “I was wondering when you’d come." Athena said dryly.
Xena rolled her eyes and they disappeared to Mount Olympus.
Looking at the pieces of broken ceramic plates on the floor in Ares’ temple, Mackenzie was confident with her practice. She had seen Xena throw her chakram many times, and loved the ‘whoosh’ it made when it whizzed by.
One always hoped that it was not meant to ‘whizz’ off a piece of their body, of course.
Originally, throwing the plates had felt very strange. It wasn't everyday you were ordered to ‘throw plates,’ Mak thought, a smile gracing her lips gently.
Aphrodite shimmered in. “Whoa, chica, is this a bad time; cuz I can scoot if it is." Her cornflower blues took in the shattered ceramics and Mak’s outfit. “Totally rockin’ outfit, though. Wait—haven’t I seen that somewhere before?"
Ares re-materialized, looking pleased at Mackenzie’s progress. “It was Callisto’s." He curtly told her.
The Goddess of Love made a ‘tsk’ sound. “You know, little warrior chick, wearing last season’s clothes is so not rockin’. You should know that. And they aren’t even last season’s—they’re like—“ She trailed off, trying to get the year that Callisto had last worn them in. “—They’re so old, they hurt to look at." She surmised, attempting to hide her clueless-ness.
Ares didn’t bother to hide his sigh of annoyance. “Sis, could you please leave? We’re training right now, and I can guarantee, there is going to be lots of fighting."
“Fighting? Oh, yuck." Aphrodite said, very grossed out. She left, scattering pink rose petals on the floor.
The God of War threw a fireball at the defenseless petals, watching his polar-opposite’s customary parting ‘gift’ disintegrate. “Well, now that that’s cleared out of the way—how have you been doing?"
Mackenzie readjusted her hair and picked up the remaining plate. Without a second’s thought, she let it fly, and watched as it knocked over three wine glasses on a crate across the room.
He watched appraisingly as it flew, hitting the wall on momentum. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the plate back to her, but she was looking at him for approval. He said nothing, and watched again as her warrior reflexes kicked in and she caught it—just in time.
Breathing a visibly sigh of relief, he nodded. “You’re ready."
She sat down, suddenly very tired, and without having to ask, Ares transported them back to Xena’s temple, specifically, Mak’s room.
“Rest up. You’re going to have a big day tomorrow."
She turned from her position on the bed to stare at him. “What do you mean? Tomorrow we train, just like usual, right?" Upon receiving no conformation from him, she asked again. “Right?"
His expression was blank as he left her alone to ponder his cryptic message.
“AGH! He is so annoying!" She yelled to the empty temple.
Athena, after casting more than a cursory look at Xena’s digs, settled herself comfortably in a chair that rested at the base of the broad table that housed all of the battle plans. Leaning from her seat to view all the plans, she finally sat down with a small sigh. Unbeknownst to the new Goddess of War, she missed her job—terribly. And here Xena was, offering her a taste of what she once had—after she’d tried to kill her and her daughter numerous times.
She had opened her mouth and was about to speak when Ares appeared, spoiling the moment.
“Hey, Mak’s all set for tomorrow—I told her it was going to be pretty intense." He informed Xena, not noticing his dead sister.
Athena finally hissed, announcing her displeasure at seeing her brother frequent the Goddess of War’s quarters—be it hers or her successor’s.
“What a pleasure to see you, brother," she said in such a way that Xena and Ares knew was not a pleasurable experience.
Ares threw her a warning look, as if to remind her who she was dealing with and pounced on Xena. “You didn’t tell me she was going to be here," he growled.
She gave him an innocent smile. “Why have 2 heads of War when you can have 3?"
He shook his head, rolled his eyes and turned back to the dead goddess. “Let’s just get this over as quickly as possible." Ares took his seat at the table and waited for Xena to sit. When she didn’t, he ignored his sister and took his copy of the battle plans.
Xena proceeded to dictate, walking around the room. “Corte has a powerful sea-defense. Though they are missing a navy, they are definitely not short of cannons that can blast through our own defenses. Like Callisto said, it would probably be better to just have fewer men take that route, perhaps only 20 or so, for backup on the archers, and let Calvary take the brunt of the war." She turned to Athena. “How does that sound so far?"
The Goddess turned her attention briefly to her brother, who was glaring darkly at something in a portal. She turned back to Xena. “That sounds like it should work. Callisto sent me a message through Hermes before, preparing me about something like this. What if you—“
She was cut off again by Ares. This time, he was cursing at whoever he was staring at in the portal.
Ares threw some more colorfully worded sentences in before disappearing abruptly. Athena cast a startled look at Xena, who sighed before replying, “He’ll be back."
Ares appeared inside the tent of his general’s. His aura, when he was mad, had the power to knock men over, and had done so before. This time, it leveled the tent and everything in it.
“SCION!" He roared, demanding the presence of the commander.
The man named Scion walked lazily over to Ares, having not seen his God arrive and assuming it was an annoyed warrior.
“What is it?" He asked apathetically, rounding the tent’s debris and getting a clear look at who had summoned him. Immediately, he went down on his knees. “Lord Ares, I am so sorry—please, I beg you, have mercy on me." He pleaded.
Ares rolled his eyes and decided to prolong the game. “I am not a merciful being, Scion. If you wanted merciful you should have joined up with Aphrodite. I’ve heard that she can be very giving with her mercy." The men around Scion laughed.
Scion looked at Ares with a plea in his eyes. “Please, Lord War, my men will never respect me if you continue like this."
Ares, who could have made much more out of the game if he wanted, but knowing he had more prioritus matters to attend to, did stop his taunts. He waited for the general to stand before dismissing the on looking warriors so he could speak alone.
“Scion, we’re leaving for Corte in more than a week’s time. You are joining Meneka’s army about 25 miles before Corte and then will spilt up your men according to the Goddess of War’s direction."
The general’s ugly face twisted in scorn. “A woman, your lordship? And Meneka, the general who cannot gain his troops’ respect? The plan is doomed if we continue like this." Seeing a dark look beginning to form on the War god’s face, he hastily added, “You do want us to take the city, don’t you?"
He was furious at the mortal’s impetuousness. “You mistreat your own men, you barely take cities without my help, and you dare question my JUDGMENT?!" he thundered. “You are nothing! Your life could be ended in a blink of an eye, you have only a handful of years worth of experience on you, and yet you doubt me, I, who have been doing this since the world began, many millennia before your sorry self was even born, I, who have the title, God of War, doubt my word??!" He had worked himself into quite a pleasurable rage by now, throwing fireballs at random items, making the clearing look like a battlefield. “How DARE you." He finally finished.
The cowering look on Scion’s face was almost gratuitous to Ares, but it wasn’t enough. He was about to zap the idiotic mortal into oblivion when a small hand restrained his arm. He looked over to see Xena, barely controlling her own rage, but restraining his.
At the appearance of the goddess who he had just slandered, Scion fainted. Not only had he insulted the two most powerful gods on Mount Olympus, he’d slandered her favored general and army. He had not been dead by then, but he feared he would be in a matter of seconds.
“You just left the meeting to go deal with your general? I thought you had already spoken to him—but no, you had to leave, without so much as a time when you’d be back, leaving Athena to function only in my power. And trust me, supporting a pissed off dead goddess zaps a lot more out of you than I expected." She explained to him. “I finally had to send her back, because there was no show of you for quite sometime after you left. And what did you think you were doing, blowing up your general a week before battle?" She upbraided. “Are you that insane?!"
He gave her a dangerous look and she quieted.
Without another word, they returned to her quarters to make the effective changes to the plans, and so she could show him what she and Athena had decided.
The setting was dim when they returned to Xena’s Halls of War. Ares was impatient—and some other emotion she couldn’t put her finger on—like he was going to explode at any time without warning.
Xena started to explain what she had changed and he nodded with irritation that she could clearly sense. Finally, she turned to him and said, “What is it, Ares?"
He shook his head. “I didn’t like the way Scion talked about you and Meneka. It wasn't right."
“Ares, I’m the Goddess of War. Who is honestly going to piss me off—besides you?"
Ares cracked a grin. “That’s true, you know."
Xena smiled gently. “I know." She linked arms with him. “Now what do you say we get well rested for tomo—reflex." She cut off her sentence, realizing that, as Goddess, she didn’t need to sleep. “There goes that idea." She said dejectedly.
This time it was Ares who linked arms—so now both of their arms were locked in this weird embrace. “There are other things to do besides sleep, my dear."
Xena arched an eyebrow. “At this time of night?" Seeing Ares give her the ‘puppy dog’ look, she felt her resolve crumble and forced herself to deliberately misunderstand his comment. “Oh, come on, Ares! I’m too tired for a sword fight—do we have to?" She pleaded, mocking Mackenzie perfectly.
His eyes glinted with promise. “If it’s a sword fight you want—" The atmosphere around them shimmered and changed until they were in a cleared field, moonlight serving as the only illumination, “—then it’s a sword fight you’ll get."
She felt the weight of her armor, sword, and chakram settle comfortably on her, and Xena grinned despite herself. She did have this extra ‘energy’ she wanted to burn off, after all… and fighting with an equal ability would make this interesting—well, an almost equal ability, she reminded herself, since Ares probably is the most powerful god right now.
Still, it felt wonderful to get back in the swing of things… fights with Ares had become fewer and farther between ever since they took in Mackenzie, and she realized, with a trace of nostalgia, that she missed it—she missed it a lot.
She also almost missed having her arm chopped off.
Ares had already initiated the fight, and if not for the reflexive clash of her sword against his, she was sure that there’d be a nasty scratch on her arm—or what would have been left of it, anyway.
Block. Parry. Thrust. Strike. Block. Parry. Thrust. Strike. Strike. Strike. Strike.
It became a dance—some people took lessons in the mortal world—they fought. And fighting side by side, the bond was strengthened more and more. It was stretched taut—more taut than either of them had ever thought possible, and was only half aware of—but let them know it still existed just the same.
The bond between chosen and god was always strong. It had always been that way—they were forever linked. Xena had tried to explain her ‘bond’ with Ares to Gabrielle, but she never got it. It was a hard thing to understand—Xena didn’t understand the half of it herself—but trying to explain it to a half-receptive person was a lot harder. Ares only mentioned it when he needed a favor, or wanted to tease her.
For that, she was grateful. As some unspoken command, they never mentioned it in front of the bard. She seemed like a safer person in her oblivion. While Xena was sure she’d mentioned something about it in passing, she was sure that Gabrielle had no clue what a chosen even was. And how was she going to explain that to her best friend?
Ares, who had sensed her thinking—which happened more often than either of them cared to remember—stopped fighting and stood patiently in front of her, illuminated by pure, unscathed moonlight.
Seeing him there, black on white, war on light, gave a funny jolt to her stomach. Abruptly, she sheathed her sword and reformed to her Goddess form, welcoming the feel of her leather studded dress. It was strange; the Warrior Princess form was feeling foreign to her. Being in what she now recognized as her true form, she felt stronger, more able to block Ares’ advances—which, yes, had considerably tamed down from when she was mortal—but something she didn’t want to chance just the same.
He waited calmly for her next actions.
“Ares—I’m going to—"
“—Turn in." he finished for her. “We’ve been through this already, but some whacked mortal part of you still requires beauty sleep—though I can’t imagine why." He leaned over to her and kissed her gently on the forehead, and very slight brushing of the lips—so light and gentle that Xena had her memory recall to make sure it had actually happened—and dissolved before she could.
She made her way unhappily to her quarters, and sat on the dark violet sheets. As she climbed in, she remembered why she wanted to leave so fast.
If she was already the Goddess of War, what more could Ares want from her, except the occasional roll in the hay?
Something didn’t fit.
The look in his eyes had been more than ‘ a roll in the hay,’ that was sure. And when he had futilely tried to cover to Eve that he wouldn’t let Xena find Hind’s Blood—because he’d get bored—what did he really mean? Was there really something more to what he said?
And if there was, then why was she still resisting him? They had forever now, surely he realized that.
Surely she did, right?
Right?
It was a fitful and uneasy sleep that the Goddess of War slipped into that night, and Morpheus himself had no control over the way her dream was taking…
Xena was alternately ballistic and desolate. She loved Mackenzie, more than almost anything, besides Eve and Gabrielle. It felt as if Mackenzie really was her child. Her child… and Ares. Ares was also going nuts. To lose Mak was losing a part of himself. It was almost as if he had created the child with Xena… but no. That wasn’t possible. Mackenzie said her parents were dead, remember?
And what were they going to do?
Rumor had it that Zerak would settle for either one of the war gods—and he had Hind’s Blood.
The situation was getting worse and worse as the days passed by…
Xena woke up in a cold sweat, screaming for Ares. “ARES!"
He and Aphrodite were at her side in an instant. The Goddess of Love smoothed back her friend’s hair and put a comforting hand on her arm.
Ares shot her a look; one that obviously said ‘I’ve got this one covered.’ And she left Xena in the capable hands of the God of War.
“Shhh… Xe, what happened?"
She had finally relaxed, but was still to stiff to talk, and without another word, Ares climbed up on the high bed and took her in his lap, forcing her head on his chest as if she were a child.
Slowly, very slowly, she began to recant her tale.
“Mackenzie—Mak—she was being held hostage at Corte. I don’t know how she got there, or how she even knew where and when we were going to attack—but she knew, and got caught trying to kill Zerak. Zerak had Hind’s Blood—and wanted one of us to come and give ourselves up—and he’d release her. Eve was Livia again, and leading her own army with us, and I don’t know where Gabrielle was. Meneka was so worried about her, and I was doubting her parentage—we both were."
Xena turned her head around to Ares, not realizing how close they were, and gripped his arm; hard. “Ares, we have to find out who her parents are. She said that her father was in my army… but that could be anyone."
He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “She said they were dead. Maybe Hades has them. We can go make a visit there in the morning—but in all honesty, Xe, why do you want to find them?"
She wouldn’t—or couldn’t answer him. “I don’t know, Ares. There’s just this… driving need, I guess."
Xena turned her blue eyes on his brown. “I know I’m going to hate myself for this later, but will you—"
He almost smirked. “—Stay? Yes, my princess. Yes, I believe that I will stay." They both got resettled, not needing to kiss or touch, but just accepting the fact that they were together. He wrapped a comforting arm around her, and she slowly drifted off to sleep again—in which both Ares and Morpheus monitored carefully.
Ares didn’t want to tell her that Gods didn’t get nightmares.
Gods didn’t get nightmares because they were something else.
They were visions.
Of what was to come.
Mackenzie woke up in cold sweat. She had another nightmare about her parents again. She didn’t remember much about her parents. Her father had this quirky grin and was forever getting on her mother’s nerves, but she had only seen them for a short time, and then, one of her aunts had taken her in. She knew she aged quickly—faster than most children, at least, and had never really understood why. But when she was with either Xena or Ares, she felt like a part of her was coming home—and in some strange way, it just seemed so…right.
Eve stirred in her sleep and Mak rose from her bed, walking into the wash room. Bathing quickly, she toweled off and got dressed. She paused, looking at the studded black leather hanging over a chair in her room, shuddered uneasily, and immediately reached for her own warrior dress. She’d stopped wearing it when Eve came to the temple, but now she more than welcomed the feel of the purple suede against her skin, and the stiff leather pleats at the bottom of the skirt felt like she was once whole again.
When Ares had made the plate come back to her, she was surprised. Not surprised because it was done, just taken by surprise. What he didn’t know was that in some strange way, she’d done exactly the same thing. She too, had made the plate come back to her hand.
And she had no idea how.
Xena woke up to see Ares dozing off next to her, and she went into a state of panic. Did she and Ares… last night…?
“No, sweet, we didn’t." Came the reply from the rousing God of War. “As much as I’d have liked to, we didn’t." He said under his breath.
She sat up slowly and tried to clear the fog from her mind. That was the third nightmare she’d had this week—but the first one that had involved Mak. The others had been Lyceus, crying for her help as one of the soldiers in Cortez’s army ran him through. It was a reoccurring nightmare, she always got them this time of year…
Shaking her head, Xena climbed out of the bed and sheepishly snapped her fingers to get dressed. Usually, she did things the way she used to, but today, she was so… drained, was it? …Yes, so drained that it required all of her energy just to think. What good was she going to be to people today? And thank the Gods that it wasn’t her day to train Mackenzie.
Ares was watching Xena walk around her bedroom, doing things the Godly way. He knew her rituals. He knew how she ticked, the way she liked to dress the way she used to, and wait a while before eating. He stretched his mind out, floating in among her thoughts and was forced out when he tried to pry.
Xena gave him a warning look. “Don’t. Do that again." She was mad.
He tried to get out of it by grinning, but when he realized that no grin of his was going to get him off the hook, he offered the words that he knew would. “I’m sorry… your warriorship-ness." Not wanting to prolong the tense moment, he left before she could blast him.
She, on the other hand, was planning to make a trip back to Tartarus—the second in 2 days. She wasn’t going to find Mak’s parents, no, she was going for a different reason entirely.
Ares arrived in Xena’s temple in Thrace to see Mak fighting an imaginary opponent, just like her other mentor. He was about to step into the fray when he saw her stop, sheath her sword and stand her ground in the center of the floor.
Walking over to the pillar he was standing behind, she looked right at his face—which was still invisible, and she couldn’t see—and said, “Ares, show yourself. I know you’re there."
He become visible right in front of her, and couldn’t help a look of incredulity escape his face. “How did you know where I was?"
She shrugged. “Just a lucky guess?" Her innocent violet eyes plored his.
“No guess is that lucky." He grumbled, but let it slide.
He put his hand on her shoulder and ethered to his temple.
“Hades!" She yelled, demanding his presence once again.
The God of the Dead appeared before the Goddess of War. “If this is about Athena, I can’t help you. She’s sulking in her sector of Tartarus, and refuses to come out for anyone or anything. I even offered her the chance to fry a couple of Ares ex-warriors, but she fried them from her locked room and refused to listen to any more of my pleas."
Xena shook her head, almost laughing. When she looked up at Hades, a faint smile was playing across her lips, and Hades could see why his nephew was in love with this former mortal.
“I just want to see Lyceus."
He shifted from foot to foot. “Well that’s kind of hard right now… he doesn’t want to see you."
“WHAT?!" She roared, shaking the stalactites above them. Several fell on some people waiting in line. “What do you mean, ‘he doesn’t want to see me’?!"
Hades pulled rank, this Goddess was becoming quite out of hand. She’d already injured several innocent people traveling to the Elysian Fields—and Persephone didn’t take them in when they were injured.
“Look, Xena. He doesn’t want to see you and that’s that. Now do I have to get Ares to yank you out of here, or will you go quietly?" Seeing the look on her face, he softened. “He said that he wanted to see you, but he made me promise that I wouldn’t let you. He said you had too much on your mind right now to worry about him. Please listen to him, Xena. You may find that he has a point."
Hades slunk away, back to his line of dead, directing them right—up the ramp to the transport to the Elysian fields, or left—down into the fiery pits of hell. Small bubbles of lava bubbled at the front of the gate, making it look even more ominous.
Xena snapped her fingers brutally, and left a pile of purple sparkles on the floor. The sparkled formed a stalagmite, which, thereafter, would serve as Hades’ warning when the Goddess of War had arrived in his domain.
Gabrielle sat up from her bedroll and stretched uncomfortably. She was only a minute or two away from Xena’s temple; warm food, soft beds, and furs to keep her warm, but some stubborn part of her didn’t want to give in. After Ares had taken her list yesterday, and the fight they’d never resolved at the temple, Gabrielle felt very awkward around the woman she thought was her best friend.
Hesitantly, she decided to give the Goddess of War a call. “Xena!"
Almost instantly, purple shards of light came in front of her, and her friend appeared.
“What do you need, Gabrielle?" She asked curtly.
The bard was thrown off by her sharp tone. “I just wanted to know if—"
Before she could finish, Xena flicked her wrist, and an assortment of food, furs, and beverages were laid before her. The fresh aroma of warm food was enough to sway Gabrielle’s sudden flash of temper and she wandered over to the food like a deserted man craving water.
The goddess tapped her foot impatiently. “Will that be all, Gabrielle?" Irritation flashed in her sky blue eyes.
Gabrielle looked up from her pastry. “Yeah—I mean thanks. What’s with you anyway? You’re never this short with me." A look dawned on her face, and she mockingly said, “Oh, I know. Did you and Ares have a fight?"
She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw a tear slide down Xena’s face before she left, muttering on the wind, “No. But today’s the day—not that I expected you to remember it."
This left the blonde puzzled for quite some time. Gabrielle went to fetch some water at the nearby stream to clean off—that was the only thing Xena had forgotten—and automatically checked her appearance in the water. Her hair had grown a little longer now; falling to her shoulders and had turned a shade of strawberry blonde, like when she had first met Xena. She absently twirled a piece between her fingers and thought hard. What was so special about this day…
And suddenly, she remembered what the goddess was talking about, and she felt like dirt. She felt like someone had hit her with a staff and beaten her defenseless.
“Oh, Xena. I am so sorry. I can’t believe I forgot." She quickly saddled her horse and raced to the temple to apologize, but had the doors barred rudely in her face.
The first priestess she’d encountered when Xena became a goddess haughtily told her, “The Goddess of War does not wish you to be in any of her temples at this time. Try again later, Amazon princess." The red-haired priestess flounced away.
Sadly, she rode back to her camp, finding it surprisingly untouched. Cringing inside, she summoned her worst enemy.
“Ares! Ares, please come, I need to talk to you." She called to the empty clearing. She turned and walked away, when a firm hand clamped on her shoulder. “What is it, blondie?" He sounded annoyed. “I’m in training with Mak right now, is this absolutely necessary?"
She looked up to him, malice no longer in her eyes, just a sad tiredness. “Forget it, Ares. I’m sorry I even summoned you."
The powerful God rolled his eyes, gave her another hard look, and disappeared, shaking his head.
Gabrielle leaned back against a fur and a rock and hugged her knees to her chest. “What have I done?" She muttered. “What have I done…"
Mak was practicing with her bow set when he returned, and he watched from behind her as the arrow flew perfectly to the bulls eye—20 feet away. She turned to him, victory shining in her soft purple eyes, and waited for his words of encouragement.
Ares was still thinking about the look in the bard’s eyes. Something was not right. What important clue was he missing?
Jerking his head up to look at Mak’s expectant face, “What’s today?" He barked.
She rolled her eyes, classic Ares’ behavior. “April 15th, why?"
He swore under his breath. “Look—I’ve gotta go—I’ll explain later. If you need to be ethered somewhere, call Aphrodite. But be careful, her transports leave you smelling like roses for weeks."
And with that, the God of War disappeared for the second time in minutes.
Ares arrived at the shore of a private beach, standing next to the rigid form that he knew to be hers. He placed a comforting arm around her shoulder and was shocked when she burrowed into his side.
She lifted her tear-stained face to meet his eyes. “Ares, he didn’t want to see me! And Gabrielle completely forgot. What am I going to do? Am I such a failure that even the people I love can’t bear to be with me?" Her voice was distressed, something he’d only heard when she was talking about Eve being Livia or that nightmare last night. He shuddered thinking of how scared she was, and how powerless he was to do anything about it.
She stepped back from him, misinterpreting his form of revulsion. “Even you. Now you can’t stand me, either?" Her voice was horrified, and he wanted nothing more than to take her back to his chambers and show her just how much he did love her.
Ares moved to take her back into their previous embrace, and watched as she backed away.
“No… please no. Anything but that—I don’t want your pity, Ares." Xena flung at him.
Getting tired of the game, he moved, lighting-quick, over to where she was and captured her in his arms. She couldn’t ether out—that was one of the perks of pulling rank, he thought bitterly—but she was fighting him, just the same. Xena was strong, but she was no match for a determined God of War.
“Would you please stop fighting me? You’re only draining more of your own strength." He said, a slight teasing note coming into his voice.
She went flat in his arms so fast, he had to react and catch her before she fell to the hard sand beneath them. The pain and despair he felt emanating from her pulsed through their link intensely, and he had to catch his breath from the powerfulness of the emotions.
Without speaking another word, he turned her around to face him, and tightened his embrace until he was certain she couldn’t escape. Then he lowered his head and kissed her fiercely.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and relished in the passionate moment. He tightened his grip down to her waist—even more so, if that were possible—but instead of taking them back to his place on Olympus, he finally released her.
Eyes dark, voice husky, he asked, “Now. Are you sure that I don’t love you?" The wording had come out of his mouth before he could anticipate it and he watched the words take affect on her.
She looked up at him, half blinded by tears, and said, “Please—let’s just sit. I don’t think I can do much of anything else."
Ares grabbed her again, before she could collapse to the ground, and took her in his arms. Slowly, he lowered them to a sitting position, he; leaning against a tree while she braced her weight on him. She sat in between his spread legs, leaning against his chest from behind, and he folded his arms with her in them. She put her hands up and hung them from the crevice of his folded arms, like she was doing pull ups.
Together, they watched the rise and fall of the sea.
Mackenzie pondered her next action carefully. She could either ask Aphrodite to ether her… or the hot God of Love, Cupid. Tough choice…
“CUPID!" She yelled, a shout worthy of a protégé of the deities of War.
The ripped God of Love arrived in a huff, obviously knowing who was summoning him. His golden hair glinted as if sunlight was on it, even though they were in a closed temple, and his green-gold eyes were snapping slightly with annoyance.
“What is it, Mak?"
Mackenzie rolled her eyes. “Stop acting like you’re not glad to see me. It doesn’t work—I can read you like a book."
“Mak, I was in the process of striking a very important couple—one I’ve been working on for weeks, and then you called. Pardon me for being slightly annoyed." He said sarcastically.
She looked curious. “Who was it?"
“It doesn’t matter."
Mak looked hurt. “Well, if it was someone in the near continent, can’t you just create a portal and sent the arrow through there?"
Cupid raised a hand to the back of his shoulders, making sure he had enough arrows. “I guess. But doing that is dangerous—it’s hard for the wielder to make sure it stays in the right path."
A smile came over her face. “Give me the arrow. I can do it."
Cupid looked at her as if she had grown 3 heads. “What? Are you crazy? I can’t give you these."
Rolling her eyes and smothering a great deal of annoyance, she flipped over him, and swiftly grabbed one of the arrows. Then, she pulled the bow from her own back and strung it. If it wasn’t such a bad time, it would have looked pretty. The golden arrow in the purple bow; reflecting many colors.
He obligingly opened the portal and, mustering all her concentration, she let it fly through. It winked out of existence within seconds and when she was done, she slumped down to the ground.
Mackenzie was clearly out of breath. “Wow. That takes a lot out of you, I guess."
The God looked at his father’s protégé. “Where did you learn to do that?"
Xena shifted in Ares’ embrace and started to get up. He restrained her with a gentle, but firm arm, and she grudgingly sat back down.
Clearing her throat, she said, “I can’t believe you remembered what today was." Xena stared out at the sea.
Ares captured her chin and forced her to look at him. Then, he fixed her with a long, hard look. “You may have stopped keeping in contact with me, but I never stopped keeping tabs on you."
She involuntarily shivered and he wrapped his arms around her tighter.
The sun was started to set.
Mackenzie brushed off Cupid’s question like a mosquito. “It’s just something I learned."
He ran a hand through his golden locks and turned to where the arrow had disappeared. “Let me see your bow." He commanded.
She handed him the lightweight bow and he hefted it, testing the weight. “It’s light." He took one of the arrows from her back and set it in the bow. Then he let it fly at the targets she’d been practicing before.
It landed right down the center of her own, splitting the steel down the middle, curling like a pencil shaving.
When he turned back to her, she could see that he was angry. “Don’t do that again." He was the God of Love, and as such, had perfect precision over his domain. Which included shooting couples with arrows. She had just challenged his authority and he was mad—with good reason.
She and the God of Love disappeared to Aphrodite’s current location—which happened to be her palace on Mount Olympus.
Aphrodite looked up from her work just in time to see Mak arrive with Cupid. She exited the small view she had been watching and walked over to them.
“Hey, chica! What’s up?" She almost waved Cupid away, but he left before she could even say ‘goodbye,’ leaving them to their girl talk. It was becoming more and more apparent that Ares was his father everyday.
Mackenzie tried to smile and failed miserably. “Cupid’s mad at me. I shot one of his arrows and now he thinks… well, I don’t know what he thinks."
The Goddess of Love felt like she’d witnessed a murder. “You did what? How is that even possible??" Looking to the hurt teenager, she gave her a hug. “I don’t know how you did it, but you certainly ruffled his wings. No one has ever done that before—not even Baby Bliss."
What aren’t you telling us, Mackenzie. Who were your parents? Aphrodite thought.
She clapped her hands. “All right. We need to do something to cheer us up. I know! What about setting you up with a guy?" Aphrodite smiled convincingly. “Come on—it’ll be fun…"
But Mak protested. “I’m a warrior—warriors don’t need love lives!"
“Tscha." She made an annoyed sound. “You want to grow up to live like my dead sister, Athena?"
The younger girl tried a different approach. “Xena doesn’t have a love life!"
The Goddess of Love clamped her mouth shut so fast, it almost snapped. She wanted to scream, “Yes, she does! She loves Ares!" But that would probably scare the poor girl, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
“What if we got Eve up here and had a girl’s night, then?"
Reluctantly, Mackenzie agreed. “If you think we have to…"
Aphrodite clapped her hands three times. “This’ll be like, soo much fun!"
Because Xena was in no position to think, Ares brought them to a retreat of his that was high up, about the height of Mount Olympus. He would have much rather preferred going back home—funny, he now thought of it as home since Xena lived there—but Mak’s presence was registering in Aphrodite’s domain, and he didn’t want to take any chances.
“Where are we?" Xena asked, understanding the fact that they were not in any of their shared temples or Olympus.
Ares looked at her briefly. “We’re at my private retreat. No other God or mortal can reach it without my blessing."
“And I have that." She murmured softly, eliciting a sharp look from him. A thought struck her. “Gabrielle! Dear Zeus, she must be going crazy—we have to tell her everything’s ok. We have to get her to a safe place. We have to—"
“—Whoa, slow down. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of. Why do you just go take a bath and get ready for bed." Looking at her face, he hastily added—“You know what I mean."
She nodded, and slipped out the room, to what she assumed was a bath-room. Ares formed a portal and checked on Gabrielle. With the swish of his hand, he sent her to Xena’s temples and made sure she was sleeping soundly when a priestess checked in on her sudden appearance. The last thing he needed right now was an all-out brawl from a cranky, guilt-filled Bard and a nervous priestess.
Eve appeared in Aphrodite’s chambers, dressed in pink, just like Mak, looking quite bewildered. “What the heck just happened? One minute I was praying to Eli—the next I’m dressed in feathers and lace, and on Mount Olympus." A look dawned on her face. “Aphrodite. Man, I gotta get used to this spontaneous-teleportation thing. Mom did it the other day and I was so not prepared."
Aphrodite cleared her throat and smiled brightly. “Well, we won’t get into that right now, but—“
“—Eve, Aphrodite’s trying to set me up with someone. I tried telling her that I don’t want to be set up with anyone, but you know who she is, and how hard it is to get her to change her mind about something like that." Mak explained, cutting the Goddess of Love off.
“Oh, do I." Eve nodded with such feeling that Mackenzie looked at her rather strangely. “I mean, it must be pretty hard to change her mind; since she’s the Goddess of Love and everything."
“Yeah—um, ok, chicks, we’re going to do some massive makeovers here, so just keep your mouths shut until then, K?" Aphrodite snapped, and zapped their mouths shut. “Ah—that is so much better. Sometimes, silence is golden."
And she set about changing everything on them.
Xena drew herself from the steaming tub, and sat huddled in a towel on the edge, letting a foot dangle in. She had piled her hair loosely on the top of her head, and strands hung down haphazardly, but she really didn’t care. Ares walked in unexpectedly and he gently forced her to lean against him.
“How are you holding up?" He asked, massaging the muscles in her neck soothingly.
“As well as I can, I suppose. How am I supposed to feel?" She replied, asking without turning around to face him.
Ares sighed. “I don’t know. I guess it’s too much to expect a reaction from you—I mean, you didn’t feel anything all that last time, so I’m just assuming that—“
“—Never assume, Ares. It’s not good for your ego." She turned and kissed him softly on the lips, and, with the towel wrapped around her, walked out into the bedroom.
“Right." He said to the empty room, and disappeared to an unknown location.
When Gabrielle woke up, she noticed that the fire was out and that she felt vaguely relieved. Upon opening her eyes, it as revealed that she was no longer outside, by herself, but rather, in a room in one of Xena’s temples. A small contented smile rested on her face.
“I guess this means I’m forgiven."
A burst of blue sparkles illuminated the darkened room.
“Not quite, Blondie." Ares scowled. “She feels bad that she left you without a clue, but you’re here because of me. Xena has no idea that you’re in one of her temples." Seeing the look on her face, he added—“And don’t try to summon her. She’s someplace where your pleas—and everyone else’s—can never reach her. She’s safe," he finished, a softness easing his face.
Gabrielle hooted. “I don’t believe you. If I call for Xena, she’ll come; no matter how mad or far away she is." She spoke confidently, and turned slightly away from him. “Watch—and learn. …Xena!!"
Several moments passed awkwardly, and Ares couldn’t suppress the grin on his face. Gabrielle, refusing to admit that she had no power over her friend, called a couple more times, to no avail. Ares was right; she wasn’t coming.
“Look, I’m sure you’ll want to think things over… but remember, Gabrielle. I am far less forgiving than she is, and you really don’t want to get on my bad side."
“Maybe you don’t want to get on my bad side," she muttered darkly to the empty room.
Hades looked up from his map just in time to see his nephew arrive. A smile lit up the tedious look on his face. “Ares! What can I do for you, son?"
Ares smiled wryly. “I need to take a look at Mak’s parents, is all." He peered around the corner. “They, uh, down here?"
The God of the Underworld sighed wearily. “In a matter of speaking, yes. It’s a long story. Why don’t you take a seat, and I’ll ask Persephone for some Nectar. You’re going to need it when you hear this story."
If you had known Mackenzie and Eve very, very well, you probably could have seen the real person under the frou-frou they had on. But even then… it would be quite the contest.
Mackenzie, since violet was her color, was decked out in a pale lilac. She had on a pajama set not unlike the one that had taken place in Ares’ temple not so long ago. True, there were no feathers at the ends, and it was a shorter, cropped top that she wore, to show off her newly buffed abs, but all in all, it was still the 2-piece set that comprised of pants and a top. Mak’s hair was healthier than usual, and a tiny purple ribbon restrained the copper curls.
Eve, on the other hand, was completely changed. Gone was the loose fitting green swing pants and halter top. In its place was an outfit, the color of a pale blue. It was comprised of a one-shouldered, fitted bodice, and a wrap skirt that had thigh-high slits on the sides.
Both girls wore raw silk slippers matching appropriately to the color of her outfit.
Aphrodite sat back on her ‘love’ seat and clapped. “I did such a good job! Sometimes I don’t know my own strength." The girls looked like they wanted to talk and Aphrodite obligingly un-zapped their mouths.
Mackenzie and Eve responded by rubbing their jaw tenderly.
“God that hurts!" Eve said, still rubbing at her jaw.
Mak touched her finger to a small spot by her pulse and pushed gently. Instantly, the pain dissipated. “I’m ok." She answered truthfully. The crazed look she received from Eve was enough to make her want to help. “Here, let me do it." She pushed the same spot on Eve’s neck as she had on her own and sat back to admire her work.
Eve was choking.
“Oh my god! What did I just do??!" Mackenzie cried out to Aphrodite, arms flailing wildly. Eve managed to capture one of Mak’s hands, put her fingers where they were before, and viciously ‘snapped’ the point.
“Dear lord, Mak, what are you trying to do—kill me? You just put the ‘pinch’ on me!" She rubbed her neck gingerly. “Who taught you that? Only Mom and Ares know—and I know neither of them would teach you."
The younger girl seemed at a loss for words. “I dunno. I just did it on me, and it relieved the pain. I’ve never seen it before in my life, I swear." But that’s not true, her mind protested. You saw it that one time, in your dreams. That was the time you saw your mother, too. Uneasily, Mackenzie shifted from their gazes, and Aphrodite clapped her hands once more.
“Time to go show you girls off!"
A swirl of rose petals filled the air and then the two mortals disappeared while a certain love goddess opened up a portal.
“…And so, those are Mak’s parents." Hades finished; sipping the nectar, for his throat was rather dried from such a lesson.
Ares sat motionless in his chair. “You’re certain? No mistake—that is her exact parentage?"
“Her exact parentage." Hades echoed, sneaking a peek at his graceful wife. There was going to be an influx of warriors in about a month—since Xena and Ares were going to Corte. Persephone was having her visions of the war already, and they weren’t pretty—she was showing signs of fatigue—and this wasn’t really even the busy season. The God of the Dead was worried for his nephew and niece, Aphrodite.
The God of War rose from his seat, and kissed Persephone on the cheek. “I’ll try and go easy on you, ok?" he promised her. She nodded shyly. He turned to his uncle. “Unc—it’s been real. Thanks for the tales—one of these days I’ll tell her… but until then—“ And then he left.
Xena was sitting perched on his bed, re-reading the battle plans, her hair still up on the sloppy knot. Ares materialized on the bed, next to her, watching, dissatisfied when his sudden appearance caused her no noticeable reactions. Her words about “never assuming," came back to him and so he pulled the knot of hair out with deliberate slowness. This time, she was flinching slightly, more than a little tense—even for her.
He trailed his hands down her neck sensually, liking the way she was reacting—or rather—trying not to react. His hands traveled down to her waist, and he drew her on top of him.
“I’m sick of this—you pretending you don’t care. I am not a patient man, Xena, you know that—and yet I’ve waited quite a long time to kiss you; really kiss you. I finally do, and realize that I can’t take it any further because you’re mourning. Do you even know how many cold showers I’ve taken lately?"
A devilish smile rested on her lips, even as she rested on top of him. “I kind of like that idea."
“Which one—the cold showers?" He replied in a self-mocking tone.
Xena looked at him carefully, as if weighing some decision. “No. The one about you kissing me."
This time, Ares grinned. “Well," he murmured against her lips, “why didn’t you say so?"
Before they knew what was happening, Mak and Eve found themselves inside Meneka’s sleeping tent. Needless to say, the commander was pretty shocked.
“Umm—uh—what I mean to say is—how are you lovely ladies today?"
Eve rolled her eyes. Typical. All you gotta do dress up a little, and the whole world thinks you’re gorgeous.
Mackenzie, though, couldn’t seem to tear her gaze from Meneka. There was just something about his eyes that drew her in. I think that green is my new favorite color…
The daughter of the war goddess, seeming to be the only one who had control over her speaking facilities, decided to make full use of it. “And you must be Meneka. If you’ll excuse us now," she grabbed Mak’s arm, dragging her out of the tent, “we’ll just be going."
(And so, Meneka, having said on a garbled sentence, passed Aphrodite’s test, which made her very happy. Although there were 2 gorgeous women in his tent, there was one he simply couldn’t take his eyes off of.)
And it sure wasn’t Eve.
“APHRODITE!!!" Eve yelled at the top of her lungs, stalking across the field in her warped skirt which only served to piss her off even more. “APHRODI—"
The Goddess of Love appeared with her hands up. “Ok, ok, hold your horses, I’m right here."
Eve glared at her. “And just what was the purpose of that little outing?"
Aphrodite took one look at Mackenzie’s dreamy look and smiled. “That."
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