Prologue

A cool summer breeze drifted across Gabrielle's face as she road Argo into a small clearing. She was completely exhausted from her travels back from Jappa, mentally, physically and emotionally. She removed the saddle bags from Argo and sent her to graze. She started her fire, rolled out her bedroll, and sat down to a meagre supper consisting of dried fruit and bread that was left in her pack. She had come across a stream earlier, but her attempt to fish brought up some very sad memories that she couldn't face. Xena had taught her to fish, to hunt, to survive.

'But how do I survive with only half my heart, half my soul...' thought Gabrielle.

She put away her dinner, no longer hungry and curled up into a ball on the bedroll. She was sobbing silently, her tears having dried up long ago.

Chapter 1

'Another soul released' thought Xena, with a stab of the Katana through the spectral-like being, it shuddered slightly before dissipating.

She sat down on a near by log, mostly out of habit. As she was now a spirit warrior, she no longer needed rest, but still somehow felt emotionally and mentally exhausted by her efforts. She knew the reason behind it. Even though she had made some considerable headway in avenging the souls she herself had condemned, there was still a long way to go. And she was missing something, someone.

'Gabrielle. Despite knowing that taking on this task was the right thing to do, it was a mistake not to include you in this decision. I don't know how I will be able to continue without you. Without you here, this seems more like torment than redemption'

She felt a shimmer in the air, and immediately jumped up and spun around, her Katana nearly slicing off Ares' head.

"How is it you ALWAYS know?" asked Ares, clearly irritated he could never get the element of surprise.

"Well, before it was just listening to the shift in the air. But now, it's because I am a spirit warrior, so I FEEL the shift in the air as well." Xena explained simply, but with a clearly annoyed tone, "What do you want Ares? You can't possibly be here on a social call, since you are very far from home for that."

"You know me so well. I still can't figure out why I lost you to that irritate-" Ares voice was cut off by Xena's hands around his neck.

"DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT GABRIELLE LIKE THAT AGAIN!" Xena bellowed at the god, shoving him away from her in disgust.

Ares looked up at Xena from the ground, with a shamed look on his face. "Sorry. Really, I am. I know how much she means to you and I still owe you for helping me and Aph regain our Godhood back. Old habits are hard to break" He kept the smirk to himself, knowing he had crossed a line.

Xena looked down at Ares, fighting the urge to shove the sword into his stomach. She knew enough of the power of this sword that although it wouldn't kill him, it would hurt.

"What do you want?" Xena asked again, "I have a lot of work to do and I am not in the mood for your games."

"I know. I really am sorry." Ares got up as slow as possible as to not irritate the warrior anymore, "I came to give you some information, and to help. Truly!" He raised his hands in the air in response to Xena's eyebrow raise. "I know of a way to return you to Gabrielle, as a mortal again, and to have the souls continue to have a spirit warrior to avenge them."

"Why do I feel there is some sort of string attached to this?" Although her heart raced at the thought of reuniting with Gabrielle, Xena was never sure whether she could trust Ares, even though she knew that his transformation from God to mortal to God had given him some perspective.

"Well, there are some strings, but none of them have to do with me this time. Will you listen to what I have to say?"

Xena pondered for a moment. 'I suppose I could hear him out. If I don't like what I hear, I could always take his head off and watch him carry that around for awhile until he can return to Mount Olympus and set it right.'

"Alright Ares, I'm listening. How are you able to help?"

"Well..."