Teaser
"I need your help!" Aphrodite said as she suddenly materialized in the forest in front of Xena and Gabrielle.
Instantly, Xena had her sword drawn while Gabrielle had her sais 'at the ready'. They both dropped their guard simultaneously when they saw it was her.
Aphrodite sighed, "Geeze. Take it down a notch, ladies."
"You're lucky you're immortal," Xena hissed as she re-sheathed her sword.
"Yeah. Whatever." The goddess waved her off and looked to Gabrielle. "I need your help to save a friend, Gabby. She's got some pretty heavy political connections and her family-."
"Sorry," Xena interrupted. "I'm not a sword for hire - especially for politicians."
"Well, guess what? I didn't ask you. I asked her," she said turning back to Gabrielle.
"You want me?" the bard asked as she put her sais back in her boots.
Aphrodite nodded. "I need YOU, for sure," she added for emphasis. "I guess Xena can tag along too if she wants, but she's being stubborn."
"Hey," Xena said indignant.
"What?" Aphrodite shrugged.
"Where Gabrielle goes, I go."
"Great, you're going to Athens if she agrees," Aphrodite told the warrior. "Truth is, I would like your help too, but I'm not going to twist your arm. I just figured you might feel that one good deed deserves another after all."
"Oh really? A good deed?"
"Hey," Aphrodite said as she moved a few steps closer to poke Xena in the breast place with a pointed finger. "I defied the Olympian order to help Gabrielle, and that was AFTER I tried to talk them out of going after Eve. And what did I get in return, Xena? You killed my ENTIRE family!" she squawked.
"Except Ares," Gabrielle muttered.
"Yes, except pain-in-my-ass, Ares," she corrected herself. "But hey," she said with a sarcastic snort, "…if you can't be bothered to return the favor…" The goddess then let the sentence hang for effect… and guilt.
Xena looked at Gabrielle, who shrugged and told Aphrodite, "She hit me with a Chakram."
"She killed my husband, my brothers, my sisters, my-."
"Fine!" Xena sighed not wanting to get into it all. "What's the job?"
"It's a muse that needs help, well, not a real muse, just someone who's super talented. In fact, you've met her."
"I have?" Xena asked.
"Yep, you strong-armed your way into her dressing room and forced her to write a poem for you, well, actually for her." She pointed in the bard's direction.
Xena suddenly looked worried as Gabrielle began to grow annoyed.
"What?!" Gabrielle said as she slapped Xena's arm. "You made Sappho write something for me at sword point?!"
"Nooo," Xena whined.
Aphrodite muttered, "It was a crossbow."
"What?!" Gabrielle screeched again.
"No, I didn't!" Xena argued.
Aphrodite began to chuckle. "Take a chill pill, Gabby. I'm just teasing you. Actually, Xena did strong arm her way in but then she told her the sob story of missing the birthday concert and she took pity on her. It was actually kind of sweet. Xena even begged."
"You begged," Gabby asked with a growing smile.
Xena looked way for a moment. "I felt bad. I asked her to do another show, but she said no. She had to get back to Mytilene. So instead, she asked me to describe you. I did and, well, you read what she came up with. She said she'd only hand it over if I made a promise that I wouldn't read it before I gave it to you."
"That's why you looked surprised when I read it," Gabrielle surmised.
"It was the first time I heard it too. You loved what she wrote for you and my screw up was corrected. So problem solved. End of story."
"Not really," Aphrodite added.
"You have something more to add?" Xena asked coolly.
"You never mentioned Sappho's appearance." Aphrodite motioned for Xena to continue.
The warrior turned to Gabrielle.
"Alright, I should warn you... Sappho looks like…"
"What?" Gabrielle asked when Xena didn't continue.
"Someone in this circle," she finished.
"Are you kidding me?!" Gabrielle asked. "You mean 30 years later and there's yet another woman that looks like you?"
"Not me." She then nodded to Aphrodite and said, "…or her."
"Me?"
Xena simply nodded.
"Well, how much like me?" Gabrielle wondered.
"You'll see." Xena just smiled.
"Yeaaaaaah," Aphrodite added. "She IS a dead ringer for the bardly one here, but you never met Anaktoria, Xena."
"Who's Anaktoria?" Xena and Gabrielle both asked at the same time.
Aphrodite giggled. "Like you just said, you'll see."
With that, Aphrodite reached out and grabbed both their arms and the three of them glittered away. When they re-immerged, they were outside the south slope of the Acropolis in Athens at The Odeon Inn, a small venue / tavern next to The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a much larger stone theatre structure.
A large banner hung outside the theater that read, "The 10th Muse Competition Finals."
Gabrielle began to put everything together.
"Wait. You want me to act like Sappho and recite her poetry?"
"Actually this competition has nothing to do with her poetry."
"I don't understand," the bard answered.
"It's about her music and I need you to sing."
"I-I-I don't sing," Gabrielle stuttered nervously.
"You do today!" Aphrodite said as she pulled them both inside the theater.