The Continuing Adventures of Xena and Gabrielle

By strange1 (aka agnes h Hagadus)

The characters don't belong to me the story does. Thank you.

Chapter 1

"I missed this." Gabrielle sighed heavily as she leaned even deeper into Xena's side. The moon was full and there were only a few trees to block out the bright moonbeams. It had made falling asleep nearly impossible. "There were a lot of things I missed while you were gone." The bard felt a tear developing but held it in check as this was a happy reunion and not the time for tears. "But I missed most of all being around the fire at night after a long day's travel or whatever adventure we had found ourselves in."

Xena smiled and stroked the young blonde's short hair gently. Tears were close in azure eyes as well but the warrior seldom allowed them release. Her partner would be the one to allow tears to fall so readily. "I know what you mean." She felt a stirring as Gabrielle let her head slide down to the warrior's stomach. Another stirring ensued as the blonde intertwined her fingers with her warrior princess. "While I was gone you could still hear me and I could still hear you. I tried as hard as I could to imagine what it would be like to feel your touch just one more time." It was no use now trying to hold the tears back. "I missed you my love."

Now it was Gabrielle's turn for the tears to fall. She sat up and looked deeply into the cerulean eyes that burned a path to her very soul. "I missed you. I missed everything about you. I missed your touch, your smell and most of all you." She reached out her free hand and pushed a stray hair away from her soulmate's face. "I don't think I could have gone on much longer had we not found one another. I was so alone. It hurt way down deep…" The young bard could not continue as the tears were making it impossible to even think.

"Hush now." Xena took her hand and grasped gently the hand Gabrielle had used to push away her hair. Slowly she brought the hand to her lips and kissed it gently. "I love you and even if I had not been able to make my way back, I would have never left your heart. We are meant to be together as one in life. You are and always will be my better half. Without you I am incomplete. Without you I am nothing. You are my soulmate." With gentle kisses, Xena washed away the many tears that were rolling down her bard's cheeks.

"Xena I…" Gabrielle gasped at the feelings that were released. Having felt Xena's touch after so long was stimulating enough. Now she was kissing her and holding her and it was almost too much. The bard whimpered but it was from the amazing feelings both physical and emotional that were surging throughout her entire body. "I…"

A twig snapped and Gabrielle shot up. When she looked around, she only saw darkness around her. The moon was not full and the trees were thick. The fire had long since burned down. She reached out to find Xena but again she was all alone. There was a movement behind her and she whirled her head around. It was only Argo II standing there, staring at her.

The blonde collapsed back onto her bed roll. The tears that were falling down her face were caused by such pain that she could hardly stand it. The long voyage home from the great island had been torturous. Even a stop in Chin to inform Eve of her mother's demise had not brought her closer to closure. Though she could feel the spirit of Xena and even talk to her in her mind, it was not the same. Xena was gone and there was nothing she could do about it. She had to somehow come to terms with that.

There had been another thought that kept creeping through her mind. Xena would not like it one bit. But it would mean that the two could once again be together completely, not just in some dream world that made her feel worse than ever. To do what she had in mind she would need help. There was one person, one Goddess, that would be willing to help her for she knew that being the Goddess of love she would understand what she was going through.

Gabrielle rolled over and wiped the tears from her face. It was decided. In the morning, she would make her trek to back to Greece and Aphrodite's temple. The Goddess of love had once been her friend. She hoped that she would be once again. For only a true friend would support the lengths upon which she was willing to go to be with her soul mate.

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Xena reached out longingly but it was to no avail. She could sense that Gabrielle was hurting. It was the worst kind of pain that either of them had ever felt. At first the thought of being able to be with her soulmate in spirit had been appealing. But as the days, weeks, and now months had gone on, she knew it was a terrible mistake. It was the mistake her son Solan had made, choosing Tuataras instead of The Elysian Fields. Luckily they had been able to lead him to the Elysian Fields.

Gabrielle had already laid her head back down and was asleep. It was a restless sleep but at least she was asleep. The same could be said as the warrior princess continued to try and touch the soft skin of the woman that she loved. It pained her so much not to be able to feel the strength that had always been there deep inside the bard's very soul. They were not connected anymore, at least not in the same way that they had once been.

Days of talking and nights living in her dreams were not a way to be in Gabrielle's life. It was so empty and unfulfilling. Xena stood and began to pace back and forth. Argo II once again let out a little whinny as she could sense the warrior's presence. The dark-haired beauty made her way to the daughter of her faithful horse. "You were not in my life as long as your mother, but you make proud. I miss you girl. Almost as much as I miss Gabrielle." The Spector swallowed hard as she could feel tears welling up inside of her.

Tears. As if a spirit could truly cry. All she could do is feel the longing and the aching inside of her for a life that once had been so full. Had battling become old and tiresome? To a degree, it had as it was taking its toll on her soulmate more and more every day. Though Gabrielle had become known as the warrior bard, it was still in her true nature to find peace and love. Every battle took another piece of her and it was going to stop.

Xena absently stroked a horse that could not actually feel the touches. Her mind was racing as there had to be a way around what she had done. If only she had let Gabrielle bring her back to her life. But that was done. She knew that her soulmate carried with her the ashes of her body everywhere. That would be the key as it was time she become more than just an observer in Gabrielle's life and once again become fully immersed in it.

Suddenly, the thought of the forty thousand plus souls raced through her mind. While she and Gabrielle needed to be together, she could not put those poor souls through anymore torment. It was time she left Gabrielle and find out how to finally put things back the way that they were supposed to be.

The warrior princess made her way to the still sleeping bard. She knelt down and kissed her forehead. Gabrielle smiled in her sleep and seemed to become less restless. "It's not the kind of goodbye I want to give you. It will have to do until we are reunited, not only in spirit, but in body once again. I love you and will always love you. Be safe my friend."

Xena lingered for only a few more minutes before she was finally able to force herself from the woman that meant everything to her. This journey was for the best. She had to find Akemi in the spirit world. If anyone would know how she could return to form, it was her old friend. Xena blew Gabrielle a kiss and took off into the cold night sky. It would not take her long to reach the great island. How long it would take her to find the answers she so desperately needed was a mystery. Anything to get back to her love.

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It had taken her several weeks to complete her journey to Greece. It had been even longer then the first part out of Japan. At least during the first leg of her journey, Gabrielle knew she had not been alone. She knew that Xena had been with her. Though her soulmate had promised to always be with her even in death, it was like she was all alone now.

Her heart and her soul ached with the feelings of longing and emptiness. Why have you left me, Xena? You promised you'd be with me always. I can't live this life without you, even if it is just in spirit. She sighed at the thought of being alone in the world. The emptiness was just too much. Finally she was at her destination. If only there was help for her.

"Aphrodite!" The warrior bard shouted at the top of her lungs. "I need you!" Gabrielle was at the end of her rope. Life would never be the same without Xena. Now that she had left her, life was not worth living at all. She needed to find her love somewhere in the afterlife. "I said I need you!" The blonde was about to start breaking things. In fact, she accidentally knocked over a large vase.

"Hey!" Aphrodite appeared in the puff of smoke. "I don't have many followers since your girlfriend killed off all my relatives. It won't be easy to replace that." At first the Goddess' expression was one of annoyance. After seeing the look of agony on her friend's face, it quickly turned to that of concern. "Hey Peanut. What happened?"

"As a Goddess I'm surprised you don't know." Gabrielle's tone was harsher than she had intended. Of all the Gods on Mount Olympus, Aphrodite had been the one that had actually seemed to care about her. "I'm sorry. It's just that…" She trailed off, not able to finish. Losing Xena was hard enough but having to relive the nightmare over and over again was far too much.

"She's gone." The Goddess whispered. It took only a moment for her to really take in everything. It did not matter how Xena had died. All that mattered was that her friend was now in more pain than she had ever been in. "Look, I was never a huge fan of Xena but you were and are my friend. If there is anything I can do…" She stopped as Gabrielle's facial expression changed. It was now one of desperation. "Oh no Peanut."

"You are a Goddess." Gabrielle came and stood within inches of the Goddess of love. "And while you prefer love over death, I know for a fact that you have caused many suicides in your time while meddling in humans' love lives. But this is different. I loved Xena with every breath I had. I had to let her go for the greater good. But I can't, and won't, go on without her. I know the problem with the one solution I have."

Aphrodite nodded her head. "If you were to kill yourself, you would forever be in limbo. The reason you killed yourself would be the greatest punishment meaning you would never see Xena again. You would think of her every moment of eternity only to be denied what you so greatly need." The Goddess shook her head. "I can't allow you to do that. You are my friend."

"But there is something you can do." Gabrielle was now balling. "I won't be denied. She's gone. She was never supposed to leave me, but her spirit is gone. I can't live in a world where I can't even feel her presence. You owe her! You wouldn't be a God if it weren't for her! And you claimed to be my friend once upon a time. You owe me!"

"Whoa!" Aphrodite held up her hands. She knew that she owed Xena and Gabrielle a debt that she could not easily repay. Having lived only a short period of time as a mortal, it had been amazing being gifted with her Godhood once again. "I know I owe both of you." She sighed heavily. "I just don't want to be the one to do what you are asking for. Why didn't you go to my brother?"

"He'd been too happy to accommodate me." Gabrielle sighed. Her tears would not stop falling. "I can't go on. And I trust you to do the right thing. If I can't find her, I need you to bring me back. Please, I'm begging you." The bard sank down to her knees. "I don't have anything left to live for. The world is an abyss."

"Fine." Aphrodite took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do. But she would have given anything not to. She raised her hand and was about to cast her spell when she heard it. "Gabs you can't do this." The Goddess began to get excited. "Can't you hear that?" The Goddess made her way over to her friend. "Stand up! It's her!"

Gabrielle had heard nothing. She felt nothing. What was more, the bard had the feeling Aphrodite was attempting to renege finally paying her back. The young bard only shook with anger. "I only know that it is time." Without even a thought, she took the chakram from her side and held it to her neck. "Now make good on your promise or I will do it, I swear!"

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It took Xena only a few days to track down her fellow spirit. Akemi had not been set free as they had hoped she would be. In fact, all the souls were still held in some kind of limbo. The reason was not clear as to why, but the warrior princess was bound and determined to discover why, if she had to walk through the fires of Tartarus to do so.

"It is good to see you, old friend." Akemi smiled sweetly. There was be something not quite as Xena remembered about her young friend. Perhaps there was more to this limbo place than first met the eye. It was almost as if…Her thoughts were interrupted by her young friend's voice. "We are in need of you once again. I fear that Yodoshi was not defeated as we thought. The souls here are in agony. I am, but now that you are here, I know that things will be set right."

The dark-haired warrior eyed her friend with a cautious smile upon her face. Xena knew that she could not give anything away if she were to find out the truth. It was going to take some time and that was one thing she did not have. Her connection to Gabrielle told her that something was not right with her soulmate. If only she could be in two places at once. "I will do my best. Now have you seen Yodoshi yourself?"

It appeared as if Akemi was measuring her words carefully. It was true that the young woman also spoke carefully when alive, but this was different. "I have not. I only know that others have come to me and told me they have seen him either devouring a soul or placing them in chains." It appeared as if the young woman was studying every minute expression change of the warrior. As always, Xena kept her face as unreadable as ever.

Xena crossed her arms over her chest. In her mind, she knew this was not going to be easy. Gabrielle's happiness was what mattered most. But her soulmate had long ago taught her of the greater good. Forty thousand souls could not just be abandoned. Just don't do anything that you can't take back, Gabrielle. Please just wait for me. I will always find you. Death can never keep us apart. "I must speak with anyone that has claimed to have seen Yodoshi."

"Of course." Akemi took Xena by the hand. The warrior's first instinct was to pull her hand out quickly. Over the years, she had learned to do things that repulsed her, ranging from kissing Ares to dressing as a man to being ordered around by a slob of a warlord. She did this all to make the world a better place. She would continue to do this until she and Gabrielle were resting side by side and in the afterlife. "I believe you remember Harukata."

The warrior princess simply nodded her head. Harukata had been the killer of souls. He had fallen to Yodoshi when their original attempt to defeat the demon had failed. Again the spirit could sense that this was not the same person that she had met only a short time ago. She bowed in respect to the older spirit. "I wish we had met again under better circumstances."

"As do I." Harukata looked grave. "I wish I had not have had to take so many souls before your return." He paused for a moment. "I wish more that I had not allowed so many to be taken by that demon." His eyes wavered, never able to be able to keep a steady gaze on her. He was definitely hiding something. It was becoming clearer by the second.

Xena smiled and took her sword out of its scabbard. She pointed it at Harukata's throat. "Enough of this." As she made a thrust, the spirit before her transformed. "Yodoshi." Her smiled turned into a sneer. "I knew you were the one behind this." Her free hand made its way to where her chakram should have been. "And my guess is you are the original summoner of this piece of…."

Suddenly, Xena felt it. It was a terrifying feeling. Oh Gabrielle please no! She was startled from her sensation by a feeling she knew all too well. There was a sword pointed directly at her throat with a little drizzle of blood making its way down to her shoulder. "You should have learned by now to fully concentrate, especially in the spirit world. It will be your annihilation!"

Xena closed her eyes. She felt the blade slowly plunging further into her neck. It was as if she were paralyzed. Her body would not do what she wanted it to. It looked as if this might just be the end. It was not the way she wanted to go. Besides Gabrielle was in trouble. But what could she do? She was barely even able to think. "Gabrielle….Don't! Wait for me!"