Disclaimer:I do not own Xena: The Warrior Princess or any of the series' characters. Any resemblance to other fictions are pure coincidental.
Notes: This is an AU (Alternate Universe) and a Xena x Gabrielle fanfiction. I'm a fan of the pairing ok? Xena is my childhood hero and after re-watching the series this year, I decided to make a fanfiction. YEY. Comments are welcome. Reviews are welcome. Please be nice ahahhahahha it's my first Xena fanfic. I hope you all enjoy. :DD
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Introduction
In a time of ancient excavations, humans were divided according to their territory—earth, water, sky. When the Aerial Territory proclaimed its superiority and command over the others, people whose souls were linked in every life time must fight to defend their loved ones; to protect their dreams; and to secure a future for humanity.
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Chapter 1: Amphipolis
The warm sunlight touched her eyes. It was time to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the wall just beside her bed. Her body was like a clock. Before the warm sunlight could even say its greetings to her skin, her body already felt that it was time to wake up. She would usually wake up right before the sunlight could enter her window but not that day. Her closest friends, Marcus and Grinhilda, were going to have their wedding that day. She's not unhappy but she did feel lonely. As the closest friend of both the bride and the groom, she had a lot of things to do. She took a deep breath and tossed the blanket off.
After washing her face, she wore her usual black outfit. Her black sleeveless shirt showed her lean and strong arms. The leather pant fit like her second skin showing the perfect curves of her long legs. She sat on her still unmade bed. Xena put on her black boots and secured them tightly. From under her bed, she took her sword and slowly unsheathed it to examine its blade for the hunt. After swiftly moving the sword in a circular motion, Xena heard quick footsteps coming towards her room.
Knock knock.
She put her sword back to its sheathe and secured it to her back.
"Xena! Hera and the others are waiting for you down stairs." shouted the maid.
She put on her black leather bolero that was hanging behind the door.
After a deep breath, "Here we go.."
Xena went out of her room and smiled at the maid. "Good morning. I guess I should be running huh.."
The maid greeted her back with a smile "Yeah, Hera has gathered the village council and the elders of the bride and groom. They're waiting for your hunt."
On the day of a wedding ceremony, the closest mutual bond of the bride and the groom must hunt for a lion-buffalo. Xena was their closest mutual bond. The lion-buffalo would be consumed by the family of the bride and groom as a symbol of two families united. It was an old tradition of Amphipolis.
Xena went down stairs and into the largest room where Hera and the others gathered.
Old people, they're lively whenever events like weddings happen. Although the room was large, it seemed so crowded because of all the laughs and loud cheerful voices.
When Xena entered the room, a member of the village council addressed her louder and everybody turned their heads towards her.
"Ah Xena! Cmon! We're all so eager to begin the wedding ceremony! We need you to catch the largest lion-buffalo that you can find ahahahaha"
Hera held the shoulder who spoke and said "Largest eh? We all know that the larger the lion-buffalo, the more dangerous it is. I hope that you would show more concern for Xena's safety."
Another member of the council spoke merrily after swallowing a large gulp of wine. "Oh Hera, we all know that Xena is a woman. And the best hunter in our village. You need not worry about her so much."
Everybody in the room nodded.
"Yes, Hera. I'll be fine. You know that hunting comes naturally for me." Xena put her arms around Hera's shoulder and squeezed her for assurance.
"So true..." A tall dark man said who just came in the room. It was Marcus.
Marcus and Xena held hands and pulled each other close. It was the traditional sibling embrace in Amphipolis.
".. Why look so .. white?" Xena taunted his pale complexion. It was funny because he had dark skin.
"Hey, I'm nervous ok. It's my first time doing this you know.. getting married." Marcus made the people in the room laugh. Who would have thought that a large man like Marcus would feel nervous because of a woman.
Hera pulled Xena on the waist and said "Just be careful..." She kissed Xena on her shoulder.
Hera was the respected village chief. About 7 years ago, she found a heavily wounded teen-aged girl in the forest of Trolls. She took her in. Nobody in the village thought that the girl would make it. Hera nursed her back to health with the help of the village healer. When the girl woke up, she couldn't remember anything but her name, Xena.
"It's been seven years since Hera found you. We never thought you could make it. Let alone become a good hunter. We're fortunate to have Hera as our village chief. Without her, this village will not be blessed with fine hunters like you, Marcus and Grinhilda. This village will not have survived with fishing alone." A village elder said.
Xena smiled and held Hera's hand which was on her waist. "I'm truly grateful that Hera took me in and made me feel like a member of her family and the village." She kissed Hera at the side of her forehead.
There were a lot of preparations to do. There was no time for chats. So, everybody moved.
Xena went straight to the blacksmith to take a set of bow and arrows and some traps. The blacksmith had prepared the things she needed before she arrived.
"Everything you wanted are inside the bag.." said the smith.
"Thanks.. It's a big day. I need them" Xena said. When she just bid goodbye to the blacksmith, two hands covered her eyes from behind her.
"Hey, guess who..."
It was a familiar playful voice for Xena.
"Callisto.." she guessed right.
"I have always wondered how you knew. Do you have eyes behind your head?" Callisto joked.
Xena turned around and suddenly flicked Callisto's nose playfully. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to help your sister prepare for her wedding?"
Callisto was Grinhilda's sister. When Xena woke up with no memories, Grinhilda and her sister Callisto became her first friends. Xena had developed a depression then and it was Grinhilda who successfully pulled her out of it. Callisto's natural playful self had eventually helped Xena show her first smile in the village.
"Yeah I know! It's my sister's big day. She's gonna marry that Marcus." Her tone was very obvious. She didn't like the idea of her sister marrying Marcus.
"Marcus is a good man. He's kind, strong and a good hunter. He'll be good to your sister." Xena patted Callisto's head and picked up the bag.
They walked out of the blacksmith's hut.
"So, you're gonna go for the hunt now?" Callisto asked.
"Uhuh.. I got to catch a big one. The bigger the better. That's tradition". Xena picked up an apple from the fruit stand and tossed it to Callisto. She took a big one for herself for breakfast. After handing the payment to the fruit seller, Callisto took a big bite on the apple and looked at Xena.
Xena noticed and asked "What?"
They found a place where they can sit together and finish their healthy breakfast. As Xena was taking a drink , Callisto blurted out a sudden question.
"Why can't you marry my sister?".
Xena choked and spitted out the water from her throat.
"What?! Where did that come from?" Callisto is a smart girl. She would usually ask weird but smart questions. She would never ask a question without observation.
"Well, I always wanted to have you as my real sister. Aside from that, I think my sister likes you A LOT more than she likes Marcus."
"We're both girls." Xena reasoned out as she wiped the water from her chin.
Callisto took a big bite on her apple and replied "So? What if you're both girls? The purpose of marriage is to bond a family to another family. As an adopted daughter of the village chief, you're a big catch for any family."
Xena loved Callisto's way of thinking but sometimes she hated it because of such questions. If she gave a conventional answer, it was sure that Callisto can throw back a harder question.
"Marriage is not just about uniting two families together. It's also about love." Xena tried her best to give an acceptable reason to Callisto.
"Yeah. Don't you love my sister? Well, I know very well that my sister loves you." Callisto said with her eyes fixed on the seeds of the apple.
Grinhilda had been a great part of who Xena became after losing her memories. It was because of Grinhilda's friendship that Xena recovered emotionally and psychologically.
She knew in her heart that Grinhilda was special but she brushed the feelings off when she learned that Marcus had feelings for her. For some reason, she just decided to help and support Marcus with Grinhilda.
"I have to hunt." Xena stood up and patted Callisto's head once more.
"I have a grand plan!" Callisto stood up and ran to Xena.
Xena stopped and looked at Callisto.
"Why dont you kidnap my sister go somewhere far away. I'll arrange everything!" The tone of her voice was on a high pitch because of excitement.
"Callisto.. Look, I love Grinhilda, your sister. I do care for her a lot. She was the only one who kept me together when I lost my memories. She made me feel that life was still worth living even without memories. And that I can choose to focus my life on creating new ones. Grinhilda is very special to me. That's why I want her to live a good life. Marcus can give that life to her. This is how I love her." Xena expressed her thoughts softly to Callisto.
Callisto took a sigh and pouted her lips. "I guess this is how my sister loves you too. I guess she understands what you're trying to do and accepted your love the way it is."
Not far from where they stand, they saw Marcus and his family were all getting frantic with the wedding preparations.
"Yeah, I guess he's not that bad." It was weird to see a tough guy looking like that because of a wedding. Callisto finally accepted it. She smiled at Xena and said "Thanks for the love you gave my sister."
Xena smiled back.
A voice called out from behind them. It was Callisto's mother.
"Callisto! There you are! I've been looking all over for you. Our water purifying stone is corrupted. We need one at once. Can you pick one up from Healer's house?"
Water purifying stones were a necessity in any household. They purify the water by absorbing its pollution. If the stone had become fully corrupted, it would turn into a normal rock.
The healer's house was up in the mountains. A person needed to go through the forest just to get there. Xena was going to hunt there anyway so she gladly took the errand from Callisto.
"I'll do it. Go help your sister prepare herself for the wedding." Xena pushed Callisto's back.
"Alright.. alright... " Callisto's eyes rolled.
Xena entered the forest . The trees were tall and their trunks were wide. There was little sunlight that came through the leaves. Xena tapped a familiar tree and turned east. Being a hunter, she knew the forest well. Her pace was relaxed but her senses were alert. The sounds of the birds tell her the situation in the forest and she was glad that the birds were calm and almost quiet. It meant that there were no lion-buffalos near-by. She must get a water purifier stone first from the healer. It would be inconvenient to carry a lion-buffalo up and down the mountain path.
She reached a cliff. There had been a bridge there but it was cut down by the healer to prevent animals from coming close to her area. Xena sighed and tightened her belt. She looked at her boots-checking if all were secured. She moved a few steps back and ran towards the cliff. Xena jumped and reached the other side. She continued trekking up the mountain path for thirty minutes and reached an old bridge. By the looks of the bridge, it couldn't possibly handle two people at once. It was kept unrepaired to keep large animals that could have successfully jumped from the cliff away from the healer's house. Xena took one step at a time slowly.. and another step.. and another. Crack. Her right foot went through a piece of wood. She held onto the rope firmly.
"Tch.. Why does it have to be like this all the time...?" The female hunter pursed her lips.
Finally, she was able to walk across the bridge. The healer's house was a few meters away behind the big rock.
The Xena knocked on the door but there was no answer. She went around and found the healer's small shack. She knocked but there was no answer. Xena pushed the door open and called out for the healer. Still, there was no answer.
She went in and waved her hands in front of her nose. The strong stench of medicine made her nose twitch. There were a lot of medicines, herbs and other concoctions stacked in there.
"Alexis... Hey, Are you here?" Xena shouted.
She walked around and found Alexis standing behind the shelves near the open window.
"Hey... Alexis..." Xena called out.
It seems like the healer couldn't hear her. She noticed that there was something on her ears~ a pair of singing stones.
She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall right next to the window.
Alexis finally noticed her and said "Oh, It's you. I'm listening to a beautiful song. "
Xena smiled and noticed box on the healer's hand.
"What is that? Another singing stone?"
Alexis smiled and handed Xena the box and said.
"This singing stone was excavated from a ruin. The stone for the left ear is missing. It was given to me as a gift. The thing is, it never sang for me or to anybody else."
She touched the singing stone and it glowed. "I thought it's broken." Xena commented.
Alexis smiled "Oh..I guess not... Why don't you listen to it?"
Xena put the singing stone on her right ear. She closed her eyes and heard a sweet female voice. She couldn't understand the lyrics but it made her feel warm inside. It gave her a very familiar feeling. She suddenly thought of a woman. She had beautiful blue eyes and long blonde hair. She was writing on a scroll. Xena knew her. She knew that bard.
A tear fell from Xena's eye.
Alexis watched Xena being totally captivated by the song of the singing stone.
"This must be fate. After thousands of years, the singing stone found its owner." Alexis whispered in awe.
Xena opened her eyes and traced the tears from her cheek. She looked at Alexis and asked "What was that?"
Alexis brushed Xena's bangs gently. "According to a legend, people from thousands of years ago made stones~ singing stones that can remember songs and music. Some of them, they say, are locked. It means only a particular person or people will be able to hear the stones sing. They say that such stones will only sing for its creator."
Xena made a soft laugh "Are you saying I'm that old?"
Alexis closed the window and walked towards the door. Xena followed.
"No, but maybe you did live thousands of years ago and you were born again. And by fate, the stone found you again."
The idea of dying and then being reborn was too much of a fantasy for Xena. She just brushed it off. Xena didn't know about the world's legend or history. The only legends and stories she knew were the ones told in the village. For seven years, she didn't go out of the village. She didn't try to find out who she was before she got there. There was no urge to do so as she was happy.
The two women went out of the shack and walked side by side.
"What about the stone for the left ear? Where is it?" Xena asked.
"I dont know. It was given to me by a patient who had nothing to offer for payment." Alexis said.
Alexis was kind to everyone and performed her duties as a healer regardless of whether the patient can pay or not. Some were puzzled why Alexis chose to live in the mountains and serve a small village when she could compete with the best healers in the country's royal capital and live a comfortable life.
Nobody knew much about Alexis or where she came from. She was the best healer ever known in the village and Xena being alive was a proof of that.
Xena had serious injuries when the village chief found her in the Troll Forest. If not for Alexis's medical skills, she certainly would have not survived. Since then, Alexis became her friend.
Alexis turned to Xena. "What brings you here?" She examined Xena from head to foot. "I dont see any wounds on you."
"Not yet. Callisto's mother need a water purifying stone. Her stone must have been fully corrupted already. They'll be needing it for the wedding banquet." Xena explained.
"Today is Marcus and Grinhilda's wedding I see. I have plenty of water purifying stones in stock." Alexis replied.
They went into Alexis's house and straight to the kitchen. There was a barrel full of water purifying stones. Alexis handed 3 stones to Xena.
"You can keep the singing stone. It's yours. Be careful on your hunt. Lion-buffalos are quick and strong. I really don't like the idea of re-attaching your limbs because I can't." Alexis jokingly said. Xena was strong. The healer knew that it would take a dozen of lion-buffalos to tear a limb from her.
Xena smiled and gave a relaxed salute. "Yes yes. I will."
She walked down the mountain path and into the center of the forest.
It was a few hours before dusk. A lion-buffalo had not been in sight. Xena had been on top of a tree for hours looking for a lion-buffalo. Lion-buffalos were very few in numbers. They would usually go hunting for prey alone and would carry their prey to be consumed by the pack.
"Come on. Where are you when I need you...?" Xena was getting impatient. The wedding would start at midnight. If she could not catch a lion-buffalo before the sun goes down, the wedding would be postponed.
The birds flew away. She heard movements from a distant. It was a running horse-stag. Its hind leg was bleeding. It was bitten. By the size of the bite, Xena knew it was from a lion-buffalo. This horse-stag was amazing to be able to get away from it with that kind of wound. Not far from the running animal was the lion-buffalo. Xena took an arrow and aimed at her prey. She let go of an arrow but missed the animal. The trees were in the way.
"Damn..."
Xena had already prepared some ropes which she could swing from tree to tree. She swung to catch up with the horse-stag and lion-buffalo. Unfortunately, the animals went to the direction where the female hunter had not prepared ropes. She needed to go down and run to not lose sight of the fast running animals. The horse stag reached a cliff. It was cornered. The hungry lion-buffalo growled with its saliva all over its mouth. It leaped towards its prey. Xena ran fast and bumped full force at the lion-buffalo's side causing it to be pushed away from its direction. It felt like her body went against a rock. She took her arrow and aimed straight at the lion-buffalo. It stood up and growled at her. Xena's right shoulder began to ache and couldn't pull the bow's string. The animal ran towards the hunter. She unbuckled the strap of her sword on her back and pulled the sword out of its sheath using her left hand.
"Great... I'm in big trouble." Xena took a deep breath.
The lion-buffalo pushed her down and tried to bite her head. She used her sword to prevent the animal's teeth from reaching her face. It swung its neck and threw the sword away. Xena was now defenseless. Drops of the lion-buffalo's saliva fell on her cheek. It opened its mouth wider and moved closer to her face.
Before its teeth reached her, the lion-buffalo was pushed off of Xena. It was a powerful push. The beast could not stand for seconds. It was the horse-stag who pushed it away with its strong neck and body.
The hunter smiled and said "Thanks... Good boy."
Xena quickly picked up her sword and stabbed the beast on the head. The sword went through its skull.
It was night time. Everything was ready. They were all just waiting for Xena and the beast. It needed to be cooked.
"It's a bit late. What's taking her so long?" Callisto was at the window keeping an eye for Xena's arrival.
"She'll be here soon." said the girl in a long white gown. It was Grinhilda.
The siblings looked at each other.
"Why do long face sis?" Callisto hugged her sister from behind. They were facing the mirror.
"I just...feel a little anxious." Grinhilda stroked Callisto's head which rested on her shoulders.
"Anxious isn't a word of a happy bride sis." Callisto whispered to her sister's ear and kissed her shoulders.
"If only ... Xena was.. or if I was a man... then maybe.. It would have been different."
Knock. Knock.
It was their mother. "Callisto, Xena has arrived. Help me in preparing the beast."
Callisto let go of her sister. "I don't understand why you can't love each other like a man and woman can.."
The bride looked up. She held back her tears and said "Me neither..."
Xena took the huge lion-buffalo home with the help of her new friend, Argo the horse stag. When they got into the village and presented the animal to the family and the council, she immediately took Argo to the chief's stables.
"Thanks. If it wasn't for you, I would have been torn apart by that beast." Xena wrapped its wounded hind leg with a bandage. It made a sound of mutual gratitude.
"Hey, the ceremony will start in about two hours." Callisto was leaning on the stables' door.
"Hey... I see. I better change clothes then." Xena patted Argo's head and walked out the stables with Callisto.
"My sister's waiting for you in the village garden."
Brides aren't supposed to go outside their room before the wedding.
"She wants to see me..?" Xena knew.
"Please see her before the wedding." Callisto bit her lip. It was her way to beg.
Xena nodded. "Ok.. I'll just change. I'll go there as soon as I can." The pace of her footsteps increased.
They developed a very strong friendship over the past seven years. Xena and Grinhilda were about fifteen years old when they first met. It was when Xena had an episode of nightmares and ran away from the Hera's house. She hid herself behind the rosa bushes in the village garden. Grinhilda was there lying on the grass observing the stars in the black sky. Both noticed each other but left each other alone. After that, Xena would go to the village garden and hide herself in the rosa bushes and Grinhilda would lay on the same spot for many nights. It was Grinhilda who took the initiative to get closer. She would lay closer to the rosa bush each night until she was close enough to hear Xena's breathing.
"Hey.. I heard you're new here. I'm Grinhilda." She finally introduced herself one night.
".. I'm Xe..na.. It's Xena." The other female spoke softly and anxiously who was still hiding behind the bush.
"The stars are beautiful aren't they? Staring at them puts my heart at peace."
"Stars?" Xena looked up. After all the nights that she hid herself in the village garden, it was the first time she noticed the stars. They were beautiful.
Xena took off her hunter's clothes and wore a white shirt with sleeves long enough to cover half of her fingers and then the long black skirt. She hated wearing such clothes. They were too much not like her she thought. The thing was that nobody was allowed to wear hunter's clothes in the ceremony.
It was almost time for the wedding. Xena took a deep breath and walked towards the village garden. The night was like the nights she spent with Grinhilda. The sky was full of stars. The rosa bushes haven't changed much. They still gave that pleasant faint smell. She admired one red rosa flower and gently touched its petals and ran her finger towards its stem.
"Xena..." A woman's voice called out.
The female hunter got startled and her finger got wounded from the flower's thorn. She turned and saw her friend Grinhilda in her wedding dress.
Grinhilda smiled and slowly walked towards Xena. She took her hand and looked at her in the eye.
"You're quite clumsy for a hunter.. I wonder how you survived all these years hunting in the forest." Grinhilda put Xena's finger in her mouth gently licking the wound clean. Xena swallowed hard.
"If the elders find the bride outdoors like this before the ceremony, you'll be in big trouble." Xena whispered.
Grinhilda slowly moved her mouth away from her friend's finger. Her eyes focused on Xena.
"Have you ever thought how things could have been?" Grinhilda was still holding Xena's hand.
Xena slowly took her hand away and paused for seconds. She could have been in deep thought. She must have been thinking what could have been. A faint smile was her answer to Grinhilda. She embraced the bride and said
"I pray and I hope for your happiness with Marcus."
Grinhilda knew the answer. She just had to hear them straight from her. It took a few seconds for her to embrace her beloved friend back. Tears were held back.
Xena looked up in the sky. It could be the last time seeing the stars like this with her friend. She saw falling balls of flames from the sky.
"What... are those?"
Grinhilda turned and looked at the sky. "They're falling .. straight at the village!"
Boom
One ball of large flame fell straight at Grindhilda's house. And another fell straight at the village chief's house. The rest fell at different unfortunate houses.
The entire village of Amphipolis was in a blaze.
~end of Chapter 1: Amphipolis~
Author's Notes: So? What do you think? Comments and criticisms are welcome! English is my second language. Your comments about my grammar will help me a lot. Aside from that, if you enjoyed it.. I wanna know... of course it matters! A LOT!
Argo: (neigh neigh) ~ "Why am I a hybrid of a stag and a horse? And why am I a male?"
Authoress: Sorry, the idea just popped out of my head. And your name sounds like a male's anyway!
Argo: (neigh neigh) ~ KICKS the authoress
Authoress: (T_T) Can't we just get along... sigh... ouch...