Title – Energy

Author - Duckysdream

Disclaimer – I own nothing...please don't sue.

Summary – Xena comes close to losing Gabrielle. She gets lucky and some kind of divine intervention saves her best friend, and stops her from giving up.

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"Gabrielle?" Xena said softly. "Are you awake?"

"Yeh," Gabrielle said turning her head slowly. Her face was pale except for dark circles around her eyes. Her lips were dry and peeling. She'd been shot with a poison arrow a few days earlier. There was nothing Xena could do. No medicine would cure her. Gabrielle was dying.

"I can't believe I let this happen." Xena said covering Gabrielle with another blanket. "I should never have put you in so much danger."

"No, Xena, it's not your fault. There is nowhere I'd rather be than fighting by your side. I never wanted things to be different. I didn't have to follow you, but I did because I wanted to. Someone's got to watch out for you."

"What am I going to do without you?" Xena said gathering Gabrielle up into her arms. "I can't imagine my life without you. I don't want to."

"There's nothing that can be done now." Gabrielle said. Xena settled Gabrielle in her lap. "My place has always been with you Xena, but you're strong, you'll go on. You have to. This world needs someone like you. Somebody who'll stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. You've got to fight in memory of me. Be who you were born to be. Be a hero."

"I can't, I can't do it without you. I won't. This world will have to find another hero."

"Xena," Gabrielle sighed. She started coughing. Xena sat her up and rubbed her back until the coughing subsided. They were camped out under the stars, their fire burning brightly. Gabrielle loved it out here in the open, where she could see the stars. Xena had brought her here to die. Gabrielle lay back down on her bed and looked up at the stars.

Xena turned suddenly when she heard someone crashing through the trees behind her. She drew her sword and stood up. A hooded figure in a brown robe emerged a second later. "Stop." Xena said. She raised her sword when she saw that the hooded figure carried a sword as well. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Xena unhooded the figure with the tip of her sword. It was a young woman with red hair. She had striking green eyes.

"I saw your fire from the trees." She said. "You have to take cover. The army of Ares marches towards you. They're less than an hour from here."

"Let them come. By the time they get here I won't have anything left for them to take." Xena said lowering her sword. She turned around and was about to sit down next to Gabrielle when the woman spoke again.

"Xena," She said. Xena turned back around.

"How do you know my name?" She asked. "Are you one of Ares scouts? Have you come to watch my pain?"

"I fight against Ares, not with him. My name is Jade. I was raised in a camp of Centaurs not far from your son. We played together as children. He told me stories about you and all your adventures. Please, come with me. Come with me if you want to live."

"I have nothing to live for." Xena said and sat down.

"Xena," Gabrielle said. "Go, get to safety."

"I won't leave you, I don't want to fight anymore." Xena said. Jade spun quickly on the spot and began fighting with someone who'd snuck up on them. By the armour he was wearing Xena knew he was one of Ares scouts. A few seconds later there were two more scouts fighting against Jade.

"Help her Xena." Gabrielle said. Xena shook her head.

"I don't want to fight anymore." Xena said. A water bag was thrown into the fire and the clearing became dark. Xena could hear what was going on, but remained seated. She had her sword in her hand but would only fight to protect Gabrielle. After a few minutes the fight ended. Jade sheathed her sword and turned around. She walked over and crouched beside Xena.

"I can help you." Jade said.

"No one can help me." Xena said. "There's nothing anyone can do."

"I'm not just anyone." Jade said. A bolt of lightning flew from her finger and reignited the fire. Xena looked up at her. "I can help you, but first you have to help yourself. Get up and get moving. I'll hold off the rest of the scouts until you're safely away. There are Amazon tree houses everywhere around here. Find one and stay put." Jade said. "You need to move now. I'll find you when I've led Ares away from here."

She stood up and whistled. Her horse ran in from the trees. She mounted and turned the horse in a circle. Xena helped Gabrielle up and they moved off into the trees. Gabrielle looked back in time to see Jade move her hand above the fire. The flames died down.

The sun had started to rise before Jade returned. She climbed up into the tree and collapsed on the wooden floor. She breathed heavily for a moment before rolling over and getting onto her hands and knees. She crawled across to Xena and Gabrielle.

Gabrielle had past out hours before. Xena knew she wouldn't wake up. Jade wiped blood from her mouth and sat down. Xena didn't even look up. She held Gabrielle and looked towards the sunrise.

"All that happens when you die is that your life energy runs out." Jade said.

"So," Xena said still not looking up.

"So, if you're somehow able to give some of that energy back," Jade said. "It's just like putting new wood on a fire that's burning out. You just need to replace what's gone. I found out when I was very young, that I could do some incredible things if I thought about it. I could light fires with a click of my finger, or heat up water. And once, I even brought a bird back to life after it'd frozen in the snow. Somehow, I can control energy, all sorts of energy. From fire and water, dirt, plants, even wind. Even life." Jade said. "It comes with a price, as everything does. I have to be sure what I'm doing is right. It isn't Gabrielle's time to die Xena. She has a lot left to accomplish in her life." She put her hands on Gabrielle's stomach. Xena saw her hands start to glow orange. A second later Gabrielle started coughing. Jade withdrew her hands and sat back.

"Gabrielle?" Xena said. "Oh Gabrielle." She said and hugged her.

"Xena," Gabrielle said and cleared her throat. "What happened, how did you, how am I alive."

"Maybe someday you can pay me back." Jade said and stood up. She smiled and walked to the edge of the platform. She flipped forward off the platform and disappeared into the forest.

"What did she do?" Gabrielle asked.

"I don't really know." Xena said. "But she healed you. She brought you back from the dead."

"And you were ready to give up." Gabrielle said. "We always seem to get lucky in the end."

"Yeh, I guess we do." Xena nodded. "I was so close to losing you. I was so scared Gabrielle. Thank the Gods you're alive. I can't live without you."

"You need someone watching your back." Gabrielle smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Xena asked.

"Hungry." Gabrielle smiled. Xena returned the smile and shook her head.