Title: The Fabric Of Time
Author: Aeris Jade Orion
Pairing: Joxer/Gabrielle, Aphrodite/Hephaestus
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: X:WP
Timeline: Season Five
Authors Notes: TLFENH. This is based on the idea that Dahak
was behind Eli's beliefs. Callisto's rebirth, Xena and
Gabrielle's experience while dead, Eve's conception, and
the Twilight of The Gods.
Second, due to health issues, and taking care
of my disabled mom, I haven't been able to
write much. But over the last several years
I've managed to slowly write on a number
of stories.
What I've decided to do is go ahead and
publish what I've managed to put together.
The stories are unfinished, and sometimes,
the last chapter I worked on is unfinished.
Plus, there maybe multiple chapters, each one a
different version. Just warning everyone.
So I apologize in advance.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Two years in the future Joxer must go back in time to stop a reborn Dahak from starting the Twilight. Or die trying.
Prologue
The darkness enveloped his haggered body. Reminding him of the possible danger constantly lying just out of reach. Each shifting of a shadow causing his scarred hands to twitch toward one of the three weapons stationed on his body.
The silence was, for once, more of a hinderence than a help. Hiding any possible warning of one of Dahaks many demonic minions, or future attacks.
His once clumsy movements were now soundless, and smooth. The body of an experienced warrior, long since forged from a hellish exsistance that was more surreal than anything.
Scars old and new now riddled his once flawless skin. An idiotic mind and short attention span had faded away, replaced instead by a sharp wit and stubborn patience that proved necessary to live in this newly made world.
The loud, patchwork armor had been destroyed shortly after the gods had been killed. In its place was a slightly damaged, yet extremely flexible, leather and black metal armor.
The poorly made sword had followed his old armor to the grave. Instead he'd scavenged up other weapons. The chakram that had once belonged to Xena, a whip, and an Olypian weapon that was rather unique.
KABOOM!
The temple shuddered violently, sending dust and large chunks of marble raining down on him. Echoes of the explosion bounced around the underground building, hurting his ears.
" Your brothers early. " The feminine voice pointed out with exasperated tension. " Again. "
Despite the situation, or perhaps because of it, Joxer chuckled under his breath. His dark brown eyes twinkling at the frustration he knew his partner in crime felt over Jace's enthusastic performances.
" That's Jace for you. " He absently admitted, scanning the temple for any hint of activity. " We'd better go before he decides to bring the roof down on us. "
He darted forward as another explosion rocked what was once Gaia's home. His soft soled boots lightly touched down on the cracking tiles, not once faltering despite the hazardous destruction.
A third and fourth distraction moved through the earth, followed by the unearthly bellows of Dahaks minions. The distraction allowing them to slip into the one of a dozen chambers in the maze like structure.
Heavy brown eyes flickered rapidly around the small room, searching for any sign of Dahaks priests, or the demonic guards. No sign of the god like demons minions showed, but he knew from experience that it rarely meant it was safe.
Finally he turned his attention to the stone archway in the middle of the room. A swirling dark purple and silver energy shifting, swirling, and surging inside it.
On each side of the portal sat a stone bear. Large, realistic statues that gleamed with jeweled eyes. Teeth shimmering under the soft lighting moving through shadowed dust.
" Approach and speak..." The bear on the right growled.
" Or stand and die. " The bear on the left finished.
He allowed himself to turn to his friend and partner of three years. There was a solemn air between them at the knowledge of what they were about to risk, all in order to stop the damned war before it could be started.
" Are you sure about this? " He asked DIte softly.
Serious blue eyes met his with a deep, soul wretching understanding that shock his heart. They'd shared too much, been through too much not to understand each other.
Once he would've wanted nothing to do with her. The once arrogant and mischievious goddess had simply targetted him far too often. Sometimes while he was traveling with either Xena or Hercules. Other times when he by himself.
More often than not her plans would leave him at mininum with some small physical injury. While most of the time he would end up emotionally humilated, and his already low self worth, all but destroyed.
Though truthfully, it was one particular incident just after Gabby had died the first time that had left him nursing a grudge against Aphrodite. A miscalculated and misfired plan that he'd kept secret from his friends and family.
An especially humilating incident that involved one of Are's few female warriors, a two hundred pound drunken pig named Liquor, and a squad of fat, yellow toothed soliders in drag.
Then Dahak.
Three days after the eternal winter had fallen he'd stumbled over the only god to escape the slaughter.
Aphrodite.
The goddess had been in bad shape, and despite his feelings toward the bottle blond, he'd nursed her back to health. In turn, they'd ended up partnering up against Dahak.
In the months, and years that had follewed she'd changed. Evolved from a goddess that played up the image of a dumb blonde. Showing her actual intelligence, and having to learn to surivive, to fight without her powers since she could be traced with each use.
The long, curly white blonde hair was long gone, replaced with her natural straight, dark blond color that fell to the bottom of her ears. Her pink nails and professionally applied make-up was absent.
Even her famous pink linquire was missing. Instead she tended to wear faded brown leather pants, boots, and shirt. Not that she'd given up all her feminine tendances, as evidenced by the amount of cleavage she insisted on.
Still she had grown on him. Especially after she'd started to use Gabby's old sais. He'd been forced to admit the goddess really had valued the bards friendship, something that had greatly reduced any negative feelings on his part.
It had helped even more that she'd managed to get the two of them into her dead husbands metal forge. There they'd been able to claim several weapons that were made before the blacksmiths death.
Dite had taken a long sword, and a pair of daggers. Joxer on the other hand had gotten hold of a strange weapon. A type of staff that was unlike anything he'd ever seen, or heard of.
The metal staff was extremely light, and even thinner. What made it so unique though was that the ends would slide into the middle section with just a gesture, allowing him to holster it on his left thigh.
Another feature was that it had two lengths to it. It could shot out into a quarter staff, or full length staff. Further it could turn into a three section staff at either of the two lengths. However instead of chain it used a thin strand of metallic rope.
It also had bladed features. It had retractable spear blades at both ends. Long spear blades that could be used like a spear, or as a bladed staff. A feature he'd used often and gleefully.
" Let's do this. " The blond simply smiled.
Joxer took a deep breath then moved forward with his friend until they stood on a single large gold tile. His body relaxed more from exhaustion than ease.
" By the gods I stand before you. Let me be judged so that I may unravel that which dooms us all. "
The traditional greeting slide from his hoarse tongue automatically. Each word dripping with desperation and more than a hint of hope.
The gold tile lit up sending a surge of white light over their body. Each wave invading their soul and memories.
Tears stung his eyes as he remembered the day Xena and Gabby faked their deaths, only for Dahak to finally show himself. Unconcious and with no way to defend themselves he'd easily killed them.
Eve, a reborn Callisto, had been taken by her father Dahak. In turn creating the destruction of the Olympian gods, and the fall of Greece.
Months after his two friends death an apocalytic world was all that was left of a once prospersence civilization. The sky blanketed with ash that hide the sun, and a blood moon that filled the sky each night.
Demons over ran the world, taking slaves and creating fight camps designed to pit human warrior to warrior. Each fight to the death.
All animals headed for extinction, the ones still alive becoming mutated and warped by the demonic energy that was now produced by the Earth.
More memories surfaced.
The few humans that managed to escape the esculating insanity had banded together. Sometimes as spies for Dahak, but mostly creating rebel cells fighting hopelessly to stop the madness.
A fight that had drastically changed Joxer from a moronic fool to a desperate warrior willing to do anything, no matter how insane, to save his world.
Even living his life again.
" You seek a second chance..."
" To unweave times tapestry. "
" You are judged..."
"...worthy."
The rebel bowed slightly to the two guardians. They had a chance to change things for the better.
A single shot.
' Goddess guide me. ' He thought, stepping into the portal. ' Let me succeed where I failed before. '
Chapter One
Joxer frowned at the partially frozen bodies of his friends. Eli's angry, grief stricken voice was barely registering to his sleep deprived mind. The nasuating corrupt energy Callisto making his mind throb painfully.
His left hand rested in the pouch on his belt. The callused fingers idly toying with the two small crystlized potions. Each one having been made to be used on his two friends.
Neither one would kill them, in fact they were made to undo the damage Dahak had caused. The damage their deaths had caused, and Xena's pregnancy by Dahak.
He shifted his hand deeper into the pouch, gently touching, brushing against the small round medallions. Protection that would keep Dahak from directly messing with the two women.
Hopefully.
Joxer snapped his head up to watch Eli lay his hands on Xena and Gabby's foreheads. A bright light appearing around him.
The time traveler pulled the two crystals from the pouch, shifting one into each hand. Allowing tears to stream down his cheeks he gently rested a hand on each of his two friends legs.
He could feel the crystals melting onto their skin. Soaking quickly into their bodies even as their souls reentered the lifeless corpses. A loud gasp followed by a quieter one told him they were alive again. While a flash of blue light proved the potion had worked perfectly.
Once more his hand dived into the pouch, this time for the two medallions. One of which he placed in his right hand.
" I'm really glad you guys... " He trailed off instead wrapping his two friends in tight hugs.
Each hand briefly brushed over bare skin giving the two metal coins just enough time to be sucked into their bodies before he let go of them.
" Thank you Joxer. " Gabrielle smiled shakingly.
He relaxed minutely. With phase two complete he no longer had to worry about either woman being impregnated by Dahak.
Still he was very much aware that there was a lot of danger remaining. The Twilight while now improbable was possible even now.
Worse yet, with Dahak alive the so-called god could enact any number of plans that could destroy the future of Greece. Plans that could easily recreate the future he had barely survived.
" What in Ares name happened to you? " Xena frowned darkly at him.
He could tell immediately that this time she wasn't missing her darkness. She was whole, and complete.
And very observant.
" Something better spoken of later. " He sheepishly shuffled.
" Hmm. " She shoot him a look that made it clear that they'd be talking about his explanation later.
He quickly ducked into the background, listening absently as Amarice handed over the broken Chakram.
Joxer was definitely caught in a bad position. When he'd merged with his past self his finely honed instincts had overshadowed the person he'd used to be. A necessary evil where he was concerned.
Even more telling was that he was dressed and armored exactly as he had been in the future. While there had been no note, he'd known Dite had been responsible. Something that was the result of an overprotective streak she'd developed over the many years of working together, and now he had a very suspicious Xena to deal with.
His only hope was that he could make the group believe his story. Because he desperately needed their help if they were going to stop Dahak. For now though he had to buy the love goddess the time she needed to get the other gods to understand the situation. Time he desperately needed if they was going to avoid disastor.
A brief flash of black drew his attention back to his resurrected friends. Again Xena's stomach flashed, then a third and final time. A blast of white energy collided with the black smog in a spectacular explosion.
A high pitched screech of pure pain accelarated into a rage filled shriek. Thrust backwards away from Xena, the smog slammed violently into the far wall. Instantly the blackness bleed into an almost angelic looking Callisto.
The blonds face was screwed up bitterly, her eyes flashing in Joxers direction.
" YOU! " The dead goddess growled. " What did you do?! "
Time seemed to freeze as they both moved instantly. His eyes locked onto Callisto's shocked ones. Joxer grimly pushed the blond away from him, making sure to keep a tight grip on his chakram as she slid off it.
The once clutzy man watched Callisto with a morbid fascination. The dead womans body convulsing violently, shifting constantly between her current form and a twisted demonic body that left little doubt in his mind of her current allgience.
" How...? " Callisto questioned. " How...did you know? "
" What the...? " Xena stared in horror at the fading body that stopped shifting as it settled on a demonic creation.
Joxer slipped his round weapon back onto his belt before kneeling next the demon. She was fading fast. Her body blinking in and out of exsistance.
" Where is he? " He demanded, ignoring everything else.
" You'll never...stop him. " The demon smirked through the pain.
" Where. Is. He? " He repeated.
" The eternal winter comes. " She laughed insanely.
In a move of pure desperation he pulled a small vial of water from his pouch. He removed the cork and sprinkled a small amount of the lotus perfermed water over the spirit.
" Aum
Bluh Bhuvah Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yo nah Prachodayat " He chanted fluently, taking in the demons agony with a grim satisfaction that he hated himself for.
" Aum..." He started to repeat the purifying chant.
" Nooo! " Callisto interrupted.
" Where is he? "
A violent ripple rolled over the dying spirit, ripping her apart, leaving no clue she was ever there. It continued into the late evening shadows covering the walls, conlassing into a hidden figure. Glowing violent eyes the only noticeable feature.
" This is your only warning! Return to your own time, or you'll discover exactly what my master is truely capable of! " The bear like voice roared dangerously.
Calmly, and refusing to show the slightest bit of reaction to the purgers words, he recorked the vial in his hand. With a hint of arrogance that was visibly false, he replaced it into the pouch on his belt.
" I've experienced quite a bit of Dahaks personal brand of hospitatlity, thank you. " He directed at what the future rebels would classify as one of the most powerful of the other wordly gods demons.
" Then don't interfer any further, human. "
Joxer's eyes flickered over to Eli as he stopped Amarice from making a lethal mistake. He was, for once, grateful for the mans actions. The last thing he needed was one of his friends trying to play hero.
As it was he knew that the only reason Xena and her side kick hadn't charged into the current situation was that they were very weak from dying and being brought back.
And he was sure the fact that Xena was picking up information that he'd rather keep quiet about had absolutely nothing to do with it.
" The great purge begins. " The creature warned one last time, evaporating into thin air.
" How original. " Joxer muttered.
" What the tartarous was that about? " Amarice burst out, asking what everyone wanted to know.
' I'm in so much trouble. ' He decided at the expressions on everyone. Especially a shaken Eli. ' I bet Dite's not having anywhere near this many problems. '
Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, defender of Olympus, master of three forms of martial arts, and the most beautiful female in history delicately frowned at the varied looks of shock her family was sending her way.
She knew it was unusal to see her like this. Afterall she was infamous for pink lingiure and long bleach blond hair. However she had taken the time to paint her nails a rich red. Heck, she'd even applied a small amount of make-up, more for accent purphases than anything.
So, okay, she probably did look a tiny bit different in the faded brown leather she was wearing. Of course they were probably trying not to make it obvious how much they admired the way her perfect butt looked in the tight pants. Or how well the leather top brought out her bodacious bust.
Her hair, she would admit was also the slightly changed. Without the bleach it was a true golden blond that would make even Apollo jealous. Not to mention the rather short, yet practical style that made her face look so much more mature, and sexy. The locks of hair flowing to the lobes of her ears with wild abandoned, giving her a breathless, wild look which was famous for driving any male that saw it crazy with lust.
It was no wonder they were staring. Who wouldn't?
The frown that she was so graciously granting the others deepened at the way the House of War was eyeing the weapons she wore with such familar ease. She could read the worry, and suspicion buried in their eyes.
" Aphrodite, why have you called this meeting? " Zeus demanded.
She spun on her heal to face the throne where her adopted father was seated. Despite her confidence she couldn't help but worry somewhat at the older mans impatient dismissal.
" The Gates of Uranus."
-
To Be Continued