Title: To Gather Orange Blossoms
Pairing: Xena/Callisto
Tags: Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Attempted-Non-Con, Redeemed/Good Callisto
Summary: Callisto has returned as an innocent, kind, compassionate woman. Without her memories, the only clues Callisto has to her past are the blood-drenched nightmares that assault her mind. She doesn't want to fight, and she doesn't want to die; but there's a slight chance that if she asks Xena for help, this time, things might go differently.
Timeline: Set in the early seasons. Callisto did become immortal/goddess before dying a final time at Xena's hands. Now she's back (again). :)
Good "Redeemed" Callisto: Remember how at one point in the series, Xena and Gabrielle died and went to Heaven, and later met up with Callisto (who was in Hell)? Xena ended up switched places with Callisto, redeeming her and saving her from a life of torment. Callisto was able to "start over" by having her memories wiped clean. In my story, the Heaven/Hell incident never happened, but her personality is based upon the angelic Callisto.
BETA: TheSupernova
Chapter 1: Left with Nothing
Xena had recently gotten word that a cloaked figure was seen moving between villages, leading to fighting, destroyed property, and general mass uproar. Normally Xena wouldn't have bothered, since by all accounts, the reported injuries and destruction were vastly overstated (sprained ankles and broken chicken coops hardly bore the name of 'mass destruction'), but things had been quite of late and she was restless.
Apparently, the choice had been a good one. The person they were chasing was either Callisto or someone impersonating her. The mystery here was the lack of death, violence and outright mayhem, and the undeniable fact that (as Xena could attest) Callisto was dead. Very, very dead.
Whoever it was wanted Xena's attention—because there wasn't any other reason she could think of to impersonation Callisto, of all people. It was time to investigate.
"It's Callisto, it has to be!" Gabrielle argued. "You heard them back there. A blonde woman whose fighting style matches yours, and even calls out a similar war cry! And we both know who that is."
"Hmm," Xena said, unconvinced. Argo whinnied. Callisto had tried to get her attention before, and this was not Callisto's MO. Callisto thirsted for blood and vengeance and these attacks were anything but.
On the way to the next town, Argo followed along behind them as they slowly searched along the main road and its surroundings for clues.
"Here." Xena knelt down, pointing to a small shrub off the side of the path. She pulled off a small patch of thready, white silk. There was a partial white and blue floral print on it. "Callisto isn't known for wearing fine silks."
This wasn't the first time Xena had found this type of high quality material. About half a mile back, close to the previous village, she had found some velvet-like material with a bit of lining, probably from a cloak or cape. Both belonged to garments which had been reported stolen by a clothing merchant two villages ago.
"Food, clothes, weapons…" Gabrielle shook her head. "These are the basic necessities you need to survive."
Xena tracked some footprints nearby. This woman had a day's head start, but at least they were going in the right direction.
"Callisto wouldn't stop at taking only what she needs. She likes power, money, violence; it has to be someone else, but why? Why Callisto? Why now?" Xena stood up, grabbing Argo's reigns. "Whatever the motive, I want to get to the bottom of this. Let's go."