"So did you find Aphrodite?" Gabrielle asks excitedly eyes searching.
"No. I searched all morning, but she's not around here yet." Xena said, picking at the grass in frustration.
When Gabrielle doesn't respond to her account, Xena decides to watch the training in front of her until she's ready to talk.
"This week, you will be dealing with thieves, pickpockets, scammers, and possibly assassin's." Eithne stands in front of the inexperienced soldiers. Having traded her dress armor for leather sparring pads, she points to a soldier in front who was not standing at attention "You. Front and center!" Pointing to a spot just in front of her. He lazily strolls over, winking back at his friends.
"Good morning there sweety. How may I service you today?" He says confidently, earning a few chuckles and small gasps from the block of soldiers behind him.
"Oh, he's definitely new. I'd kill him." Xena states, leaning forward slightly to get a better look.
"Oh. How lovely a joker." Eithne says in a mocking tone. Beginning to circle him like a shark, she announces "Boys, when you catch someone breaking a law, it is not your job to punish them but to bring them to the jail, where they will be judged for their… misdoings." Stopping to face the boy just a couple of years her junior she announces "Where, if found guilty, It is my job to… take care of them." Boring deeply into his eyes, making him strain his neck backwards and look away as he begins to regret his previous statement. "If you do happen to apprehend someone and they become violent, it is your duty to protect yourself and those around you." holding her hand out at the soldier and curling one finger toward her, he launches into attack.
Running full speed at her in a tackle, Eithne calmly side-steps and sticks one leg out. Unable to stop himself in time, the youth tumbles face first into the dirt, legs flying above him and nearly flipping over.
"Ung" he groans and stands quickly, shaking his head. Bidding to recover from his embarrassment, he launches at Eithne's back. Not looking, She jump and flips backwards, landing behind him, and kicks his derriere. The soldier is once again hugging the dirt.
"You don't have to launch an attack or even engage with the person. Let their rage and force work for you. If you do happen to get an aggressor who insists on fighting though." stopping as the fallen one smacks the ground with his hand.
"AGH!" Standing up faster than before and taking a fighting stance in front of Eithne, who has her arms crossed and is leaning back on one foot.
"She's pretty good! That flip was as graceful as I've ever seen." Xena, now sitting fully forward and crossed legged, looks at Gabrielle who is just watching the scene in front of her, head slightly tilted.
Xena turns back to the fight just as the kid throws the first punch. Stepping back and grabbing his outer arm, Eithne pulls and pokes just under his armpit. He turns back even more frustrated, now that he no longer has use of his right arm, and sidekicks his left leg forcefully at her midsection. Blocking his leg outward with her right foot, she counters by stepping closer to his body. Putting her left leg behind his right foot and straightening her leg, his knees buckle,and she pushes him backwards. Her face fully deadpan throughout the entire demonstration.
She steps back from the groaning body in front of her and addresses the others once again.
"The techniques you have been learning over the past few weeks will work on anyone, no matter their size. It's all about-"
"She deadened his arm. I wonder where she learned that?" Gabrielle asks, finally breaking her silence.
"I don't know, but she kept it under control. When I was her age I would have killed him. Actually I did kill one of my soldiers who talked to me like that… more than one"
"You might have then, but now you give people a second chance."
"Because you showed me that people can change." Xena says leaning back, and taking Gabrielle's hand once again, kissing her softly.
Breaking away "Maybe I helped, but you've always been good deep down. You just had to be tough. You lived in a dog eat dog world with those men, especially since they were under a warlord..." Laying her head in Xena's shoulder "So what do you think?"
"About what?" Xena asks, tracing patterns on Gabrielle's arm.
"Do you think she's our daughter or not?" she asks quietly.
"I don't know. I mean the glowing thing is weird, but it happened before Ares said anything about it. He could have just used that to add credit to his story." Xena begins contemplatively.
"But what would he have to gain by saying she's our daughter?"
"Who knows. He never does anything that he doesn't stand to gain something from and he would never just give up on having the most powerful army. It has to be a trick to get me back."
"He was after you for a long time though, and he did save our lives on Olympus."
"That's true, and he has professed his love for me more times than I'd like to remember. It just seems so impossible. How does a person just get made from nothing."
"She's a lot like us in a lot of ways and it would be nice to have a child we could raise together. I mean we have Eve, but it would be nice to have a child that is both of us. Why do our children always get taken away when they are babies? Why can't we ever just have the chance to raise one in peace?"
Hearing the catch in Gabrielle's breath, Xena wraps her arm around her and holds her tightly, softly shushing her "I don't know, but I do know one day we will find a way. I'll make sure of it. We can always settle down and there are always orphanages."
"But what if they can't see you, and I'm just the crazy parent that talks to their imaginary friend?"
"Well, I hope I'm more than a friend now." Xena jokes, earning a small giggle and a light slap on the thigh, lightening the mood.
"Oh you are. You're my very special friend." Gabrielle says seductively, beginning to slowly rub her hand on Xena's thigh.
Standing up quickly Xena announces, "Race you to the room!" and begins to run off towards the tavern.
"Hey! No fair! Ghosts don't get tired!" Gabrielle races after her.
"Hey baby! Come here often?" Ares says sidling up to a blonde beauty about to enter the baths.
Giggling and standing a little taller in her wrap "Actually no. I'm here for the pageant on Wednesday. Care to show me around?"
"Yes, I would." he says deeply placing his hands on her hips and leaning in towards her ear "I'd like to do a few other thing to you too." earning more giggling
"Ares." a deep voice sounds behind him.
Rolling his eyes and abandoning the place on the girl's neck "I'm a little busy if you don't mind. Now where were we?"
"Too busy for an old friend and aren't you one of the pageant girls?"
"Oh no!" causing the shapely girl to scurry off.
"Really man!" finally turning around to face him. "Do I know you?"
"Oh yes! Remember Odin's birthday about 8 years ago? You know the one with the chains?" King Alexis raises an eyebrow seductively.
"Sorry Kingy, I remember that night. It was with an Egyptian beauty dressed as lioness. I think her name was Mina?"
"Menhit you jackass! You can't even remember my name?" He aggresses, barring his teeth and growling.
"Woah woah! Last time I checked Menhit was a lady and buddy you sure ain't one!"
Stepping back and relaxing his face "Ah yes. I forget that I'm in a man's body sometimes."
"That's too bad. I'm going to leave now." turning to walk down the hallway.
"No wait! It really is me Menhit! Come on, let me explain." he pleads
"No thanks, man! Lay off the Henbane!" He calls back, nearly out of the corridor.
"I can get your warrior back!"
Stopping dead in his tracks, Ares turns around "I'm listening."
In King Alexis' office
Sitting in a chair with his feet up on the desk, Ares balances it on it's back legs. Alexis sits on the edge of the desk with his legs crossed very femininely looking intently at Ares.
"Dude, you're really creeping me out looking at me like that."
"Oh, I'm sorry!" He says sarcastically "You know it's your fault I'm not in my regular body."
"My fault?! What do I have to do with it?" he asks pointing to himself.
"Nothing, besides the fact that you upset the balance of the gods when you helped Xena kill the Olympian gods." He states looking at his nails.
"What balance? So some big headed jerks are gone! Big whoop!"
"Do you really have your own head shoved so far up your own ass that you didn't notice what was going on?" he leans back on one hand.
"At least it's a nice ass." grinning smugly "Let's say I don't know what's been going on." looking around the room.
"Well let me catch you up." Standing up and beginning to pace beside his desk "Five years ago when your little Warrior Princess went all vigilante, the other gods felt the brunt of it. Some simply died. Some turned into their human forms with no memory of their godly life," Slamming his hands down on the desk "and some got shoved into the nearest human body!" Lifting his hands up and placing them on his hips "Luckily, I got Kingy here and all of his memories."
"Oh, do I know." Ares says, recalling his short stint as a human, "But what am I supposed to do? And what does this have to do with Xena again?"
"Ah! That's where my genius comes in." Taking a seat, he continues, "You see, after I got shoved in this body, I searched everywhere for a way out. I gathered as much information as possible and along the way stumbled upon a better goal. Power."
"Power?"
"Yes. I found out that gods that got put into other humans bodies can still sense other gods, including the one's that are now in their powerless human forms." pausing to look at Ares, "I also found out how to take their power."
"What! How!?" Ares asks hungrily.
"No, no, no Ares. I'm not playing all my cards just yet. All you need to know is that I know how to do it and that I want you to rule at my side." He says with a smirk.
"Why should I believe that you would give up any power to another god?" he asks, unconvinced.
"You see that's just it! I won't be giving up power!" He stands excitedly "In fact, there will be too much power for one god! I figured since you are a war god and I'm a war goddess, we could complete each other and rule in absolute power."
Putting a hand to his chin in consideration, Ares takes a long pause. Menhit/Alexis grows impatient and sits in the chair beside Ares.
"Come on! You know what all the texts say! They always repeat "Man and woman" this and "Man and woman" that. We could complete the circle and become more powerful than anyone could ever be." looking at Ares with pleading eyes.
"What would I have to do?" Ares says hesitantly.
"All you have to do is help find the unidentified gods, give up the one you created from Xena, and help my use them in the ceremony on Friday."
Pausing for a bit and then standing "Okay, I do all that. What about Xena?"
"Ugh! Her! You really think you'd be over her by now! With all the power we will have, we could control any human we want. You could bring anyone back from the dead and use them however you please." Alexis says, standing with his hands on his hips, once again.
"Fine. You have a deal." going to shake hands with Alexis and stopping at the last second "But I'm not revealing who my prodigy is yet. Just leave it up to me to get them to you." closing the handshake.
Alexis steps slightly closer to Ares pulling him in to whisper into his ear "I can't wait to be back in my body so you can touch me like you did before."
Letting go and backing up "Okay, me too, but it's creepy when you're a dude. We'll talk when your hot again!" and disappears.
"Man, I can't wait to do that too!" Alexis whines and plops down into his chair "How the hell do guys think with these things always excited." he says staring down into his lap.