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"Ares? You want to call Ares?" Gabrielle asked incredulously.

"He's the most reliable source we've got at the moment." Xena reasoned as Gabrielle paced in circles around her.

Gabrielle scoffed. "Reliable?" It was true that Gabrielle didn't get on with the God of War, partly because he stood for everything she fought against, but also because he scared her. Deep down, Gabrielle knew Xena would never revert to what she was, but sometimes, bobbing out to the surface, Gabrielle became terrified that Ares would succeed in seducing her, that she may give in – especially the way she had been talking about him recently. Ares had known Xena longer than she had known her; he'd helped create the monster she used to be and sometimes, in her pool of self-doubt, Gabrielle wondered if Ares knew Xena better, understood her more.

"Besides, no other God would come if I called them." Xena continued, the truth of the statement making Gabrielle feel no more comfort to this plan than before. Still, she knew that Xena was probably right: no other God was as… obsessed with Xena than Ares.

"Xena, can you trust him?" She asked, stopping her pacing.

"I don't know." She replied sincerely. "But the prophecy includes him as well, and Ares would help if it meant saving his God-hood."

"Alright." Gabrielle sighed and stood back.

Xena took a deep breath. "Ares."

Within seconds, Ares appeared before Xena, his back turned to Gabrielle. "I thought you'd call me sooner or later."

"I need to talk to you about the prophecy." Xena replied, straight to the point and trying to ignore his advances.

"What prophecy?" Ares asked, looking genuinely puzzled.

"You don't know?" Gabrielle asked, Ares spinning on his heel, surprised to see the sidekick there as well. Gabrielle walked to Xena's side.

"No. What prophecy?" Ares asked again. "Is this about Athena's temple? What happened?" Gabrielle gave Xena a questioning look on how he knew that, but Xena just ignored her stare.

"We need to speak to Apollo. Can you bring him here?" Gabrielle asked.

"He's not in the mood to talk to anyone ever since his precious chariot was taken. He's been sulking." Ares explained, obviously he found it quite pathetic.

"We have to speak with him." Xena repeated firmly.

Ares looked from Xena to Gabrielle. "Look, tell me what's happening and I'll get him."

"Get him and we'll tell you." Gabrielle challenged, knowing how this game would play out.

"I believe I was talking to Xena." He said, clearly irritated by her presence.

"Ares, this is important." Xena said with a soft urgency in her voice.

"Apollo won't speak to anyone. Rumour has it, the chariot's been destroyed." Ares confided.

"Who would have the power to do that?" Gabrielle asked.

"That's the problem, no one knows." Ares replied. "Hephaestus is working on another one as we speak."

"He can do that? Just… make another one?" Gabrielle seemed unimpressed, as if the rising of the sun just became less exciting.

"Please, Apollo has lost the thing a million times over the centuries. He'd no doubt lose his head if it weren't screwed on." Ares smirked. "But the sun always rises, and it will still rise tomorrow."

"So that means…" Gabrielle turned to Xena. "We have nothing to worry about."

"Still," Xena's expression remained unchanged and sceptical. "It seems too easy. Too simple."

"Too simple for what?" Ares asked impatiently, raising his voice, arms spread out in a questioning stance.

"We don't have time to explain. Ask Athena." Xena replied coldly. Turning to Gabrielle, "We have to go."

Ares nodded his head in a 'this-is-typical-of-Xena' manner and dissipated away, knowing when the conversation was over. Xena felt a ping in her heart, guilt or… something. Part of her reasoned that he wasn't part of this, there was no need to tell him anything. Another part of her knew that she gave him the cold shoulder to prove he couldn't thaw her heart towards him. Sometimes she wondered if he already had.

"Where are we going?" Gabrielle asked.

"I don't believe we've seen the end of this prophecy. In which case, we should start to look for the second sign." Xena suggested.

"Where?" Gabrielle stopped, tugging at Xena's arms. "Besides, Ares said another chariot was being made, everything should be fine, everything will be fine." Gabrielle said, her optimism not seeming to have an effect on a cautious Xena.

"I just have this feeling that there's more to this." Xena explained. "It couldn't hurt to be prepared."

Gabrielle sighed, experiencing a nagging feeling that Xena was right. Again. "Fine, we'll look for the second sign. But 'the bolt that cuts Destiny's stone'? Do you have any idea which stone it could be? Or where it might be?"

"No." Xena admitted. "But we've got time, at least until tomorrow morning."

"Xena, we need a plan. Besides, how can we even stop a prophecy? Not even the Fates themselves could interfere –"

"Wait, what did you say?" Xena stopped, deep in thought.

"We need a plan B?" Gabrielle offered.

"No, the Fates. They control destiny – Destiny's stone! That must be it!" Xena beamed. "You're a genius!"

"Well…" Gabrielle smiled modestly.

Almost escaping their notice, the sun was falling quickly behind them, the beginnings of the night setting in. Xena looked to Gabrielle, "Let's go."