Xena's planned hinged on Ares and Aphrodite's return so everyone was either resting or getting ready to fight. The warrior princess had gone off with the twins to help prepare the amazons. After a quick tour of the village it sadden both the warrior and the bard just how far the warriors of a once proud nation had slipped. Their defenses were almost nonexistence. Their weapon cache was almost nonexistent at least compared to what even Gabrielle would have at hand.

All this made the bard want to cry. Her time as an amazon princess and queen during the time that Ephiny was alive were some of the best times or worst times of her life. Remembering coming into the village with Xena's body in the ornate coffin was the worst of her memories and quickly turned around into one of her best memories when she found that in the same village Xena was not totally lost to her. How Ephiny had stood by her and offered her a home before she got her warrior back was nothing short of amazing.

Another of her worst memories was of course when Solon had been killed at the hands of her own daughter. It had been a real test in her relationship with Xena. They had been almost lovers ever since the warrior princess had taken over her body. Xena had known from that moment just how much she loved her but it went back to how the warrior princess was afraid of hurting her or setting her up as an even bigger target for her enemies. The purging hut with Ephiny herself standing guard outside. The amazon vowing to seek revenge if something happened to her. They had been a true family as much as Xena and her twins were to her.

Now, the amazons had changed. Was it with Ephiny's death as Xena had always said? Or was it that the bard had not been around enough to help them through the transition. She hated that thought but in her mind she had her own life to live. Following Xena was not a choice. Being with her wife was never a choice. From the moment their eyes had met she had lost the other half of her soul and therefore could no sooner leave the woman she loved than stop breathing. Well, unless they died together. Then breath would be irrelevant.

Gabrielle was in the queen's hut still feeling a bit uncomfortable still being in the village. Her time as an amazon was over not that she was ever truly accepted as one. It went again back to Ephiny as she was one of the few amazons that had ever accepted her as the true queen and a true amazon. Perhaps her friend had seen a strength in her back then that would lead to the warrior side of the bard to come out. Perhaps she just saw a fellow woman that was living life on her own terms which really was what being an amazon was all about.

True they loved to fight. They loved their weapons. They were so much like Xena that sometimes she wondered if that was why her wife and the rest of the amazons never got along with the exception of a few. The bard remembered how Ephiny had told of that first meeting when she had followed the warrior princess and tested her. Whether it had been by the sword or her tracking skills or her deductive skills, the amazon regent had been very impressed with the warrior princess.

That seemed like two dozen lifetimes ago thinking of her early travels with Xena. At the time of their first encounter with the amazons she had felt useless to the warrior princess. It seemed like her soft heart was getting them both into trouble every time she looked around and she had no way to defend herself or worse defend her soul mate. Then they had the initial meeting with the amazons and she just did what her heart told her and she ended up being an amazon princess and learning to use the staff.

That had started the bard down the long road that had led her to the person that she was now. It amazed her just how far she had come from that youthful inexperienced young girl that was determined to forge a friendship with this ornery ex warlord that had no one in her life not even her mother. Becoming a part of the amazon nation had opened up some opportunities that otherwise might not ever have been opened to her.

That was why she was so sad at the moment. Gabrielle's diary was open to a page long ago, the parchment a little tattered and the ink faded just a little. Joxer had done a wonderful job of taking care of it but still it had seen twenty five more years than the bard had actually been alive on the earth and was a little worse for wear especially those early entries. One of the most difficult for her to go over was her second meeting Ephiny and how the battling bard had come within inches of dying.

For some of the biggest moments of her early life it seemed other than her soul mate it was Ephiny that had mattered the most to her. It was the regent and then queen that had gotten her through some of the most emotional times of her life. They had helped Xenon twice now and that had, in some ways, she had hoped repaid that debt that she felt she owed to her long gone friend. Then again they had a true friendship and neither of them would have expected anything in return.

Another page caught her eye. She had marked it a long time ago. Sadly it had taken eight years after Xena's return for her to fulfill a promise that the bard had made silently to Ephiny. After all it had been partly the amazon's spirit that had helped in the resurrection of her wife. That was a lifetime for Ephiny and Phantes to have been kept apart but there had been nothing she could do about it until that night now seven years plus ago.

That was something I never expected. I had researched and researched and finally had come up with a way to reunite Ephiny and Phantes and it seemed like it was going to be simple but interesting. We took off at dawn and didn't make it back for a week leaving our almost eight year old twins in the care of family. Or was it we were leaving the village in the care of the twins? At such a young age they've taken on their mother's fighting abilities. Skylar even managed to get my staff away from me just yesterday.

It was never a surprise for me to see the babies grow into what their mother still is. Babies. Yeah right. Jasmine is already taller than I am and Skylar is almost as tall as I am. I'll probably be the shortest one in the family again and be teased by Xena nonstop. Of course when she's teasing me I know she's really saying she loves me. Oh she says the words all the time but it's the little things like the teasing or finding a rose on my pillow or giving me a back rub without even having to ask me for it that proves it.

I try and do the same for her. In fact I made her favorite dessert while we were out on the road this last time. I swear she has a sweet tooth that cannot be satisfied. She joked with me that was why she could never get enough of me. Hardly anyone sees that side of her. I am so fortunate to see her just like she is with no defenses up and never has to put on the 'I'm too tough for my leather' routine she does even with the villagers.

That was probably one of the reasons she agreed to go on the trek with me. She wanted to help our friend, though she has been gone from the earth for a long time, just as much as I did but also so she could just be herself as she is when it's just the two of us. It was something else and I'm glad that as always I got to share it with Xena. I just don't think my life would be worth living if she was not right by my side to share in everything with. I mean it really is like she's my other half and therefore soul mate is not even a big enough word for what we are to one another.

But enough about my warrior princess and me. Like I said before, I had done a lot of research and found something that neither the amazons nor the centaurs knew about. At one time they had a shared history. Not only were their villages close by and had been since anyone knew, they had once shared a place where both did rituals. We traveled three days to get there and one day was spent reuniting our friends just as I would hope someone would do for us.

The place was high up the mountains and to be honest I had to wonder how the centaurs managed to get up that high. The pathway was not wide enough for the width of their bodies. Xena said that she could tell that at one time there had been a different path and probably there had either been a landslide or maybe a lightning strike that had caused the path to change. Of course she knows everything which gets a little frustrating and so I believed her without thought.

We found a cave that's entrance was definitely tall and wide enough. In fact, probably could fit three centaurs in that entranceway. Inside it had opened into a round chamber. There appeared to be a makeshift altar of some kind at the wall directly from the entrance but it had long ago been eroded by time. We explored the cave before we setup and got ready to do the ritual. It was so different than any that I had come across in the amazon nation.

It was a time that blood was still used and we had to offer up blood. Luckily we had brought one of the chickens from Amphipolis. I hated killing anything but at least it wasn't something cute and adorable. Still have trouble eating rabbit sometimes though it is how we survived out on the road a lot. We put the blood on the altar and we held hands and I said an amazon prayer. Almost right away Ephiny appeared to me. I wanted nothing more than to hug her but she was just a spirit once again.

It took a little longer for Phantes to show up. He had not been back from the land where the centaurs rest in their second life since his passing at Thessaly. Their reunion wasn't what I had expected. I had hoped that they would fall into each other's arms but that didn't happen. In fact, they seemed rather distant. Perhaps it was because my wife and I were there and they were more private people than I remembered. Perhaps it was because it had been so long.

Looking back, there were rumors of Ephiny and one of the amazons together as a couple but she never confided in me. We were good friends and I had always thought she would tell me something like that. Phantes was gone and there was no way to get him back. About the only thing to do was to honor him by raising their son to be a good and true centaur which is what my friend did. Had Phantes heard these rumors? Or more to the point heard Ephiny's thoughts?

Finally the pair held on to one another and they were finally reunited but not permanently. The first thing was to ask if they wanted to be together after all this time. I figured it would be an easy answer as you know there is nothing in the world or afterlife that would keep me away from Xena. I will always find a way to be with her and her with me no matter what lifetime we are in. With how I felt it was odd seeing them interact and actually having to think about where they wanted to go in the afterlife.

Finally it was decided and we next had to offer up a sacrifice to Artemis and Kheiron the gods of the amazons and centaurs. That went against Xena and my grain. While we are now friends with Aphrodite and tolerate Ares, our relationship with the gods in general over the years has not been good. The birth of the twins of course helped with that but still having to pay tribute of any kind really left a bad taste in both of our mouths.

It was odd as both gods appeared before us. They really didn't seem all that thrilled either but they respected what we had gone through if only in research to find this ancient ritual. They agreed that just because Ephiny and Phantes were of different species was no reason they should not rest together. So the gods both agreed to allow them unlimited passage between the amazon afterlife and the centaur life. That also meant that when Xenon's time came hopefully a very long time from now his mother would be able to see him as well.

It almost seemed anticlimactic after our first few tries actually would have sacrificed our own relationship to get our friends back together. I especially remember our first attempt. It was just after we had found one another again and Aphrodite had offered to help but if we had lost one another during the ritual we would have lost each other forever. That was never an option no matter how much I love Ephiny and believe I owe my good friend.

The best part of everything was that I got to hug Ephiny again. That was nice because most likely Xena and I will never be in the amazon afterlife. We may not go to any afterlife. We already know that we will live many lifetimes and keep finding one another in each of these lifetimes. I don't ever want to rest. All I want to do is spend every second loving Xena and being with her as much as I possibly can. I only wonder if this is the first time we found one another or were we together before? Interesting.

Gabrielle reread the last line a couple times. It was something that she had wondered about since their adventure in India and had learned that they did have a future life and of course had found one another in much different roles but still had found one another. Would there be many more walks in different times? The bard smiled to herself knowing for a fact that they would never be apart. It might take a bit to find one another but they would always find one another in the end.

Sounds from outside were picking up and she knew that the preparations for battle were at their peak. A couple short commands from a voice more familiar than her own made her smile. This was what her wife loved to do. Xena was not one to sit on her laurels though the past fifteen years would prove that she could do just that. But it was not a life that either of them had expected or were truly happy with. Perhaps after all of this they could take the twins and go on the road for a while.

The thought was very enticing to the bard and she put her diary away having already gotten it caught up on the past few days. She had just been going over it to gain some alone time and think. Not about the upcoming confrontation with Valeska. That was no big deal in the sense that was what she was used to doing. No, her thoughts were now on how fractured her relationship with the amazons were. It was sad but it was time to move on. At least I righted the fact that Ephiny and Phantes were apart.

Gabrielle stretched and made her way over to the window to see what few amazons were left going from one place to another. Her keen knowledge of what Xena would do allowed her to see the outposts at the far side of the village. The weapons were placed at intervals if not being used. There were barrels of fresh water scattered throughout the village as well obvious packs of trail rations. There had been ditches dug. It was beginning to look very much like an amazon village readying for war should.

Her green eyes spotted the twins. Jasmine was taking on one of the smaller amazons in a fencing duel. Skylar was showing off his prowess with the staff against a much taller and larger amazon. Her children were not only holding their own they were beating the amazons senseless. In fact, it was starting to irritate the amazons and drawing a small crowd. The queen knew what that meant and quickly made her way to the training area.

By the time that she could get there pushing and shoving had already started to take place. Gabrielle had watched the entire altercation knowing that her children were only defending themselves. Damn featherheads! As soon as she was spotted a path was made and the scuffling ceased. She turned and faced the amazons flanked on one side by her daughter and the other her son. "You really are brainless women. You are about to go up against a god. What do you do? Get mad because my two children beat your best warriors senseless. What it should do is scare the tar out of you knowing that you can't even handle them."

One of the elder amazons stepped forward. Her name eluded Gabrielle but to her it really didn't matter. It was getting rather old rather quickly and just being in the village was now setting every nerve she had on edge. "They were cheating. They were coming up from behind." The woman with white speckled hair crossed her arms over her chest. "True warriors learn honor when in a battle." Under her breath yet so the bard could hear it unknown to the amazon, "Wonder where they get that from."

Gabrielle wasted no time in pinning the older amazon with one of her sias. She had the point pushed deep against her chin and almost was breaking the skin. "First off, in war there is no honor. The enemy will play by their own rules not ones you think they should. What my children did is what they've been taught by ME for as long as they've been alive. So if you were implying that they got that from Xena you are dead wrong. And with your and the rest of the amazons attitudes you will all be dead by the time that this is over with." She put a little pressure on the sias drawing blood before backing up a few steps.

The elder looked at the queens eyes which were flashing fire. But for some reason the amazon decided not to back off. "In my day we would spar in honorable ways. True in war there are sometimes surprises but when sparring one should play by the rules." She boldly took a step toward the queen not realizing that her fellow amazons had parted behind her and there was a tall, dark and dangerous warrior standing behind her. "You should have taught...Yah!"

The elder nearly jumped out of her skin when Xena smacked her on the ass with the broadside of her sword. The woman turned to see what happened only to find icy blue eyes staring at her. The amazon quickly held up her hands. It was the warrior princess that spoke. "Not only have they learned from my wife but also from me." The dark haired warrior rested the blade of her sword against her shoulder. "This is why the amazons are dying out. You think war is a game. It's something to be practiced and then played with opponents that don't play the way you do. It'd be better if it were just my family at this rate."

The chastised amazon looked like she wanted to continue but thought better of it when she noticed that she had been surrounded by not only Xena in front but Gabrielle and the twins. A path was made for her and she took off toward the healer hut no doubt seeking council with Solari. Xena just shook her head in disappointment. Never did she think that the amazons would fall this far from the warriors she had met all those years ago. Perhaps the northern tribes were in better shape.

The warrior princess was about to say something when Aphrodite appeared in the middle of their circle. Not long after Ares did as well. The god of war looked none too thrilled but he was there and that was what mattered. Ares came forward and stood in front of Xena. "So, daddy says I have to do whatever it is you say. He says that we cost you too much and that you restored everyone so we owe you big time. I say let you puny mortals kill each other out."

"Ares, you blundering idiot." Xena came and stood nose to nose with the god of war. "If it was just us mortals I wouldn't want you as near as the Aegean Sea to me. But I have need of a god or two to help take an insane goddess out." Now Ares eyes looked at her a bit more thoughtfulness there. Now he was starting to like the plan whatever it is. "I need you to take me and Valeska to Mount Olympus." You could have heard a pin drop as soon as she said that. Even Gabrielle was shocked by what she said. The warrior princess turned to Aphrodite. "I need you to protect them." She pointed to her family.

This was not what Gabrielle had thought at all. This all felt so familiar. This felt like those times early in their travel when Xena would always push her away so that she could be someplace safe and protected. The bard knew that her wife probably had a very good reason for her plan but at the moment she really didn't care. All she cared about was the fact that Xena had withheld this and was now going to separate them for what she hoped wasn't on a permanent basis.