Once she was alone Xena looked out over the vast nothingness and closed her eyes. Her emotions were storming inside. She could see Gabrielle again, they could be together again, she'd be able to see Eve and have her life back, but she'd been lied too, betrayed, hurt. She let out a frustrated yell before opening her eyes and screaming Akemi's name as loud as she could.
"Xena?" Akemi said softly when she appeared. "What's the matter?"
Xena turned to look at the girl. She looked just the way she had the day they'd met and something in Xena's mind whirled. Akemi looked just like she did when she'd loved her, why? "You lied to me."
Akemi blinked and then began to shake her head as she moved closer to Xena. "No, I would never lie to you Xena."
"You told me I had to stay dead, that I had to give up my life, my heart, my soul, in order for the others to be at piece." Xena replied as she looked down at the girl. "Why, Akemi, why did you lie to me?"
"I didn't!" Akemi replied as she reached for Xena, but Xena stepped away from her. She panicked. "Xena please, I didn't…"
The fear in Akemi's eyes is what gave her away and Xena wasn't sure if she felt sorry for the girl or not, her anger and hurt were still to strong. "Why didn't you go to Yomi with the other souls?"
"I..I.." She muttered and then hung her head. The girl sighed, "Killing my father was a worse sin then anything he'd ever done as far as our beliefs are concerned." Tears welled in Akemi's eyes as she looked up to met Xena's. "I didn't want to be alone here, Xena, and you love…"
"I did love you." Xena replied, her voice surprising soft. "That's why I believed you, why I let you take me away from my life, away from…"
"Gabrielle." Akemi said.
Xena saw the jealously flash in Akemi's eyes and sighed as she nodded. "She's my soul mate, Akemi. I love her more then I've ever loved anyone."
For several long moments the two just stood there looking at each other. Xena could understand that Akemi didn't want to spend all of eternity alone, and they had loved each other once, and a part of her would always care about Akemi, but right now the hurt and betrayal was just to much. Xena turned away from Akemi and started walking off in the direction she felt was right.
"Xena!" Akemi called out, her voice cracking with emotion. "Where are you going?"
"Home." Xena replied.
Akemi's eyes widened. "You can't! You've been dead to long."
Xena paused and turned to look at Akemi, "I'm going home, Akemi. I'm going to fight my way back to Gabrielle."
"You would face all of hell to return to her?" The girl asked.
"Yes," Xena replied simply and then started walking again. She had no idea what lay ahead of her, she was working off instinct as far as heading towards Hades, but she'd face anything to get back to Gabrielle. As she walked the snowy mountains disappeared, leaving her in a vast void of white nothingness. The bulky winter clothes she'd had on morphed into her leathers and armor and she nearly sighed in contentment to feel the familiar weight of her sword on her back. She was slowly starting to feel more like herself again, and it made her smile. For a moment she'd almost forgotten she was dead, that she wasn't really physically feeling any of this, but then she reached for her chakram and when it wasn't there she remembered she was just a spirit; a lost soul roaming the realms of the dead without a clue as to what to expect. She hated working without a plan, she wasn't even sure if Aphrodite could give her back her life, but for Gabrielle she'd chance it. For Gabrielle, she'd have faith and hope that they'd be together again soon.
Xena smiled as she continued to make her way through limbo. "I'm coming Gabrielle. I'm coming home to you, I promise."
