Chapter 10

The fight had started as Adrianna formed a fireball in her hand and threw it directly at Gabrielle. An attack that was however was quickly blocked by Hope.

As a response Aphrodite and Ares both threw energy-globes at her. She was able to deflect the first, but the second hit her dead-center and despite her effort to shield herself, it burned deep into her flesh.

Then she telekinetically ripped a tree out of the ground and tried to let it drop on Xena and Callisto. But Delilah interfered, stopped it, suspending it in mid-air before tossing it aside.

At the same moment Hope send out a shockwave with her own telekinesis that tossed her `sister´ to the ground...and then Xena used the chance to use her Chakram. The weapon hit her upper arm and left a deep gash.

Callisto and Hercules, at the same time, threw their swords at her. Adrianna caught both weapons in mid-air, using her powers. But it took her entire concentration and left her unguarded.

The other gods under them used this chance and attacked again. Delilah used once again telekinesis just to hold their opponent in place, as Aphrodite and Ares concentrated their energy and fired it at her again. This time it broke through her already weakened defenses and forced her to the ground once again. The combined power of the two gods burned into her flesh and finally left her crippled and broken.

The fight was decided. But it was not over yet.

"You...you know this doesn´t mean anything." Adrianna was looking up to them. She was not even able to stand up anymore. "Even if you destroy this body. I will just regenerate...again and again if it has to. I will always come back. You will never get rid of me...never," she shouted.

"Yes," Hercules said to her. The half-god made one step forward. "Under normal circumstances you would be right with that," he admitted.

"But we have made some preparations," Xena stated as she walked up next to them.

Behind them Sarah was taking something out of her travelling-bag...a small object. It was something Adrianna had never seen before.

But the other knew what it was. It was the Eye of Ra, that they had just brought all the way from Egypt.

"Sarah, Gabrielle, now," Xena called out to her.

At her word she handed the Eye to Callisto who without a moment of hesitation mounted it on the end of a staff that the other had brought along and that Perdicas was holding to her right now.

It was all going just as planned.

At the same time Gabrielle was taking out one of her scrolls she was carrying with her. She pulled it open and prepared herself to beginn to read the words written on the pergament.

They all were taking their positions. It was the same ritual their `guests´ had been performing back in the last world they visited and told the others about...a perfect reprise, hopefully. It should better be, because they had only been present at it once...and then it had been the god Horus who did most of the work for them.

But they had paid attention, all of them.

"Bind her," Callisto said as she brought the staff in position.

As she said this both Hope and Delilah used their telekinesis to force her to the ground and held her limbs fixated.

"What are you doing? Release me," she screamed in pure rage.

"Gabrielle do it," Xena called out to her.

The Bard started to read the words written on the scroll, the same ones that she had copied from the temples in Egypt...and the ritual began.

It was nearly the same like the last time...even if improvised.

As Gabrielle was reciting the first words, Ares and Aphrodite moved closer to their captive. A second time both gods unleashed their energy at once at their target. This time however the already heavily damaged and wounded body was disintegrated.

Adrianna `died´ nearly instantly and what remained of her stolen body was turned to ash within moments. But that was only her physical form.

What was left was only a glowing, vaquely humanoid looking, figure, that seemed to consist of a mixture of energy and fire. This was her essence, as Hope had called it...her true being...or at least the closest representation that mortal eyes could understand.

From this, she could always recreate her body and return to life.

But now exactly this form itself was being bound by the light summoned by the Eye of Ra. The Light reflected by the artifact was shining on it and surrounded it... forcing it into invisible supernatural chains.

A terrible howling was halling through the air as Gabrielle continued to read the text.

This was what they had hoped for. The same ritual had been used in the other reality to banish Chaos from the Earth. So they were quite confident that it would work on this creature as well.

This was actually the purpose of this ritual...to banish creatures of darkness. So it should work.

And it did.

The light that was radiating from the Eye of Ra was concentrating itself around the form of the incorporal being while Gabrielle was reciting the next nect of the written words.

The inhuman screams coming from the `thing´ were getting even louder. The glowing figure, trapped by the shackles of light seemed to be trashing around.

As the Bard was reading the last part of the text, the form finally vanished in a bright glance. The place where it had been a moment before was empty.

"It had worked," Xena said.

"Yes, it looks as our plan had worked," Callisto responded.

"It did," Hope told them.

Ares just gave them a nod with the head as well...confirming.

"We sensed her presence being removed from this world," Aphrodite stated.

"Then it looks as if Chaos will from now on have company out there in the void. Well, good riddance I say," Callisto remarked grinning.

xxxxxx

At another place, outside this world...the void between realities

A few moments later...after her presence had been vanquished Adrianna found herself somewhere else. It was a place even she had never seen before.

Around her was something that seemed on the first to be a desolate wasteland of rocks and rubble. On a closer look however the solid ground ended only after a few hundred meters. She was in fact standing on a small island of rock, floating over an infinite abyss.

Above her was only a completely empty sky, no stars, sun or anything visible. Actually it was not even a sky, not even space, it was just an empty `void´.

Of course like everything she saw around here this was ultimately only a visual manifestation of what was truly there, like the rock beneath her feet, like the space around her...This meant in this case it was nothing...absolutely nothing.

Of course also her own form here was actually only a manifestation as well. Her physical self had been destroyed after all. She herself was completely aware of that.

The only question was whose will had formed this manifestations? A physical representation this detailed was normally created by an intelligent mind. She knew this perfectly well... Adrianna was a Child of Darkness.

Where was she? Where did the others had send her with that goddamn ritual? she thought angrily

At the first look it had some superficial similarity with the Spirit Realm, but only at the first look. She knew nearly instantly it was something completely else.

The truth was, this here was the void between realities...this was the absolute nothingness.

And she was not alone.

"Now, I have known that something would happen. But this is a surprise," she heard a voice coming from behind her.

As she turned around she saw it´s source, a black substance ressembling a heavy fog...that quickly began to took a humanoid shape...and formed itself into that of a tall dark haired woman.

"When I helped you to escape from your...ahm predicament I wasn´t sure what the outcome would be. Well, I had actually hoped you would cause enough damage down there, for me to find an opening to return to the physical plane, I admit. But it seems it wasn´t meant to be. Too bad...But there will be other chances and I have time."

Adrianna noticed that the `woman´ was talking as if she didn´t even address her anymore, as if she was speaking with herself...rambling. As if she wasn´t even really paying attention to her.

That thought only made her more angry as she already were.

"But this..." she started to laugh. "To actually have someone here with me. Yes, who would have thought."

"Who or what are you?" Adrianna asked enraged. "Where am I? Answer me now... or you will suffer."

The woman only grinned.

"Well, at least I will have company now," she said.

"Answer me?" Adrianna shouted again. A light uneasiness came over her, caused by both, this place here and the presence she felt from the stranger. But her arrogance didn´t allow her to show it.

"My little child," the woman replied, "Adrianna as you are called...yes I know about you...You will very soon realize you are not the one you can make demands here. This is my turf. But I will answer your question...

I am Chaos...and this place here...now, it is for the most part called the Void between realities. And you and me will spend a long time together here," she said... still with a grin.

xxxxxxx

The way back to the coast would take them another week.

Their group was still wandering through the forests and valleys of Ireland. This time though they had actually the chance to enjoy their travel...now that they didn´t have to pursue an insane murderer.

For the most of them though, this would not even be the end of their journey. They would once again travel far further than that.

The members of their group who were not from here would repeat their attempt to return to their home-worlds very soon. In the same way they had originally arrived here.

There was however another matter that was just now about to be resolved.

They were taking a rest for the time being, for a few hours before they began the last part of their journey.

A few of them had been walking by themselves...moved some distance away from the camp, so they could be alone for some time. For different reasons though...in Eve´s case, it was the meeting with Adrianna, that had woken up bad memories.

"You know," she heard a voice coming from beside her, "when I had heard about you...what you have done... I actually thought about killing you." She knew that voice...as if it were her own you could say, literally. In some way this person had been her in another life after all.

"Callisto," she said... somewhat nervous, but hiding it well. "I see. What had caused you to change your mind?"

"What makes you think I have?" Callisto replied with a grin. Her hand was close to her sword.

"If you hadn´t you wouldn´t be talking to me right now. You are not one to play this kind of games. Back then when you were...well, crazy, yes... but not now."

"I see you have got to know me quite well...my reincarnation," Callisto answered. "Don´t misunderstand me, I don´t like you at all. Do you know how long it had taken me to change my ways...and how hard it was. You...you had a god shine light in your eyes and suddenly you were different? and then another one was playing with your mind and you were just like before?Not to mention that you are a spoiled brat that got everything handed to her for too long and never actually had to face responsibilities.

As far as it comes to me, you are a dangerous loose gun that should better be kept an eye on. And I myself are not exactly an Angel," she told her.

The irony of the last statement was not lost to Eve.

"I can not even disagree with you," she replied sadly. "Before I met Adrianna, I thought everything was okay about me, but after what she did to me..."

"But right now you are not a murderer," Callisto stated. "It would be wrong to attack you about things that could happen."

Maybe it would not be that wrong. If I can be changed that easily, then..." Eve replied.

"But you came back from it the second time by yourself I have been told. As you became Livia the second time, no bright light had brought you back, only Xena and yourself. That proves that you are capable to change by yourself if you truly want to. Don´t let it happen again," she said to her sternly.

"I won´t," she answered.

After a short nod Callisto turned around and left Eve alone with her thoughts.

xxxxxxx

Two days later they had arrived back in the coast town that Hercules, Iolaus and for the time also Hope and Eve called their home.

The next morning their visitors were preparing yet another ritual. A repeat of the same one that was meant to bring them all home.

Callisto and Sarah were the first who would leave.

"I have to say this was an interesting visit here," the blonde warrior remarked.

"You can say that...and it was nice to meet you Aunt Gabrielle...at least in some way," Sarah stated.

"Yes, of course my sister is far from having children in my world," the Bard replied.

"It was good to see you again cousin...at least in some way," Hope of all people told her.

"Thank you."

"I am happy that I met a version of you that was not my enemy," Gabrielle addressed her daughter. "I am glad that it is... possible."

"You know..." Hope stated, "...the version of me in your world, she might return one day. Maybe then..."

"Yes, maybe then..." Gabrielle said.

"Callisto, what we talked about two days ago," Eve addressed her.

"Yes?"

"I will hold to what you have said to me."

The blonde warrior nodded to her dark haired reincarnation once again...this time more friendly than the last.

The ritual was already prepared. Gabrielle began to read the text and less than a minute later...Sarah and Callisto vanished.

Next came Delilah, Perdicas and Aphrodite, who would be returning to the place they came from.

"Like grandmother said," Delilah stated, "I am glad that I got to meet a version of you that would have actually cared about me, mother."

"I am happy that there are versions of you that are still the girl that I have known Gabrielle," Perdicas said to her.

She returned his words with a smile. After she had red the last passage of the text once again, they as well were gone.

Xena and Gabrielle herself would be the last.

This last time Bridget would be the one reading the words, when the two would be transported away.

"Hercules..." Xena started a bit insecure...this was something quite unusual for her, "Iolaus...Hope...even you Ares," she addressed the War God, "it was good to see you again. I never thought I would get that chance after my stupidity got you all killed where I come from. I can only hope I will do better in the world I will come to now with Gabrielle."

"I am sure you will," Hercules replied.

After the Druid Priestess had read the words, it was over. Xena and Gabrielle had vanished as well.

"I will return to Greece soon," Ares told them. "The problem I came here for is solved after all. I can not wait to tell our Xena and Gabrielle about this...not to mention Aphrodite."

"If they believe you, you mean," Iolaus commented.

"Why wouldn´t they?" Ares replied grinning.