It's been awhile but here we are, again ;)

Chapter 11

Ares sat on his throne contemplating his entire plan that had gone wrong. He went back in time in two different time periods and still, his plan was unsuccessful. He had the dark Xena in his grasp, but Hebe had to ruin it with her little reversal spell that she failed to mention. Balling his fists up out of rage, he surprisingly kept calm and focused on what could be done about Xena in the long run. He made a deal with Xena and she agreed to it. Although, the war god wondered if the deal was still intact since Xena was no longer her teenage self anymore.

Would she remember everything that happened to her? Or would she simply be caught in a daze of confusion? Ares let out a heavy exhale while he racked his brain for hours over this situation. No matter how many times he tried, he could never have Xena by his side and that irked him to no end. The martyr Xena would never agree to be with him and it almost felt wrong to seduce the warrior when she was barely even a woman. She was a child –an innocent child –that had no idea what her life would be like years later.

And then there was that little incident with Solan. Xena tried so hard to save him before and she thought she could try again. She almost succeeded the first time, but she was not quick enough and Gabrielle was too self-absorbed to see the darkness in Hope's heart. Gabrielle's daughter, fathered by Dahak, was no match for Xena and the death of Solan could have been prevented. Could have, Ares mused, but it didn't quite go Xena's or Gabrielle's way in the end. Both children died. One innocent and one evil. If Gabrielle would have just listened to Xena then maybe none of this would have happened. Or maybe if Xena wasn't so obsessed with defeating Caesar in Britannia, then Gabrielle wouldn't have fallen down a dark path and sold a piece of her soul to Dahak.

So many 'what if's' and so many possibilities. Alas, the great warrior princess couldn't fix everything nor could she save everyone. Yet, Ares had to give it to her for trying a second time. A teenage warrior princess that wanted to save her future son was a nice touch and quite sweet too. There had been times when Ares thought he could join Xena and fight for good, but it just wasn't in him. He just wanted her and only her, nobody else, especially people like Gabrielle. She was influenced by the bard time and time again. Gabrielle was Xena's weakness and Xena, Ares' weakness. Everyone has their weaknesses, he thought.

The goddess of youth made a special appearance in her brother's temple and all Ares could do was roll his eyes. He was too exhausted, not to mention embarrassed, to deal with his sister and mouthy self. "What do you want?" he asked of her.

Hebe shrugged her shoulders and approached her brother's throne. "Oh, you know, just hanging around," she said and he closed his eyes tightly, hoping she would disappear into oblivion. Unlikely to happen. "There's talk on Olympus about what happened earlier today. Aphrodite is very upset with you, Ares."

"When is she not?" he scoffed.

"I'd say she is a little hurt, but she's always been the sensitive one. Hasn't she?" Hebe let out a light giggle. She hopped onto her older brother's lap and he groaned. Both stared into each other's eyes and she had the most smug smile on her face which angered him. He didn't want her to gloat and that's exactly what she was doing. Hebe never cared for Aphrodite and she sure didn't care about her brother's war conquests. She was too busy messing with mortal lives whenever boredom overcame her.

She exhaled and wrapped her arm around his broad shoulder. "So, I guess this means you won't be getting your mortal lover after all?" she bat her long lashes. Ares grunted and pushed her off his lap. Rising off his throne he stepped down and towered over her petite form. "Hey! It's not my fault that things didn't go your way!"

"It's not?" he smirked. "I can still win her back."

"Not in this lifetime, Ares!" she cackled. "You had your chance long ago and she rejected you. Now, you're just mad that she doesn't want you anymore. Face it, brother. She hates you. Loathes you. She'd rather see you dead than have your arms around her."

Ares' eyes widened and he kicked he across the temple. The small goddess coughed violently and crawled across the marble floor. His boot stomped on her hand and she cried out in agony. "May I remind you that I am the God of War!" his voice roared inside the temple and she flinched. "And I can crush you like the puny worm that you are, Hebe. I don't care if you're my sister."

She smiled weakly and lifted her eyes to her furious brother. "Won't father be upset if you kill me? Gods can't kill other gods. You know the rules..." her smile grew and he stepped away from her. Rubbing her hand, she grabbed a column to aid her to a standing position. "You shouldn't act so high and mighty, Ares. I saw what you did for your mortal warrior back there."

He felt his heart stop for a brief moment and she nodded. Her eyes growing with animosity. "That's right. Ares, God of War with a heart of gold. Or perhaps you did it out of guilt for what you did to her? Or maybe you love her so much that you'd do anything to win her over! You toy with time, you know the consequences. You are lucky that mother is not happy with father right now or he would have struck you down already!" she huffed and disappeared from his temple.

Ares folded his arms and turned around, staring at his empty temple. He had the world at his disposal, yet he was lonely. No war or...person, could fill the void in his life anymore.

Inside the Telaquire Amazon encampment, Hercules brought Xena to one of the huts in hopes that she would recover and remain safe from Caesar and his army. The Amazons had since left their area, but Gabrielle suspected they would be return. Caesar would stop at nothing until the Amazons and Centaurs agreed to his campaign.

Gabrielle sat beside Xena for hours, hoping she would awaken, but so far, nothing happened and the sun was setting. The Romans would have been long gone from the Centaur camps by now. Caesar was hiding out in one of his large extravagant camps not too far from here. That was the only way he would be able to survey the area in such a timely manner. Gabrielle knew Caesar well, but Xena too him better. She probably never him better than any other Roman in the fleet. That could be a very bad thing or a very good thing. Usually, it was bad, very bad.

Xena's chest rose and fell as she lay dormant in a deep slumber. Gabrielle's eyes were constantly on the warrior, waiting and hoping. The longer she waited, the more impatient and hopeless she felt. Hercules and Iolaus left to go look for Argo while ago, but they haven't returned. She figured that horse would never come back unless Xena awoke. Those two were inseparable.

When Hebe turned Xena back into her normal body, Gabrielle figured that the warrior would return to her in one piece with one clear mind, but that wasn't the case. Whatever Hebe did to Xena exhausted her and the bard couldn't blame her. That was quite a wild ride these last few days. But as she remained focused on the warrior princess, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Nearly an entire day had gone by and still, Xena was not awake.

Iolaus walked into the hut with an animal skin filled with water. Gabrielle turned and cast him a faint smile. "I brought you some water and food. You haven't left her side." He waltzed over and set the animal skin and blanket filled with assorted breads on the table. He gazed at Xena's stone cold face as she slept peacefully. "She hasn't woken up yet?"

The bard shook her head. "Not yet. Do you think that Hebe did something to her?"

"It's hard to tell," Iolaus half smiled and sat down next to Gabrielle. "Gods don't play by our rules. They make their own."

Gabrielle frowned and a certain furrow in her brow, crinkled her forehead. She was distraught and tired of living by these Olympians' rules. "What if she never wakes up? What then? We ask Ares for help?" she hated to mention his name. This was his fault to begin with.

"Patience, Gabrielle. Who knows what's going on in that head of hers?"

"That's what I'm afraid of." She muttered. She felt Iolaus lend a hand of comfort on her shoulder and she smiled softly. "What if she wakes up and she's not the Xena I know? What if she is trapped somewhere else? What if –"

"Gabrielle," he interrupted and she held her breath. "All you can do is wait." He pat her shoulder and she cast a crooked smile. "I'm going to see how Hercules is doing in finding Argo. I don't think he's had any luck finding her." He wagged his head then made his leave.

Gabrielle chuckled under her breath and moved a strand of hair away from Xena's face. "Argo is stubborn, just like you," she frowned sadly, continuing to gaze at her slumbering friend. "Come on Xena. You can't stay like this forever. I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can...it'd be nice to know." Her eyes enlarged when she saw Xena exhale out heavily. But much to her disappointment, the warrior remained in a deep sleep. The bard slammed her fist on the bed and her sorrow had turned to fury.

Xena awoke and frowned, not familiar with her surroundings. Her eyes wandered around and slowly, she sat up, rubbing the back of her aching head. Her hand ran down her torso and she wasn't wearing her usual leathers, but a simple linen dress. Confused and in a daze, she rose to her feet and then looked around at her surroundings. Fog, so much fog. A thick fog covered the tops of black trees and the soil beneath her feet, cold and dry.

Barely able to keep her balance, she tread through the thick white fog. Her body cut the fog like a knife and her head whipped to her left and then to her right. No visible roads. No animals. No people. Her eyes drifted to the soil and she saw dead plants curled around her bare feet. No life whatsoever. Taking a step forward in the strange smog, she stepped on a tree branch. The sound echoed around her and she covered her ears.

Breathing heavily, she began to feel anxious. Tired. Nervous. Feelings that left her long ago. She couldn't think of another time when she felt frightened. Perhaps, when she was a little girl. When her older brother told her stories of giants pillaging villages or maybe the story of Hades' three headed dog that terrorized all the lost souls in the underworld. But this fear, was a different kind of fear.

She ran her fingers through her hair and frowned. Her hair reached to her hips, much longer than the length she had currently. As she stood, ogling her long locks, a voice echoed in the strange fog. Xena gasped and swiftly turned around at the echoing voice. Briskly, she tread through the cold dirt, following the voice.

The closer she got to the voice, the more it seemed to disappear. The softer it became, the closer she got. This wasn't a place. This was a torture chamber, she realized. Her hands roamed across every inch of her body and she felt very much alive. She wasn't dead and if she was, she certainly didn't end up in the Elysian Fields.

Was this the underworld that everyone spoke about? Couldn't be. Unless, this is punishment for all the sins I've committed in my past? The more she walked through the thick fog, the more she felt like she was going in a circle. A horrible endless circle.

Then the voice appeared in the air again. She wrapped her arms around herself and felt her head throb. "I know that voice," she whispered. The voice echoed inside of her head and she cringed at the loud inaudible voice. She couldn't make out what the voice was conveying and she wasn't sure if she was supposed to.

Louder.

Louder.

Ear piercing.

"Xena!" the voice yelled firmly and the warrior's eyes shot open. Suddenly, the air was quiet, her head was clear and she saw a petite blonde standing in front of her.

"I know you," Xena furrowed her eyebrows and approached the blonde. "Don't I?" she touched the blonde's shoulder.

"Do you?"

Xena nodded and smiled confusedly. "Yes, I'm sure of it. I know you from somewhere."

"You say you know me, but do you know yourself, Xena?"

Xena frowned and stepped forward to touch the stranger and in a flash she was gone.

"What are you doing here?" the voice appeared from behind and Xena whipped her head around to see the petite blonde standing with her arms folded. "You aren't supposed to be here."

"How am I supposed to know what I'm doing here if I don't even know what here is!" Xena spat.

The blonde smiled and chuckled. "You're getting angry, Xena."

Xena composed herself quickly and placed her hands on her hips. "No, I'm not."

"Stop lying, Xena. You can't lie to me. I know you very well. The only person that's keeping you here is...you." the blonde raised her palms and shrugged her shoulders.

Xena huffed. "Then how do I leave?"

"You're smart. You'll figure it out," she said and saw the warrior's eyes darken to a menacing deep blue. "Careful of that anger. It'll be the death of you."

The raven haired warrior felt a hand on her shoulder and then an arm wrap around her midsection. The hands were warm to the touch and she closed her eyes, embracing the warmth coursing inside of her. I know these hands. Grabbing hold of the hand on her torso, she opened her eyes slowly and saw a dark haired man.

Gasping she pushed him away. "You!" she pointed at him.

"You aren't happy to see me, Xena?" Ares smiled. "We are friends. Even more than friends."

She shook her head and backed away. She turned and saw the blonde had vanished before she could get any answers. "I know you."

"I'm sure you do," he sauntered towards her and grabbed her waist, holding her close. He dipped her backwards and her eyes widened as his face inched closer and closer. Too close, she noted. "You know me very well," he whispered and leaned in to kiss her lips.

Xena cringed and shoved his face away. He dropped her and she fell on her backside. Crawling away, she got up as quickly as she could and began running as far as she could through the thick fog. Breathing heavily, she felt lost and confused. She didn't know where she was.

"You can't hide from me!" Ares' voice echoed in the fog and she looked back, but nobody was behind her. She continued to run forward and bumped into something or rather, someone.

A child, a blonde boy. She looked into his blue eyes and there was something that reminded her of someone she used to know. She reached forward and touched his soft cheek. The boy looked up at her with dead eyes.

"You let me die," the boy said and Xena's eyes widened.

"What?"

"You were supposed to save me and you let me die. You left me there to die," he said. She retracted her hand and slowly backed away. The boy's eyes remained firmly on her, not blinking or budging from where he stood. His eyes stared into her soul.

"No...I..." she fumbled and she had no words to express how she felt. "You know me, don't you?"

"Do I?" he said in a flat voice. "Don't you recognize me?" he asked in a more solemn tone.

Xena furrowed her eyebrows and looked into the boy's blue eyes. His dead, lifeless eyes. "Yes, I do but I...I can't remember."

"You can't recognize him because you don't remember," the female voice appeared and Xena gasped. The blonde came round and the boy was gone. "He knows you, but you don't. You know me, but you don't remember me either, right?"

"I don't understand what's going on!" Xena's voice rose as her heart raced. She felt defeated in this place and more lost than ever. These people that came and went in her presence was no help either.

"The angrier you become, the more lost you are, Xena," the blonde said. She cast a warm smile and touched Xena's jarring cheekbones. "If you just look inside yourself, you'll find the truth."

"Don't listen to her," Ares appeared next to Xena. The warrior looked to her right and saw the god of war looming over her.

The blonde frowned and grabbed Xena's arm. "He's a liar. You can't trust him."

He smiled and wrapped his fingers on Xena's shoulder. "I'm not a liar. She's trying to sway you off your path."

"Xena, look at me," the blonde said and Xena whipped her head to her left. "Trust me."

"Xena, don't listen to her!" he growled. "Trust me..."

The warrior felt breathless and her eyes darted back and forth to both entities on either side of her. She didn't know what to do or whom to trust. She couldn't remember who she was, so how could she pick a side. He seemed persuasive yet the woman was overbearing and sounded needy.

Xena felt both of the entities tugging on her arms. Voices filling both of her ears, though with different words. She closed her eyes and pushed them both away. The blonde stumbled backwards and the war god remained firmly planted in the soil. He folded his arms and Xena turned to look at the two gawking at her.

The longer she stared at the two people, the more lost she was than before. She couldn't choose a side, but did she have to, she wondered. He was tempting and more endearing with his way of words and hands. Although the blonde was sweet and had a good head on her shoulders. She seemed more trustworthy, but how could she choose?

"I think you have to know the darkest part of yourself to be whole."

"The true secret of life is to find peace in yourself and to share it with the world."

"There is only one way to change this cycle of hate and it's through love and forgiveness."

Xena held her head in between her hands. Her eyes continuing to go back and forth between the two beings staring at her intensely. The blonde cast her a warm smile and extended her hand, while the menacing tall dark haired god of war remained closed off and unwilling to give aid.

"Xena..." the blonde held out her hand. "Come home with me," she said with a beaming smile.

"Make sure you're making the right choice, Xena," Ares said defiantly.

Xena frowned and stepped forward. She grabbed the blonde's hand and felt heat radiating off her touch. "Gabrielle..."

Xena jolted awake and gasped for air. The bard turned at once as soon as she heard her friend awake. She scooted on the edge of the bed and cupped the warrior's face. "You're back!" she said and Xena smiled faintly. "I thought you'd never wake up! You've been out for almost an entire day! See, the sun set already," she pointed to the open window near the bed.

Xena nodded and felt her entire body ache. She was sore all over. Her hand grazed her bare arm and then peeked under the blankets and frowned. "My armor..."

Gabrielle's cheeks flushed. "Hercules is going to get it for you. It's in Argo's saddlebag." She said and Xena's eyes surveyed her surroundings. "Do you remember anything?"

"No..." she said uncertainly.

"Nothing at all? Really?" the bard was more than disappointed yet a tad relieved.

"Where are we?" she cut off Gabrielle.

"We're in the Amazon nation. It's a long story. I can tell you tomorrow if you'd like? Or maybe not at all..."

Xena raised her hand as her headache worsened. Gabrielle bit her bottom lip and leaned back on the bed. She noticed her friend was different. She wasn't herself, at least not at this moment. Perhaps it was a blessing that Xena couldn't recall anything these last few days.

Gabrielle inched forward and Xena turned her head slowly. "Do...you remember me?"

The warrior smirked, "how could I forget you?"

Next chapter is the last!