Disclaimer: not mine.
Chapter 11
Xena opened her eyes startled. A transparent woman with breathtaking features floated in front of her, with her chesnutt hair swinging around her naked body in a flawless motion. "You hurt," she repeated, her translucent eyes fixed on the warrior's.
"My friend is dying."
The woman looked down at the amethyst case, and nodded once in thought. "Elders gave the rock my name to honor my memory."
Amethyst.
Xena had heard the legend of the woman encased in such crystal by Artemis to protect her from Dyonisus, who, filled with regret, would later give the white stone its purple color.
The woman eyed Gabrielle and smiled sadly, her face lost in a memory that mortals had learned as an old tale. "I remember being very tired, and then nothing." She looked back at Xena. "It doesn't hurt."
Her words alarmed the warrior. "I don't care. I want her out."
"Is she not meant to be there?"
Were you?, thought the warrior, opting to keep that opinion to herself. She shook her head negatively instead. "No, she doesn't."
Amethyst regarded her in silence, ignoring Xena's increasing nerves. "I only know of one goddess who would do such a thing. Has she not acted with reason?"
"Would my truth be enough for you to free her?"
Amethyst thought her answer, unsure about this stranger's intentions, despite the open honesty that her pleading eyes seemed to display. "Should I?"
The question was not an ill-natured one, and still felt like a stab on the back. Xena bit back her tongue and took a deep breath to calm herself, thinking about Gabrielle's well-being as her compass. "Artemis put her in there. Gabrielle is the queen of the amazons, and the goddess decided it was time to test–"
"No one can escape that crystal," said Amethyst interrupting her. "What kind of test would this be?," she asked, again in honest curiosity.
"How long does Gabrielle have?"
"Enough for you to answer my questions."
She did not choose an aggressive tone, but her voice was firm, and Xena dared not to chase the being away. "I'm her champion. It is not only her who she is testing."
Amethyst looked at her. "Her champion, you say. You do not wear amazon attires. How is that you wield such title?"
"Because she chose me," said Xena. "Because she is my friend and she trusted her life on my hands. Because I would die for her." A thousand times at once if I had to.
Transparent eyes bore into Xena for a long silent moment. "Your love for her transcends life itself." It wasn't a question.
"Will you tell me how to free her?"
Instead of answering, Amethyst looked inside again, and Xena saw the changes in her face. The warrior felt naked before her, and surrendered, opening her heart and soul to the being. She would see bad things, for sure, but the warrior made certain she got a pretty clear idea of where her heart lay now. Look inside, woman, take a long hard look inside and you will see Gabrielle in me too. And see her value and how much greater her life is than mine.
The woman's eyes opened wide. "I saw your memories," she said. "You didn't block them."
"No."
"Some terrified me. And yet, I looked and I felt overwhelmed by the love you feel inside for this woman." Then she shook her head in confusion. "And yet you let the past haunt you," she said looking back at Xena. "It saddens me."
"I did all those things you saw," said Xena. "And more. Remembering keeps me away from going back there."
"And you refuse to forgive yourself."
"What I do or don't do does not matter. Tell me how to save her."
"You will be presented with opportunity to be forgiven, and you will turn your back on it."
"Gabrielle," insisted Xena. "What does she have to do with that?"
"She's your pillar. And she craves that which you forsake."
Xena knew. It was all related to Gabrielle's nightmare the previous night, that truth the bard failed to tell her. "I forgave her," was all she could say. And she knows I did. And she's not the only one to blame for what happened.
"But has she forgiven herself?"
Xena fell silent.
The figure came closer. "She has not, has she?"
Xena looked down. "No," she said quietly. "She has not."
"I learned one thing during my confinement," said Amethyst. "No one should go when there is chance of righting one's wrongs."
Xena held her breath, never losing sight of Gabrielle.
"I have seen many lost within the darkness of this crystal," continued Amethyst. "Your friend is not the first, and I'm afraid won't be the last."
"Will you free her?" Xena's voice was a thread.
"I can help you get her out of that case, but to live…to really live…that she must do by herself."
"Then give us a chance," asked Xena. "Free her!"
Amethyst extended her arm pointing towards Xena's neck. "The pendant you hold as candle. It was blessed by Artemis for the carrier's eternal rest. Use it to make a dent and let the waters enter," she said looking down the chasm.
Xena followed the direction of the eyes and opened hers wide in terror. She could not see the bottom despite the glow emanating from the pendant and from Amethyst herself. "She'll drown!"
"Not if you safe her first and she has a will to live," said Amethyst, looking at the turmoil tormenting the warrior, reflected in her eyes. "You have brought her from the dead before. Believe you can do it again."
Xena looked at her as Amethyst began to fade, the being's last words echoing in her mind. The last thing that disappeared were her eyes, who had been reached by her smile.
And Xena believed. And knew that her love had no ceiling.
OOOOO
