AN: Sorry I'm so bad at remembering to post on time. I'm a silly potato who forgets that she's supposed to be dong that whole posting thing. This is the second to last chapter, so next Friday we'll get to see the end of Facing the Minotaur! So enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Xena.
Clutching at the gash on the side of her arm, her chakram falling to the stone floor, Xena quickly blinked away the remains of the vision, the pain and blood covering her enough to keep her grounded. For the moment, anyway.
But there was no knowing how long it would last, how long she would have until the labyrinth's seduction pulled her back in, and she had to make every moment count.
Gabrielle and the Minotaur stood before her, their eyes blank- occasionally they would shift, ever so slightly, but it was clear that the labyrinth had them in its grasps, has successfully pulled them into their temptation. A temptation she could still hear, that still whispered away in the back of her mind, teasing her with promises and lies that it couldn't fulfill, not in the realm of reality. But now that she knew what to look for, what to focus on, it was easier to keep her mind on the present, instead of the impossibility the labyrinth was offering her.
In that world, except for her headache, she hadn't known pain. It had been almost perfect, but when she had cut herself…
Grabbing Gabrielle's staff from where it had fallen on the ground, Xena swung, smacking the thick wooden pole into the Minotaur's head, the wood creaking as it threatened to break on impact. But the solid thwack had done its job. Snorting, wheeling from the pain, the Minotaur's eyes focused in on Xena, narrowing in anger as it rubbed the side of its skull, right below its horn, where the staff had made contact.
"Start walking," Xena growled, shifting her hand so it was holding her wound, digging her nails into the tender, exposed muscle as her vision shifted ever so slightly, driving away the feeling of warmth and smell of grass for the death stink of the labyrinth and the copper of her own blood instead. Glancing down the hall, she could see the end of the labyrinth- a couple hundred yards or so, and they would be there.
They would be free.
It had started out as whispers at first, when they had entered the final third of the labyrinth. Almost more like a buzzing of a fly when you were half asleep, something they could shake off but sluggishly. And they were voices they didn't want to shake off- Gabrielle had muttered to herself as they walked, holding a one sided conversation with her parents about her writing. They had loved her latest scroll, and couldn't wait for the next one. She herself had heard Lyceus, telling her that, if she just stood still for a moment while he finished getting ready, they'd be able to go train in the fields together. Even the Minotaur had heard, had spoken out at something the voices had whispered in its ear, had replied "You really think I'd do a good job?" in a wavery, almost breathless voice.
And the voices had only grown louder, more real, the further they had walked. It was a straight line, just like the Minotaur had said, a straight shot from the center of the labyrinth to the exit, but the further you walked the harder it became to remember. Remember that the world, the stones and the magic and the imminent death if they gave in, was real. It became harder and harder to reject the voices, the little flashes of something else that would occasionally fall over their eyes, their sight blinded by the images. And it was so, so hard to fight, because everything within them pulled. Pulled towards the lies, begged to accept them, desired so badly to replace the real world with the one the labyrinth was offering- Xena wasn't surprised that they had been sucked in.
The labyrinth was desperate to keep them, to make sure they didn't succeed, and it had almost won.
But she knew how to play its game now, and she refused to be defeated so easily.
Smacking the Minotaur again with the staff, this time using her injured arm so the movement pulled at the wound, sending a spike of pain through herself, Xena jerked her head towards the exit. She almost smiled when the Minotaur snorted, pressing at its now bruised ribs to increase the pain instead of driving it away, because at least the creature understood. It bent quickly and gathered as much of their things as it could- the spool, their bags of supplies, the things that had fallen from their hands when their grips had gone slack- and began, its steps almost hesitant as it began to walk.
It was clear that the Minotaur wanted to stay- it had enjoyed its temptation, had enjoyed whatever world the labyrinth had created for it- but it jabbed its thumb into its ribs and kept walking, heading towards the exit so it could finally leave its home.
Gabrielle still stood there, gaze blank as she stared ahead, unaware of the world around her. A small line of blood trailed down her neck, soaking into the line of her shirt- a stab of guilt for Xena when she noticed it, when she saw the damage she had done to her friend, thinking her something else. But clearly that pain hadn't been enough.
Whispering a soft "Sorry, Gabrielle," Xena quickly untied and slipped off one of her gauntlets, making sure nothing would be between their skins. Shifting slightly, Xena sighed…and backhanded Gabrielle as hard as she could, the sickening sound of knuckle hitting cheek almost enough to set her stomach rolling, especially as Gabrielle let out a pained cry as she fell. Xena was by her side in a moment, pulling her into her lap, apologizing as she held Gabrielle as she came back from the world the labyrinth had captured her in.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Gabrielle blinked away the daze and tears, her fingers brushing against her already red flesh, the world slowly coming back into focus as she remembered where they were. And caught sight of Xena's arm, the blood still trickling from the wound, her eyes widening in panic as she realized just how much of it had already escaped.
"Xena, you're hurt," Gabrielle exclaimed, shifting in Xena's grasp so her arm was in her lap, one hand pressing hard against the wound while she looked around for their bags, clearly puzzled when she couldn't find them. "Where…" Her voice trailed off as Xena gently pushed her away, both of them rising to their feet as Xena turned her so they were facing after the Minotaur. The great beast was already closing in on the exit, its pacing having picked up since it was freed, but it was clear it was wavering.
"Walk," Xena ordered, her other hand taking the place of Gabrielle's to push on the wound- both to stop the blood (it wasn't that deep, not enough to be of any real danger to her, but she was already weakened, and to lose much more would mean a while in bed to heal, something they didn't have the time for now) and to cause more pain. Seeing that Gabrielle's eyes had become slightly glazed again, Xena reached up and flicked her on the same cheek she had just assaulted, the pain bringing her back. "Focus on the pain," Xena demanded, taking a few steps of her own, half turned to make sure Gabrielle was still following, "and walk."
It took them a long time to cover the short distance, stumbling over themselves and each other as they labyrinth tried time and again to pull them back, to force them back into the world they had seen as perfect, where they were controllable. Pliable, more than willing to do whatever was necessary to ensure their happiness was secure. A world without pain, without sadness, without fear and destruction- it tried, so so hard, to pull them back.
Xena stumbled, and this time she failed to catch herself, falling to the floor instead, where the tiny stones dug into her hands and her knees- pain she almost didn't feel, because it was a soft rug, the same rug she remembered from when she was little. Loosely woven wool, it was soft and warm and had laid on the floor of her room ever since she was little, the gift of an aunt who had died when she was still a babe in arms, nursing from her mother. It had kept her feet warm during the winter months, during those first few moments of awakening when the harsh touch of cold wood would be almost painful, and now it was warming her again.
All she needed to do was lie down, close her eyes, and just relax…
But she couldn't, because hands were pulling at her, at her armor, her limbs, dragging her back to her feet despite the weak protests she gave, despite the fact that she had become a dead weight, unwilling (or maybe unable?) to move. There was a light so close by, and she didn't want to leave the dark- it was warm here, warm and comfortable and safe, and to leave the darkness, to go out into the cold, unwelcoming light?
Her sword was in hand before she could even register that the voice in her ear was whispering at her to stop it, to destroy thing trying to drag her from her rest. All she needed to do was sink her blade into the soft flesh, to wet her blade with its blood, to end this so she could just sleep.
A grunt- that of a beast, not a human- as something stopped her swing, and her sword was torn from her hand, another pair of hands helping her to stand, pulling her stumbling forward, out of the darkness, into the light.
It was raining.
The moment they stepped out of the labyrinth, that was all Xena could focus on: the rain wetting her hair and skin and leathers, the chill- a different kind from the ones the labyrinth had given her, a chill of cold instead of horror -the smell of lightning and the growing scent of wet cow besides her, all of it mixing together to create something wholly alive, alive and delicious and sweet as she tilted her head back, opening her mouth to allow the rain to wet her suddenly parched tongue.
It was the same peace that came after a battle, after a mighty victory, but there was still the dying left to attend to. A dying thing that made its presence known as it groaned.
The three of them were pitched forward as the ground behind them shook, an almost pitiful wail breaking from the exit they had stumbled out of. It was shrinking as they turned to watch, the stone twisting in on itself, the joints of the exit blending together to create one solid wall, impenetrable without tools they didn't have. At the edge of her hearing she could almost make out words, curses in some ancient language she did not know but that still struck deep, their meaning clear through the tone of hatred that had accompanied them. But soon even those were gone as the stones shifted one final time, as the ground before them settled, as the sound of the rain became the loudest in their ears.
The labyrinth was gone. They had won, and Crete could be at peace.
Until the Minotaur took up the shriek, the noise almost unnatural as it came from its lips. It tore at itself, great hands grabbing and yanking off chunks of fur and skin, breaking off its own horns and using the jagged ends to cut deep into itself, pulling at the breaks in its hide to tear them off, blood splashing the ground around it as it continued to scream. Gabrielle lunged forward, trying to stop it, her own panicked yells mixing with the beasts as she tried to help, but Xena's arm caught her around her waist, pulling her back so they were free from the range of splattering gore as the Minotaur destroyed itself.
It eventually collapsed, its breathing ragged and pained as it fell to its knees, its body a mess of cuts and missing fur, exposing the muscle beneath. Lifting its head, its small eyes met their gazes, and somehow it smiled. Smiled and nodded its great head in some form of thanks, before it laid down, settling itself onto the grass below, grass that would have been crimson had it not been for the rain.
Lying there, finally free from the labyrinth, the Minotaur breathed its last.
"Why didn't you help it," Gabrielle demanded angrily, squirming free from Xena's grasp and running to the Minotaur's side, kneeling next to it. She sounded close to tears as she ran her hand along its muzzle, touching the coarse fur that covered it. It seemed almost…smaller, now that it was no longer towering over them, now that its impressive, imitative aurora was gone. Almost helpless, something it had never been in life. Looking up at Xena, a sob broke from Gabrielle's lips. "We could have saved it."
"We did." Coming to kneel next to Gabrielle, Xena pulled out her chakram and began to cut, following the lines the creature itself had made before its death. Down the arms, across the spine, following the twisted bend of cow hooves that made up the feet, Xena carefully cut into the creature's body, ignoring the small sounds of protest Gabrielle let out every couple of moments. Her task almost complete, Xena returned to the head and carefully lifted it into her lap, taking her own moment to smooth down some of the ruffled fur.
If she was right, a few quick cuts would end this. If she was wrong, well, they'd build a pyre after the rain had stopped, and this would be just another splotch staining her already blood covered hands.
Three quick slices- one along the back of the head, connecting to the one she had made along the spine, and two across the face, between the eyes to meet with the corners of the mouth. A quick smack- breaking the skull underneath, shattering the bone with her weapon, the pieces shifting beneath her hand. Returning the head to the ground, Xena stood and stepped away, pulling Gabrielle with her to give the Minotaur space.
It began to move, muscles twitching and shifting under the fur, the body straining along the lines Xena had cut into it, the fur peeling back as they watched to show not muscle and sinew and bones but instead human flesh, skin crusted in gore as it tore itself free from the body it had previously inhabited. Hooves became feet and hulking fingers became delicate, fingers that darted upwards and dug themselves into the mass of fur and cracked bones Xena had left behind, picking apart the pieces that kept it restrained as it struggled free from its cage.
The head burst free, gasping for breath, and even though her entire body was red, red that was slowly dripped away as the rain fell upon her, there was no mistaking the familiar wide brown eyes that stared back at them, nor was there any chance she could be anyone else.
Walking over to where their bags had been dropped in their hurry to escape from the labyrinth, Xena pulled free a clean cloth and handed it over, smiling as the woman took it and began to clear the gore from her face. She hesitantly smiled back, eyes darting between Xena and Gabrielle. When she spoke, her voice was small, far different from the booming octaves of the Minotaur she had once been.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Queen Pelopia."
They stayed the night on that mountainside, tending to themselves and each other. They were exhausted, in absolutely no condition to travel- Gabrielle almost had fit when, a few moments after Xena had finished greeting the Queen, she unsteadily sat, the world spinning unhappily around her. In the excitement of the moment she had forgotten about her arm, the blood that fell from the wound unnoticeable from the blood from the Minotaur, from Queen Pelopia's former shell, that covered her arms now.
An easy oversight, especially since it no longer hurt. She was cold, terribly cold, but she didn't hurt.
She was only partly aware of the movement around her- Gabrielle cursing as she threaded their needle, Pelopia using the other half of the cloth Xena had given her, the part that still remained mostly clean, to clean around the wound, the cloth turning black and the rain making pink trails on her skin as she worked. The quick successions of painful pricks as Gabrielle sewed together her arm, and even more curses as Gabrielle saw how much damage had been done. Not enough to be permanent, and not enough to even fret over, really. It was deep, but Xena had avoided anything important, and while the blood loss was concerning, otherwise she would be fine. Just needed a few days to rest and heal, to let the skin knit itself back together, and she would be fine.
Not that she said anything as Pelopia held a skin of water to her lips, Xena quickly drinking to replace the fluids she had lost. Not with Gabrielle almost glaring daggers at her for being hurt; Xena knew any attempt to wave her off would only result in more trouble for her later, so she let her friends take care of her.
They ended up settling themselves under a large tree, the branches wide and the ground semi-dry under it, good enough shelter for now. Pelopia, unwilling to sit still with her skin still covered in her own blood, and claiming she knew the area decently enough to not get lost, left to get clean- there was a stream not far from here, one they would have been able to hear had it not been raining. Borrowing one of Xena's extra shifts to hide her nakedness when she was clean, she disappeared into the bushes, leaving them alone.
But only for a moment, as Zeus materialized before them the moment she was out of sight.
He looked surprisingly concerned as he knelt to their level, took in Xena resting against Gabrielle instead of sitting on her own, took in the stitches and the dark bruise spreading across Gabrielle's cheek. Took in the exhaustion and pain this mission had costed them.
When neither of them flinched away when he raised his hands, he gave them both an almost smile and touched them, Gabrielle on her cheek, Xena on her arm, his hands warm and friendly as he worked. Pulling away, looking at them with a critical eye, he nodded and stood. And Gabrielle noticed that her cheek, where Xena had struck her, wasn't quite as sore as it had been, and Xena found she had a bit more strength, that the pain in her arm had turned more into an itch, and the world was quite a bit more steady then it had been a few minutes ago.
"You've done us a great service, Xena, Gabrielle," he acknowledged, glancing over to where the exit to the labyrinth had once been. "You've rid the world of a great evil, and for that, I am grateful." He nodded his head- almost like a full bow, from anyone else- and looked around once again, his smile small. "I wasn't sure if you would be able to do it," he admitted, "but Ares was right. You two are quite impressive. For humans."
He disappeared, the smell of rain and lightning becoming stronger in his absence as the girls both sat under the tree.
Pelopia returned to them in due time, her skin scrubbed almost raw and her hair a tangled mess, but she was clean and clothed, and had even found a bush covered in ripe berries, bringing as many as she could carry back with her to where they were sitting. To her surprise, Gabrielle had finally managed to get a fire started- small but hot, hot enough to cook the small birds Xena had managed to bring down. Both seemed well, much better than they had been before she had left, but she didn't press the issue.
She herself had just been reborn from the Minotaur's skin, so who was she to question what was normal and what wasn't?
They ate mostly in silence, picking the flesh from around the small bones and sweetening their tongues with the berries, the juices turning their lips and the tips of their fingers blue. A simple meal, but perhaps one of the most delicious they had ever tasted.
They were alive to taste it, making it that much sweeter.
"How did you know it was me?"
Pelopia broke the silence first, her gaze fixed on Xena- curious, ever so curious, with a hint of demand in her voice that told she wouldn't let this go, not until Xena had replied.
"Zeus said that he had made you part of the labyrinth," Xena explained after a moment, flicking the bone she had just finished stripped into the fire. "He said that we were safe, so long as you were there. And while the legends can be a bit fuzzy," she admitted, "there's never any record of the original Minotaur having children."
"He was a man-eater," Gabrielle pipped up, a reflective look on her face as she took in everything Xena was saying, "who was only fed every seven years. He'd be starving…"
"Too starving to worry about breeding," Xena finished for her, nodding. "While the chance of a Minotaur descendant isn't impossible, it is unlikely. Plus," she added, "you tried to protect us. You saved us many times."
"So you put two and two together, and decided it was me," Pelopia said, her smile wide. Shaking her head, she shifted so she was laying down in the grass, head propped up on her hand so she could continue to start at the two. "I've been gone for a long time," she admitted after a moment's silence. "How's my brother?"
"He's worried," Gabrielle said, "but he was alive and doing well when we left."
Perhaps the wrong words, because Pelopia's face darkened at that, her stare turning from them into the darkness surrounding them. It had been clear earlier that she had wanted to leave, that she had come out of the labyrinth full of life and energy and had only stayed because of her exhausted companions. And now it was too late to safely climb down the mountain in the dark, especially with the rocks slick from the rain. Any moves would have to wait until morning, as distasteful as that might be.
"Your brother is strong," Xena said reassuringly, her voice almost a promise. "He's been keeping the kingdom in good condition for you to return."
"He'd be a great king," Pelopia said softy, "if he wanted the crown." Turning back towards them, she gave them a small, almost sad smile and shrugged. "Guess it's a good thing for me that he doesn't. Otherwise we might have a civil war on our hands." She laughed at that, as if the idea of her brother turning against her was hilarious. But she quickly sobered up at the next words that came from her. "Of course, there's many nobles in our court who would love to see such, and would do anything to make sure a war like that came about…"
"We won't let that happen," Gabrielle said, looking at Xena and nodding. "We'll stay until everything is settled. Right, Xena?"
Xena just nodded, but that was enough. Pelopia smiled widely at the two of them, her eyes almost shining, before she laid down her head, tucking it into the crook of her elbow. "Thank you," she said, her eyes slipping closed.
Soon she was asleep.
"I'll take first watch," Xena said, glancing over at Gabrielle- it was clear she was also exhausted, barely able to keep her eyes open. "I'll wake you if I need you."
"Alright."
Though, instead of laying down next to Pelopia, or pulling out their sleeping skins and making her normal nest, Gabrielle instead curled into Xena's side, her head resting on her chest. Her arm wrapped around her waist, and soon enough Gabrielle was asleep as well, a blanket over Xena that kept her captive better than any chains ever could.
She felt guilty in taking comfort from the closeness, felt guilty as she turned her head to press a kiss against Gabrielle's forehead, the reminder of the world the labyrinth had created for her close in the back of her mind. She had wanted to stay, had wanted to live in that world where she was free of her sins, where she had always been on the side of good, where Gabrielle was hers. And part of that world was still in her, still wanted to lay claim to the heart of the woman lying in her arms.
But after a moment Xena pushed away the guilt and just continued to hold Gabrielle, staring out into the night around them, the rain a gentle music she listened to in the dark.