Cocoon

Eve whipped through the endless blue sky. The wind rushing through her hair and blowing across her face was the only indication that she was moving at all. There was nothing as far as the eye could see in any direction, nothing except perfect, endless blue. Eve closed her eyes and tried to focus. Michael had told her that the helmet would guide her. She concentrated on the empty space. She could feel things, things she couldn't explain. Supernatural things, Things she simply didn't have words for. Beings that had existed in the time before mortals, called to her in long-dead languages. Free us. She understood their message if not their words. Something was pulling her but she didn't know the direction. She'd lost sense of that in the labyrinth that was the Underworld and in the current space she occupied, direction had no meaning. Eve let herself be pulled to the energy that beckoned her. After some time, she wasn't sure how long, time like direction, no longer held meaning, an image appeared on the horizon. As she got closer, she could tell it was a great door and if she didn't slow down she was going to run smack into it. It started coming faster and she didn't know how to slow herself. Not wanting to hit the door head first, Eve angled herself so that her feet would take the brunt of the impact. "Help us," the beings cried again. Thud! Eve's feet slammed into the door, her knees absorbed the shock but then the world tilted making Eve almost lose her stomach. Now she stood atop the door. There was still nothing around her but endless blue sky but the door was beneath her. "Free us," the voices came from the other side of the door. Was this it? Was this what she was supposed to do? Free these distressed souls? Michael had sent her to defeat Demeter but she hadn't yet found the goddess yet. Were these beings a distraction? A torment? Did Demeter and Persephone already know she was here? Had Cerberus already tipped them off? Eve went down onto her knees and prayed for guidance.

While she prayed the voices beyond the door continued their begging. She clenched her jaw and placed her hands over her ears to try to drown out the pleas. She needed to hear her god, but he remained silent and Michael was nowhere to be seen. Something, some force had brought her here, to this place. Maybe she was meant to free them. But what did that mean? Would their souls return to god? Would they just exist in this world but on this side of the door? What was on the other side of the door? "Eli," Eve cried in desperation.

"Eli, Eli, Eli, praise the messenger, Eli, Eli, Eli, the Lord of Peace is nigh," the voices called from the door.

"The Lord of Peace, yes." Eve responded to the voices.

"The Twilight shall be fulfilled. Peace lives at the end of our path, Peace if you free us," a prominent voice called.

"This is the Lord's plan," Eve whispered to herself and stood up. She pushed herself off of the door and righted her body so that she was facing the door again. Floating in free air with the door directly in front of her. Eve closed her fist around the door handle and her hand started to glow with ethereal energy. Yes, she could feel the Lord working through her now. With great effort, she managed to pull the door open just a crack.

Piercing screams of chaotic joy erupted from the other side of the door and the beings burst forth with all the energy of a herd of oxen on a stampede. Eve was blown back through the blue sky. She watched in both awe and horror as vile looking creatures escaped their cell. One decidedly ancient being turned to her and it with it's 100 mouths grinned, "thank you." Then it blinked out of sight and suddenly Eve was falling again but this time toward a dark funnel that would've looked like a massive whirlpool if it were in the sea. As she neared the whirlpool, Eve started spinning through the air, after a few trips around the rim of the whirlpool, her world went black.

AXAXAXAXAXAXAXAXAXAXAX

Aphrodite had seen more death in her family than any immortal ever should. But she'd thought after Xena had gotten her and Ares' godhoods back that the Twilight was all behind them. But now Ares was gone, killed by their own brother. Worse, Aphrodite could sense more death was on the horizon. She hadn't felt this kind of darkness since Zeus' death shook all of Olympus. Aphrodite knew she'd only escaped death the first time because she'd helped Xena. This time she wasn't too sure she'd make it out alive. But one thing was for certain, she wasn't waiting around Olympus for Eve to show up and slaughter them all.

Aphrodite knew that someone needed to tell Xena about Ares but she wasn't going to be the one to do it. Despite the warrior babes constant protestations, Aphrodite knew Xena loved Ares deeply. News of his death might just spark that homicidal instinct that Xena was once famous for. The goddess reasoned that the only person who could break the news to Xena safely was Gabrielle. Aphrodite searched Earth for the bard's soul signature and once she locked in on it, she transported herself to Gabrielle.

Gabrielle jumped as the goddess appeared out of thin air.

"By the gods, does your lot not know how to give someone a warning?" Gabrielle had already had her fill of gods with Hestia popping in and pestering her about Xena.

"Sorry," Aphrodite said sincerely.

The goddess' tone stopped Gabrielle in her tracks. Aphrodite never apologized and she never concerned herself with how she might have offended humans. Something was wrong.

"It's about Ares," Aphrodite continued.

Gabrielle sighed. "Look, I'm going to tell you just like I told Hestia. I don't know where Xena is. I don't know why she's working with Ares. I'm not happy about it myself but I can assure you, she has her reasons."

"You talked to Hestia?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yes."

"When?"

"A couple of hours ago, now. Look, I've got sick patients. Can't you gods sort out your issues amongst yourselves?"

"She didn't tell you about Ares?"

"Well yes, I mean, she talked about him and Xena working together."

"No, Gabrielle. I mean she didn't tell you about Apollo. . . ." Aphrodite fought tears, "about Apollo killing him?"

"What? No. You can't be serious. When? Why?"

"Eve killed Proteus. Apollo thought Xena and Ares were teaming up against the gods. So, he killed him." Aphrodite's breath hitched.

"Slow down. Eve killed Proteus? And why would Ares go against the gods? He's got everything he ever wanted. He's King. He's got Xena at the head of his army."

"I know, none of it makes any sense. Except Apollo. He's been looking to take Ares down and this was his excuse."

"Xena- -" Gabrielle steadied herself against a table as she realized the implications. Someone was going to have to deliver the fateful news to her best friend. "She's gonna be devastated. And I'm already not sure how stable she is right now. This is not good."

"You're telling me."

"Take me to her."

Aphrodite shook her head. "I can't. I can't find her. I looked for her soul signature. It's like it's been snuffed out. I think maybe he's hidden her away. Halls of War, somewhere the other gods have limited powers against him."

"Take me to the Halls of War then." Gabrielle cried. There was little time to waste. She needed to talk to Xena before her friend did something she couldn't take back, like get herself killed trying to avenge Ares' death. Gabrielle knew that if Xena already knew about Ares' demise and the reason for it that she would be on the warpath.

"Here, little one," Aprhodite offered her hand to Gabrielle. When Gabrielle touched her fingers to Aphrodite's they winked out of the room and reappeared in the empty halls of the Halls of War.

AXAXAXAXAXAXAXAXAXAX

Xena felt alive! She felt so alive, it was hard to believe she'd ever thought her mortal existence had been living at all. All five of her senses were heightened beyond anything the mortal mind could comprehend. But what was more were all the extra senses she had. With a thought she could see the fabric of the aether, could feel thought routes that extended straight through it. If she wanted, she knew she could travel to her men's encampment with a thought. But her main concern at the present was the faint heartbeat of the god lying prone on the temple floor. Xena was more powerful than she'd ever been and yet she'd never felt so powerless. She didn't know what to do to help him other than using her mortal skills. She recalled back to when he'd given up his godhood to save Eve and Gabrielle. She wondered if she could do that for him now? How had he done it? Had he just willed it into them to bring them back from death?

Guilt ripped Xena for siphoning off his energy. But at the time she'd been caught up in the frenzy created by the surge of power. Had she doomed him to death by taking his essence? She'd already made her mind up. Apollo was dead whether Ares pulled through or not. She'd never liked the smug bastard and it wouldn't pain her any to see that he paid the ultimate price for this attack. Xena wondered what had prompted the attack. Had Ares told them about the baby? Was this their response? The questions that flitted through her brain reminded Xena of why Ares had tried to secret her and the baby away in the first place. The gods would be coming for them. It was then that she realized she needed to move Ares someplace safe. He wouldn't be able to take another hit even from a lesser god, much less another blow from a major deity with the kind of power Apollo wielded. Xena didn't know how to create and maintain a world out of nothing as Ares had she recalled that Ares once told her that his powers didn't work in the Underworld. So she wondered if that meant that the other gods' powers wouldn't work in his temples or if it had to be his actual domain? Xena studied the aether trying to find a tunnel that led back to the world he'd created for her. She assumed that that world would provide the security that she needed, but none of the routes seemed to lead there. When it had evaporated around her leaving her in the temple, it must have simply disappeared as a realm altogether. Xena tried to think of similar spaces. She considered the world that he had created for her and Mavican to fight but Xena didn't even know if that world even still existed.

Xena wondered how long it would take Apollo to track Ares down to ensure he was dead or if his own hubris would allow him to assume that his single arrow had been enough to cut down the God of War and King of the Gods. Xena doubted Apollo wasted any time having himself proclaimed the new King of the Gods. Xena could almost see him seated on Zeus' old throne. The image made her blood boil. She hoped at least some of the gods had the nerve to put up a resistance.

Ares moaned from the floor and Xena hurried to his side. She felt his forehead. How did she know if a god had a fever? He felt warmer than normal, that was all she had to go by. But was that dangerous for a god? Was it something she should worry about the way she did mortals? Xena placed one hand over the cauterized wound and took his hand with her other hand. She concentrated all of her thought on the wound, willing it to heal. After a few beats, she was pretty certain it wasn't doing anything.

Ares eyes fluttered open. He tried to smile. The worry on her face told him that she did love him. At least he would die knowing that he had managed to pierce that armored heart. Ares felt her hand in his and gave it a faint squeeze. Xena's eyes locked with his. "Ares, Ares, help, tell me how to fix this."'

"Shhh, shhh. Halls of War. You and the baby," it was all he could do to breathe it out. His chest rose with a deep inhale so that he could give her one dying promise, "safe there," he said before exhaling and fading into darkness.

"No, no, no, no, Ares! Ares wake up, get up, dammit," Xena cried.

Behind her a crack sounded with the opening of the aether. "Hahahah, perfect! Found you both," Apollo called as he emerged in golden shards of light.

"You son of- - -"

"Guess you were destined to end up together, after all. In death!" Apollo pulled his bow and moved to ready an arrow. Xena saw lightning racing up the shaft. She knew if it hit her it'd kill her and the baby. Xena squeezed Ares' hand and held it tight. Halls of War, she thought and in a flash they appeared in the Main Hall of the Halls of War.

Gabrielle cried in shock, "Xena!" Then ran to her best friend's side. Aphrodite came running in from one of the corridors that connected with the Main Hall. When she saw Xena with Ares' body she did a full stop.

"Aphrodite," Xena begged, "help me, how do I fix this?"

"How did you? How did he travel through the aether like that?" Aphrodite asked.

"He didn't. I did."

"What?" Aphrodite and Gabrielle asked at the same time.

"No time to explain. How do I give it up? This power inside me? Can I save him, like he did Eve and Gabrielle?"

"You can, but it has to be done right at the moment of death," Aphrodite answered.

"I'm too late then," Xena said and closed her eyes to fight the tears.

As Ares lay on the floor beneath Xena, he could feel her despair but he could also feel the awesome radiant energy rolling off of her. Xena was a goddess. She'd drunk from the ichor of his own blood, imbuing herself and the child she carried within with immortality. His legacy would live on through his child, their child. His only sorrow was that he wouldn't be there to guide the child, to love the child.

"Help me, Aphrodite, I've got to do something," Xena cried out.

Panic tore at Ares' gut. He didn't want her to give up her goddesshood to save him. He'd rather die knowing that she had some protection from the gods than to live knowing that she might be taken away at any moment.

Aphrodite was next to him now. Ares could feel her hands spreading out over his chest. "Xena, he's in there. It's not too late. But he's fading. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"He'd do the same for me. He already has, I just didn't comprehend what he was giving up. Not really. Guide me, Aphrodite."

Aphrodite took Xena's hand and placed it on the crown of Ares' head. "This is where the soul will leave the body. Put your hand on his solar plexus, you should still feel the soul rooted there. When you feel it snap, you push hard against the crown of his head with everything you have, down to your own soul."

"But the baby," Xena cried.

"You're pregnant? Does he know?"

"Yes."

"Pregnant?" Ares heard Gabrielle ask. Take that, Blondie, Ares thought, but then let the old animosity fall away, he was actually glad Xena would have the bard by her side. No one else loved Xena as much as he did, no one except Gabrielle. He knew she would put her life on the line to protect mother and child.

"Xena, there is another option," Aphrodite said almost so quietly that Xena didn't hear her.

Xena looked at the goddess whose normally golden complexion had gone instantly pale.

"Well, what is it Aphrodite?"

Aphrodite shook her head. "It's dark magic, ancient magic, Xena. It's forbidden."

"I don't give a rats ass about Olympus' rules, Aphrodite. If I can save him."

"Fetal blood,"

Noooooooo! Ares screamed but he was trapped inside his dying body. His energy hanging on by a mere thread. He wondered which Fate would get the honor of cutting out his existence.

"You mean sacrifice the baby?" Xena asked more calmly than Ares liked.

"Xena," Gabrielle gasped. "You can't seriously be considering this."

Ares couldn't hear her answer, he willed himself to die. Anything to stop her before she did something monstrous that she'd never be able to live with, especially for eternity. But he didn't die. He just lingered there.

"We can have other children," Xena said desperately and through great sobs as she considered the impossible decision

Gaia, please don't let her do this? Ares prayed to the Mother Earth deity that had provided the womb for his Titan forefathers. He didn't know what else to do. Our child, change her course. Stay her hand. This babe is worth a thousand of my lives. Let her see that.

Gaia stirred from her long slumber. It had been millenia since one of her descendants had invoked her name in prayer. Who could be so desperate? Gaia moved through the aether to the source of the anguished heart. She saw him on the stone floor, she saw the dark haired woman distraught and thinking wild reckless thoughts. He was one of Zeus's boys, Gaia recalled. Ares if she was right. The God of War. Had he overcome his nature and learned love? Apparently he had. And what's more he loved the babe within her even more than his own immortal existence. The realization pulled at Gaia's heart. Uranus had hated the children she'd borne him. To see a god who loved not only the woman that he'd seeded but who loved the very seed itself led Gaia to do something she hadn't done since the dawn of time. She interfered.

As she emerged from the aether, Gaia took the form of a human woman cloaked in a moss covered dress. Ivy snaked through her honey brown hair that ran the length of her back. Her green eyes glowed like light burning through an emerald.

Xena, afraid that she was some banshee sent by Apollo to finish off Ares, moved to put herself between Ares and the goddess. With a single outstretched hand, Gaia trapped Xena in her spot with a tangle of vines that enveloped her feet and then grew up her legs, effectively imprisoning her.

Aphrodite went down onto her knees in a supplicant's position. She'd never seen such raw power. Not even Zeus at his most potent compared to the ancient magic pouring from Mother Earth.

Gabrielle, a mere mortal, had not been able to withstand the brilliance of the goddess and had fainted the second she'd emerged from the void.

"If you touch him," Xena barked out idle threats and struggled against the vines which held her steadfast and continued to race their way up her body. With one hand free she managed to conjure up a firebolt and she wasn't sure at all how she did it but it was there in her hand and she had to do something. She threw the bolt at the goddess. The goddess turned, opened her mouth and swallowed it whole. She pinned Xena with those glowing green eyes which flared orange as she consumed the fire. "He loves you. Beyond measure. He loves the child. Never doubt it. You're lucky to have such a husband."

Xena couldn't move her head but she cast her eyes downward. "He isn't mine."

"What?" Gaia asked. Did he belong to another goddess?

"He's married to another," Xena whispered

"You're his whore?" Gaia stopped moving toward Ares and came to take a closer look at Xena. When she got within a few feet, she recoiled slightly. "Recently mortal. I smell it on you. Did you bewtich this god? Sorcery? Trickery?"

"No."

"Do you love him?"

'Yes."

Gaia reached out with her hands which became tree branches. With twig fingers she reached in between the vines that wrapped around Xena and felt Xena's abdomen. She smiled. "It matters not that you are his whore. The child was sparked in marital love even if nuptials have not been exchanged."

"Who are you?" Xena asked. "You're not any of the gods I've encountered before."

With her left hand still on Xena's abdomen, Gaia stretched her left arm out to Ares. Xena watched in horror as limbs pierced the soft flesh of his abdomen. Viscous reddish brown liquid rolled out from beneath him.

"You're killing him," Xena cried and tried to summon enough energy to transport herself out of the vines.

The liquid continued to spread out on the ground until it rose up into two waves on either side of Ares. It washed over him and began cocooning him. Once he was completely covered, the goo began to harden until he looked like a fossil preserved in amber.

Gaia began speaking words in a language unfamiliar to Xena's ears. Xena looked to Aphrodite for any context but the goddess continued bowing obediently.

The amber cocoon glowed with a golden aura and rays of light burst out of it careening off the stone walls. Xena relaxed as she started to believe that the goddess was truly here to help Ares rather than hurt him. When she let go of the tension, the vines that held her began to shrink away. Xena ran to the cocooned Ares. His beautiful face was contorted from the encasement. He looked dead. But Xena put her head just above his solar plexus as Aphrodite had shown her. He was still there. And to her heart's delight, he was growing stronger. Xena could feel the very fibers of his being growing together.

"That's it. Ares. Come back to me."

Gaia studied Xena closely. Clearly the woman loved him as much as he loved her. The child had been bred in true love. Some great tragedy must have befallen them to have kept them apart. Had mortality been the issue? If so, it was no longer an obstacle. The woman now radiated the same god energy as Ares. It was as if they were one of the same godhood. She wasn't sure what kind of game they had been playing. If Ares had wanted to make his whore immortal, why hadn't he just given her ambrosia? Why had he fed her from his own energy? It was dangerous. But then again, Zeus's line had never been one for playing things safe.

Gaia turned to Aphrodite. "Rise goddess."

Aphrodite did as instructed but dared not speak.

"Who is his bride?" Gaia asked.

"Gunnr, my goddess," Aphrodite had never seen such an ancient deity made flesh. She didn't know the proper way to address her.

"Gunnr?" The name didn't exactly roll off of Gaia's tongue naturally.

"She's from the pantheon of Northern gods."

"I see. Is she true of heart?"

"It isn't a marriage of love if that's what you're asking. He only loves one. Has only ever loved one. He's taken many to bed but his true heart is there."

"I believe you. Bring me the Fates," Gaia ordered.

"Now?"

"Yes."

Aphrodite vanished causing Xena to turn as the light bounced off the wall.

"She'll return shortly. You should rest," Gaia said as she withdrew all of her limbs and she resembled something close to a human woman again.

"Thank you," Xena answered. "Thank you for all that you've done. But I can't leave him. Not until I know he's gonna be okay."

"He prayed to me with his dying breath that I stop you from harming the child. Would you have done it? Killed the only thing you had left of him just for a chance to be with him again?"

"I was desperate."

"Yes. it's forbidden magic what you were going to do. The Olympians would have banished you to Tartarus. Or worse."

"Well, what about deicide? It was Apollo who did this to him." Xena spat.

"Ahh, I was wondering how you got into this predicament."

The hall lit up in a rainbow of light as Aphrodite returned with the Fates.

"Ladies," Gaia greeted. They bowed to the ancient one in turn. "His thread?" She asked.

"In tact, Mother Earth" the maiden answered. "Growing strong, Ancient Wife" the mother added. "Stronger than before, Wise One" the Crone answered.

"Good," Gaia said and then continued. "Now, there is the matter of his marriage to this Northwoman."

"Yes, Gunnr," the maiden said. "Alliance," the mother called. "Doomed," the Crone prophesied.

"Sever it." Gaia ordered.

The Maiden pulled out two entwined threads and began working them through her fingers toward the Mother who took them and began unwinding them when they at last reached the Crone the threads were completely separated. "Undone," the Crone answered.

"Very well," Gaia nodded then turned back to Ares and Xena. "Move away," she called to Xena.

Xena brushed her hand along the cocoon checking his strength which had continued to grow. Xena trusted Gaia completely now and did as instructed.

"Come here, Xena" Aphrodite reached out her hand to a woman she considered a friend more than most. Xena joined the other goddess and took her hand. They each watched as Gaia extended her limb arms again this time wrapping her gnarled wooden fingers around the cocoon. With great effort she squeezed the cocoon until it cracked like a walnut, the pieces shattering all over the floor. Ares coughed and gasped for air as he reached for Xena. Xena ran to him. They fell into each other's arms.

"I'm sorry, so sorry," she apologized for siphoning off his godhood. "I could've killed you."

"I thought I was a goner anyway, thanks to my brother. Look at me. If I couldn't have it, I'd want you to have it. You know that right. You're the other part of me," Ares rubbed her cheek as he talked and then finished by kissing her.

Xena kissed him back but had to keep breaking the kiss to slap away her tears. "I love you."

"And I you." Ares hugged her tighter and saw Gaia standing behind Xena. He broke the hug and bowed his head to Mother Earth. "How can I ever repay you for intervening?"

"Love her. Honor her. Honor the child. Let it know your love. Be a true Father, not like the one your father had or his father's father."

"Or my own for that matter."

"Let that cycle of hate and violence end with you. Treat her with respect, not scorn as Zeus did Hera.."

"I will, you have my promise."

"I've freed you of your previous entanglement. You are a free man."

"No, I haven't been free since the moment she came into my world," Ares looked back at Xena.

"Nor I," Xena admitted freely to whom her heart belonged.

"Well, Xena. The Fates are here. We couldn't ask for a better witness than the mother of all gods" he indicated that he meant Gaia, "Will you do me the honor?"

Xena smiled and her heart smiled with her. "Yes, yes. Let's do it."

Ares stood and then offered her a hand.

"Bout time," Aphrodite chimed in. "Somebody should wake Gabby."

"Let me turn down my resonance, I needed my power in full force to save him," Gaia said and her form returned to a completely innocuous human .

Xena nudged Gabrielle awake. "Xena, the baby," Gabrielle started.

"It's okay Gabrielle. Ares is okay too. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Gabrielle looked around the room which was much fuller than when she had blacked out. She looked at Ares. "I'm glad you're not dead."

"You might not be me when you hear what we are about to do," Ares winked at her, he was already feeling well enough to joke with Gabrielle.

"Xena what's he talking about?"

"Gabrielle, will you be my maid of honor?"

Gabrielle fainted again.