The trio lighted makeshift torches and entered the cave. They moved carefully, watching every direction.
"I hope our weapons are enough to take care of that thing," said Damian.
"This is not a good time for second guessing," replied Xena. "Trust that we're ready."
"I'm doing my best."
During the search, Xena tried concentrating on her task, but the memories of Lyros kept distracting her. Her men loose upon the village, Chloe's begging and the screams…
"Can you hear that?" asked Gabrielle, looking around. Damian narrowed his eyes.
"Is this… a battle?"
Xena soon realized that the haunting noises were not in her head but echoing in the cave. The screams, the war cries were all too familiar.
"Please!"
The echoing voice gave her the creeps. Xena stopped and kept turning around with her torch.
"I beg of you, stop them."
"Mother?" Damian blinked in disbelief.
"We give you anything you want, just stop this slaughter!"
Gabrielle turned to Xena, horrified, and saw her friend zoning out with wide eyes. She then looked at Damian: he gripped his sword so hard his hand was shaking, and snarled at Xena.
"Xena!" She did her best to ignore the noise. "Xena!" Gabrielle shook the woman's shoulder, which caught her attention. "It's… that thing does that?"
Xena slowly regained focus.
"Most likely. It tries to unnerve us."
"Well…" They saw Damian watching Xena with burning hatred. "I'd really enjoy gouging out your eyes right now."
"I'm sure the monster would enjoy that too. But we have to work together, remember?"
Damian took a deep breath and gave a quick nod. The noises of screams and clashing weapons slowly faded.
"Whatever happens, we must stay focused," said Xena. "Don't let it scare you with––"
Gabrielle suddenly screamed and dropped her torch. Xena and Damian immediately turned to her, ready to fight.
"Something touched me!" she said while shaking herself in panic.
"Gabrielle, calm down!" Xena stepped closer and pointed to the ground. "It was just a bug."
They looked at the fleeing insect, and Gabrielle let out a nervous chuckle.
"Oh… that's embarrassing."
"It's okay," said Damian. "When I was eight, a butterfly flew in my hair and I screamed like a girl."
"Really?" giggled Gabrielle. "That's––"
"So, you came, Gabrielle," said a voice in the dark. "I haven't forgotten about you."
A silhouette of a human stood farther in the cave, leaning against the wall. Gabrielle shivered, immediately recognizing Velasca's voice.
"You're behind all this?" she asked with surprised. "It can't be!"
"Did you really think a few mortals can imprison a goddess with such a cheap trick? Defying me is hopeless!"
"Nice try." Xena stepped closer. "But we won't buy this charade. You're not Velasca."
"Are you sure?"
Xena took her chakram and threw at the figure in the shadows. They heard the weapon bouncing back from the rocks, and the image of Velasca spread her arms before disappearing with a chuckle.
"Is that the best you can do?" Damian raised his voice. "Why don't you just show yourself and let us get over with this? Are you afraid?" He paused and when nothing happened, continued. "We are not helpless villagers whom you can torment for your amusement. Your tricks won't work on us!"
He shook his head when only silence followed. The path slightly descended and as they continued on, they reached a junction. The trio tried to determine which way to go when they heard a woman's voice from the right side.
"Damian!"
They turned around. Someone was coming from behind, and the voice was Chloe's.
"Damian, you have to come back! That monster slaughters the village! It lured you here to distract you!"
"Mother?" asked the man with a confused grimace.
"It's not her," said Xena. "No way could she have found us so quickly."
Damian hesitated and slowly continued on, but couldn't help looking behind.
"What are you doing? Don't you want to help us?"
"Are you sure it's not my mother?" he whispered to Xena. "I mean… it's not impossible."
"It's not her," she replied with conviction. "That thing seems to know our fears and tries using them against us. We must not split up."
Damian had hard time ignoring his mother, but eventually Chloe's voice stopped. At a new junction, they turned right and while they moved forward, the creature tested their nerves. Gabrielle heard her sister's screams and almost rushed toward the noise; for Xena, it mimicked Lao Ma, but the woman was unfazed at this point. Voices of the victims of both Damian and Xena taunted them and they heard various terrifying noises, but whenever one of them began failing, the other two gave them strength.
The long silence that came afterwards proved to be the most unsettling. Long minutes passed and the creature not once tried to scare or split them up.
"Maybe it gave up," guessed Damian and nervously chuckled. "Those scares were cheap anyway."
"Yeah," agreed Gabrielle. "I expected something better."
"Still, best be on our guard," said Xena.
In front of them, they could see dim brightness: they entered a bigger room where beams of light were shining through the holes in the ceiling. It was lucky because the first set of torches almost burned down.
"This seems to be the end of the line," said Damian and looked around. "I can't see any more passage to go on. Is it possible we took a wrong turn?"
"I don't think so." Xena shook her head and raised her voice. "The game's over! Time to show up and fight!"
They searched around, but they couldn't see anyone.
"Stop wasting our time!" yelled Damian. "We have a trial to prepare!"
There was still no response, which was growing more and more confusing. They spread out a little, looking for any sign of the monster.
"Show your face!" muttered Damian, baring his teeth. "Stop hiding, you co––"
Something flashed in the dark and headed straight for Damian. Xena moved toward him, but the young man caught it by reflex. As he looked at the object, it was Xena's chakram he held. Damian turned to the woman and noticed her own chakram was still on her side.
"What the…?"
A figure stepped forward from the shadows. Its shoulder guards were like claws resting on its shoulder and the stripes of the skirt were a golden color. They saw Xena in her old outfit with a fiendish smile.
"You look surprised. You wanted me to show my face. This is the closest thing."
Xena shook her head in disbelief and took a step back. Damian was the first who overcame his surprise.
"Your face will soon become a bloody pulp." He raised his sword. "Whatever you plan was with Lyros, it ends now!"
"Oh?" The creature in Xena's form grinned. "My plan worked perfectly. Your village's only hope was that you will come and save them. Imagine their despair if they lose their precious hero. I did not expect that you'll have company but it will make no difference."
"Why are you doing this?" asked Gabrielle, horrified.
"What does it matter?" The doppelganger drew her sword. "You'll be dead soon enough."
"Stay back, Gabrielle!" said Xena, and walked closer with Damian, barring the way to their friend. The evil-Xena smiled and swung its blade at them.
Despite their advantage, however, the doppelganger held her own against them. Xena parried an attack and kicked her counterpart back, though it caused a sharp pain in her wounded leg. When Damian moved to strike, his opponent blocked and kicked him similarly. As Xena countered another assault, Damian stabbed toward the doppelganger's face, slashing through it. She tried retaliating with a cry, but Xena caught her counterpart's wrist and pushed her own sword in its stomach. To her surprise, the weapon bounced back. The doppelganger punched her, and Xena tasted blood in her mouth.
"What in tarnation?" blinked Damian in disbelief. The evil-Xena grinned, revealing that her face was also uninjured.
"Do you understand now? You can't win!"
Gabrielle watched in distress as the hopeless fight continued. By now, the monster cared very little about defense and switched to a wild offensive. The cuts and bruises were growing on the duo.
"This isn't gonna work," said Xena.
"Thanks for the obvious," muttered Damian. "Just keep––"
The doppelganger knocked him down and turned her full attention to Xena. Due to the apparent invulnerability, Xena's first plan was to disarm her counterpart. After a short and fierce fight, the doppelganger grabbed her blade, but Xena succeeded in kicking the weapon from its other hand and grasped the creature's throat. For a moment, she thought she gained an advantage, but suddenly she felt pain in her side. Her eyes widened and as she lowered her gaze, she saw a breast dagger in her counterpart's hand, identical to the one she confiscated from Gabrielle long ago.
"Nighty night!" The doppelganger smiled.
"Xena!" yelled Gabrielle, when her friend collapsed and rushed to her.
"Gabrielle, don't!" shouted Damian, and crawled to his feet.
Xena lay on the ground, pushing her hand on the bleeding wound while helplessly watching as Gabrielle charging at the creature and savagely assaults it. She hit the dagger out of its hand, but eventually, the doppelganger tore the staff from her grip and knocked her down with it.
Damian immediately stepped in front of Gabrielle, forcing the evil-Xena away from her. Gabrielle saw stars from the hit but struggled to shake it off. Now that Damian occupied the doppelganger, she turned her attention to her wounded friend.
"Xena…"
"I've had worse," the woman replied, clenching her teeth.
Gabrielle gave her a worried look, then glanced toward Damian. He already disarmed his opponent, but no matter how fast he was, he could not harm the evil-Xena.
"How can we defeat something like that?" Gabrielle shook her head. "She… it knows our thoughts and able to turn into anything."
"And yet, it didn't destroy the village in weeks." Xena was thinking.
"My plan worked perfectly. Your village's only hope was that you will come and save them. Imagine their despair if they lose their precious hero."
"It doesn't want to kill them," she said. "It wants them to despair. Maybe––"
When they looked at the fight again, the doppelganger just put the pinch on Damian. When Damian fell on his knees, she picked up a sword and turned to Xena and Gabrielle.
"Now, which one of you will follow him next?"
Xena put her hand on her chakram while Gabrielle was looking for her staff. Behind the evil-Xena, she saw Damian undoing the pinch, and as he shook it off, he ran toward them. Turning to Gabrielle, the doppelganger's triumphant smile faded, but before it could react, Damian grabbed the creature's wrist and wrapped his arm around her neck, dragging her away from Xena and Gabrielle. As the evil-Xena struggled to escape, Damian cried out and hurled her with all his strength. The doppelganger spun in the air and smashed against the wall of the cave, her sword falling to the ground with a clank. She reached for it but the young man kicked the weapon away, then landing another kick in the creature's face.
Damian stomped his opponent with savage rage, but she eventually tripped him. During the struggle, the young man put a lightning fast pinch on her, but the evil-Xena just grinned. Damian pushed her arms aside when the doppelganger attempted to return the favor again and headbutted her.
Xena groaned painfully when she tried to adjust herself, looking for an opportunity to help, at least with the chakram. Unfortunately, the battle was too fast and chaotic to avoid hitting Damian.
Gabrielle ripped off a piece of her skirt and put a makeshift bandage on her friend's wound.
"Don't move, Xena! I go and help Damian."
"Too dangerous," Xena hissed.
"But…"
"That fight is out of control. Between that creature and Damian's rage, you can't be of help."
Gabrielle reluctantly turned toward the brawl. Damian fought with murderous frenzy, and although only he received bruises, that did not stop him. When the doppelganger missed a punch, he smashed her head against the wall, dazing her a little. The evil-Xena kicked him back and tried flipping above his head with a war cry, but Damian caught her leg in the air and slammed her to the ground.
"What should we do?" asked Gabrielle. "That… thing is invincible."
Xena was thinking.
"It's wounded," she said finally.
"Really?" Gabrielle felt a hopeful relief and was searching for the wound. "Where?"
Damian pushed the evil-Xena against the wall and, for the first time, she cried out. The young man was in rather awful shape; one of his eyes was swollen and blood covered his face, but was still too fast for his opponent.
"Damian can win," said Xena, and it seemed like her prediction was correct. As she kept watching the fight, Gabrielle noticed the doppelganger missed more and more often.
"Yes, you're right," she said.
"And I think I know why. I'm not sure if it was born from Lyros' misery or just drawn to it, but it feeds on fear."
That surprised Gabrielle.
"How you know?"
"I first got suspicious when I saw the bodies," Xena explained. "The monster didn't eat them, just left them outside for display. It killed those who wanted to leave, so it could keep them here. And this," she pointed toward the evil-Xena who was knocked off her feet by Damian's punch, "it took the form of my fear."
"The old Xena?"
Her friend nodded.
"And our fear made it invincible. That's why it attempted to scare us. But then… Damian's rage overcame his fear, and when I saw he could keep up with it, the monster slowly weakened. I should have figured it out the moment it told us it wanted to crush the villagers' hope by killing Damian. But… better late than never."
Damian ducked from a punch and got behind the evil-Xena, putting it into a choking hold. The doppelganger struggled, but her opponent gripped her tightly.
"We must overcome our fear," said Xena. "It is only a threat if we think it is."
The explanation made sense to Gabrielle. She watched the now bruised doppelganger that slowly became transparent, slipping from the man's grasp. As it fell to the ground, it disappeared in seconds. Damian looked at his arm, confused, then raised his eyes at Gabrielle. The frightening bloodlust gradually disappeared and a weak grin appeared in its place.
"I knew I can beat the Warrior Princess," he said before collapsing. Gabrielle jumped up and rushed to him.
"Damian. Damian!" He was bloodied and bruised, but at least he was still alive.
"You can give up now."
A familiar man's voice spoke, and Gabrielle's eyes widened when she noticed him. It was Ares.
"This struggle is pointless," he continued, and Gabrielle noticed a sword in his hand. "You're tired, injured, and unlike me, you can die. Give up now!"
"You talk too much," said Xena, crawling closer while grasping her wound.
"I clearly underestimated you. I'm willing to let you live, but if you won't leave immediately, I may change my mind."
"You expect us to leave Lyros for you to prey upon? You want us to believe you're invincible. But that fight consumed much of your strength. And there is no fear for you nearby to feast upon… except your own."
"Do you expect fear itself to be scared of you? I nearly killed all of you!" Ares walked closer, but Gabrielle stepped before him.
"If you wish to die, stay where you are!" he spun his sword. "You're no match for the God of War!"
"You are not the God of War," replied Gabrielle. "And you can't harm us."
The apparition of Ares snarled and swung his sword to strike her down, but Gabrielle caught his wrist and stood his gaze. The creature bared his teeth, but he was unable to escape from the grip until he turned transparent again.
"This village is mine!" he said, and leaned on his knees. "You worms can't deny me!"
He swung his sword feebly at her, and Gabrielle forced herself to stay calm and do nothing. The weapon went through her harmlessly.
"See? You lost your power. You can no longer harm anyone."
The monster fell on his knees and could no longer maintain the pretense of confidence.
"You… are trembling bags of flesh and bone!" he spat with a fading voice. "I am fear itself! It cannot end… like this!"
The creature disappeared. Gabrielle listened if there was still any sign of it but she could only hear Xena's breathing.
"Do you think it's gone?" she asked while kneeling down to Damian, helping him to sit up.
"I believe so," answered Xena. "But it's best to tell the villagers what we learned, just to be sure."
"I'm glad if we'll even be able to leave this cursed cave," hissed Damian in pain. "I feel like I was ran over by a chariot."
"How is your wound?" turned Gabrielle to Xena.
"Not lethal," she replied through her teeth. "I'll live."
Gabrielle helped Damian to his feet and supported him as they went toward the surface. Xena was able to walk with a staff, and her aching injury was the least of her concern. Now that the monster has been defeated, she had to face something much worse.