The next morning, Xena was up with the sun. After waiting for Gabrielle longer than she thought she should, she nudged Gabrielle's shoulder with the toe of her boot. "Hey! Are you going to sleep all day? How about some breakfast?"

Gabrielle blinked open her eyes. "You have to eat right now? You can't even wait until I get my eyes open?"

"Your eyes should have been open when the sun came up. I thought you had a lot of thinking to do. Not that it's doing us any good." Xena added sarcastically.

"You want breakfast? Fine! Here's breakfast!" And with a wave of her hand, Gabrielle caused several large fish to come flying out of the lake and slap up against Xena's face and chest.

"Fish? Is that all you can manage? I could do better than that by myself!"

With another wave of Gabrielle's hand, Xena was pelted with the bloody carcasses of a half dozen rabbits, covering Xena with blood and entrails.

"Is that the best you can do?" Xena yelled at her. "I thought you were a god? You're nothing but a joke!"

"Then laugh THIS off!" Gabrielle yelled back as she threw out one hand at Xena, and a black cloud drove her to the edge of the lake, where it was especially muddy.

Xena jumped up from the mud, hollering as she did, "So now you want to throw your powers around! Well just remember, I've been taking care of gods WAY before you ever thought about being one."

Gabrielle threw out a ball of fire toward Xena, yelling back, "Take care of this!"

Xena leapt and rolled to the side, avoiding the flaming orb. She rolled twice more and came up with her chakram in hand. And without missing a beat sailed it at Gabrielle. Gabrielle hurled a fireball at the chakram, but when it hit, the chakram split into two, each circling away and then back at Gabrielle.

Gabrielle sent a fireball to one half of the chakram, knocking it off course and into the ground. She then sent a second one at Xena.

Just as the second half of the chakram was about to hit Gabrielle on her blind side, and just before the fireball was about to blast into Xena's face, Ares appeared, and with twin blue energy orbs of his own deflected away both the half-chakram and the ball of fire. And before either Gabrielle or Xena could react, he hit them both with two more spheres, but with only enough energy to knock both women off their feet.

"Don't move! Either one of you! I've got plenty more where those came from!"

"Ares!" Xena and Gabrielle yelled together.

"What in Hades do you think you're doing?"

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Have * I * lost * MY * mind? Look at you two. Just look at what you're doing! You're giving Dahok exactly what he wants! You're both trying to KILL each other!"

As they slowly got to their feet, Xena and Gabrielle suspiciously eyed the other. "What are you talking about?" Gabrielle asked.

"Can't you see what's happening? This evil energy Dahok has been spreading around is starting to affect both of you. Xena, you said had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. And even though you said Gabrielle didn't feel it, I knew she had to. Well, now you know what it is. Dahok has been spreading his evil presence slowly and relentlessly. And it has affected everyone! My followers are fighting among themselves, and even I can't control them. Poor Aphrodite is beside herself. Every couple she's made fall in love is fighting."

"So why haven't YOU TWO been affected?" Xena asked him.

"Because we've been smart. Aphrodite and I have been watching things from Mt. Olympus where this evil energy can't get to us, or just hasn't gotten there yet."

"A likely story. I think you've sided with Dahok and you're just trying to recruit one of us." Gabrielle said.

"If that's what I wanted to do, then why didn't I just let one of you be killed and take the other?"

Neither woman spoke, not knowing what to believe.

"I think the best thing right now is for both of you to come back to Mt. Olympus with me until you are back to normal, and then we can figure out some kind of battle plan."

Gabrielle laughed a mean, humorless laugh. "Oh, yes, you'd like that, wouldn't you? Then you and Dahok would have us exactly where you'd want us. Not ME. I'm not going anywhere."

Ares looked at Xena. "Are you coming, then?"

"I don't think so. I like my chances better here than up on your dungeon mountain."

"Stubborn, stubborn, STUPID women! Dahok knows you two are the only ones who can defeat him, and you're following his plan right to the end. You'll kill each other, or one of you will die, and he wins. But you're both too stupid to see it!"

"I'm staying here." Gabrielle stated.

"Me, too." Xena added.

"Great! Then if you two are staying here, then I'M going to have to stay just to keep you two apart. So -- a few rules. NO ONE talks to the other! NO ONE looks at the other! And NO FIGHTING!"

Xena and Gabrielle gave each other and then Ares a dirty look, then walked in separate directions. Xena went to see about Argo, and Gabrielle did the same for Milkspot.

The rest of the day Ares made sure he was always between them, just in case. As the sun began to set, Ares managed to talk them into at least sharing the campfire, even though Xena was the only one who needed its warmth, or ate anything.

"You keep her away from me!" Xena warned Ares as she lay down on her bedroll for the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Gabrielle and Milkspot were riding along the narrow trail of the forest they were traveling through, Gabrielle noticed that Xena wasn't with her. "Did she say she was going on ahead? Or is she going to catch up later?" She thought to herself. "I wish I could remember."

As Gabrielle rode on, once in a while she'd call ahead, then behind, but there was no answer from Xena. After perhaps half a day's riding, the trail widened into a clearing. Across from the clearing was the opening of a cave. "I wonder if Xena went inside." Gabrielle thought. "She must have let Argo run loose while she's browsing."

Dismounting from Milkspot, Gabrielle walked to the entrance of the cave. As she stepped inside, she saw that there was enough light coming in for her to see a good ways down the passageway. Slowly she made her way deeper into the cave. Eventually she came to a large room with passages leading off in several directions. As she crossed the room, she thought she heard a noise behind her. "Xena! Is that you!" she asked, a little too loud. Then there was another noise to the right of her. "Xena?"

"Gabrielle! Over here!"

Gabrielle waved her hand and the ceiling of the cave began to glow, lighting up the large room. And off to one side, was Xena. As she got to her, Gabrielle saw that she was trapped in the wall of the cave, with only her hands and head showing."

Without a word, Gabrielle started running her hands down both sides of where Xena's body should be. As she did, the rock began to fall away gradually freeing her. But before Gabrielle had completely released her, Xena yelled for Gabrielle to look behind her.

Gabrielle spun around to see the large slab of boulder that was the altar rising to the top of the cave, and out of the floor of the cave came the Fire that was Dahok, twisting and dancing, smelling of sulphur and death. And charging toward them.

Gabrielle immediately thrust her hands out in front of her, and the black repelling column of energy was driven into the inferno. At first the fires of Dahok were driven back, but with resurging strength, the energy of Gabrielle's was forced back, closer and closer to her.

When it looked as if she might be slowing down the advance, a finger of flame snaked its way around the pillar of blackness and just before it reached her, there was a blue flash, and then an orb of blue devoured the flame.

Ares turned his attention to Xena and finished freeing her from the rock wall. Then tossing her the chakram he commanded. "Watch her back! Watch those flames!"

Ares then added his balls of blue fire to Gabrielle's black column, coming out so fast to almost be a solid blue stream of energy. Slowly the firestorm of Dahok was being pushed backward. And as the fingers of flame tried to flank and ambush Gabrielle, Xena used her chakram to cut into and dissolve them.

For a long, agonizing time the battle of wills continued. But the longer it lasted, the weaker all became. The fire of Dahok was not as energetic or as large. Ares was only sending individual balls from each hand. And Gabrielle's black column was fading into gray. When the flaming fingers stopped coming, Xena tried throwing her chakram through the conflagration. But if it made a difference, she couldn't tell, but she had to be doing something.

As Dahok was gradually forced back the toll was beginning to tell. Gabrielle was soaked with sweat from both the heat of the flames and from the exertion. At one point she fell to her knees. As she did, her aim momentarily was off, and Dahok pushed forward. Xena's arms encircled Gabrielle, holding her arms and steadying them, and Dahok was forced back again.

Then Ares had no more to give. His strength and will were gone. Only Gabrielle, supported by Xena continued to fight. And as the last of her strength and energy was spent, Dahok's last flicker was crushed by the falling boulder that was the altar. But as it crashed to the floor of the cave, the ceiling began to collapse and rocks and boulders began to rain down on them.

With the last bit of energy he could find, Ares put both arms around the women and transported them back to the lake.

All three collapsed to the ground. But as she held Gabrielle's limp and seemingly lifeless body, Xena began to shake her, calling for her to wake up. But Gabrielle's lips and fingernails had turned blue. Her skin was a deathly white. Her eyes were open but saw nothing.

"ARES!" Xena yelled at him. "ARES! You've got to get up. You've got to bring Gabrielle back to life."

Ares slowly moved to look at Gabrielle. "I don't know if I can do anything. It took all I had just to get us out of the cave."

"Don't tell me THAT! You're a god. You can do anything! Save her. You did it before. You can do it again!"

"Xena, I'm trying to tell you -- "

"Anything!" Xena cried in desperation. "I'll do anything you want. Just save her life and it's yours."

"Xena, you don't understand -- "

"A Child. You want a child, I'll give you a child. Just save Gabrielle."

"You say that now, but -- "

"My word is good. You save Gabrielle and I'll have your son, and you can take him to Mt. Olympus. No questions asked."

For a few moments Ares looked into Xena's eyes. Then he turned to Gabrielle and laid his hand on her forehead. There was a weak blue glow, and then he stopped.

"What are you doing?" Xena asked frantically. "Why did you stop? What's the matter?"

"Gabrielle doesn't need me. She's not dead. Not entirely. There's still a spark of life. But it's not my magic she needs, it's yours."

"My magic? I can't do magic. I'm not a god."

"Xena, the magic between you and Gabrielle is stronger than any magic any god could possess. It took both of you to defeat Dahok. Now Gabrielle needs you to take care of her, let her know you're here. There's nothing I can do. It's up to you now, and her. But I think I need to get back to Mt. Olympus. I have some recuperating to do myself."

"Ares, before you go - you could have told me you saved her and held me to my promise. Why didn't you?"

Ares tried to meet Xena's eyes, but couldn't. After a few seconds, shrugged his shoulders and answered, "I don't know why. I guess I figured somehow you'd know I was lying. Look, I really have to go."

"Just one more thing. What happened? How did I get into the cave and trapped in the wall? How did Gabrielle find me? How did you find us?"

"Dahok has some really sneaky powers. Once he stopped concentrating on spreading his ill will and focused on you and Gabrielle he was able to get you into the cave without me or Gabrielle knowing about it. I don't know how Gabrielle found you, I guess by concentrating on Dahok's energy. The same way I did. Now, if there are no more questions . . . ."

"No more questions. Say hello to Aphrodite. And thank you." Seconds later Xena and Gabrielle were alone.

Xena picked up Gabrielle and carried her to the edge of the lake, where a shallow pool was. She stripped the sweaty, dirty clothes from her and gently washed her, taking care not to get soap in her eyes as she shampooed her hair.

After Gabrielle was clean and dry, Xena wrapped her in a blanket and laid her by the campfire. She then washed herself, and then her and Gabrielle's clothes and laid them on a rock to dry.

"Looks like I'll be hunting and fishing for food again." She said to herself.

For the next four days her routine was the same. At daybreak she would fix herself breakfast. And when it was warm enough she'd take Gabrielle back to the pool to bathe her, dress her and lay her by the fire. Then she'd feed and groom Argo and Milkspot, who had returned the second day.

After every meal, she would make a broth to feed to Gabrielle, who would drink whenever it was poured into her mouth. Xena made sure to give her water several times a day. By the third day, Gabrielle's color had returned, her nails and lips were back to pink and her skin was no longer pale.

When she wasn't otherwise busy, she would hold Gabrielle like a small child, talking to her, recalling all the good times they'd had together, and telling her about all the good times yet to come.

The fourth afternoon Gabrielle's eyes opened and she tried to speak. Xena lifted her up to sit and gave her water. After coughing a little Gabrielle croaked, "Dahok? Is he...?"

"Shhh. Don't try to talk. Dahok is gone. You did it. You defeated him. Everything is fine."

"So...tired...why...so...tired?"

"You almost died, Gabrielle. It took almost everything out of you. But you're getting better every day. You just need to rest. Go back to sleep. I'm here. You're going to be all right."

Xena laid Gabrielle back down and she immediately fell back to sleep.

Two days later she woke up again. Xena fed her more broth and she ate a little bread and cheese. After eating she insisted that Xena help her to relieve herself, and then fell back asleep for another two days.

Xena had just fried up several fish when she heard someone say, "That smells delicious. I could go for a little something to eat."

"Gabrielle! Well, it's about time. Are you sure you're up to eating?"

"Xena I am famished. I can't remember the last time I was so hungry."

Overjoyed at Gabrielle's recovery, Xena assured her she could eat all she wanted; the lake was full of fish.

As Gabrielle ate, Xena told her about Ares' explanation of how Dahok had gotten her into the cave, and how Gabrielle must have found her, and how Ares found both of them. How he saved them from the cave-in. And how Xena had taken care of her as she recovered.

"I didn't realize you could cook so good." Gabrielle joked as she looked at the pile of fish bones she had left. But as she continued to look at the bones, and then to stare at them, Xena saw a cloud of concern come over her features. Then the concern changed to alarm.

"Xena, why did I eat this? Why was I so hungry? I'm not supposed to get hungry, or thirsty. What's going on here?"

"Gabrielle, you almost died. You told me yourself you had to sleep to renew your energy. Maybe this is the same thing. You need food and water to - to come back from the dead."

"No. No, Xena. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."

Gabrielle closed her eyes in concentration. Harder and harder she concentrated, the strain showing on her face. When she opened her eyes they were filling with tears.

"My powers are gone. There's nothing there. XENA! My Powers Are Gone!"

"Maybe not. Maybe you just need more rest. Maybe . . . are you sure?"

Gabrielle put her hand out, palm up. "See, no fire. It's not even warm. The first thing I learned to do. Nothing. NOTHING!"

By now tears were pouring down Gabrielle's cheeks.

"I've lost them. I'm not a god anymore. Oh Xena. . . ."

Xena was there, cradling her as she had done for so many days.

"I can't believe they're really gone," Gabrielle said between the sobs. "There was so much I wanted to do. So many people needing my help. Now, I'm so useless."

Hearing that, Xena got angry and pushed Gabrielle out of her arms. "Useless? How can you say that? Look at everything you've done. You saved the world from Dahok! Doesn't that count for anything?"

"You don't understand . . . ."

"You're right, I don't understand. You've done more good in this world this past year than I could have ever hoped to do in my entire life. You've cured diseases, you've saved soldiers lives from wounds they should have died from, you gave hope to those who had none. How can you say you're useless."

"So what do I do now? What do I tell all those people who still need me?"

Before Xena could answer, Gabrielle started crying again, and again wrapped herself in Xena's arms.

Laying her cheek on the top of Gabrielle's head, Xena softly said, "You'll think of something."