Avenging Eve
by Xena
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. I did make up a few, but the majority belong to Renaissance Pictures, USA Studios, and the creators of Xena Warrior Princess. This is the tenth installment of the Fate series.
Subtext: No
Violence: Yes, a little
Sex:
Series: This is the tenth installment in the Fate series. It immediately follows The Heat of Battle.
~*~
"Looks like we're going back out on the road." Xena said as she read the scroll that was just delivered to them. Gabrielle Ares walked over to Xena.
"Why?" he asked.
"It's Alti." Xena said. Gabrielle stood up fast.
"Alti? Xena, I thought we trapped her soul." Gabrielle said.
"We did, but somehow she was reincarnated into the body of an assassin. He's more dangerous than ever." Xena said.
"Who is it?" Ares asked.
"It's Jett." Xena declared.
"Joxer's brother?" Gabrielle asked. "Oh gods."
"The only way to kill Alti's spirit is to kill Jett." Xena said.
"What's going on?" asked Joxer as he walked into the house carrying three-month-old Emma.
"Alti's back." Gabrielle said.
"Alti? That shamaness?" Joxer asked.
"That's her." Xena said.
"I though you said . . ." Joxer started.
"She's been reincarnated, Joxer." Ares said.
"As who?" Joxer asked. Ares took Emma out of Joxer's arms.
"Jett." Ares said.
"What? That's . . ." Joxer stammered. "We have to help him. He may be in prison . . ."
"He escaped a few years ago." Ares said. "He's out slaughtering innocents now."
"How do we get rid of Alti?" Joxer asked. Everyone was quiet. Joxer looked at Xena. "Xena?"
"We have to kill Jett." She stated. Joxer sat down in a chair. He thought for a few minutes.
"How?" he asked.
"Poison." Gabrielle said. Xena looked at Gabrielle.
"That's right." Xena said. "Poison. Joxer, you have to do it. You're the only one that Jett will let near him a little. I know that. Especially with Alti inside of him. You have to poison him Joxer."
"I can't poison my own brother!" Joxer exclaimed. "He may be and assassin, but he's my blood. My brother."
"I'm sorry Joxer. It's what's best for your brother." Xena said. Joxer thought for a few minutes.
"When do we have to do this?" he asked.
"As soon as possible." Xena said. She gave him a vile of poison that would insure quick, painless death."
"I'll take him." Ares said. He handed Emma to Gabrielle. Xena nodded. Joxer stared at the vile in his hand for a few seconds.
"It's what's best." He stated. "It's what's best." He and Ares disappeared to do what was needed to be done.
"MOTHER!" Came a scream from outside. Xena ran outside to find Eve. She was being held at knifepoint by a stranger dressed in white. Xena couldn't make out any features because the stranger was covered from head to toe in a white shroud.
Xena threw her chakram right before the stranger stabbed Eve in the chest. The stranger ducked and ran off for the woods.
"EVE!" Xena screamed. She ran to her daughter. Gabrielle was right behind her carrying Emma and Zander.
"EVE!" Gabrielle screamed. Xena held her weak daughter in her arms just as she had held Solan.
"Eve." Xena whimpered when she saw that the wound couldn't be repaired.
"Mother . . ." Eve gasped out. "Don't bring me back. I want to stay in the Elysian Fields. You won't have to worry about me. I'll have Solan. My brother. I love you mother." With that, Eve breathed her last breath and died in her mother's arms.
"NOOOOO!!!" Xena screamed. Her tears flowed. Gabrielle started to cry. Zander saw his sister's lifeless body and began to cry.
"Sissy!" he exclaimed. That woke Emma and she began to cry.
Eve felt her soul being taken from her body. She saw the white mists drawing her to the Elysian Fields, and she found herself surrounded by the bright sun of Elysia. She didn't forget everything. She remembered. She didn't know why.
"Eve?" asked a voice from behind. Eve turned around and a boy faced her about her age. He looked her age anyway. Eve knew automatically who it was.
"Solan!" she exclaimed. She ran and hugged her brother. "I didn't forget anything."
"Neither did I." He said. "Maybe it's because we're the children of Xena."
"I don't know. But I told mother to let me stay. I told her she wouldn't have to worry about me. I'd be in the Elysian Fields. I was right." Eve said. She hugged Solan again.
Xena and Gabrielle buried Eve together on top of a hill that she had picnics with Argolis on. Emma and Zander slept during the burial and funeral. As they were walking home in a silence, Xena kissed Zander and handed him to Gabrielle. She looked her friend in the eyes and ran off.
"Xena!" Gabrielle called. Xena turned around.
"I have to avenge my daughter." Xena said. She ran off to find the white-shrouded murderer. Gabrielle cried softly and carried Emma and Zander back to the house and put them down to bed.
As the night wore on, Gabrielle sat by the windows, waiting for Xena. Ares and Joxer finally came back. Gabrielle got up quickly and hugged Joxer. He had been crying.
"Joxer." She whispered.
"It was for the best." Joxer reminded himself.
"Where's Xena?" Ares asked quietly. Gabrielle sighed.
"Ares, she went out to avenge a murder." Gabrielle said.
"Who's?" Ares asked.
"Eve's." Gabrielle said as a tear slid down her cheek.
"What?!" Ares and Joxer asked at the same time.
"Eve was murdered. If you want to pay your respects, you should go up to the hill now." Gabrielle said pointing. "A storm is coming this way so you better hurry."
"Without saying anything, Ares and Joxer went to pay their respects. Gabrielle thought Xena would've killed the mysterious murderer by now.
Xena could feel sprinkles of rain hitting her arms as she ran through the forest. She chased the shrouded person for what seemed hours. And it was. He or she was fast. So fast. Xena tried to hit him or her with the chakram, but they always ducked in time to miss it.
Finally, Xena climbed through the trees, running and leaping and she jumped, landing on the person with a thud. She plunged her sword into their back quickly.
"NO!!" the person screamed. Xena could tell it was a woman. Or a young girl.
"Vengeance." Xena whispered. The girl sputtered as she turned to face Xena.
"Now I've had vengeance." The girl said.
"What?" Xena asked. The girl choked for a moment and regained composure.
"My name is Selina. I was not yet born when you killed my mother in battle twenty winters ago. My mother was innocent, and you killed her. I was born from a dead mother in a cold room. A mid-wife delivered me. She could've gave me to my father, but you killed him too. Now I've avenged them. I though that if I couldn't kill you, I could kill someone close to you. I found your daughter. It was easy. Your daughter was so trusting." She sputtered. Xena was shocked. She watched the girl die and the sweetness of revenge never came. It only put on another heavy sorrow.
Ares had to calm a frightened Zander from a nightmare, and then he searched for Xena. He tried to sense where she was and finally her tracked her. He appeared before her. She saw by a campfire, looking into it.
"Xena." He whispered. As he looked closer, he could see the tears forming in her eyes.
"Go away." Xena said.
"No. I won't." Ares said sitting down beside her.
"I said go away!" Xena yelled crying. Ares held her in his arms. "Stop!"
"It's okay." Ares said trying to calm her.
"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Xena exclaimed over and over again. Finally, she surrendered and let Ares hold her through the night.
The End . . . or is it?