The Choice
By Xena
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. I did make up a couple, but the majority belongs to Renaissance Pictures, USA Studios, and the creators of Xena Warrior Princess. This is the eleventh installment of the Fate series. It immediately follows Avenging Eve.
Subtext: No
Violence: No
Sex: No
Series: This is the twelfth installment in the Fate Series. It immediately follows To Be a Goddess or Not To Be a Goddess.
What am I doing? Xena asked herself. She didn't know what to do. She was married to Ares now, and she was about to become an immortal. A goddess. What powers would she have? What abilities? Would her personality be different? Would she be evil? Would she ever see Gabrielle again?
"Ares? Before I commit to this godhood, I need you to tell me some things.
"Like what?" Ares asked stepping closer to Xena.
"What powers would I have?" she asked.
"What ever powers you want, my dear. What ever you are thinking of when you drink the nectar." Ares declared.
"I could become the goddess of goodness and beauty. Well, what about Aphrodite?" Xena asked.
"I don't know. The powers will just come to you, and you and 'Dite will figure them out." Ares declared. "If you have any flaws, which you definitely don't, they will be fixed to suit your powers."
"Okay." Xena said. "That takes care of powers and abilities. What about my personality?"
"You'll have the same personality." Ares said. "And also the flaws thing. They'll be fixed to suit your personality."
"There's a plus." Xena said. "I won't be evil?"
"No." Ares said. "No matter what goddess you become, you will not be evil."
"What about Gabrielle? Will I ever see her again?" Xena asked.
"Of course. When you're not off being a goddess." Ares said.
"That's not good enough." Xena said. "Gabrielle has been there for me for years. I'm not giving up on the best friend I've ever had."
"Well, she could become a goddess." Ares said. "Joxer could become a god, and their baby could become a goddess or an immortal. Even Zander is going to be a god." Xena nodded, and she brought the goblet back to her lips. She could feel the warm nectar against her lips. Her lips parted, and the nectar flowed into her mouth, slipping down her throat.
Xena felt her body quake. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor. Ares helped her up. Xena knew she was turning into a goddess. The powers she'd thought of were coming to her. She'd thought of war and of peace. She thought of all the abilities she had as warrior princess.
Finally, the quaking stopped, and Xena looked at herself in a mirror. She had black leather clothing just as she had when she was warrior princess, this time, she had a silver and blue helmet, silver armor, and she carried a new and improved Chakram and a sharp, silver sword. It was just like her second chakram, only it was lighter, meaning that it could travel farther distances and do more damage.
"Let's just get one thing straight." Xena said. "I'm not, nor will I ever be fighting for evil. I will only fight in wars that I am needed for. The other times, I will be trying to prevent them, and making peace. You got that?"
"Yes." Ares said with a nod.
"Now, I also want to make it perfectly clear that our son will not be a god. He will only be immortal, but not until he is a grown man. I don't want our son to have to have the burden of being a god, and I don't want him corrupted by anything to make him evil. That's why it is safer for our children to be immortal."
"Okay." Ares agreed reluctantly.
"How do I get down to earth so I can talk to Gabrielle?" Xena asked walking over to her son's bed. She picked up her infant son and carried him in her arms.
"Just will it." Ares said. Xena closed her eyes and thought of home. When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing in her home. She turned around, Zander in her arms, and saw Gabrielle and Joxer walking up to the house. Gabrielle had Emma in her arms.
"Xena?" Gabrielle asked. "You did it?"
"Yes." Xena said. "I have a proposition for you and Joxer." She sat down on the porch with Gabrielle and Joxer and told them everything Ares had told her about godhood. She told them about everything, and they listened carefully.
"You want us to be gods." Joxer said. "Wow. I wouldn't be clumsy anymore."
"He's got a point." Gabrielle said. "And we'd be together through eternity. Best friends forever."
"Yes." Xena said with a smile. Gabrielle nodded.
"Okay. Can I make a request?" she asked.
"Of course. You don't need to ask me to make a request." Xena declared.
"Can I take over Artemis' position? You know the whole Amazon thing and everything." Gabrielle said.
"If that's what you want. When you drink the nectar, just think about what abilities you want and what powers you want." Xena explained. "I thought about war and fighting only in wars that I need to fight in, and also stopping wars and making peace, just as I do now. That made me the Goddess of War and Peace."
"I will be Goddess of the Amazons. Not Goddess of the Hunt." Gabrielle declared.
"And I'll be . . . I'll be God of . . ." Joxer started.
"Hopeless warriors?" Gabrielle suggested. Joxer got a thoughtful look upon his face and then realized what Gabrielle had meant.
"Hey!" he exclaimed.
"Joxer, you should be someone that people look up to. People know that life will go on as long as you are a god. God of Prosperity." Xena declared.
"That's great!" Joxer exclaimed. "Thanks Xena!"
"Now, about Emma, do you want her to be a goddess, immortal, or mortal?"
"I don't want to watch her die, and I don't want her to have powers because I think that a child should have as normal life as possible. Immortal." Gabrielle said bravely.
"Okay. I'll take you to Olympus."
By Xena
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. I did make up a couple, but the majority belongs to Renaissance Pictures, USA Studios, and the creators of Xena Warrior Princess. This is the eleventh installment of the Fate series. It immediately follows Avenging Eve.
Subtext: No
Violence: No
Sex: No
Series: This is the twelfth installment in the Fate Series. It immediately follows To Be a Goddess or Not To Be a Goddess.
What am I doing? Xena asked herself. She didn't know what to do. She was married to Ares now, and she was about to become an immortal. A goddess. What powers would she have? What abilities? Would her personality be different? Would she be evil? Would she ever see Gabrielle again?
"Ares? Before I commit to this godhood, I need you to tell me some things.
"Like what?" Ares asked stepping closer to Xena.
"What powers would I have?" she asked.
"What ever powers you want, my dear. What ever you are thinking of when you drink the nectar." Ares declared.
"I could become the goddess of goodness and beauty. Well, what about Aphrodite?" Xena asked.
"I don't know. The powers will just come to you, and you and 'Dite will figure them out." Ares declared. "If you have any flaws, which you definitely don't, they will be fixed to suit your powers."
"Okay." Xena said. "That takes care of powers and abilities. What about my personality?"
"You'll have the same personality." Ares said. "And also the flaws thing. They'll be fixed to suit your personality."
"There's a plus." Xena said. "I won't be evil?"
"No." Ares said. "No matter what goddess you become, you will not be evil."
"What about Gabrielle? Will I ever see her again?" Xena asked.
"Of course. When you're not off being a goddess." Ares said.
"That's not good enough." Xena said. "Gabrielle has been there for me for years. I'm not giving up on the best friend I've ever had."
"Well, she could become a goddess." Ares said. "Joxer could become a god, and their baby could become a goddess or an immortal. Even Zander is going to be a god." Xena nodded, and she brought the goblet back to her lips. She could feel the warm nectar against her lips. Her lips parted, and the nectar flowed into her mouth, slipping down her throat.
Xena felt her body quake. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor. Ares helped her up. Xena knew she was turning into a goddess. The powers she'd thought of were coming to her. She'd thought of war and of peace. She thought of all the abilities she had as warrior princess.
Finally, the quaking stopped, and Xena looked at herself in a mirror. She had black leather clothing just as she had when she was warrior princess, this time, she had a silver and blue helmet, silver armor, and she carried a new and improved Chakram and a sharp, silver sword. It was just like her second chakram, only it was lighter, meaning that it could travel farther distances and do more damage.
"Let's just get one thing straight." Xena said. "I'm not, nor will I ever be fighting for evil. I will only fight in wars that I am needed for. The other times, I will be trying to prevent them, and making peace. You got that?"
"Yes." Ares said with a nod.
"Now, I also want to make it perfectly clear that our son will not be a god. He will only be immortal, but not until he is a grown man. I don't want our son to have to have the burden of being a god, and I don't want him corrupted by anything to make him evil. That's why it is safer for our children to be immortal."
"Okay." Ares agreed reluctantly.
"How do I get down to earth so I can talk to Gabrielle?" Xena asked walking over to her son's bed. She picked up her infant son and carried him in her arms.
"Just will it." Ares said. Xena closed her eyes and thought of home. When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing in her home. She turned around, Zander in her arms, and saw Gabrielle and Joxer walking up to the house. Gabrielle had Emma in her arms.
"Xena?" Gabrielle asked. "You did it?"
"Yes." Xena said. "I have a proposition for you and Joxer." She sat down on the porch with Gabrielle and Joxer and told them everything Ares had told her about godhood. She told them about everything, and they listened carefully.
"You want us to be gods." Joxer said. "Wow. I wouldn't be clumsy anymore."
"He's got a point." Gabrielle said. "And we'd be together through eternity. Best friends forever."
"Yes." Xena said with a smile. Gabrielle nodded.
"Okay. Can I make a request?" she asked.
"Of course. You don't need to ask me to make a request." Xena declared.
"Can I take over Artemis' position? You know the whole Amazon thing and everything." Gabrielle said.
"If that's what you want. When you drink the nectar, just think about what abilities you want and what powers you want." Xena explained. "I thought about war and fighting only in wars that I need to fight in, and also stopping wars and making peace, just as I do now. That made me the Goddess of War and Peace."
"I will be Goddess of the Amazons. Not Goddess of the Hunt." Gabrielle declared.
"And I'll be . . . I'll be God of . . ." Joxer started.
"Hopeless warriors?" Gabrielle suggested. Joxer got a thoughtful look upon his face and then realized what Gabrielle had meant.
"Hey!" he exclaimed.
"Joxer, you should be someone that people look up to. People know that life will go on as long as you are a god. God of Prosperity." Xena declared.
"That's great!" Joxer exclaimed. "Thanks Xena!"
"Now, about Emma, do you want her to be a goddess, immortal, or mortal?"
"I don't want to watch her die, and I don't want her to have powers because I think that a child should have as normal life as possible. Immortal." Gabrielle said bravely.
"Okay. I'll take you to Olympus."