Title: Let My Love Open the Door
Author: Jennifer Campbell
Rating: PG-13 for regular Xena violence
Characters: Joxer, Xena, Gabrielle, Perdicus, Persephone
Time period: Sometime after fifth season
Summary: Hades' death causes big problems in the
Underworld.
For other disclaimers and notes, please see chapter 1.
#
"I still don't see the point of this, Gabrielle."
They were hiking up a rocky, steep hill, and vegetation
was beginning to thin out. Shrubs and tiny flowers had
replaced towering trees and thick bushes. They had been
forced to leave their horses in the forest. That in itself
probably irritated Xena, seeing as she now had to carry
their water skins over her shoulder. Gabrielle had their
food. The lack of natural cover probably also set Xena on
edge. In all, Gabrielle was beginning to regret this
venture if only because of her irritable companion.
"Look, this is the closest Underworld entrance that either
of us could think of," Gabrielle explained. "You agreed to
come here."
"I had forgotten how steep it was."
Gabrielle teased, "You're such a baby."
Xena confronted her. "Say that again, and you'll be
rolling back down the mountain."
Gabrielle held her walking stick before her like a staff.
"I'd like to see you try."
With a snort, Xena ignored the barb and started back up,
one foot plodding in front of the next in a slow rhythm.
Gabrielle followed.
"Xena, I just want to make sure our friends are all right
down there. Aren't you the least bit curious? Or worried?"
"Nope."
"This'll only make us a couple of days late to King
Gabriel's court." She paused, then offered, "At least it's
summer. We're not hiking in three feet of snow."
Xena looked back again. "Enough with the persuasions.
Let's just get there and get this over with."
Gabrielle took the hint and ceased her chatter, instead
contenting herself with admiring the tiny pink and blue
flowers along their path. She picked one and tucked it in
her hair. She considered doing the same for Xena but then
thought better of it.
About an hour later, their destination came into a view, a
cave atop a 20-foot cliff. Gabrielle had to abandon her
walking stick to climb the jagged face, and at the top, she
rolled onto her back to rest.
"Why does this place have to be so hard to get to?" she
asked, not really expecting an answer.
"It's an entrance to the Underworld." Xena sounded amused.
"If it were easy to reach, then every other person who
bumbled onto the place would be stumbling around tartarus.
Can't have that."
"Good point."
After they'd caught their breath, they headed in. The cave
was shallow with no curves, which allowed at least a little
light to filter to the back. At this time of day, sun shone
in indirectly, creating irregular patterns of light and
dark on the rock.
Along the back wall, Gabrielle remembered, they'd find a
narrow, open archway, and on the other side was Hades'
realm. Last time, Gabrielle had waited here, bored out of
her mind, while Xena had gone on some mission or another.
This time, they'd go through together.
Yet something strange greeted them at the archway. So
unexpected it even took Xena back a step.
"A door?" Gabrielle muttered. The wooden construction,
solid and well-built, blocked the entire entrance. "That
wasn't here before, right?"
Xena ran her hands flat along the door, then pushed hard.
It didn't budge on its hinges, drilled deep into the rock.
"This shouldn't be here," she murmured. "Something isn't
right."
Gabrielle refrained from saying told you so and instead
offered, "Try the knob."
Xena twisted the iron protrusion and pushed again, but
still the door refused to open. She ran her fingertips
below the knob.
"There's a keyhole here. A big one." Xena looked back at
Gabrielle, eyes bright. "It's obvious that someone doesn't
want uninvited visitors."
Gabrielle worried her lip between her teeth, then said,
"We have to find a way in, Xena. Now more than ever."
"I'm starting to agree with you." She took a deep breath.
"All right. Let's see if we can gather enough dry shrubs
for a fire. We'll make camp and figure something out." She
laid a comforting hand on Gabrielle's shoulder. "We'll fix
this."
"Right." Gabrielle nodded with more confidence than she
felt, and Xena walked away. To the door, and more important
to those beyond it, she said, "Don't worry. We're coming."
#
Author: Jennifer Campbell
Rating: PG-13 for regular Xena violence
Characters: Joxer, Xena, Gabrielle, Perdicus, Persephone
Time period: Sometime after fifth season
Summary: Hades' death causes big problems in the
Underworld.
For other disclaimers and notes, please see chapter 1.
#
"I still don't see the point of this, Gabrielle."
They were hiking up a rocky, steep hill, and vegetation
was beginning to thin out. Shrubs and tiny flowers had
replaced towering trees and thick bushes. They had been
forced to leave their horses in the forest. That in itself
probably irritated Xena, seeing as she now had to carry
their water skins over her shoulder. Gabrielle had their
food. The lack of natural cover probably also set Xena on
edge. In all, Gabrielle was beginning to regret this
venture if only because of her irritable companion.
"Look, this is the closest Underworld entrance that either
of us could think of," Gabrielle explained. "You agreed to
come here."
"I had forgotten how steep it was."
Gabrielle teased, "You're such a baby."
Xena confronted her. "Say that again, and you'll be
rolling back down the mountain."
Gabrielle held her walking stick before her like a staff.
"I'd like to see you try."
With a snort, Xena ignored the barb and started back up,
one foot plodding in front of the next in a slow rhythm.
Gabrielle followed.
"Xena, I just want to make sure our friends are all right
down there. Aren't you the least bit curious? Or worried?"
"Nope."
"This'll only make us a couple of days late to King
Gabriel's court." She paused, then offered, "At least it's
summer. We're not hiking in three feet of snow."
Xena looked back again. "Enough with the persuasions.
Let's just get there and get this over with."
Gabrielle took the hint and ceased her chatter, instead
contenting herself with admiring the tiny pink and blue
flowers along their path. She picked one and tucked it in
her hair. She considered doing the same for Xena but then
thought better of it.
About an hour later, their destination came into a view, a
cave atop a 20-foot cliff. Gabrielle had to abandon her
walking stick to climb the jagged face, and at the top, she
rolled onto her back to rest.
"Why does this place have to be so hard to get to?" she
asked, not really expecting an answer.
"It's an entrance to the Underworld." Xena sounded amused.
"If it were easy to reach, then every other person who
bumbled onto the place would be stumbling around tartarus.
Can't have that."
"Good point."
After they'd caught their breath, they headed in. The cave
was shallow with no curves, which allowed at least a little
light to filter to the back. At this time of day, sun shone
in indirectly, creating irregular patterns of light and
dark on the rock.
Along the back wall, Gabrielle remembered, they'd find a
narrow, open archway, and on the other side was Hades'
realm. Last time, Gabrielle had waited here, bored out of
her mind, while Xena had gone on some mission or another.
This time, they'd go through together.
Yet something strange greeted them at the archway. So
unexpected it even took Xena back a step.
"A door?" Gabrielle muttered. The wooden construction,
solid and well-built, blocked the entire entrance. "That
wasn't here before, right?"
Xena ran her hands flat along the door, then pushed hard.
It didn't budge on its hinges, drilled deep into the rock.
"This shouldn't be here," she murmured. "Something isn't
right."
Gabrielle refrained from saying told you so and instead
offered, "Try the knob."
Xena twisted the iron protrusion and pushed again, but
still the door refused to open. She ran her fingertips
below the knob.
"There's a keyhole here. A big one." Xena looked back at
Gabrielle, eyes bright. "It's obvious that someone doesn't
want uninvited visitors."
Gabrielle worried her lip between her teeth, then said,
"We have to find a way in, Xena. Now more than ever."
"I'm starting to agree with you." She took a deep breath.
"All right. Let's see if we can gather enough dry shrubs
for a fire. We'll make camp and figure something out." She
laid a comforting hand on Gabrielle's shoulder. "We'll fix
this."
"Right." Gabrielle nodded with more confidence than she
felt, and Xena walked away. To the door, and more important
to those beyond it, she said, "Don't worry. We're coming."
#