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.
#
A grassy hill circled around the last standing tower like
a protective ring. Joxer and Perdicus stood on its highest
point, about a hundred yards from their destination, and
surveyed the chaos below. All survivors had found their way
here, to this last vestige of the City. They swarmed around
the tower like so many ants. Even from here, Joxer could
hear their voices rising like the tide.
Under the ever-darkening sky, Joxer had to squint to see
them clearly. Most simply milled about, but some
industrious souls had begun piling rubble along the tower's
base, beneath a single lit window, high above. If the tower
drew people like a beacon with its brilliant shimmer, then
that window was its golden eye -- the ultimate prize. The
stacking of boulders, Joxer realized, was an attempt to
reach it.
"I should have expected this," Perdicus said, resigned and
disappointed. "Of course people would come here. You can
see the tower for miles in every direction."
"It's like a circus," Joxer supplied. "Did you ever go to
a circus? I did once. There was this dancing bear, and a
woman who was so flexible she could reach back and touch
her --"
Joxer caught himself when he saw Perdicus wasn't paying
the least bit of attention. He cleared his throat,
embarrassed, and tried to focus on the problem at hand.
"So, um, how do we get past all that and inside?"
Perdicus' intent gaze rose to the window, and he pointed.
"I bet the door is up there. I remember there being an
entrance, just like in every other tower. Let's circle
around on the hill to see if we can spot it."
"Right." Joxer nodded, all business. "Good plan."
So they circled. Hundreds of people packed around the
backside of the tower, too, with more joining the crowd all
the time. Joxer and Perdicus seemed the only two who stayed
on the hill instead of going down. Eventually, they came
back around to the window.
Joxer huffed. "There's no way into that place. Did you see
a way in? I didn't see one."
"But it was there," Perdicus protested, his expression
confused. "I remember ..."
"Well, it's not there now. Seems like our best bet is to
help those guys piling up rubble to get to the window."
Joxer started down the hill, but Perdicus held him back.
"There's no time for that," he snapped. "The City's light
is going out, and it'll be completely gone before they even
get close. We must find a quicker way."
Joxer shuffled his feet, thinking things through, then
said slowly, "Well, Gabrielle trusted you, and that must
count for something. So I guess ... I guess I'll trust you,
too."
"Thank you." He sounded relieved. "Maybe we'll find
something different up close. Do you think we should ... go
down?"
"We're not going to get any closer to an answer by staying
up here."
So down into the swarm they went. Perdicus led the way,
and Joxer had to cling to the back of his companion's tunic
to keep them from getting separated. He got jostled and
knocked over more than once. The roar of voices was
deafening. For all these people, though, Joxer also would
have expected a hot, sweaty stench. Perhaps spirits, if
that's what they all were, had no odor at all.
After what seemed an eternity of pushing and weaving, they
reached the tower and began forcing their way through the
crowd at its base. Perdicus walked along with one hand on
the smooth, unyielding surface. Joxer looked for something,
anything, that might give them a clue to getting in,
although he doubted any chance of success. Still, he had
given Perdicus his support, and he would keep that promise.
He would do Gabrielle and Xena proud.
Ahead, Joxer saw a small square of gold pressed against
the white, at about head-height. As they came closer, he
realized it was a polished plaque, covered in Greek
letters. Perdicus had spotted it, too, and read it when
they came close enough.
"First test comes unseen
Transparent walls, feel your way
If your heart is true."
They exchanged a confused look.
"What does it mean?" Joxer asked.
"It's a riddle. My mom used to tell me these things all
the time, but they weren't anything like this." Perdicus
tapped one finger against his chin in thought. "The first
test must be to get into the tower. Unseen ... transparent
walls ..." His eyes lit up. "What if it means the entrance
is really there, but we just can't see it?"
Joxer was dubious, but he decided to play along. "So...
that would mean that if we feel our way along the wall,
we'll find the way in?"
"Only if our hearts are true. The entrance won't be there
for everyone."
Joxer shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense."
Perdicus shrugged. "It's worth a try."
He set both hands on the wall, below the plaque, and
started sliding them downward to the cobblestones. Joxer
followed his lead, pushing against the wall higher up,
where Perdicus couldn't reach. It was slow-going, and they
got more than one strange look. One shrill woman cursed at
Joxer when he bumped into her, and he apologized profusely
before moving on. Before that morning, he would have never
guessed to hear such language in the City.
They had worked about a quarter of the way around the
tower, to the point Joxer could no longer see the window
high above them. He automatically slid his hands up, down,
to the left. And then his lead hand vanished into the
glass. One moment, a wall, and the next, he felt only air.
He pulled back, and again cautiously pushed his hand
against the wall, and through it.
"Perdicus, look!" he said, then demonstrated.
Perdicus did the same, amazed to watch his hand seemingly
slip through. He grinned at Joxer. "Shall we go in?"
Without waiting for a response, Perdicus walked straight
through the wall, no hesitation in his step. Joxer gulped
hard, hoping for nothing horrible on the other side, and
followed into the unknown.
#
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.
#
A grassy hill circled around the last standing tower like
a protective ring. Joxer and Perdicus stood on its highest
point, about a hundred yards from their destination, and
surveyed the chaos below. All survivors had found their way
here, to this last vestige of the City. They swarmed around
the tower like so many ants. Even from here, Joxer could
hear their voices rising like the tide.
Under the ever-darkening sky, Joxer had to squint to see
them clearly. Most simply milled about, but some
industrious souls had begun piling rubble along the tower's
base, beneath a single lit window, high above. If the tower
drew people like a beacon with its brilliant shimmer, then
that window was its golden eye -- the ultimate prize. The
stacking of boulders, Joxer realized, was an attempt to
reach it.
"I should have expected this," Perdicus said, resigned and
disappointed. "Of course people would come here. You can
see the tower for miles in every direction."
"It's like a circus," Joxer supplied. "Did you ever go to
a circus? I did once. There was this dancing bear, and a
woman who was so flexible she could reach back and touch
her --"
Joxer caught himself when he saw Perdicus wasn't paying
the least bit of attention. He cleared his throat,
embarrassed, and tried to focus on the problem at hand.
"So, um, how do we get past all that and inside?"
Perdicus' intent gaze rose to the window, and he pointed.
"I bet the door is up there. I remember there being an
entrance, just like in every other tower. Let's circle
around on the hill to see if we can spot it."
"Right." Joxer nodded, all business. "Good plan."
So they circled. Hundreds of people packed around the
backside of the tower, too, with more joining the crowd all
the time. Joxer and Perdicus seemed the only two who stayed
on the hill instead of going down. Eventually, they came
back around to the window.
Joxer huffed. "There's no way into that place. Did you see
a way in? I didn't see one."
"But it was there," Perdicus protested, his expression
confused. "I remember ..."
"Well, it's not there now. Seems like our best bet is to
help those guys piling up rubble to get to the window."
Joxer started down the hill, but Perdicus held him back.
"There's no time for that," he snapped. "The City's light
is going out, and it'll be completely gone before they even
get close. We must find a quicker way."
Joxer shuffled his feet, thinking things through, then
said slowly, "Well, Gabrielle trusted you, and that must
count for something. So I guess ... I guess I'll trust you,
too."
"Thank you." He sounded relieved. "Maybe we'll find
something different up close. Do you think we should ... go
down?"
"We're not going to get any closer to an answer by staying
up here."
So down into the swarm they went. Perdicus led the way,
and Joxer had to cling to the back of his companion's tunic
to keep them from getting separated. He got jostled and
knocked over more than once. The roar of voices was
deafening. For all these people, though, Joxer also would
have expected a hot, sweaty stench. Perhaps spirits, if
that's what they all were, had no odor at all.
After what seemed an eternity of pushing and weaving, they
reached the tower and began forcing their way through the
crowd at its base. Perdicus walked along with one hand on
the smooth, unyielding surface. Joxer looked for something,
anything, that might give them a clue to getting in,
although he doubted any chance of success. Still, he had
given Perdicus his support, and he would keep that promise.
He would do Gabrielle and Xena proud.
Ahead, Joxer saw a small square of gold pressed against
the white, at about head-height. As they came closer, he
realized it was a polished plaque, covered in Greek
letters. Perdicus had spotted it, too, and read it when
they came close enough.
"First test comes unseen
Transparent walls, feel your way
If your heart is true."
They exchanged a confused look.
"What does it mean?" Joxer asked.
"It's a riddle. My mom used to tell me these things all
the time, but they weren't anything like this." Perdicus
tapped one finger against his chin in thought. "The first
test must be to get into the tower. Unseen ... transparent
walls ..." His eyes lit up. "What if it means the entrance
is really there, but we just can't see it?"
Joxer was dubious, but he decided to play along. "So...
that would mean that if we feel our way along the wall,
we'll find the way in?"
"Only if our hearts are true. The entrance won't be there
for everyone."
Joxer shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense."
Perdicus shrugged. "It's worth a try."
He set both hands on the wall, below the plaque, and
started sliding them downward to the cobblestones. Joxer
followed his lead, pushing against the wall higher up,
where Perdicus couldn't reach. It was slow-going, and they
got more than one strange look. One shrill woman cursed at
Joxer when he bumped into her, and he apologized profusely
before moving on. Before that morning, he would have never
guessed to hear such language in the City.
They had worked about a quarter of the way around the
tower, to the point Joxer could no longer see the window
high above them. He automatically slid his hands up, down,
to the left. And then his lead hand vanished into the
glass. One moment, a wall, and the next, he felt only air.
He pulled back, and again cautiously pushed his hand
against the wall, and through it.
"Perdicus, look!" he said, then demonstrated.
Perdicus did the same, amazed to watch his hand seemingly
slip through. He grinned at Joxer. "Shall we go in?"
Without waiting for a response, Perdicus walked straight
through the wall, no hesitation in his step. Joxer gulped
hard, hoping for nothing horrible on the other side, and
followed into the unknown.
#