Title: Children of War

Author: Mike

Fandom: Sixth Sense/Xena

Rating: R

Disclaimers: Sixth Sense and its characters belong to M. Night Shyamalan, SpyGlass Entertainment, and Hollywood Pictures. Xena-Warrior Princess and its characters belong to MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures.

Warnings: contains violence, death, profanity

Notes: Sixth Sense--takes place after the movie. Xena--takes place after "Ides of March". RE--in this story, "Ides of March" was the LAST 'Xena' episode.

Spoilers: Sixth Sense--ending, truth about Malcolm. Xena-Warrior
Princess--Ides of March, The Reckoning, other episodes.

Summary: Ares escapes from his tomb. Xena's chakram is stolen from a Museum exhibit in Philadelphia. This alerts Ares from his temple, who decides to to rule the world by raising up young warriors. He plans to start with the students of St. Anthony's Academy. Because of this, Xena's spirit returns and meets Cole Sear, a boy with a spiritual connection to Xena's past, and the only mortal who can see her. Together, they have to find a way to stop the God of War. But Ares is the least of their problems...
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3000(?) B.C.
ROMAN PRISON

The woman warrior was dressed in black battle gear: skirt, arm gauntlets, boots, 'breastplate'. She hads a sword scabbard on her back, her black hair hung past her shoulders. This was Xena, Warrior princess.

Xena crept stealthily onto the prison grounds. She learned from Brutus that this was at the foot of Mount Amaro. When she entered, she noticed crosses on the field. She had to save her friends before Caesar had them crucified. To make things worse, she had to also contend with Callisto.

The Warrior Queen/Fire Goddess kept tempting her to turn from her chosen path.

Xena shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She walked up to the front entrance.

Callisto, wearing a white tunic robe and a short haircut, saw Xena sneak in. "Alright, Xena. I tried to help you, but you want it the hard way. Very well!" She opened her mouth and imitated Xena's war cry. "Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-aiieeee!!!"

Roman soldiers immediately readied themselves, prepared for battle. "It's Xena!! Get her!!" They scampered onto the scene, looking for their leader's enemy.

Xena stormed into the main room, knocking out two guards with a double flying kick "Yiaeeee!!" She grabbed the keys from a downed centurion and opened the cells.

Three people she knew came out. Amarice, an Amazon warrior. She
grabbed her two swords.

Gabrielle, dressed in yellow and marked by a couple tattoos resembling Hindu mantras..whose hair was also short. "Thank you, Xena. I *knew* you would come."

The third individual, a bearded man in green robes with long hair. His eyes had great power, yet they seemed kind, unfathomless depths of wisdom. Eli, the prophet of peace, the Avatar, had been preaching
in Greece on 'Love'. "We are glad to see you, Xena." He went out of his cell, followed by his crowd.

Xena opened the doors. "Come on, we don't have much time. We must
go before Caesar sends for reinforcements."

*********************************

Xena was outside with Gabrielle. "Look, just get them out. GO!"

Gabrielle nodded, leading Eli and his followers out, striking guards as she pointed the way.

Eli ran out the doors with his people.

Callisto, atop a roof, watched the whole thing. It wasn't going so well. Gabrielle was leading Eli's group away, while Xena battled the Romans, beating them easily. As usual. Callisto knew that Xena would win again, as she always does in battle. She raised Xena's chakram from her tunic. "No.."

Xena felled several other guards, slicing away with her sword. Killing them. The more that came after her, the more that lost their lives to her blade.

Callisto snarled angrily at Xena, stiffening her hold on the chakram. "No. NO!!" She threw it, letting it go to her target.

The disc rebounded off a wall, a wagon, trailing to a pipe directly behind Xena. It then swiftly deflected to Xena's scabbard, striking with great force. On impact, the disc split into two equal halves, landing in the dirt. Broken.

Xena felt something hit her back. She let out a painful gasp as her knees buckled. She fell to her knees, she could sense no feeling in her legs. "Gabrielle!"

Between attacks, the blond bard looked over. "Xena..what's wrong?"

Xena was still kneeling, moving her hands on the ground. She could barely attack, she was in so much pain. "I..I can't.."

A guard stood over Xena, his knife raised for a death blow. "Die, wench!"

Gabrielle stared in shock. she wasn't sure wghat to do. She swore not to kill, she believed in Eli's 'Way'. The way of infinite love, of peace. But Xena would die if she didn't act. She decided on the Way of Friendship. She grabbed a spear, holding it up. She hesitated for a moment..then threw it at the enemy. "Xena! Get up!"

Xena crawled to get closer, but each movement only caused more
suffering. "Can't!" She lurched forward. "Ahh..ugh..nghhhhh!!!!"

The man found the spear in him quickly, the other end sticking out of his back. He gurgled something unintelligible, then fell to the ground. Dead.

More came. Gabrielle Grabbed the slain Roman's sword and cut at the
enemies in arcs, slicing across their chests and throats. "GET UP!! She was in a frenzy of rage, killing to protect her friend. She was temporarily disarmed, but grabbed a knife, resuming her attack.

"I can't. I can't move, my spine..I think it's broken.." Xena held her arm out in protest. "Gabrielle..please stop." She saw her friend come behind a warrior and slice the man's throat. "NO!!"

Callisto stared in awe. Could this be true? The iritating blond, Xena's annoying sidekick--fighting to the death for Xena? She smiled a bit. "Ah..*interesting*."

Gabrielle turned on the last guy, plunging it through the man's chest. She straddled onto him, headbutting him a few times. Getting more angry with each hit. After removing the dagger, she continued to stab at him, even as he was down on his back. Finally, after raising and striking, she raised it up a fifth time, then stopped. She looked sideways at the dagger and saw blood on the blade. She realized it was in her hands and came across a startling discovery: SHE was doing this. In her bloodlust, in her radical attempt to save Xena, she had taken many lives. For all she knew, some of these men had families, they were just doing what they were told. She dropped the weapon, somewhat repulsed by what she had done.

After several minutes, twenty guards came out of the barracks, drawing their wweapons. They stood above the two warriors. "Get up!! *Move*!" They picked Xena up and carried her back to the building.

Gabrielle reluctantly followed.

********************************

An hour later, Xena and Gabrielle lay on crosses, on the ground. They were wearing grey rags, like slave clothing.

The centurions tied their hands and feet with ropes. Then they walked about ten feet away, talking amongst themselves.

Xena glanced up and saw Callisto kneeling over her. She gave a look of self-assurance, with a hint of anger.

Callisto said reprovingly, "Don't give me that cinfident look." She smirked. "You're about to die as a slave and drag your friend with you, and that's just *fine* by me."

Xena gasped painfully, "Y-your lord might not feel the same way. He
sent you on a mission, didn't he?"

Callisto repied, "Making Caesar a dictator was his main concern. And once he's ruling, making him an agent of my lord will be easy. So, while you're laying here helpless..he's declaring himself Emperor." Then she got up and walked away from hewr nemesis. Her work was done here. She disappeared in a flash of light.

Despite her agony, she smiled. She knew something that Callisto didn't. Xena had arranged a deal with Brutus--once he heard of Caesar's plans for conquest, he planned to assassinate Caesar with the other Senate members.

The guards returned. They fastened the ropes tighter around the prisoners' ankles.

Xena looked over at her companion. She whispered, "Gabrielle..."

The bard turned her head, looking at her friend one last time.

Xena spoke with conviction, "...You were the best thing in my life."

Gabrielle answered softly, "I love you, Xena.."

The guards tied pieces of wood to their palms. Then they held nails
to them, raising hammers.

The two friends shut their eyes, bracing for the worst experience
of their lives.

They brought the mallets down, striking hard, pushing the nails into their hands.

Xena cried out in pain, as did Gabrielle. "Oh God..noooo!!!"

They struck it twice more, driving the nails deep. Then they moved to Gabrielle's feet. They swung again.

She spasmed in agony. "Agghhhhh!!!"

They just hit it again. Finally, they drove it into Xena's feet.

The Warrior Princess gasped in silent pain. She lurched forward, reacting to the strikes.

Then they put their arms underneath the wood, raising the crosses up.

Xena and Gabrielle looked down. They saw that this was inevitable. They would die soon. Crucified like common slaves or criminals. They dropped their heads, breathing their last.

The centurions smiled. "Ha! An example to all who defy Caesar! Death to any weho challenge *Rome*!!" Jesting with each other, they walked to the hill.

Several minutes pass. Suddenly, Xena's face takes on a heavenly glow. Her soul, very bright, leaves the body. She goes over to Gabrielle's hanging corpse. She cups her hands on her friend's chin. "Gabrielle? Gabrielle.."

The bard also glows now, her spirit slowly leaving. They stand together in the sky now, wearing white tunics, almost simialr to Callisto's. They hear unearthly humming music, sort of divine. Gabrielle takes Xena's hand.

Xena wraps her own hand over Gabrielle's, smiling peacefully. They
were finally at peace. In a bright flash, they disappeared.