The Dark City

By Hongower

A/N: Well here is the second part. I hope you'll like it.

I I

The morning came sudden than expected. Gabrielle was soundly asleep dreaming of who knows what when something hit her face and woke her up. It took her some moments to react and when she finally did, she gave Xena her favorite death glare.

"You are so mean!" She said as she slowly got up from her spot in the floor.

"I tried calling your name…" Said Xena as she prepared Argos for the ride to the Dark City "it didn't worked, I tried slowly shaking you, it didn't work, I tried to tell you that someone was stealing your scrolls it didn't work, so I did the only thing that has proven really effective in the past"

Gabrielle just ignored her, but she was really getting tired of being woken up the same way every single day.

"So, what's for breakfast?" Gabrielle asked as she gathered all of her things in her bag.

"Well let's see… Nothing!"

"Nothing? Come on Xena, we stopped for food in the last village, did we ate all that already?"

"Off course not! What are we pigs?"

"Then why isn't breakfast ready?" Asked Gabrielle as she lost her temper.

"Since you were soundly asleep on top of the supplies bags, I couldn't-"

"Ok, ok, I get the point" Said Gabrielle as she slowly began to prepare breakfast.

They were in the middle of eating it when the god of war appeared behind Xena with a sword in his had. Gabrielle tried to tell her about him but she spoke first.

"So you decided to join us Ares?"

"Well, I can't skip a trip to the Dark City" He said as he sheathed his sword.

"We'll leave as soon as we finish" Said Xena taking another bite of her food.

Ares rolled his eyes and sat beside her.

"Is not like I'm in a rush or something but would you please hurry up!" Ares said as his patience ran out after spending the last fifteen minutes watching Gabrielle ate a single apple.

"Well he is right" said Xena as she looked at her friend. "We should get going"

Gabrielle got up with the apple still in her hand and she continued chewing it slowly as she walked beside Xena.

"So where exactly is the Dark City?" Asked Ares as he was getting tired of walking.

"You'll se when we get her" Answered Xena.

"Come on woman! This is ridiculous! If you would just tell me where the city is I can use my godly powers to get us there faster! What is the point in walking? I seriously don't know how you mortals do it all the time!"

"The point, Ares, is that I don't trust you and I'll never will. The only reason you are coming with us is because we need your help to enter to the city and you need our help to find it"

"I'm doing this for the goodness of my immortal heart…"

"Yeah right, I know there is something inside the Dark City that every Olympus god wants to have"

Ares just stayed quiet and Gabrielle looked at both of them trying to find some kind of answer. What was held inside that city?

The walk was long. By the time it got dark they were only half way to the city, so they settle up a camp to stay for the night.

"This is so ridiculous" said Ares as he saw Xena and her fried lightening a fire and searching for a soft spot in the floor.

"What is ridiculous now?" Asked Xena more annoyed than ever of the god of war.

"I won't sleep here; I have a nice comfortable place at the Olympus, so I don't need to sleep in the floor of some woods!"

"Oh yes you will" Said Xena as she threw a blanket at him. "Just in case you get cold."

Suddenly a tree near by exploded, Ares threw an energy ball to it. He was just so mad.

Gabrielle and Xena laughed while the mighty God of War laid down on the floor and put the blanked around his body. That was a sight to remember.

Morning came and the usual 'wake up' routine followed.

"Come on, If we leave now we'll get there before sunset"

Gabrielle slowly got up but Ares just stayed there in the floor.

Xena trusted her sword in Ares chest and waited for him to open his eyes.

"Good morning darling" he said as he looked at her. "Did we wake up with the wrong foot again?"

Xena hit him in the head as a respond.

"Definitely wrong foot"

The walk that day went smother than the day before excluding the constant complains of Ares about all the nasty things the mortals had to do just to get by. They finally arrived at sandy landscape away from the bushes. It was like a very bid clearance covered only by sand. Xena stopped in front of it and for the first time since their journey began she took the map out of a hiding place between her breasts.

"Why didn't I think of looking there?" Ares asked as Xena ignored him and studied the map.

"So this is it" She said finally. "This is the place."

The three of them looked at the landscape in front of them. It was a clearance, not even a bush or a rock was there, it was completely deserted.

"There is nothing here" Said Gabrielle as she looked around her and finally stood beside Xena.

"This is the place; there is no doubt about it" Xena said to her friend as she kept studding the small dessert.

"Are we sure that the map is real? This could all be just one of your games that you take so much pleasure of"

"Believe me Ares" Said Xena as she studies the map one more time "There is no game I enjoy playing with you"

"Ouch, you are breaking my heart" Ares said as he stepped into the sand and walked around. "But, in the other hand, I think you are right, this is the Dark City."

"What do you mean? There is nothing here" said Gabrielle again.

"Could you please shut the blond up so I can concentrate" Ares told Xena in an irritated voice.

Gabrielle just gave him her death glare but stopped when the good of war flew to the sky and suddenly dived into the sand beneath him.

If she was speechless then, she really became a mute when the sand in the little desert began sinking and clearing the path. Finally, after waiting for just a couple of minutes, they could see a stair case that was in the middle of the clearance, and Ares standing there waiting for them.

"Nice" was the only thing Xena could say as she walked towards the opening with Gabrielle falling closely behind her.

They walked down the stair case. The place was dark and Gabrielle tripped a lot because she wasn't able to see what was in front of her. Finally she managed to trip into Ares himself and the both rolled down the stairs.

"You mortals can be co clumsy!" He said as he incorporated of the ground. Then he snatched his fingers and a torch appeared in his hand. He handed it to Gabrielle. "Here" He said and then continued walking down stairs.

"Th- thank you" Gabrielle said awkwardly as she followed her two companions. She was so grateful for the light.

The staircase seemed to go on forever. It was caracole shape.

"I'm really getting dizzy" Said Gabrielle after almost an hour of descending.

"We are almost there" Said Xena as she quickened her walk.

And she was right, because only few minutes latter they were standing in front of a tall golden door with a really big snake crafted in it. There was no handle and it didn't seemed to be a way to open it. Xena stared at it trying to figure out the way to open it. Gabrielle stared at it marveling its beauty and thinking witch description would fit it best. Ares only stared at it.

"So these are the gates to the Dark City"

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A/N: So what do you think so far? I really hope you like it!!!!!

Special thanks to 'L@ugh Øut Løud', without you this fic wouldn't exist!!!!!! Hope you liked this chapter it was longer than the last. I would had continued, but I wanted to leave a cliffhanger, hope you are not mad. ^_^x