Title: Whispers -Chapter Five
Time Line: Post Fin
Rating: PG-13
Arthur: Kitten a.k.a. Cat
Summary: The events after A Friend In Need II, from my point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Xena Warrior Princess or Hercules the Legendary Journeys. I do however own the story line.
Hercules interrupted Gabrielle "You need to speak to Xena as soon as possible" he paused as he led her to the bed "We will discuss everything after you have talked to her." He laid Gabrielle down on the bed "Now sleep" he said as he passed his hand over her face. Within moments she was asleep.
Gabrielle quickly sat up, looking around the room. She could sense, even though the room appeared the same, there was something different. She was in the dreamscape again. Xena was not in the room "I guess I will have to find her" she muttered as she got out of the bed and exited the room. She was now walking down the hall toward the throne room. Chills ran down her spin as she remembered the last time she was here, the day Olympus fell at the hands of Xena. The hall showed no sign of the battle that had taken place there, everything was crisp and white. She now neared the doors that led to the throne room. She felt drawn to this place, despite the painful memories. Shaking off the feeling she pushed open the grand doors and entered the once beautiful throne room of Zeus. Looking around she noticed that no attempt to repair this part of Olympus had taken place. It was a shrine, left just as it was from the battle. She heard a noise from the far side of the room and saw a figure, back turned, looking out of a great window. Hesitantly at first she spoke "Xena" receiving no response she made her voice louder and clearer "Xena is that you?"
The figure turned from the window and met her gaze. Wearing the furs and tanned hides of animals, Gabrielle now met the Xena that Borias had known, the untamed, undisciplined Xena "Yes Bard, I see that you have come again." Gabrielle stepped back at the rawness in her voice and the coldness in her eyes.
"Xena what happened?" she asked now building the courage to step closer to the wild looking woman.
"The question bard is What hasn't happened and what will happen?" she replied as she gestured to the window. "I believe a friend of mine is coming" she said with a smirk "but she is no friend of yours."
Gabrielle went to the window and saw the black storm clouds gathering and approaching Olympus "Is it Akemi?" she asked never letting her eyes leave the clouds.
From behind her a cold hiss of a response filled her ears "I doubt a child could bring about this. Think Bard you already know who is behind this." Xena grabbed Gabrielle by the shoulder and whipped her around.
Gabrielle felt her breath catch in her throat as she met Xena eye to eye. This was the evil Xena she had only heard tales of. Xena broke the silence "I could slice you through Bard and end this now."
"What good would that do this is only a dream" Gabrielle replied trying not to sound scared.
Xena threw back her head and laughed. Once she gained control of herself she again turned to meet Gabrielle eye to eye "So I traveled with you and you were my friend and confidante" she snorted a laugh "I find this unbelievable that I could lower myself to be around such a simple minded fool." She turned from the shocked Gabrielle and began to walk to the window's edge her furs dragging on the floor, her leg obviously injured from something "Bard let me give you some knowledge. This is not only a dreamscape, this is the spirit realm you enter to speak to me" she continued with her back to Gabrielle, who was now silent "In a spirit realm anything is possible." She turned to Gabrielle "for example" in the blink of an eye a dagger was drawn and blood poured from Gabrielle's wrist "I can make you bleed and if you believe enough in the realm, it will send you from here with this reminder."
Gabrielle stared down at the blood seeping from her body. She was in shock that Xena could do such a thing. She turned her eyes pleading to Xena to help her as she felt her knees give and she fell to the floor in a pool of her own blood. She did not see the smile upon Xena's face "I told you I just could not see myself associating with someone as weak as you." Xena turned again to look out the window, now noticing that the clouds were much closer "So you have come to claim me again" she whispered to the night "Bring it on." She was lost in her thoughts again and failed to hear someone else enter the room. She spun around as a hand came down on her shoulder "Who are you?" she demanded.
"I am a friend" he replied.
"I have no friends" she spit at him as she tried to pull away from him. Her crippled leg preventing a fast escape. She went to hit him, but he captured her fist in his hand. She looked up to the man that held her against the window "Who are you?" she asked in a more hushed tone.
"As I said before I am a friend" he paused as he released her "A friend from your former life" he looked down to Gabrielle "Why did you do this to her?" he demanded.
Xena had an indignant look upon her face as she stared down at the Bard "She was weak" she said with no feeling in her voice.
He bent down to the collapsed Bard, gently placed his hand upon the wound and healed it. Xena watched in fascination "You are a God" she finally spit out.
He stood up again and turned once more to her "Yes and you are a child who can not control your temper."
She drew herself back in anger "I am not a child, I have conquered many lands and she will come and make me the destroyer" she said pointing out the window to the growing black clouds. "Then it will be the Gods that kneel in prayer to me." She said smiling in satisfaction.
He stood up and turned to her "I think not."
"Who are you?" she questioned again, then her eyes lit in excitement "Are you Ares?" she licked her lips at this thought.
"I am not Ares, I am Hercules and right now we are trying to save you" he paused noting the disappointment now etched in her face "but in order to do so you must cooperate with us."
Xena turned from him in a bored sigh "Hercules, I didn't' think you were a God, just a do gooder" she shook her head in disgust "Very disappointing."
Hercules ignored the insult and continued "Look just tell me what that is coming to Olympus?" he asked pointing out the window past her.
She glanced sideways at his forearm and followed it up to his finger and then to the blackening sky. She smiled "That my dear Hercules is Alti and she looks pissed."
"Alti" he said "But you killed her and banished her soul."
"I might have done that, but she is very clever and has found way out" she turned to face him. She was shocked by the amount of concern that his eyes held "Do I change so much as the years progress to have earned yours and the Bard's feelings?" she asked.
He looked down upon her. She looked so young and wild, yet in so much pain. He knew what lay ahead for her to relive and he knew the pain she would take on again "Yes you change, and for the good" was his only answer.
She looked out the window again to the darkening sky "She won't give up, I gave my word to follow her in death."
"You might have done that, but we will stop this" he told her.
She turned to him "I told the Bard he would save me" she paused "But I don't want to be saved."
Hercules looked down and gazed into her blue eyes. He saw only anger in them "Xena you will move past this anger, you will become more than an angry soul looking for blood" he took her chin in his hand and turned her face to his "I won't let you fall to the darkness again" he bent and captured her lips in his.
Xena resisted the kiss at first, but then let herself give into it. He broke the kiss and stood back from her as she opened her eyes "You are not the one" she said as she stared into his eyes.
Hercules felt his heart break at those words. He turned from her and began to walk away "How do we stop her?" he asked.
Before his question was answered he heard a scream of pain and turned back to see Xena collapsed on the floor. Her clothing changed before his eyes and she now wore the armor that she wore the first time he met her. She pulled herself up from the floor "Hercules what is happening" she held her hands to her head as images of her life began to fill "Oh my Gods what have I done" she screamed.
Hercules pulled her to him and held her "Xena it's all right that is the past" he held her rocking back in forth on the floor.
Her tears stopped as she suddenly sat straight up "I must find him." she said barely above a whisper "Or I am lost forever" tears fell from her eyes.
"I won't let anything happen to you" he whispered in her ear "Calm down and tell me what to do."
"I need War" she said as she looked again to the window "She will be here before another night. He will know."
Hercules felt himself being pulled from her as he watched her fade from him…………………………..
Hercules found himself again in Aphrodite's room. Gabrielle was awake staring at him "ARES'S" he screamed……………………..