Title: The Newcomer

Rating: PG-13ish
Pairing: Xena/Ares
Summary: After turning 17, Ava, Xena's cousin (distant of course), is confused about what to do with her life and goes to the Goddess of Warfare and Wisdom for advice. Little does she know that she has caught the attention of a specific god, Athena's son.
Status of fic: WIP
Author's Notes/Disclaimer:Xena, Ares, Gabrielle, and anyone else who sounds familiar to the Xena or Hercules series are property of MCA, Universal, and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. Takes place in towards the end of the second season and beginning of the third, somewhere in between, after the dirty half dozen, let's just pretend the episodes after TDHD, never happened, yes that would mean the rest of the seasons never occurred!

Chapter 3:

The trip to Athena's temple wasn't as long as the first time Ava traveled to it, mainly because she had camped nearby. Once she was in front of the temple, she got off of her horse, cradling the gift close to her chest. Ava took a deep breath before opening the door and entering the sacred temple.

Once inside, she approached the altar with small steady steps. She then put the chest on the altar and spoke what she thought would be appropriate to say.

"Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare…" just as she was thinking of what to say, she heard the voice of the priestess with whom she had spoken to the day before.

"Child, were you not listening to a word I said yesterday?" the old priestess asked in annoyance.

Ava sighed and turned to face the priestess. "Yes, I heard every single word you spoke …" there was a pregnant pause "but it's better to try than to never have tried at all."

The old priestess' facial features softened and she spoke in a kinder tone. "You have determination child, determination that other gift-bearers lack. What is your name child?"

"Ava" she answered now taken aback with the priestess' change of tone.

The old woman spoke up once more. "Well Ava, what about if we get you freshened up a bit, after all," she smiled and made a gesture towards what she was wearing, "those robes don't look at all to comfortable."

Ava smiled. Just yesterday, she had scoffed and seemed annoyed at her. "Okay, thank you." Just then her stomach growled and she remembered she hadn't really eaten that morning.

"Follow me and I'll get something more comfortable for you to wear and I'll get something for you to eat as well." She led Ava towards a chamber and told her to wait for her there. Ava didn't notice the old woman leave for she was too absorbed with the decorative walls and the room's contents. She placed the chest down on a small table that was nearby and started to look ever more closely at the paintings that were on the walls. She was startled when the priestess returned not long after, with what seemed like white and yellow robes. Another priestess who held a tray of food followed the old woman.

"Here, put these on." The priestess handed her the robes. "Those colors are much more comfortable than the one's you are wearing." She smiled and then turned to leave, but then paused before exiting. "I hope you enjoy the food, rest for a while and I'll be back shortly."

Ava nodded and went back to looking at the robes she had been given and after staring at them for several minutes, she decided to change into them. After she had changed, she went over to the tray of food they had left her and eat.

After what seemed like half an hour of trying to relax, Ava started to pace around the room. A few minutes after pacing the door opened and the old priestess came back followed by the priestess who had brought in the food. She noticed she had been pacing and had a preoccupied expression.

"Sarah, take her robes and have them washed." With that the younger priestess took Ava's robes and left Ava alone with the older priestess. She noticed that Ava continued to pace and cleared her throat.

"Sorry for not introducing myself. I'm Samara."

Ava blushed with embarrassment for she had acted rudely by ignoring the priestess. "It's nice to meet you. So…how long have you been a priestess?"

"Well, I started when I was nine, so let me see, around 56 years."

Ava looked at the priestess amused. "That's a long time. Do you enjoy it?"

The old woman looked at her and answered. "Well, at times it can get lonely but yes, I do enjoy it." She then paused and looked at the chest that was on the nearby table. "Talking about priestesses, tell me Ava, what is it that drove you to this little journey of yours?"

Ava took a deep breath and started to explain what drove her to wanting to become a priestess. She told her about her families' death to being completely confused about her next step in life and questioning her sanity. When she had finished, she noticed that Samara had a concerned look on her face and started to speak again.

"You must be from the village who hardly had any survivors…none to be honest." She paused and then looked at Ava curiously. "How is it that you managed to survive?"

She looked at the priestess and then looked away shamefully. "My mother…she has sent me to pick herbs early that morning, I was angry because she had sent me so early, in the end, it turned out she saved my life."

It was then the priestess understood the girl's actions. "Ava, I don't know what it is you're looking for exactly…but I'm sure that your willpower will get you the answer you need." She glanced at the chest Ava had brought with her and then took a quick glance at Ava and left her alone.

Athena slammed her hall doors open, she didn't care if all of Olympus heard it. Her day was not going all to well. Some thugs had attacked some of her priestesses in Athens and then she had had a run-in with her brother Ares; it wasn't what she had needed at the moment. Once again he had managed to get her extremely aggravated.

"Your priestesses being molested?" He had asked with a teasing tone.

"This isn't a good time Ares." Athena had answered, not wanting to deal with him.

Ares chuckled. "Hey, it's not my fault that your priestesses can't seem to stay out of trouble. I mean they serve the Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare, one would expect them to have more brains and have some sort of combat skills."

Now as she walked around her hall, she remembered how that had really made lose her temper.

"Ares, its times like these that make me wonder why I let my son anywhere near you."

He then frowned. "He's twenty-three-hundred-years-old. Besides, who has helped make him into a respectable god?" Which came out more as a statement then question.

"Respectable!" She barked at him. "He has become as self-centric and egotistical as yourself. It's because of you that he got hurt all those years ago; you filled his mind with nonsense! No surprise why your former warrior princess despises you so, you're like a disease, an infectious disease! Destroys everything that comes in contact with it."

Ares was now furious and shouted at his sister. "He's your son, keep him in line! You don't see Aphrodite coming to me and complaining about her son! "

Perhaps she had overdone it, she thought. Nevertheless, she was frustrated with her brother and wished she could have strangled him on the spot.

Athena walked towards her projectile mirror and checked up on her temple in Spain. She was curious to see if the girl had returned. Sure enough, she had returned. Athena saw the girl walking to the altar with different colored robes this time and saw the girl embrace what seemed like a small box close to her. The girl then began to speak.

"Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare, I offer you this chest with hope…" and she paused like if not knowing what it was she was hoping for.

Athena couldn't help herself and decided to do some mind probing. What she discovered was amazing; the girl was having thoughts about the chest and family. Apparently, the chest was the last remembrance the girl had of her family. The child has courage, something a goddess such as myself takes in mind.

She felt bad when she saw the girl still trying to put into words what it was she wanted. After watching her for a few seconds, Athena decided that she was going to pay the girl a visit, it would both of them feel better. It would help her forget her run-in with her brother.

Ava was having difficulty putting into words what it was what she was hoping for. What did she hope for? Sanity? Guidance? Both? Just then a dim golden glow brightened up the room. Ava turned to see where it was coming from and she stared in awe. It was then she realized where the light had come from that she dropped down on her knees.

At that moment, she heard a voice. "I am Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare, rise child."