The sound of thunder could be heard as a dark figure suddenly emerged in front of the house. "He's outside, stay in here and be alert" Was all the warrior princess said as she headed towards the door.
Gabrielle stood up to see her walking towards him, with her sword drawn.
Xena stopped two feet away from him, his face was smirking but his eyes were sad.
"You mind explaining your self?" She asked, the question was simple but in actuality she was talking about so much more.
He didn't reply right away and the silence between them became deafening. He just stared at her as if he might not ever see her again. After what seemed like an eternity he finally spoke.
"I'm here because I wanted to talk to you about a deal"
"A deal?" She replied, in disbelief. "Of course, cause why else would you be here?" Bitterness could be heard in her voice.
The god paused a moment feeling the small pain she felt from his words. "Listen Xena, you want Eve's safety I can give it to you, but for something in return"
"So tell me Ares, what do you want?" She knew the answer, it was the same as always but she wanted to see if he would dare say it.
He paused unsure how to respond. The rain continued to fall as they stood there, neither one wanting to take off their mask and show their true selves. Not being able to stop himself the god took a few steps closer to her. Xena held her sword in front of his chest and gave him a warning look. He stopped for a moment then came closer, touching the swords tip he moved it aside. Xena didn't move, it was as if time had slowed down and no matter how hard she tried, she could not turn away.
He reached for her face, caressing her skin as the raindrops slid down her body. Staring into her eyes he felt his core breaking down for knowing what was probably happening at this very moment. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, then whispered. "They're in the house trying to kill Eve, go now" He stepped back watching as her expression changed and she turned and ran back into the small home.
Xena rushed through the door to find Athena, Hades and Deimos rampaging through everything in the room. Their swords were drawn as they threw old wooden crates aside and turned tables over.
It took them only a moment to realize she was in the room, they turned to her simultaneously. Deimos was the first to charge her, he swung his sword wildly at her as he got closer. Xena blocked his advances, and quickly knocked his sword away.
Deimos looked up at her, somewhat surprised then all he saw as her foot connecting with his stomach. He felt as his body was launched into the wall behind him. After a minute or so he vanished unseen.
The large gashes in the roof had allowed streaks of rain to descend into the house.
Xena turned to Hades' and watched as the god cautiously made his way to her. "Xena I wish things didn't have to be this way" He said with a devious expression.
"It doesn't, you can always leave" She replied, closely watching him.
"Funny" He said, letting out a small chuckle. "It was nice knowing you" He added then lunged his sword at her.
Xena easily moved out of the way and delivered a backhanded smack to his face. The god stumbled back before attacking again. A ball of fire appeared in his hands, with the flick of his waist it darted towards the warrior princess. Xena flipped out of the way only to be hit from behind by Athena.
Xena staggered but quickly regained her balanced. Athena looked at her with an apologetic expression, which then turned into a smirk. Xena was about to attack her when she heard Hades coming up behind her. The god forcefully swung his sword only to miss. Their swords clashed as Xena tried to keep an eye on both gods. Hades' attacks became more rapid as Xena found her self being distracted by the smirking goddess.
Xena winced as she felt the blade of the god's sword sliced across her arm. She blocked his next attack and with a hard kick knocked him to the ground. Before she could even catch her breath she watched as a series of fireballs emerged from Athena's hands and came flying towards her. She flipped, jumped and leaped across the room trying to avoid the burning spheres but still felt as one collided with her body. She was thrown into a pile of crates beside an unseen door to another room. The empty wooden boxes broke her fall but inflicted more damage as the jagged pieces of wood made small cuts on her skin.
She shook her head trying to clear her mind; she knew she had to get up. Just then she heard someone softly calling out her name.
"Xena? Xena are you alright?" The voice asked, it took her a while to realize that it was Gabrielle.
"Gabrielle are you and Eve okay?"
"Yes we're fine" The bard replied, still whispering.
"Where are you?" Xena felt as if the world was spinning.
"Behind the door" Gabrielle reply, as she slowly opened the door and reached for the fallen warrior.
"No, stay in there it's not safe" Xena said trying to get up.
"You need help" Gabrielle gradually pulled her into the room trying not to make a great deal of noise so that the gods would not notice the rotting wood door, which practically blended into the wall.
Athena waited as Hades stood up. There was no rush she thought, they had Xena beaten. However what they didn't see was Gabrielle pulling the warrior princess into another room.
Smoke and fire had now engulfed the wooden structure as it began falling apart. The storm continued and the large droplets of rain were the only thing fighting the fire from immediately consuming the entire house. Gabrielle closed the door and made her way to Xena, who had blood dripping from her mouth and arms, and had a large red scald like mark going down one shoulder.
"I'm fine" Xena said, getting up with the help the of the bard.
"I think you should take Eve and go out through the back, I'll try to hold them for as long as I can"
"Gabrielle there's no way I'm going to leave you behind"
Large pieces of flaming wood started falling down from above them, and the smoke was making it harder and harder to see. The large puddles that were forming around them weren't exactly helping matters.
"We're running out of time, they want you and Eve not me. I'll be fine trust me now go" Gabrielle picked up Eve.
"No, No I can't I won't"
"You have to. You once mentioned a cave being near here, I'll find it and I'll meet you both there. Xena just trust me on this"
Suddenly they heard as Athena and Hades began looking through the crates for Xena. "She's gone" Hades roared.
"She's not gone, she's just hiding" Athena's muffled voice said. "So that's where you've been all this time Gabrielle" She yelled behind the door.
Gabrielle handed Eve to Xena and pushed her through the second door leading out just as the door behind her exploded. Athena and Hades walked through the now enormous hole in the wall.
"Where are they?" The goddess questioned.
"None of your business" Gabrielle replied.
"You know I'd really hate to have to kill you, but I will if you don't move out of our way"
"Then I guess you'll have to kill me" Gabrielle held her sais in her hands.
The goddess released a fire ball at her and watched as Gabrielle leaped out of the way, but the bard quickly got up again. In a split second Athena was in front of her, the goddess grabbed Gabrielle by the neck and threw her aside like a rag doll.
Athena and Hades then made their way through the door and saw Xena and Eve ridding away on horse back as they were being drenched with rain. Two stallions then appeared and both gods climbed onto them and headed after the warrior princess.
Xena was struggling to see in the storm as she attempted to lose Athena and Hades who were only a few yards away and gaining on her. Right when she thought they would catch her they all of a sudden vanished. She pulled on the reins forcing Argo to slow down. She couldn't understand why the gods would just leave when they almost had them. Something was wrong she could sense it. She turned Argo around and started making her way to the cave where she and Gabrielle were suppose to meet up.
Meanwhile Gabrielle stumbled to the door and slowly made her way to her horse. As she rode the horse searching for the cave's entry she felt a sense of foreboding coming over her. At last she found the cave and hurriedly got of her horse and walked inside. She began pacing back and forth waiting for any sign of Xena and Eve.
Just then she heard a sound. "Xena is that you?" She asked.
However as she walked towards the entry of the cave she was thrown backwards onto the ground by an unseen force. She looked up confused and saw Discord appear before her. Discord who had seemed to be absent during this whole thing was actually waiting for the right time to appear.
"Surprised to see me Gabrielle?" The goddess said, with an evil leer as the rumble of thunder could be heard from the sky.
"What do you want?" Gabrielle asked, not fully understanding what the goddess wanted with her.
"I'll let you guess" Discord replied, as she pulled out a large dagger.
Before Gabrielle had a chance to react the dagger had flown into her chest. The bard gasped in shock as she watched blood begin pouring out of her.
"Now don't die just yet, there's someone I want to see this" Discord said, walking next to the dying bard. "Ares come here there's something you should see"
Ares appeared with his usual aggravated look, but was quickly frozen when he saw who was lying on the ground beside the sinister goddess.
"What in Tartarus did you do?" Anger and shock was apparent in his features.
"Finishing the plan of course. Oh no did I forget to tell you? You see we weren't after the child, we were after Xena's little friend the whole time. Gradually we're going to start killing all her love ones one by one until she finally gives up, which she will. So thank you for your part, I just knew you would tell her to run back into the house. Job well done god of war" She said smirking, then vanished leaving him with the dying bard.
Ares slowly made his way to her. Blood had already started flowing out her mouth, and her skin was losing its color. She was covered in rain and having difficulty breathing.
"Ares" The bard choked out, coughing up blood.
Hesitantly he kneeled beside her. She turned to him and struggled as she said, "Take care of them…and tell her that I'm sorry…" With that she released her last breath of air as her soul slowly drifted from her body.
The sound of a galloping horse could be heard as Xena made her way to the cave. She carefully got off the horse with Eve in her arms. The child was wrapped in a long cloth, a weak attempt to shield her from the storm. She could now see what looked like Ares kneeling down beside someone. Dread had started seeping into her heart, as she got closer.
With each step Xena took she felt as if her legs were becoming heavier. When she saw that it was Gabrielle who was lying on the ground she fell to her knees.
"Gabrielle? Gabrielle!" She yelled shaking the lifeless body of her friend. But the bard did not reply. "No Gabrielle you can't die, Don't you dare die!" She screamed but it was pointless the bard had already passed away.
Xena held Gabrielle against her as her falling tears became lost among the rain drops on her face.
Ares had stood up and stepped away deciding to give Xena some room. He stood there in silence as he watched her mourn over her lost friend. Looking at Xena's shivering dripping wet form all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms, and make her pain go away. He walked closer to her and carefully touched her arm, trying miserably to console her.
Xena turned to him, her face filled with anger and hurt. "You damn bastard" She said, pulling away from his hand.
"It wasn't me, it was Discord. I would never…" He replied, almost pleading with her.
"Get away from me, you were part of this. You helped them!" She yelled as she started shaking from her held in sobs.
"I didn't know they were after Gabrielle, I swear to you"
"Just leave me alone damn it. Just leave me alone!" Eve's wailing could now be heard as the rage of the storm increased.
"Xena" Came the voice of another, as the goddess of wisdom then appeared in front of them. "I would like to make you an offer" She said, looking down at the women before her.
But the warrior princess did not reply instead she stared at the goddess with cold harsh eyes.
"Give me the child and I will save your friend. Think about it Xena is this child truly worth the demise of all your lived ones? Your friends and family? Will you be able to sleep at night knowing that you could have prevented their deaths?"
"Burn in Tartarus, you bitch" Xena said through clench teeth as she gave Athena a deathly glare.
"Fine, then I hope you enjoy burying Gabrielle because there will be many others after her" Athena said with a displeased expression. And within a second she was done.
Xena turned back to Eve and Gabrielle, slowly she began rocking back and forth trying to calm the child down, as well as her self. She could still sense him standing behind her, watching her with his eyes. She did not say anything, instead she waited and waited until she sensed he had finally left. Not being able to hold it in any longer her cries ultimately took over her. She shook with sorrow as she held in her arms her frightened child and dead friend.