Disclaimer: I do not own Xena: Warrior Princess. Wish I did though…I love Callisto.
A/N: Wow, I haven't updated this story since November of 2005. I'm sorry; I've had writer's block. I am starting to lose interest in this story but I am trying my best to keep some interest to keep this going. So, a recap. In chapter 1, I introduced Gabrielle as a warlord. I know this is like following the same path as Xena and Eve, but I'm considering it more like Callisto. Callisto lost her family and she became a being filled with hate. I am going to explain my little story line with Xena leaving Gabrielle in a later chapter, so please bear with me. I am going to bring in Solan, because I loved him a LOT more than Eve. I have my own way of bringing him back from the dead, so I hope it works out the way I planned. I don't know if I'm going to bring him in this chapter or not so…here we go.
Gabrielle laughed as she continued to drag Xena's beloved Eve along the ground. She had no love for Eve at all anymore. Eve was Xena's flesh and blood; therefore she was attached to Xena. Gabrielle's hatred towards Xena ever since the Battle of Theira had driven her to slight insanity, making her more like Callisto than any other warlord. Gabrielle would ignore Eve's obvious cries for reason as she kept riding Vetos to a cliff. (Sound familiar? Think season 3…)
"Gabrielle, please! Stop this now! In the name of Eli-"
"Will you shut up?! If I cared a thing about 'the name of Eli', would I be dragging you?! Would I be killing millions of innocent children and women?!" Gabrielle screamed behind herself as she rode. What she didn't notice, due to her hatred, was that her chakram had disappeared from her waist a while ago.
She stopped near the edge of the cliff and swung herself off of Vetos' back. She turned to look at Eve, who was scratched up and covered with gaping wounds. Gabrielle smirked in delight as she walked over to Eve and untied her feet. She then picked Eve up and walked towards the cliff, holding Eve above her head.
"Tell Xena I said hello…" Gabrielle would say as she was about to throw Eve.
"Why don't you tell me yourself?" asked an all too familiar voice from behind Gabrielle.
Gabrielle's eyes grew in surprise. It can't be… she thought to herself. She turned around and confirmed her thoughts. It was.
"What? Surprised to see me?" asked Xena, chakram hung perfectly by her hip, where it rightfully belonged. Next to Xena stood Virgil, obviously alive.
"No…you're too late, Xena! You can't be alive! You're dead!" Gabrielle shouted.
Xena smirked, "Maybe, but in about 5 seconds I'll be completely alive and very much kicking…"
Gabrielle smirked, "All I need…"
She set Eve down and smiled at Xena," Why throw her off a cliff…when I can stab her in the heart that Eli so lovingly protects?" Gabrielle raised her sword and held it above Eve's chest.
Xena's eyes grew, "No!" She swiftly grabbed her chakram and threw it towards Gabrielle's sword.
Gabrielle smiled and pulled out her dagger, throwing it towards Xena's chakram. The two weapons clashed, the impact sending the chakram back towards Xena.
Gabrielle smirked and swiftly sent the sword into Eve's chest. Eve's eyes opened instantly as she let out a loud scream of agony and pain.
"Eve!" Xena yelled as she ran to her daughter. Gabrielle pulled her sword out and looked at Xena.
"Hurts, doesn't it? Losing the one person who fills your heart?" Gabrielle asked evilly.
Xena looked up, glaring at Gabrielle. She stood up, her body starting to glow with a brilliant light. All of a sudden the light became stronger, blinding them all. When it faded, there stood beside Xena, a young boy with long light brown hair, a boy with a slightly confused look on his face.
He turned to Xena, "M-Mother?" He asked.
Xena looked down at him, her eyes instantly growing more tears.
"Solan?" She asked.
The boy nodded with a small smile. Xena smiled and then hugged him.
"It's not safe for you to be here right now. Go stand next to Virgil." Xena said as she gently pushed him towards Virgil. She then turned to Gabrielle, drawing her sword.
"All right, Gabrielle. You wanted a fight? Now you got one." Xena would say, that infamous look in her eyes that just let you know she was gonna kill you, that tone in her voice that grew fear in everyone's heart when they heard it. Everyone except Gabrielle.
"I don't want a fight, Xena," Gabrielle chuckled, "I wanted revenge…and I got it. You left me when I needed you the most. My army was starting to rebel. You were telling me how to handle the battle and all of a sudden you weren't there! You had to leave when 5 flaming arrows were flying through the skies heading towards me!" Gabrielle practically screamed.
"Common sense says you should move out of the way then, Gabrielle. Move out of the range. And you don't know the laws of the afterlife. There are ruled, Gabrielle. I couldn't tell you as a spirit, it was forbidden. There's something that stops you from saying it. The law states that a spirit may remain in a loved one's heart as long as both the spirit and the mortal hold on to eachother. If one of them lets go even for a second, the spirit gets eternally brought completely into the afterlife. Don't you get it, Gabrielle? During the battle you let go of me to fight someone." Xena explained.
"Yeah, right. This isn't over, Xena." Gabrielle said.
Xena stepped closer to Gabrielle, "Oh, I know it isn't. You and I are going to fight this out right here, right now. You don't just kill my child and walk away…"
Gabrielle looked at Xena before getting onto Vetos, "Oh, I'm not walking away. I'm riding away." Gabrielle rode off. Xena just stood there, looking at Eve's body. She burst into tears as she rested her head on Eve's body.
"Eve!" She sobbed. Solan walked over to Xena and knelt down next to her, embracing her.
"Shh…it's gonna be okay, Mother." Solan would say, trying to comfort his mother. He honestly didn't know what else to do. He had never seen his mother like this before in his life…or the time he had been alive and known her anyway.
Xena continued to sob, "Eve…I'm sorry. I'm sorry I failed you! I could have saved you and I didn't! Eve, please come back!" She continued to sob and Solan continued to hold her.
Xena stood up and looked at Virgil, "Virgil, do you think you could go to that village that's about a half mile back and get us a horse for Eve? It'd take us twice the time to carry her by ourselves. A horse could make things much faster."
Virgil gave Xena a small smile, "Of course." He turned and started to run towards the village. Xena turned to Solan.
"Solan, how did you get back here?" Xena would ask.
Solan shrugged, "I dunno. I guess the same way you did?"
"Solan, you couldn't. Ares' plan should have only brought me back. It wasn't powerful enough for you, too."
"Ares? You know the God of War? Why would he bring you back? Why not bring a warlord back?" Solan asked.
"Because he knew that Gabrielle wasn't meant to be killing these innocent people. And she was killing men and boys destined to become warriors for him. He knew he had to stop her and he knew the only person who probably could is me."
Xena turned, sensing an all too familiar feeling. In a second, a few sparks flew, and Ares appeared out of nowhere.
"Ares, just the god I wanted to see. I get why you brought me back, but why Solan?" Xena asked, looking for answers.
Ares looked at Xena, "The spell wasn't complete yet, and Gabrielle killed Eve, a person who was your flesh and blood. So the spell got confused. Obviously it thought you had died again so it brought back the next dead person who shares your blood with you."
"Solan. That explains a lot. Ares, this is going to be tougher than I thought. I'm not going to kill her like you first intended me to." Xena explained.
"Why not? You wanted to before when her daughter killed Solan. Now she killed Eve…do you seriously want her to get away with it?"
"No! Of course not! But she won't. She is going to live with the pain and guilt of all of the people whose lives she took! Killing her will solve nothing but your problem, Ares. This isn't all about you now, it's personal. I will not kill her unless if it is a last resort." Xena steamed.
Ares nodded, "I understand your opinions, I really do but…let's remember who brought you and apparently your son back from the dead, shall we?"
Xena's eyes grew slightly as she came to realization, "Ares, you're the God of War. If Gabrielle was so badly in your way, one can't help but wonder…why didn't you just blast her into Oblivion yourself?"
Ares looked at her, "Where's the fun in that?"