Authors Note: Some changes were made in this story that differ from that of the Hercules and Xena TV series.
Ares' vision was dark and blurry when he awoke from the fight he was in pain and alone. At least he thought he was as he didn't see the strong and imposing form of Hercules sitting beside him next to the bed. Ares was about to get up when pain in his body stopped him as his hand shot instinctively to his ribs. His earlier summations were correct he did indeed have broken ribs.
He felt a bandage on his ribs that had been more skillfully applied than any other in his short time as a mortal. He hissed out in pain when a strong hand griped his muscled shoulder.
"You shouldn't be moving yet Ares," said the deep voice of his brother Hercules.
"Why are you here?" he asked in a pain filed whisper, still trying to get to his feet after shrugging off the hand.
"Originally revenge," Hercules stated, looking at his older brother, "revenge for the families you have split revenge for the people you killed in your wars and revenge for my murdered wife and children"
Ares said, "Then finish it. Get your revenge, end me now brother." He hissed as he forced himself to his feet. He stared into his brothers eyes with his own swollen ones as he stated, "Come kill me like I did your family!"
"No that would lower me to your level of filth and I never would be clean again." he said as his fists balled in anger. Ares hand ran from his brow down his face he noticed his nose had been snapped back into place.
"Kane, what are you doing out of bed?" asked a female voice from the door, "get back in there mister if your brother Able hadn't come and got me you would be dead and now your undoing all my hard work," she screeched at the former god of war, "How are you supposed to heal properly if you wont rest honestly you are the worst patience I ever had."
He looked to Hercules and mouthed 'Able?' Hercules just shrugged.
"Sorry Bethany," said Ares as he lay back down on the bed with a hiss of pain and while saying some obscenities.
"You shouldn't be fighting in your condition anyway it will speed up the disease," she chastised. If Ares could've role his eyes at her, he would have.
"What disease," asked Hercules?
"Well we don't know what it is but its killing your brother slowly. The more he exerts himself the weaker he will become." She looked at the ground sadly, "there's nothing we can do for him I'm afraid." she hesitated, "he as two summers left at the most."
Hercules sat in the chair at the side of the bed as the sun shone in his eyes from the holes in the thatched roof that had yet to be patched.
The bed was big enough for three Ares could attest to that. It was made from the same wood the house was built from. The house itself was average sized, it was also a little run down but a lot better since Ares had began to fix things up.
The two sat in silence for what seemed like hours until Ares spoke.
"What the hell kind of name is Able anyway," he asked Hercules chuckled.
"It just popped into my head," he said again awkward silence
"How did it happen?" asked Hercules.
"Long ago brother long ago," he said tiredly, "and it's a long story."
"I have nothing but time," Replied Hercules.
"Brotherly bonding isn't it a little too late for that," said Ares.
"Just tell me and stop being a jackass,"
"Fine," Ares said execrably as he began, "this begins at the day of my birth."
(37,000,000 years ago)
Hera had been in labor for two days and even for a goddess it was a long time but finally in one great push the baby was borne.
She held him in her arms, her first-born son
"Ares," she said tiredly, he didn't cry when he was borne or when he was separated from his mother and placed in an oak crib by his mother who was resting. The next day she awoke and picked up Ares and showed him to Zeus.
"Say hello to your son Zeus," said a happy Hera. He looked at the child and huffed he wasn't impressed.
"He will be the war god," he said coolly, "he will be cold and unfeeling he will never know love, he will never know friendship, he will never know compassion or companionship."
Zeus looked at Hera, "he will be war he will be passion, revenge hate and fear. He will make and break heroes, create legends, destroy myths. He will be relentless in the pursuit of victory. He will be a warrior like none the world has ever or will ever see, but he will be completely alone until the day of his death."
He at his wife un sympathetically as she was crying at the fate awaiting her son. He said harshly, "woman your tears will not help. But fear not through passion he will create music, epic poems, songs, and orchestral beauty unparalleled throughout the world." he looked at his son once more his wife weeping as she held him, "Take him and go woman. train him well." In a flash of lightning he was gone.
(10,000,000 years later)
Ares looked to be around ten years old.
Ares was practicing with his sword in front of his mother who was correcting his style when a lightning bolt shot and hit the earth in front of Hera. Standing where it hit was a very angry Zeus.
"You dammed cow how dare you," he roared as the sky darkened around them.
"Hello husband come to see your son," she said calmly taking a sip of ambrosia from a golden chalice.
"Never mind that brat, cow how dare you interfere with my personal life," he roared again
"I think it's my business when my husband is having an illicit romance with a mortal," she said scornfully.
He spat, "You turned her into a snake, you cow!"
"A hydra is hardly a snake, my husband," she said calmly which only infuriated him more.
"You will pay for this cow," he said when his eye fell on Ares, "your son shall be made mortal for your transgression cow mortal and powerless." he disappeared in a lightning bolt.
She grabbed Ares and vanished in a lilac tornado. When they reappeared they were in a barren wasteland.
"Where are we mother?" he asked
"The world between worlds. You will have to stay here to train until your father cools down." she said to her son, "but don't worry I will be with you and I will fetch the best teachers the mortal world has to offer so you can learn the art of war and music my son."
(Present)
"I spent twenty thousand years in that place because mother disapproved of father's sexual conquests", he looked to his brother, "every one of the monsters you fought was once one of fathers women."
"What does this have to do with your illness, Ares?" said Hercules.
"I'm getting there brother. Any way the waste wasn't as abandoned as mother believed…"
(Waste land 15,000,000 years inside)
Ares had leaned a lot from the warriors his mother had brought to teach him. But thanks to the waste he didn't age and that was a problem for some of the styles he had learned but nothing major.
The waste also gave the advantage of being a Time Bridge. In the waste, people from any time could be brought in and returned at the instant they left."
*The sky was starless and lit by what seemed strange glowing tunnels in the sky. He had seen things travel through them. In one he had seen strange boats and flying machines travel through the sky exiting from the same tunnel and going in to different ones.*
Ares had once again decided to wonder the barren land he was forced to live in. he hadn't found anything to do except practice but thanks to his natural advantage he already mastered the katas. He would go to the same spot about half a mile from his cave home and began to work out first with tai-chi then karate several kung fu styles witch included tiger, panther, snake, crane wolf, and dragon. He then went through aikido, jeet kune do, bangkaw, tameng, and what was called the system.
Once he finished he would train with Weapons. He had learned a vast array of armed combat styles and he was a natural with any weapon. He knew how to use the balisong, karambit, espada, kalis, golok, sibat, broadsword, rapier, gladius, Kopis and many more. He learned strategy and how to be a gentleman from a man called Montgomery, a very short man called Napoleon. Another man called Nelson who taught him some naval warfare. A man called William Marshal taught him honor.
Today however he decided to have a bit of a meander. He didn't do it often but he needed a day off. As he wondered he heard a strange shrieking he turned in time to see a long red snake with a rattle on its tail that made a shrieking sound. It had bat wings that were black and sharp talons on the end. Its mouth was full of razor sharp teeth that were around three inches long and jagged like a steak knife. It lunged at Ares who attempted to dodge the attack, but it moved too fast and its monstrous teeth sank into the flesh of Ares shoulder. He let out a cry as the shrieking snake flue away. Immediately the poison flooded his system shutting him down organ by organ only the timely intervention of Hera saved him.
She took him to Zeus to heal him but Zeus refused, forcing Hera to find an alternate means of healing him. Which she found in the Elysian Fields, a man called Dasios a great healer killed by Zeus. Out of spite he took out the majority of the poison but its effects were permanent as long as Ares was human he was going to die.
Hera convinced Zeus to return Ares to Olympus as a price she would leave her husbands illicit love life alone.
(present)
"That's what happened brother. Now you see why I hated you so much," Ares stated,
"Ares I…," He stopped
"don't! just don't." he ran his hand through his short hair with Irritation.
"I'll be back tomorrow I…"
"I wont be," Ares interrupted, "I'm leaving I don't want to be here in my final days."
Hercules asked, "Where will you go?"
"After her." He said, "I won't be coming back. I finished the arrangements a few days ago." he said as his eyes were getting heavy."
Hercules nodded and left as Ares lost his battle with Morpheus. His sleep was filled with his love, his princess. Dreams of what ifs and could have been, both positive and negative. Dreams some he wished would have come true and others never to happen.
He awoke at dawn at the sound of the cockerel. He cast of his farming clothes and grabbed the familiar garb of the war God he was. He had two fighting knives made from steel crafted himself. His familiar long sword at his side as always, he had a new pare of black leather fighting gloves with sharp blades on the knuckles.
He grabbed his guitar, a gift from Hephaestus unbreakable by mortal hands and strapped it to his back. He was about to heave with great pain a large leather rucksack onto his back when it suddenly grew lighter. He turned and saw his brothers smiling face. Though there was still swelling along Ares face it had lessened considerably from the previous day.
"What do you want?" he asked sharply.
"Can't I help my brother every now and then." Hercules said with a smile
He stated, "No you can't, we've been at each other's throats for the better part of two decades. Yet now you want to play nice because I'm dying?"
Hercules asked, "And your point?"
Ares growled as he let go of the bag. Hercules lifted it and strapped it to his back still smiling at his brother,
"Your doing this to torture me aren't you." he asked
still smiling Hercules replied, "Just looking out for my favorite brother."
"I'm your only brother you dick." Ares spat out
"And therefore my favorite." he smiled getting a kick out of playing the annoying little brother. Ares was mumbling profanity that would make a Carthaginian sailor blush he and his brother began there journey down the same long wooded road his beloved and her companion left on.
"Xena," Ares sighed.