A SHATTERED HEART AND BROKEN SOUL
Xena opened her eyes she blinked feeling her body stiffen there was something wrong. She could hear someone moving towards her. She closed her eyes hearing the Chakram as it was eased free from the table top. She heard the feet shift again as the person turned to face her. Her gaze snapped open just in time to see the Itzli turn to look at her. Despite his bound hands she could see the weapon clearly as he held it tightly. She grinned for a moment seeing his shock at her suddenly waking up. "Going somewhere?" She didn't think as she grabbed his shoulder then slammed her head in to his knocking the feathered head dress of with the force of the blow.
She watched as he hit the floor hard passing out from the force of the blow, the Chakram hit the floor hard crashing as it landed. She turned watching as her lover bolted up right in bed her sleep instantly shattered. Gabrielle pulled her sai blade up sharply feeling her brain go in overdrive as she tried desperately to wake up fully something she'd never been good at. "Xena?" Xena slowly leaned down picking up the Chakram. "It's okay Gabrielle…just go back to sleep." Gabrielle looked down eyeing Itzli she blinked trying to clear her sleep filled mind. "What's going on?" Xena eyed the Mexican warrior before looking up. "He took it up on himself to walk up to me and take the Chakram off the bed side table…I put him back to sleep."
Gabrielle looked down slightly. "I knew I should've tied up his legs." Xena looked up sharply. "Why didn't you?" Gabrielle breathed in deeply. "Because I didn't think he'd dare to even try something like this." Xena slowly eased herself out from under the covers she kneeled down pulling out another piece of rope from her pack which she used to tie up the man's legs. She sighed as she dragged him back in the corner throwing him against the wall. "If he moves again I'm going to make sure he's tied so tight that it hurts him…." She walked over to the mask picking it and placing it next to the man. She eased up her hand grabbing his face for a moment eyeing the scars she let go walking to wards the bed which she calmly lay back down on. "I saw him trying to heal those scars on his face with the healing water."
Gabrielle breathed as she lay back down. "He can't heal them, only if I free him from my service will those scars on his face disappear." Xena raised an eyebrow. "You mean it's like a mark of ownership?" Gabrielle lowered her gaze trying not to meet her lovers gaze. "Yes…." Xena breathed in sharply. "You know that's worse than keeping a slave." Gabrielle looked at her hand for a moment. "You know he isn't truth worthy, far from it. He was probably going to use the Chakram to kill you!" Xena eased her hand only to stop her lovers words were right he probably would have. Gabrielle narrowed her gaze. "Most of the blood god's warriors aren't taught to be kind. There taught to kill and sacrifice people…for some its all they'll ever…."
She stopped in mid sentence turning slightly feeling a presence close by. "Aphrodite?" Aphrodite appeared in a flash of white light which caused Rose petals to fall all around her. "Hi you guys." Xena turned sharply meeting the goddess's gaze. "How long have you been standing there?" Aphrodite folded her arms meeting her gaze. "A while." She turned to face Gabrielle, her face turning serious. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Gabrielle put a hand on her face. "Oh don't you start as well." Xena slowly narrowed her gaze. "Hey don't shout at her! It was my fault I was the one who died!" Aphrodite stepped forward she eyed the Warrior Princess. "Stay out of this warrior babe!"
Xena pulled back blinking in shock as goddess turned back to face her lover. Aphrodite raised her hand. "I told you not to bring those items back didn't I?" Gabrielle threw the cover off as she stood up facing the goddess. "You know you didn't do anything to stop me when I came on shore with them." Aphrodite pulled back slightly. "I was afraid of you!" Gabrielle raised her finger. "You know Ares wasn't afraid of me and because of that I spent all night wide awake because I had him talking in my ear about ruling the world!" Aphrodite put her hand on her chest. "Yes and you took it up on yourself to threaten him with death using that pendent around your neck."
Gabrielle eyed the pendent. "I was tired I wanted to sleep!" Aphrodite leaned forward. "The whole of Olympus now knows that you're carrying around four godly Aztec objects. Do you know what Zeus is going to do to you if you don't leave?" She raised her finger stopping Gabrielle from speaking. "He's going to bring down his fury on you and move you off these shores personally." She shook her head. "The only reason he hasn't already, is because of your role in killing the Lycaon the werewolf king." She took a step forward. "He's terrified that you're going to start a war with the Aztec gods, who will come here believing that we stole their godly items!" Gabrielle looked up sharply. "They don't belong to the other Aztec gods they belong to Quetzalcoatl."
Aphrodite turned sharply. "I told you not to go to Mexica! I told you it was dangerous." Gabrielle looked up sharply. "You were the one who mentioned C'thulon." Aphrodite leaned forward. "Yes I did, but I didn't expect you to actuality go and find him." Gabrielle felt her hand form a fist. "I wanted Xena back!" Aphrodite shook her head. "Gabrielle I saved you from dieing after you came back from Mexica and all you could do was hurt my feelings by lashing out at me. You broke one of vases on purpose because you got angry and violent…you never said you were sorry." Xena sat up sharply. "You broke one of her vases?" Gabrielle opened her mouth getting ready to say something but all her words left her as her memories came flooding back.
8
Aphrodite watched as Gabrielle turned the Chakram slowly her gaze following its gleaming curves. Her messy blonde hair hung down over her eyes which looked so sad as if the very soul itself had been sucked from them. The tattered clothes also showed how little the younger woman cared about her outward appearance. She was so lucky to be alive her terrible shoulder and leg wound where someone or something had bitten and scratched her had now been bandaged. The wounds had been bleeding terribly. She'd realized that something was wrong when she'd the lone green life thread dim on the loom of fate which had been working of its own accord since the passing of the fates.
She appeared in the pouring rain only to find her friend laying on her back on the muddy ground her wounds bleeding severely. She hadn't thought as she picked her up and transported her to the nearest temple. She had no healing powers so all she could do was copy what she'd seen other wounded mortals do when some one was injured. She wasn't used to having blood all over her hands and despite how awful it was she carried on cleaning the wounds regardless. Then she'd used herb soaked bandages to wrap up the wounds which she'd had to stitch up the next day after cleaning them again. For two days Gabrielle hadn't moved or even flinched she'd seemed dead to the world despite that her heart was still beating.
Finally the green eyes had opened much to her relief, but ever since Gabrielle had come around she hadn't said a word. It was as if all speech had been drawn from her throat. She couldn't tell if it was because of the wounds she'd suffered or because she just generally didn't want to speak. She looked at the tattered brown and red Amazon leather and the messy blonde hair, the young woman needed a long soak and her clothes fixing. She kneeled down in front of the younger woman running a hand through her messy blonde hair which was now well over shoulder length. She watched as the sad eyes met her own. "Hi Gabby." Gabrielle lowered her gaze again it felt like her heart had been smashed apart and all the fight she'd ever had had finally drained from her soul.
She'd hurt her own sister, she'd been drunk and still she hadn't stopped herself. She dropped the Chakram listening as it hit the temples floor hard, she ignored Aphrodite's hand as it carried moving through her hair she had cursed her own family and her village hated her. She had been so drunk that she'd trapped her servant in the cavern and put the feathered serpent's items in along with him. Not that she could remember much off any off it just pieces of detail. She looked down further her own family would never want her back after what she'd done to them. She wanted to fade away, to disappear from existence and for everyone to forget her name. She felt truly weak weaker than she'd ever felt in her whole life, the strength to carry on fighting was no longer there.
The voice to say this wasn't there ether she couldn't stop the tears as began to pour down her face. Aphrodite pulled the younger mortal woman in to her arms trying to comfort her. She moved her hands through the messy blonde hair. She wasn't Xena and she had a feeling that her comfort wouldn't calm these tears. She closed her eyes slightly. "Its okay Gabrielle what ever it is, its okay…I'm here." She breathed in sharply she should have appeared when the woman arrived back from Mexica but her violent behaviour had both shocked her and scared her. The eyes she'd seen were not that of her friend but someone who enjoyed being cruel to others and got pleasure out of it.
She'd heard that Mexica had the power to do this people but she'd never truly believed it until now. It was said that the evil of the Aztec gods could consume people's very souls and shatter them like ice. That kind people could become very cruel and honourable warriors were left broken leaving them wanting nothing more than to die. She held her friend tighter. "I know Xena's not here but I'm here." Gabrielle felt her gaze narrow. "You're not Xena." Aphrodite pulled back feeling the ice cold of her friends tone. "No I'm not but I'm your friend." She put her hands through the scruffy blonde hair. "I'm here to help you." Gabrielle turned eyeing her bandaged wounds. "You could have helped me…by letting me die."
Aphrodite blinked in shock as she pulled back. "Don't say that, you don't want that." Gabrielle lowered her gaze slowly. "You have no idea what I've done, the people I've hurt and those I've killed. I hurt my own sister…all because I was to drunk to realize what I was doing." Aphrodite looked at her sadly. "It's Mexica it's made you this way, it's not your fault." Gabrielle laughed slightly but it was cold mocking laugh even to her own ears. "Mexica didn't make me this way! I became this way!" Aphrodite pulled back sharply she breathed in deeply trying to ignore the cold hateful gaze which was burning in to her. Gabrielle sat up slightly. "I failed in Mexica…C'thulon didn't grant my wish to bring Xena back."
Aphrodite stood up watching as her friend slowly did the same. "You're lucky to be alive, C'thulon's children aren't known for their mercy." Gabrielle narrowed her gaze. "No they aren't and I gave them no mercy in return." Aphrodite stepped forward. "You need to get a wash, your hairs a lot longer now you need to take better care of it." She eased up her finger running it down one of the torn leather belt parts. "This needs work to." Gabrielle grabbed her hand in mid motion. "Don't touch my clothes." Aphrodite watched as her hand was eased up slowly the vice grip on it tightening. "Gabby please I'm not trying to hurt your feelings…I just want to fix your clothes for you."
Gabrielle let go off her hand. "I don't want you to fix my clothes!" Aphrodite pulled back sharply. "Gabrielle these Amazon clothes are old and they look grotie, I mean what happened to your nice red leather outfit?" Gabrielle narrowed her gaze. "It got blood all over it." Aphrodite put her hands together. "You dropped your outfit because of that?" Gabrielle raised her hand sharply. "I didn't just drop it! I don't want to wear it or see it ever again as long as live." Aphrodite breathed in deeply. "Then new clothes would be good for you, they'll take your mind off things." She clicked her finger watching as a bar of milk chocolate appeared in it. "Some food might help to sweet pea."
Gabrielle raised an eyebrow eyeing the chocolate in the goddess hand. "If you knew where cocoa comes from you wouldn't eat it." Aphrodite blinked eyeing the bar in her hand. "It's made from the dried seeds of a plant." Gabrielle smirked slightly. "Thousands of Mexican men and woman farm those trees and are treated no better than slaves and all so the Aztec gods can have cocoa on there tables and traders can have boxes of it which travel to every shore." Aphrodite looked at the chocolate bar for a moment she clicked her finger watching as it vanished. "You have to stop this Gabrielle…you have to let go of this hurt and sadness that your carrying…it's destroying you." She breathed in deeply as she looked down sadly. "Xena isn't coming back you are going to have to accept that."
Gabrielle snarled aloud as she met the goddess's sea blue gaze. "You know what I hate about you? It's listening to you tell me how I should live my life!" Aphrodite stepped back slowly as Gabrielle came towards her hateful gaze burning in to her. "I'm trying to save you from yourself." Gabrielle sneered slightly. "I don't need saving by a soft stupid idiot like you!" Aphrodite pulled back feeling the hurt of her friends words. "You don't mean that." Gabrielle turned pushing of one the beautiful vases close by of its stand with violent force she watched as it shattered to pieces. "I do mean it! I'm sick of people telling me how to live my life and that Xena isn't coming back! I risked my life in Mexica and I know she's coming back!" Aphrodite pulled back in panic as Gabrielle came closer to her.
Gabrielle narrowed her gaze. "If she doesn't come back I'll join her because I'd rather be dead than have to live the rest of my life listening to pathetic people like you trying to give me direction." Aphrodite lowered her head looking at her beautiful vases which now lay in pieces and the violent person in front of her whose eyes weren't those of her friend. "I'm sorry Gabrielle." Gabrielle watched as the goddess disappeared in a flash of white light and Rose petals which littered the floor around her. She turned sharply feeling her hand form a fist. She leaned down slowly picking the Chakram off the floor and putting it on the hook on her belt. She wanted to cry again but she couldn't find the tears to do so anymore.
Her gaze moved sharply watching as the god of war appeared in a blast of red fire next to her. Ares put his hand on his sword casually walking forward. "Xena wouldn't be proud of you but I am." Gabrielle turned sharply eyeing him in disgust. "I don't care if you're proud of me you're a bastard whose views mean nothing to me." Ares put his hand on his chest. "Ouch, now that's no way to treat your only friend." Gabrielle snarled aloud. "You're not my friend!" Ares leaned forward a smug smile spreading across his lips. "I soon will be, when you realize that you have nothing and no body left." Gabrielle laughed slightly but it was a cold and emotionless even to her own ears. "Even if I had no body left in the world I wouldn't join with you or lead your armies."
Ares pulled up slightly as he turned his back on her. "No you will come to me Xena came to me. She was just like you full of rage, desire and strength." He lowered his gaze making sure that she couldn't see the sadness in his eyes. "I moulded her, focused her and made her in to a truly formidable warrior who shaped the world with her power." He raised his hand slightly as he turned meeting her hateful gaze. "You are so close to greatness Gabrielle you could mould the world with your rage and make it your own." He slowly eased out his hand. "You just have to take my hand." Gabrielle looking at his hand she looked up slowly meeting his dark gaze. "I would never take your hand." Ares closed his hand forming a fist. "I'm offering you greatness, the chance to become the greatest warrior who ever lived!"
Gabrielle smirked slightly. "I would never take anything you have to offer." She turned moving towards the temples doors. "You spent years tormenting me and trying to destroy my relationship with Xena. I could never trust you or ever respect you." She narrowed her gaze slowly. "Everything you do is only to suit yourself, I've always hated you and nothing will ever change that." She pushed the temples door opening ignoring his hurt expression. "I wish that Xena had killed you when she had the chance." Ares eased up his hand his anger boiling up. "You will come to me! One day you'll need me the same way that Xena did!" Gabrielle stopped still she slowly turned to face him. "I'll be long dead before that day ever comes to pass, Ares." Ares watched as she walked out of Aphrodite's temple and in to the dark night. He breathed feeling his hand clutch his sword hilt tighter as he tried to control his anger and hurt. He looked away from the open temples doors and the figure who slowly disappearing in to the distance.
8
Gabrielle felt herself go quite she slowly sat herself down on the bed putting her hand on her face. "I'm so sorry…I did that to you. I don't deserve your friendship." Aphrodite kneeled down in front of her. "Sweet pea you'll always have my friendship. I'm just sad that you became so angry and so mean to those around you." She put a hand on Gabrielle's. "You just weren't yourself…you lost your way." Xena blinked as she stood up. "You broke Aphrodite's vase?" Gabrielle looked up slightly. "Yes I did." Xena turned sharply. "Gabrielle I can't believe you did that!" Aphrodite stood up slowly. "She wasn't herself you shouldn't blame her."
Gabrielle shook her head. "No Aphrodite I have no excuse I broke your vase." Aphrodite sighed aloud. "I don't know why it is that I remember everything like you do Gabby." She put her hand on her friends shoulder. "I'd rather remember everything though I don't want to see anything happen to my husband again just as much as you don't want to see anything happen to Xena." She turned slowly walking towards the Warrior Princess. "You both have to leave here as soon as possible." She closed her eyes for a moment. "Zeus is not known for this patience when it comes to the Aztec gods." Xena raised an eyebrow. "How bad is this?" Aphrodite put her hands together. "Its very bad warrior babe, I don't want to see ether of you get hurt by Zeus or the other gods."
She shook her head. "I've already had to watch you both be on the run from gods after the twilight I don't want to see that again." Gabrielle looked down. "I already have a winged horse, but Xena shouldn't ride it, it's not right." Aphrodite turned slightly. "That hideous grotie thing is un-dead, why did you resurrect it I could've given you one of the Pegasus horses?" Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "I wouldn't take one of the Pegasus horses to Mexica Aphrodite the Mexican gods would make it suffer it they captured it." Aphrodite breathed in deeply. "Your right they would well then I'll just have to give Xena's horse a set of wings." Xena looked up sharply. "What are you going to do to my horse?!"
Aphrodite rolled her eyes as the Warrior Princess stood up sharply. "I'm going to give her a pair of wings warrior babe. Look you need to get to Mexica somehow and I wouldn't recommend you go by boat." Gabrielle slowly stood up. "She's right Xena no boat will take us to Mexica there all terrified of the place. Even the trade ships will only dock there ten times a season if they can help it." She shook her head. "They never even dock on shore ether the crew will go and pick up the trade boxes and drop of there's off for the native traders then they leave." Xena raised her eyebrow. "What is it about this place that terrifies people so much?" Gabrielle looked up slightly. "Have you ever heard of the Xiuhcoatl shores?"
Xena took a slow step forward. "No I've heard of the skeleton coast though." Gabrielle shook her head. "The Xiuhcoatl shore makes the skeleton coast look insignificant." Xena turned slightly. "Is it that barren and devoid of all life?" Gabrielle looked up sharply. "No it isn't, I wish it was barren of all life it would be a better place to die." Xena pulled back in confusion. "Better place…to die?" Aphrodite pulled up both hands. "You know you two can talk about this on the way there?" Xena turned to the goddess. "How long can we stay here for?" Aphrodite folded her arms as she looked up as the rising sun. "Until this after noon, after that you have to leave no matter what."
Xena grunted aloud. "I don't believe this." Aphrodite moved up her hand watching as a ball of beautiful white light appeared in it. "Believe it warrior babe." She breathed watching as the ball floated away out of the window heading towards the barn where Argo was sleeping. She watched as it floated in through the window. Xena watched in surprise as the barns windows filled with white light which disappeared in a instant a surprised nay came from inside. "You just get gave my horse wings didn't you?" Aphrodite looked up slightly. "Yes I did and it didn't hurt her I would never hurt your horse. As soon as you come home I'll get rid of the wings.
Xena groaned aloud. "Great…." Aphrodite folded her arms. "I will I promise you." She turned walking to towards Gabrielle putting her arms around her. "You be safe Gabby." Gabrielle pulled away. "I will Aphrodite thank you for helping me I'll make it up to you when I come back." Aphrodite smiled slightly. "Just look after you hair and your clothes this time…okay?" She ignored Xena's confusion as she stepped back slightly meeting the warriors light blue gaze. "And you pay attention to everything she tells you, because if you don't your going to regret it warrior babe." Gabrielle watched as the goddess disappeared in a flash of white which sent Rose petals everywhere. She turned to face her lover who slowly met her gaze. "Well at least we both have winged horses now."
End of part 14
Silvermoonlight
Thank you for all your kind reviews, I was very unsure about this story idea at first and whether or not it was going to work. I'd like to thank everyone for there thoughts and kinds words.
