THE HARDEST AND MOST PAINFULLY CHOICES

Gabrielle felt her gaze dart again as she pulled on her lighter green collar, her eyes moved across the Aztec city bellow again. She put her hand in to the back of her mouth feeling the new tooth. Xochipilli had put a gold one in place of the missing one using godly methods instead of healing it fully. She hated the idea of having Aztec gold in her mouth but right now she was far to concerned with other things to care. Aphrodite had replaced Xena's silver tooth over a year ago with a new one using godly methods back in Greece. Her lover had, had problems with the old healers version which had started to cause her intense pain. The goddess had healed her mouth of any infection then replaced the old fitting to one she said was well ahead of mortal standards and wouldn't cause her any pain in the future.

Her lover didn't want her tooth healed she'd wanted to keep the silver one as a reminder so that she'd always remember never to turn her back on a fallen enemy. She'd found it odd that her lovers original silver tooth had remained, she had come to realize from that moment on that some things changed while others didn't when time was altered like it had been. She ran her finger over the faint scar on her side where Akemi's dagger's tip had penetrated. Itzli had said that he hadn't been able to heal it fully because they'd run out of the healing herb mix. These special herbs were mixed with the godly blood because it couldn't be used neat as could harm rather than heal.

It would take him half a day to make more but the truth was she didn't care about this scar being healed. She had other scars from battle one more wouldn't make much difference. She felt her gaze dart as she breathed in deeply feeling her boots hit the ground as she started to pace. She moved her hand over the now gleaming Chakram which was on her belt hook. She breathed in deeply she'd been here for over hour and she still had no idea what to do! The other godly items were useless to her and wouldn't work in her hands. Only Xochiquetzal's worked and there was no way of getting it back, or her tattoo. She put her hands through her hair in frustration there had to be something that could help her! She breathed in feeling her anger start to burn.

"Why don't we just steal one of the crystals skulls?"

Gabrielle breathed in deeply turning to face Itzli who was close by watching her intensely. "I'm not going to steal one of the crystal skulls." Itzli sighed aloud. "You'd be borrowing it." Gabrielle stopped in mid motion. "No I'd be stealing it!" Itzli sighed aloud. "Look Tezcatlipoca has always wanted one he might give Xena back if you gave him one…." Gabrielle took a long breath. "I don't want to steal anything so please stop trying to put that idea across." Itzli pulled back watching as she carried on pacing angrily. He breathed in deeply he could tell that she was trying to hold her temper back. "Okay so stealing is off the list…no offence but your really limiting yourself here."

Gabrielle carried on pacing, she sneered slightly as she met his gaze. "Stealing things from people doesn't give me pleasure anymore." Itzli stepped forward. "You know getting in to Tezcatlipoca's city is suicide, everyone knows your face. They'll kill you before you get with in to the main street they'll be a pool of your blood all over the floor." Gabrielle felt herself stop in mid motion she slowly turned meeting his gaze. "What did you say?" Itzli breathed in sharply. "I said getting in to Tezcatlipoca's city is suicide." Gabrielle shook her head. "No after that." Itzli blinked in confusion. "I said they'll be a pool of your blood all over the floor." Gabrielle slowly walked up to him she leaned over ripping the silver bottle free from his belt. "Aztec godly blood."

Itzli pulled up his hands. "That's the fertility goddess's blood it's only good for healing wounds, plus if you drank it your heart would still explode and you'll die." Gabrielle eyed the bottle. "What about the other gods?" Itzli looked up slightly. "Their blood is all the same…you drink it your heart will just end up being blown out of your rib cage." He shook his head. "That's why some god's warriors here fight and kill each other for nothing more than little bottles like the one your holding. They do it because they can use it to heal themselves but most of all use it to kill. Most love to force it down the throats of their enemies and then watch there chest explode."

Gabrielle tossed the bottle back watching as he caught it. "Great…just great." She sighed aloud putting a hand on her face. "There has to be something I'm missing here!" Itzli pulled up his hand as he placed the bottle back on his belt. "Maybe you should settle down and eat something it might help you to think of something." Gabrielle breathed in deeply. "I'm not hungry." Itzli sighed aloud. "Look the way I see it Blood Jaguar you have two choices here, you can ether save your sister and face Quetzalcoatl or you can face Tezcatlipoca and save Xena." Gabrielle breathed in painfully. "Quetzalcoatl won't kill my sister…so long as he thinks I'm alive and I have his godly items he'll keep her alive in his main temple."

She pushed her boot in to the ground hard. "He won't do anything to her until he gets his godly items back." She felt her hand form a fist. "Tezcatlipoca will hurt Xena as much as possible, he'll bring her with in an inch of death just for his own personal amusement." She felt the anger as it started to burn through her system again. "He'll do it over and over again he'd even heal her just to do it again…the sick bastard." Itzli blinked as he folded his arms, he shook his head as he sighed aloud. "Tezcatlipoca will kill you before you even get close enough to free Xena." Gabrielle looked up sharply meeting his gaze. "I need to go somewhere." Itzli eased up his hands as he stepped forward in confusion. "Wait, where are you going?"

Gabrielle didn't think as walked over to her un-dead horse which was now standing next to Argo, she looked down as she began to strip her things from its saddle and moved them over in to Argo's. She pushed the Aztec bag further in to the saddle pack as she got on to the un-dead horses back. "I'm going to Huitzilopochtli's keep." Itzli didn't think as he grabbed hold of the golden horse's reins. "Wait you said you'd never have any interest in his deal!" Gabrielle pulled the horse around slightly ignoring its screech. "You don't have to come with me I know Huitzilopochtli may punish you for serving Quetzalcoatl." Itzli pulled him self up on to the golden horse who snorted loudly as he got comfortable in the saddle. "I don't serve Quetzalcoatl, I serve you Blood Jaguar."

Gabrielle turned looking at him for a long moment. "I don't understand why you still serve me I was never kind to you." She lowered her gaze. "I was cruel to you from the beginning." Itzli moved the golden horse forward. "Yes you were cruel to me, you've put me through hell, but you also saved my life in the swamp." He moved the horse further forward. "I've have a lot of time to think things over while you were sleeping. I know I was inches away from being eaten by Milintica and it occurred to me that, the old Blood Jaguar would never have saved my life. She would have let me be eaten and enjoyed the show." He moved the horse slightly closer. "Is that not so?"

Gabrielle lowered her gaze sadly. "Yes I would have…" Itzli shook his head slightly looking at the rising sun. "Like I said before your lover was right you're not the same person who was here before, I hate and despise her, but I don't hate and despise you." Gabrielle shook her head feeling the sadness wash over her. "I hate her as well she was evil to the core." Itzli brought the gold horse to a stop. "You know Ohtli and Xochipilli aren't going to like us leaving, they both seem to have a soft spot for you." Gabrielle moved her horse further forward. "This isn't their fight, its mine, I destroyed things here I should be the one to fix them. Xena and my sister are both suffering because of what I did." She kicked her horse watching as went in to a gallop she felt her teeth grind together. "I intend to fix that one way or another!" she felt the force as the horse leapt of the temple's edge its huge wings opening. She turned the horse so it was flying in the right direction her gaze moved as Itzli took flight on Argo following closely behind her.

8

Xena breathed in as she opening her eyes slowly, to the feeling off a wet cloth being wiped over her face. She groaned watching as Akemi came in to focus the small woman was cleaning her face. She pulled away ignoring how much it stung every time she moved her body. She narrowed her gaze sneering at her. "Get…away…from me." Akemi ignored her as she moved the cloth down cleaning the leather bodices tassels she kept her voice even. "You should thank me I've dressed your shoulder wound. I've also just cleaned up your weak bladder accident during the night." Xena pulled up slightly feeling her self cry out in pain. "Do you think…I care for you cleaning up after me?" She laughed slightly only to stop due to the burning in her lungs. "The thought of you touching me below the waist disgusts me."

She pulled on her chains weakly. "If I wasn't chained up…I'd break your fingers." Akemi pulled back in anger she threw the wet cloth down hard. "You can't keep this up forever Xena!" Xena sneered slightly. "Trust me forever really doesn't mean a great deal when it comes to you." Akemi folded her arms as she stepped closer. "Your malice disgust me…all I've done is try to help you." Xena moved slightly ignoring the fact that her undergarments had been changed. "You know I really…don't see it that way." She looked at her chains. "Maybe it's these godly chains or maybe it's my body which hurts with every single movement I make." She felt her mouth form a cruel smile. "Or just may be, it's the fact that I'm chained at the top of Tezcatlipoca's temple!" She grunted aloud. "You know when you add all those things up they really don't go in your favour." She turned slightly hearing the two guards laugh behind her. She could tell by the hurt look in Akemi's eyes that they were laughing at her, she sneered slightly. "So why don't you crawl back in to his temple and get out of my face?"

"What's going on here?!"

Akemi turned slightly watching as Ehecatl came closer she sneered slightly. "Nothings going on here, nothing that concerns you at least." Ehecatl grinded his bottom jaw in anger. "That's not what I've heard…I've heard that you've been spending a lot of time with Tezcatlipoca's prize." Akemi smirked slightly. "Technically she's my prize I caught her after all." Ehecatl narrowed his gaze if he'd had a tongue right now he'd have trouble biting it. Maybe it was the welling pit of jealously that was creaking against his soul. Or the fact that after hearing his men laugh about her kissing this prize then being bitten by it, he was feeling disgusted. He raised his skeleton hand. "Well I've heard that you've been doing things with your prize that you shouldn't!"

Akemi eyed him for a long moment. "What I do with my prize in none of your concern Ehecatl!" Ehecatl snarled aloud. "Tell me is this what the Blood Jaguar took from you? Is this what you meant Star Coyote, this woman?!" Akemi folded her arms. "Of course it was! What did you think I meant her breastplate!?" Ehecatl snarled aloud. "You never said you liked women!" Akemi sneered slightly. "I like both genders actually!" Ehecatl turned sharply feeling his anger and gut twisting jealously as it became more intense. "So I guess that cut on your lip was the price you paid for trying to kiss her!" He turned watching as the tall dark haired woman laughed coldly he narrowed his red gaze. "What are you laughing at Warrior Princess?"

Xena sneered slightly. "You're jealously…." She paused ignoring Akemi cold stare. "Don't worry I'm no challenge to you, I hate her personally. I wouldn't sleep with her if she was the last woman alive." She laughed again but it was an emotionless laugh. "It hurts doesn't it, to be manipulated and used by her? Trust me I know how you feel skeleton warrior…I've been in your boots…." Ehecatl watched as the tall warrior pulled weakly on her chains. "I haven't been manipulated!" Xena sighed aloud. "Actuality you have your just to much in denial to admit it right now." She smiled slightly. "Don't worry…it'll start to sink in soon enough." Ehecatl narrowed his gaze as he pulled up his weapon to her face. "You know if I wanted your opinion Warrior Princess I'd give it to you!"

Xena coughed painfully ignoring him. "Don't feel bad you're probably not the first and I doubt you'll be the last." Ehecatl snarled aloud as he pushed his weapon under chin. "You don't care for the Star Coyote in that manner?" Xena grunted aloud. "Let me repeat what I said the first time so you get it through your thick skull! If she was the last woman alive I wouldn't sleep with her!" Ehecatl pulled his axe out from under chin. "But you have slept with her?" Akemi snarled aloud. "Yes she did and she enjoyed it!" Xena felt a cruel smile form. "Yes I have slept with her but I deeply regret it, as interesting as it was skeleton warrior." She slowly met his gaze "You tend to see your life a little differently when your trapped in limbo…and the reason you got there is because she played you for a fool…."

Ehecatl ignored the Star Coyotes hatful gaze as it fell on him he slowly met the tall warriors ice blue gaze. "Your loyalty is to the Blood Jaguar?" Xena narrowed her gaze as she met his. "My heart, my body and my soul is hers and hers alone it belongs to no one else." She moved her fingers slightly feeling them sting with pain. "In my view all my old lovers are pale in compassion to her, including your Star Coyote…." Akemi snarled in anger as she shoved Ehecatl out of the way. "You don't mean that?" Xena grunted aloud as she turned slightly. "You see that's the problem I do really mean it, so you can go to Tartarus for all I care." Ehecatl watched as the Star Coyote backed away she shoved pasts the guards in anger.

He turned eyeing the dark haired woman who said nothing as her eyes traced the city bellow. He eyed her for a long moment. "Are you regretting what you just said to her?" Xena turned eyeing him she felt her hands form fists. "No I was picturing the Blood Jaguar's beautiful face you bastard!" She watched as he backed away saying nothing as he moved past the guards. She pulled on her chains only to stop because of the pain, she wanted to pass out or be knocked out again, anything was better than having to see Akemi's lying face. She breathed in slowly and deeply trying to ignore her burning lungs where was her lover? She needed her so badly right now just to kiss her and hold her.

8

Lila looked at the bloody floor again as her thoughts shattered through her mind like ice breaking on a winter's lake. Of all the places she had ever been in her life none had made her question so much about everything than here. Her sister had always been the one who questioned and the one who argued. She'd always thought that it was because Gabrielle had just been born different. She'd also blamed it on her sister's dislike of her confines at home and a little on the fact that she'd caught her staring at girls over curiously in her youth just as much as boys. She put a hand through her hair in frustration, questions were piling up in her head right now and she just couldn't answer them all at once, there was too much to drink in and too much to consider.

The thought that the Xena had died seemed outrageous Xena was hard to kill she'd heard that ten men couldn't harm her in battle let alone wound her. She was always supposed to be two steps a head of everyone. Yet to think that the Samurai of Japan had killed her just seemed unimaginable. The thought of them putting her body up on display like that seemed even more shocking. Had that caused her sister to loose her mind and loose her way? Her sister had always seemed so strong willed she also seemed to be the one who could soften up the Warrior Princess when no one else could. Had her sister's soul been so badly shaken by this horrific event then over time had she lost all of her sanity, slowly becoming a murder?

She shook her head she just had no idea! She wanted to know everything and yet she knew nothing much at all. The person who was her sister was still a stranger a stranger she didn't know or understand fully. She breathed in looking at the bloody floor again would this stranger even come to her rescue or would she be cruel and evil and leave her here to die? The more she stayed here the more terrified she become of Mexica it was a violently and terrible place where death was everywhere and It was embraced by the feathered serpent who was an evil god. If ever she felt that Zeus was unkind she now realized that the Greek king of the gods was so much kinder than him on so many levels.

Here you could merely speak out and your death or worse would be but a breath away. Or you'd be forced to serve as an un-dead warrior for the rest of your long days and nights never knowing peace or even kindness from anyone. She looked down slightly she should be asleep but she couldn't switch off and close her eyes. The truth was that when ever she closed her eyes she didn't enjoy her dreams they were filled with nightmares. She wasn't used to having nightmares and it was hard to cope with the violent images that came over and over again always the same images. Of her sister cutting people apart piece by piece and laughing about it.

Or they were her own image ripping off her skin to reveal living bones underneath like the skeleton warriors. She wasn't sure what was worse being awake and having to take in these images or being asleep and seeing them haunt, her dreams. Mexica was like a living nightmare the kind that people talked about when they mentioned Tartarus. She breathed in deeply she wanted to believe that her sister would save her but a part of her still wanted her real sister. The one she remembered not this one from an altered past who scared her on so many levels. She looked down taking in a deep breath she wanted to be saved from this place but she was afraid that, that was never going to happen.

Tlaloc sat back looking at the Greek girl who was staring in to space her face in deep thought. He eyed Amoxtli who was painfully ripping the bandage free from her lower jaw which was almost fully healed. She threw the bandage aside moving her half healed fingers which still had bone sticking out at the tip before she lay back on the cushion closing her eyes slightly. Tlaloc breathed in deeply as shuffled on the cushion next to her, he looked up slightly. "What colour were your eyes?" Amoxtli turned slightly meeting his gaze. "Brown…" Tlaloc raised an eyebrow as he smiled slightly. "What shade of brown?" Amoxtli breathed in slowly. "Everyone's eyes look the same colour around here…the same dull shade of brown."

Tlaloc shook his head. "I disagree everyone's shade is a slightly different." Amoxtli eased up her other half healed hand looking at it. "What were yours?" Tlaloc breathed in slightly. "I'd say a very dark brown." Amoxtli shook her head slightly. "Then I think mine used to be a light brown." Tlaloc smiled slightly. "If you could live your life differently, like if you had another chance what would you do differently?" Amoxtli sighed aloud as she shook her head. "I wouldn't eat the food from the feathered serpent table." Tlaloc slowly met her gaze. "That's not what I meant…I meant what would you do that would have the most meaning?" Amoxtli smiled sadly. "I would have made up with my father…we always seemed to get off the wrong foot."

She slowly looked up meeting his gaze. "What about you?" Tlaloc sighed aloud as he shook his head. "I'd tell my younger brother that he was the better warrior, instead of being so cruel towards him and pushing him down all the time because of my jealousy." Amoxtli watched as the last of her skin healed on her fingers. "Funny isn't it?" Tlaloc turned slightly. "What do you mean?" Amoxtli lowered her head slightly. "You spend your mortal life hating, wanting, cursing and condemning those around you. Then you die, and you come to regret so much that you did in life." She shook her head sadly. "You spend everyday in this hell of an after life wishing that you could change so many things." Tlaloc breathed in deeply. "Makes you wonder what is paradise is doesn't it?" Amoxtli breathed in deeply. "I was always told it where ever you're happy or where you find something of meaning." Tlaloc lowered his gaze. "I wish I'd lived your life…I think you had the right idea." Amoxtli patted his shoulder slightly. "I think we both had the right idea we just never did the right things."

End of part 35

Silvermoonlight.