THE POWERLESS AND THE PROUD HAVE THEIR TIME AND THEIR PLACE

Itzpapalotl turned in anger as she met his Tezcatlipoca's gaze. "You stupid bastard this was a trap! The Blood Jaguar wanted us to kill her! She wanted to die so she could bring this up on us both!" Tezcatlipoca ignored her as he roared with all his might the Star Coyote had stolen his godly item and his head warrior had betrayed him! It had all happened in the blink off an eye and he couldn't stop it happening! The Star Coyote had set him up as had the Blood Jaguar he shouldn't have tried to kill her! This was the deal she'd made with the sun god! Her soul was the price she's paid for his city to be destroyed! Why hadn't he seen this it? It had been so obvious! He looked up seeing the swarm of hummingbirds come down lower, where the Hummingbird army went the sun god would always follow!

He found himself freezing as he felt a cold presence close by, one which he hadn't felt in so long a presence that should be dead. He narrowed his gaze only to watch as in surprise as a figure appeared in a blast of flames close by. He pulled back in utter confusion as he met the one good green eye which met his hatefully looking back. "You're dead! I killed you!" Chantico smiled slightly. "No you didn't." She raised her hand slightly as she eyed the burning fire bellow what a beautiful mess the Blood Jaguar had made. She turned back meeting his cat like gaze "Maybe when you think you've killed someone you should check their body to be sure next time!" Tezcatlipoca snarled aloud feeling his fingers twitch. "This was all your doing!?"

Chantico looked up slightly feeling her teeth grind together. "No it was all Huitzilopochtli's I just wanted to join in. Believe me though when I say that when this day is done, you're going to wish you had killed me." She felt her mouth form a cruel smile. "Xochiquetzal will love me once more when I kill you, you bastard!" Itzpapalotl slammed her foot down hard as she moved closer "So the little treasure whore lived and I thought you'd just died. I guess you just can't kill some cockroaches." Chantico turned eyed her in disgust. "Whore, I always thought that was a word more suited to you Itzpapalotl." She grinned slightly. "Unlike me you do leap from bed chamber to bed chamber. Frankly I'm not surprised that you're here, you love to bend over when it comes to higher gods like Tezcatlipoca. "

Itzpapalotl snarled aloud as she eyed her. "Well at least I didn't do some lowly female goddess because I wanted part of her region!" Chantico laughed slightly but it was cold laugh. "You think I slept with Xochiquetzal because I cared about her regions?! I never asked of anything of her, I loved her!" She snarled slightly watching as her hand caught fire as the rage began to boil up. She ignored the hummingbirds as they turned to men around her in flashes of gold and white light. "Huitzilopochtli will be here very soon…." She sneered slightly meeting the underworld goddess's red gaze. "I doubt he'll let this little indiscretion of yours slip, after all you just helped to kill the Blood Jaguar." Her gaze narrowed slowly. "He has a thing for her…and if I remember right he's more powerful than you are Itzpapalotl." She eyed the fallen Warrior Princess who Itzli was trying to pull off the ground.

She looked away from him she didn't care what he was trying to do, it was not her concern. Itzpapalotl sneered slightly. "You think I fear my grandson, he has no godly item and nether do you!" Chantico felt a cruel smile form. "You should be afraid before the Blood Jaguar came here she returned the Macuahuitl axe to him. If I'm not mistaken that axe can bleed you both to death." She turned eyeing Tezcatlipoca as she stepped forward she wasn't here to deal with Huitzilopochtli's grandmother. She was here for Tezcatlipoca she had waited so long for this day to come. It had haunted her dreams and her thoughts for what felt like an eternity. She raised her flaming hand as she snarled aloud eyeing Tezcatlipoca. "You and I have unfinished business!"

8

Xena opened her eyes looking at the sky which was filled with silver light someone was trying to pull her up to her feet. Her ears were dead and she couldn't hear anything, was she dead? She wanted to be dead it wasn't the hurt of her body that was causing this feeling. It was more than that, she had once had to watch as Gabrielle had fallen to her death when she sacrificed herself for her, by throwing herself and Hope in to a lava pit. She'd had never wanted to go through that again she couldn't strand the thought of spending months in despair again. Yet she had just witnessed what could only be described as a horrific nightmare.

In one terrible moment her lover had met her end at that of her old ex lover Akemi. The Japanese woman had taken full advantage of the fact that her lover's right side had been blinded and she had stabbed her before she could react…. Her lover had been seriously wounded at that point her blood loss, and serious wounds had slowed her down. She groaned as she suddenly felt spike of intense pain in her mid section, she'd never felt so ill and weak in all her life. She looked up as the sound came back in her ears causing her to wince in agony as a voice broke through her thoughts.

"Get up Xena! You have to get up!"

She groaned again seeing Itzli's face appear as he looked over her pulling her good arm as he tried to get her to stand up. Itzli looked down pulling harder he could now see all more hummingbirds changing in to warriors as they landed all around him. The warrior instantly ran in all directions going after the keeps already fleeing human and skeleton warriors. He looked down slightly Xena was in to much pain to even stand, he breathed in deeply wrapping the bags ripped material around his hand. Then grabbed her around the waist heaved her up with all his might. He felt her body inch slowly in to a standing position. He grunted painfully as he pulled her up fully she was a dead weight and very painful to hold.

The three gods were now too interested in each other to even care that he was there. There was also too much chaos going on around them to see him. He felt her feet shift as she tried to move he turned slightly meeting her light blue gaze which just seemed to look past him. He felt her stagger forward as he took hold of her other gauntlet trying not to touch her damaged arm. "That's it come on." He could only imagine the pain she'd experienced the truth was she was lucky to even be alive. There was no doubt that she was in excruciating pain though she was trying to hide most of it and she wasn't crying out. He moved her forward watching as more hummingbird warriors ran past them most were heading for the in side of the main keep.

They all ignored him, not that he expected them to take notice he was wearing the sun gods colours, they'd all ignore him seeing him as an ally. He moved towards the steps hearing the tall dark haired woman grunt with pain. He breathed in deeply as he carried on moving down the steps towards both horses, the golden one looked up as he brought Xena forward. He didn't think as he pushed her in to the golden horse's saddle hearing her cry out painfully. He watched her grab the reins with her good hand as she tried to grip the saddle horn with the other as best she could. Xena groaned aloud it all felt like a painful blur in which she wasn't sure whether she was dreaming or awake.

There were warriors running around them with light burning out of their eyes, as their gold and green feathers swayed. It was an array of multicolour which her mind couldn't handle at this moment in time, she groaned painful she wanted to pass out again. Itzli looked up sharply at the dark haired woman she couldn't ride that was obvious now she was starting to sway in the saddle. He pulled himself in the saddle behind her slowly putting his arm around her waist to support her. She was in terrible shape more than he'd first realized, he had assumed that the damage was only skin deep, but her actions were showing that it was physical and mental as well. She had no energy left and she wasn't focusing properly on anything.

He moved quickly putting the Aztec bag in side the other bigger saddle bag to keep it safe. Despite all the Warrior Princess's pain he had to admire her just for being conscious in this moment, when lesser people normally passed out or died. Now he could finally see why she had been the object of Gabrielle's devotion and affection and the person she'd do anything for. The Warrior Princess was her only equal very few warriors ever found their equal, yet here was hers as clear as day. This woman could take any punishment just like her. She wouldn't kneel to anyone ether no matter how much pain not doing so would bring, even if it meant her body being damaged in the process.

He moved the golden winged horse forward as he grabbed the reins of the un-dead one with his other hand. He tabbed the horse with his feet getting it moving he felt it go in to a canter with the un-dead horse following suite instantly. He felt the force as the golden horse started to gallop its wings flapping faster, he breathed in deeply as both animals leapt of the sacrificing platform. He winced as he felt the golden horse take flight fully as the other followed it. He took a deep breath as they flew upwards in to the dark sky he was to afraid to look back at the three gods who had ignored him in all the chaos. All he could do was look down and listen to the screaming bellow, which could be heard in every part of the city as it was raided and warriors slaughtered.

All he could feel was sadness Gabrielle was dead it didn't seem real even now, despite that he'd seen her soul ascend in to the heavens. This whole thing was his fault! If had gotten here sooner she would still be alive. He hated himself more than anything right now, and he didn't want to believe that the greatest warrior he had even known had crossed over. He didn't even want to think about what the Warrior Princess was going through right now. She had, had to watch the only person she loved die in front of her eyes. Could there be any greater punishment than that? He snarled in anger his god could have saved Gabrielle at any time, but he hadn't! He could let Chantico off because she was here for her own reasons, but his god had no excuse! Was this his version of love, to watch her die? To allow her to suffer nothing but pain until her eyes had closed to the world! The bastard didn't know love! Once the hummingbird gate opened he could have saved her and healed all her wounds in the blink off an eye! He breathed in feeling the horse's wings move faster he looked up at the moon as he held Xena's waist tighter, it wasn't supposed to end this way!

8

Chantico watched out of the corner of her good eye as the two winged horses flew away disappearing in to the night. The whole city bellow was now swarming with hummingbird warriors in their thousands. If anything she had to say that Huitzilopochtli did truly love the Blood Jaguar he had sent his whole Hummingbird army here, something he would never do for anyone else. No one had ever seen the entire hummingbird army until this day. She knew before she'd left that he had also sent a third of his normal warriors the night before so they could be here to join the heavenly forces they'd be arriving in the next few hours. Her gaze slowly shifted back to her hand as she turned the fire ball in a hot ball of lava. "I'm going to kill you!"

Tezcatlipoca sneered slightly as he stepped forward. "You're a weak lesser god what makes you think you stand a chance of defeating me this time around!?" Chantico smiled slightly. "Oh perhaps the fact, that some mortal has just stolen the Naui Quiahuitl pendent from you." She threw the lava ball up in to the air she turned catching it. "You feel so lost when someone steals your godly item don't you?!" Tezcatlipoca didn't think as he ran forward no longer caring for her words. He could kill this little bitch he'd had her on her knees once before, now was no different! He'd always hated her why had she had Xochiquetzal's love and not him! He was going to make sure that she never saw anything with her remaining eye. He had vivid images of slicing her other eye it in the same way he had done with the Blood Jaguar's!

He roared feeling the whole keep shake, as he came closer. He looked up only to feel the pain as the ball of lava impacted with his face he pulled back roaring in agony as he tried to pull the burning viscous material off his face. He looked up only to be hit again which caused him to stumble back as the intense pain hit home as the thick liquid sizzled against his face. He pulled it off painfully feeling his face heal up but only partly as he eyed her, last time it had been fire balls not lava. "You have some new power I see…." Chantico smiled slightly feeling burning lava fill up her hand. "No I've just had more time to perfect my powers…." She threw the molten lava watching as it hit him full force in the face. "I do hope you appreciate it!"

Itzpapalotl turned sharply as the panic took over she breathed in getting ready to teleport. Only to watch in horror as golden light rose up behind her she felt the large hand slam down hard on her shoulder causing her to turn, only to meet an amber gaze. Huitzilopochtli smiled as he eyed his grandmother he squeezed her shoulder tighter as he raised the silver and gold axe slowly. "Hello grandmother." Itzpapalotl eyed him in disgust. "You're no grandson of mine you're a dirty little weakling!" Huitzilopochtli squeezed tighter. "Understand that my patience with you is very much diminished grandmother." Itzpapalotl narrowed her gaze. "I never did like your father Mixcoatl he never could keep his manhood under his loin cloth."

Huitzilopochtli narrowed his gaze. "A trait he got from you I am sure, and a trait I'm so glad I didn't inherit from ether of you." He squeezed even harder as he eyed the battle which was started to boil up close by Chantico's balls of lava were nothing more than a warm up. "It would appear that you helped kill some one very precious to me and that angers me." Itzpapalotl laughed slightly. "You mean your precious Blood Jaguar, well just so you know she truly suffered before she died." She felt the pain as his hand suddenly tightened. Huitzilopochtli leaned over slightly so he was close to her ear. "I see that you have not realized the truth of what has just happened, she did not die she ascended in to my hummingbird heaven."

He breathed in deeply. "I have her very soul in my grasp and it will be mine for as long as the earth endures." He paused as he eyed her. "Once I resurrect her and give her soul a copy of her old body I will set her up on you and all those who have opposed me, when she is ready." Itzpapalotl laughed slightly as she turned. "You are a fool…the Blood Jaguar only likes that Warrior Princess bitch she has interest in you." Huitzilopochtli snarled aloud his patience was now wearing thin. "That is about to change, she will love me and only me and I will have her bring hell to both you and Quetzalcoatl, she will lead my armies against you." Itzpapalotl leered slightly. "You're a foolish boy the Blood Jaguar's servant just took the Warrior Princess away…."

She felt a cruel smile form. "I very much doubt that you told him to do that, so it looks like he's betrayed you…what a pity." Huitzilopochtli sneered slightly he knew she wasn't lying the cruel bitch never lied, he leaned closer. "There is a reason you didn't ascend to the heavens and the stars with the older gods. It is because you are a bitter and twisted failure you are also a left over relic of the first creator gods." Itzpapalotl eyed him in disgust. "There is a reason you never became king of the gods it's because you're weak and pathetic. That's why you failed to live up to Mixcoatl's expectations he had such visions for you none off which you deserved." Huitzilopochtli raised the axe higher so its edge was touched her face. "I am not weak, I am so much stronger than you will ever envision."

Itzpapalotl turned feeling the floor of the temple suddenly shake as the jaguar god roared again. She smiled inwardly she had more one card to play, a card that would horrify this foolish boy. "Are you truly ready to face Quetzalcoatl?" She felt her smile widen. "As I said before your father really did like to sleep around…would you destroy your own half brother?" Huitzilopochtli let her go watching as she turned to face him, he raised the weapon instantly to her neck. "You are lying! He is no brother of mine!" Itzpapalotl laughed slightly as she looked at the axe under her chin. "Oh I wouldn't lie to you foolish boy, your father kept so many secrets from you. You see his first son was Quetzalcoatl but he lost control of him and the serpent god rose up to conqueror all, against his wishes.

She looked up slightly. "He then craved another son a better son, a perfect son who would rule over all Mexica and then you were born. He never loved you and he didn't care for you or your bitch of a mother." She sneered slightly enjoying the shock in his amber gaze. "That is why he showered you with everything you wanted and desired, he was just preening you for your role as king of the gods." She raised her skeleton hand slightly. "I think he was a fool Quetzalcoatl is a far better son and you will always be your father's greatest mistake. Your not worthy of the kings throne." She turned watching in surprise as the main keeps floor suddenly cracked length ways as lava began to surge out of it she smiled as the sun god stumble back trying to avoid it.

She moved back before he could react. "It was nice talking to you…I do hope we get to have this chat again when Quetzalcoatl has you at his feet." Huitzilopochtli roared in anger as he swung the axe only to see her vanish in a blast of black fire. A huge wave of gold light came out of his weapon smashing in to the main temple causing its stone to crack and fly outwards showering the floor of the keep. Chantico ignored the stone as it rained down around her she smiled as more red hot lava spewed up as the crack close to her feet started to widen further. She eyed Tezcatlipoca as he moved back wiping the hot lava off his face again. She brought up her hand as half the floor suddenly exploded causing a river of lava to fly through the air slamming in to the jaguar god covering half his body.

She watched as he cried out in agony as his back foot hit the platform's edge causing him to trip over. He fell over the edge in to the darkness bellow she smiled hearing a smash as his body hit a house far bellow. She eyed the turret of lava which was still pouring out, she moved her finger watching as it turned in to no more than a small river which started to move down the steps towards the altar bellow. Huitzilopochtli turned slowly eyeing the lava stream. "I see that you do not need my help, would you like anything from his keep?" Chantico turned watching as the hummingbird warriors ran out of the temple carrying screaming people and objects. She turned back looking over the edge. "I don't care for his plunder…unless you find something that belongs to Xochiquetzal."

Huitzilopochtli looked at her hearing Tezcatlipoca's roar bellow. "What would you wish of me to do if I find something that is hers?" Chantico eyed him for a long moment. "Return it to her." She turned back to darkness bellow. "Now if you'll excuse me I have business to attend to." Huitzilopochtli nodded slightly he watched as she disappeared in a blast of red flames. His gaze turned to the city bellow he could hear screaming as people were captured. He slowly put his foot on the platform seeing the fires which were now burning bellow. He sighed deeply he'd never like this part but it was necessary. He had wanted to take this city down for over a century he had always known that it wouldn't be an easy task.

He had failed three times before and had even sent willing warrior who wished to ascend inside the cities walls. With the exception of one none had ever gotten to the temples main keep. He looked at the city bellow again no innocents would be harmed they'd all just be taken away. He looked up slightly he could already see his living army in the distance swarming upon the gates of this city to take these poor people away who were all being collected by his hummingbird warriors. The skeleton warriors who were captured would have a choice. They could be given back their living flesh but they would have to remain loyal to him until they died. Any living warriors who survived who didn't pledge their loyalty would have their blood spilt on his altar. The priest's and priestess would be given the same choice, to serve him or die the same way.

He breathed in deeply there was no other way of reasoning with priests and priestess of other gods. He had tried other methods only to find them unsuccessful and traitors had rebelled in his city causing serious trouble. It was a sad truth that as much as he preferred to be gentle and kind there were times when he had to force his hand down hard up on those who would betray him or pose any threat to his people. He looked up slightly watching as Coaxoch moved up the temples steps shouting orders to the other commanders, who bolted in all direction. He turned eyeing him. "Is the god of war still a prisoner in my keep?" Coaxoch lowered his head slightly. "Yes great sun god, I have four of my best guarding him as we speak." Huitzilopochtli smiled slightly. "It has all happened just as I predicted and I now have her in my heaven."

End of part 48

Silvermoonlight