I DO NOT FEAR THE DARK I FEAR THE SUN LIGHT AS IT FALLS UP ON ME

Huitzilopochtli stared at the fire in Chantico's hand. "You have betrayed me!" Chantico leaned back in his throne. "Don't look so surprised, you know that would do anything for Xochiquetzal." Huitzilopochtli moved closer to ignoring Xochiquetzal ice cold look. "You agreed with me though you said you did! Was that a lie!?" Chantico breathed in deeply. "No agree with you in part and I still do, but unfortunately for you these two really don't and since I'm in middle I'm going to pick their side over yours." Huitzilopochtli turned eyeing Xochipilli. "Is there any one you can not corrupt by being near them!?" Xochipilli looked up eyeing him in disgust. "Yes…you."

Xochiquetzal turned eyeing the tall war god her next words were cold and sharp. "Give Xena Gabrielle's skull what you've done is wrong and you know it." Huitzilopochtli turned eyeing her. "I love her I won't give her up!" Xochiquetzal moved forward until she was standing in front of him. He towered over her as he looked down. She watched as Chantico slowly stood up, she leaned over gently putting her hand on his arm. "Please Huitzilopochtli, do the right thing. We all know that you love her. Take it from someone who knows you're going about this all wrong, your hurting her soul. We know you didn't do this on purpose it was an accident."

She watched as his gold eyes met hers. "No one could have known that throwing her pieces away would cause this, but you can't let her remain this way. Love her by fixing her and allowing her to choose who she wishes to be with." She looked up slowly. "My brother said that love is selfless then do this and be selfless." Her next words came out in rush "Do this and you'll be the only god of war in all the lands who truly knows love. You've always wanted to know love you've have spent eons trying to understand it, this is your chance to embrace it." Huitzilopochtli breathed in deeply eyeing Xena who said nothing. "If I fix this she will go back to Xena."

Xochiquetzal ignored the other wounded war god who was looking at her with interest. "Perhaps but if you don't fix what you've done she may come to hate you, if the part of her you created comes to know the truth. Then you'll have nothing you won't even have her friendship because she will try to destroy her self." She put a hand on his shoulder. "You know that's what she'll do, you were there the first time weren't you when she was going to throw herself of the waterfall. Are you sure you want to watch the side of her that you love do something similar?" She breathed in deeply. "You may be a god of war but your better than the lesser war gods, you care about the mortals in your city."

She smiled slightly. "There is no other like you we know that underneath your anger and your temper that you're noble and honourable and that you have it in you to do good things." Huitzilopochtli eyed her for a long moment. "I tortured your brother, why is it that you do not hate me for that?" Xochiquetzal looked up slightly. "I'm unhappy about what you did to my brother." She breathed in deeply. "I know though that you were a very different person back then conquest was all that mattered to you. You were violent and cruel and all you cared about was being king of the gods. You have come a long way since then and you are not that person anymore, I disliked that person more than you'll ever know."

Chantico closed her hand watching as the fire vanished. "I didn't like him ether he stole part of my region and desecrated part of my armies. You have come so far as she said and you're about to touch greatness by taking this step." Xochipilli looked up slowly. "If you want to know if Gabrielle's love is true then let her choose, it's true she may not choose you but you'll know that you did what was honourable and true to the laws of war." Huitzilopochtli breathed in deeply every part of his mind was screaming no and yet something else was telling him that he had no choice. There were too many gods in his keep. As powerful as he was he knew that fighting them all was out of the question, it wasn't that he couldn't win he knew he could. No he knew that if he did it would haunt him for an eternity.

He wouldn't admit it aloud but the truth was that he had messed up Gabrielle's resurrection and the only way to fix it now was to bring her back. He moved forward watching as Chantico stood aside as he leaned down picking up the jade covered skull. He wasn't his father, who would never have given this up no matter what happened because he'd been too proud. He walked back turning to look at the skull's hollow eyes, his mother who he'd spent most his youth with had told him once that there were times in life when you had to do the right thing even if it hurt you. Because that is what it is to be noble and to have a heart. Her soft spoken words now truly made sense to him in this moment, as did a lot of things.

He done a great wrong, the same wrong which he'd done centuries ago when he'd forced that priestess to stay with him as a prisoner which had caused her to kill herself. He felt his stomach twist painfully he couldn't take the thought of going through that again with Gabrielle. It had hurt so much with his first love and he knew it would so much worse with her. He'd had to watch the light die in the priestess's eyes and he hadn't known what to do, she had been lying in a pool of her own blood. Worst of all she'd drank his blood blowing out her own heart which had caused her to fall down the temple steps which had smashed her skull apart. He could see it all in crystal clear detail in this agonizing moment.

She'd done it on purpose so he couldn't bring her back from the dead he had been so angry that he hadn't had the heart to even try. He had gone on a violent plunder off another gods region instead, after which he'd taken out his anger on Xochipilli. He'd had her buried in the fields outside the city which was her favourite spot, he'd never returned there even to this day. She'd hated him so much he could see it in her light brown eyes he'd never seen it before today but now he could see it so clearly. He didn't want to even imagine what looking in to Gabrielle's hate filled eyes would be like. He had done the same thing to her, she wasn't free she was a prisoner with in his city. He had been so foolish to not see this and he knew from experience that to trap someone only led to heart break.

He moved forward stopping in front of Xena who looked surprised for a moment. He slowly held the skull out watching as her light blue eyes darted. He wasn't angry anymore, he just felt sad deep down inside. "Take it." Xena looked at him for a long moment, she hadn't expected him to give her lovers skull back Ares would never do a thing like this. "You're giving it me?" Huitzilopochtli looked in to her blue eyes. "Yes I am." He watched as she carefully took it from his hands, he could see the confusion in her eyes. He knew why it was there she fully expected there to a sting in the tail, similar to the kind she no doubt received with her own war god. He wasn't like that though he'd long burnt out that habit.

Xena looked up slowly. "I don't understand, you hate me, why would you give this back to me?" Huitzilopochtli shook his head as he stepped back. "No you misunderstand Warrior Princess I am very jealous of you and I feel I always will be until the end of time. As you said before it should be Gabrielle's choice to pick between us when she is back as she was." He looked down slightly. "There is no honour is keeping some one a prisoner, when they are innocent and have done nothing but been themselves." He turned away. "That is the lesson I have come to learn this day." He moved away from her, sitting himself down on his throne. He leaning on his elbow feeling the sadness as it took over. "Take Itzli with you."

Itzli turned slowly to meet his gods golden eyes he could see the sorrow in them. "You're not going to punish me?" Huitzilopochtli looked up slightly. "No I'm not, you can go." Ares sneered slightly trying to take the pain in his shoulder he was starting to feel light headed. "This is all very interesting but could some one heal me!" Xochiquetzal moved forward putting a hand on the lesser gods shoulder. She shook her head watching as his wounds slowly healed leaving part of his clothing still sliced open. The long cut on his face healed up fully only leaving a small scar that ran through his eyebrow. She moved her hand away not liking the feel of him he had a very unclean essence about him. She watched as he gave her a leering smile.

She read the thought and saw the image as it crossed through his mind. She didn't think as she slapped him hard across the face ignoring his grunt of pain. "Think that again and I'll make you interfile for the rest of your natural life lesser war god!" Ares sneered as he stepped back rubbing his face he turned eyeing Chantico who was laughing. He recognised her instantly the black and red gave her away, he looked up slightly. "It's so nice to see you again, still scared I see?" Chantico didn't think as she brought up her hand watching as the fire ball formed in it. "Don't test me lesser god, only one other person in this room is fireproof and its not you." She eased up her hand blowing out the fire in it.

8

Milintica felt his tongue flick the air something told him that none of this had gone according to his plans. He eyed the strange wolf like beast again who smelt like the Blood Jaguar. "You are ether very brave or foolish to threaten me green eyed one I almost eat you." Blood Jaguar felt her clawed hand tear across the ground leaving marks. "I'm nether I just get a kick out of watching things die." She grinned feeling her overgrown teeth cut through her lips as she moved closer. "I am going to enjoy watching the light die in your remaining eye Milintica." Gabrielle ran forward spreading her wings as she leapt past her counterpart grabbing the girl and pulling her to her knees. She ran towards Ahexotl who was coming towards her his weapon raised.

She didn't think as she grabbed the girl around the waist with one arm while beating her wings causing her to lift and glide closer to him she let go watching as he caught the terrified girl. "Get out of here, now!" She landed hard on her knees behind him seeing the other warriors hiding behind the pillar. "Please you have to go or you'll all be killed!" Coaxoch breathed in deeply as he turned to the others. "She's right move it all off you!" He watched as Ahexotl picked up the small girl carrying her in his arms before turning and quickly moving away from the temple. He turned eyeing Gabrielle or a least the part that was her light, if that was the right term. "Come with us!"

Gabrielle turned sharply any moment now her counterpart was going to hit of she could see it in her only good eye. She turned back looking at him as she put her dog in to his other arm. "Don't worry about me, just go and take my dog he'll be safer with you! Tell Huitzilopochtli that the grand serpent is here so he can protect his people!" Coaxoch put his weapon away he turned gently taking hold of her arm. "You were innocent all along, I'm so sorry that we doubting you." Gabrielle looked up meeting his glowing gaze. "I'm not innocent, I did this, a part of me did this and I can only do what's right." She eased her arm free pushing him back. "Now please you have to go!" Coaxoch nodded before bolting in to a run, he was closely followed by the other and the young girl as they all ran out of the temple ruins.

Gabrielle took a deep breath as she turned eyeing her counterpart, what ever was going to happen now she wouldn't be able to stop it. She had to try and stop this snake and yet she couldn't even think off where to start. She didn't even want to be near her counterpart, but what choice did she have right now? She breathed in deeply closing her eyes. She would be doing this for those around her who were too weak to defend themselves. She slowly put away her sai blade trying to think of something, why was this was so hard? Maybe it was hard because she couldn't remember ever fighting. Also a part of her was telling her that only her counterpart had the now how when it came to war and battle.

Blood Jaguar didn't think as she roared with all her might feeling her clawed feet leave the floor as she leapt upwards. She wanted to taste blood she wanted to see flesh be torn! When she felt the blood lust hit its heights it was orgasmic and she wanted more. She felt the force as she slammed in to grand serpent's upper neck. Its huge body swung around violently as she dug her claws in deeper enjoying the sight of the red blood as it started to flow. She opened her jaws slamming them in to its neck tasting blood almost instantly which just made her want to kill all the more. The snakes head started to swing even more violently as it tried to throw her off she smiled inwardly as she pulled her jaws free.

She brought up her double horns slicing them across the snakes lower jaw looking up as more blood flowed free from the deep wounds. Yes this was Horn Hind's power! Immense strength and violence and all of it was at her dispose as well as a pair of razor tipped horns and hers were so much better than the real Gabrielle's. She'd replaced the original heavenly stag horns with those of a hell demon. These horns from hell had started to grow when the real Gabrielle had eaten hells fruit in another life time. It had caused her to surface for one single crystal clear moment to mock Callisto about her family burning and that she'd done it so she'd have a reason to be a bitch. She'd now made these horns flesh during her rebirth so she could use them to tower over others and watch them shiver in fear.

She roared biting down again hearing the huge snake hiss in pain, yes she was now truly flesh! Now she could breathe the air and feel the ground under her claws. She pulled out her clawed hand only to slamming it in higher, she began to draw it down watching as blood ran free in streams. To finally be free was like a dream. To long had she sat in the shadows watching the light of the moon fade on dark winter nights. Trapped in the subconscious of a person who had her caged away like an animal and allowed her counterpart so much more freedom. It was odd because when the real Gabrielle had been pregnant she'd left the evil in her womb.

The demon child who would bring chaos to the world and all she'd wanted to do was touch it with part of her soul. Yet she couldn't because she wasn't strong enough, she was also unable to break in to the outer world. The truth was the only pleasure she got was when she watched the Warrior Princess kill as well as on darker nights when the sex wasn't so tame. People always tried to deny the existence of evil even those as good as the real Gabrielle had been most of the time. The truth is though that no matter how good you think you are, no matter how self righteous your beliefs there is always a monster begging for a way out and a black darkness that can't be hidden.

Gabrielle looked up just in time to see the huge serpent hiss in anger as he pulled himself out of the water fully. He started to thrash his neck around even more violently. She leapt up feeling her wings beat as she took flight she'd never understood how it was that she'd been able to fly. The first time she taken to the air she just had just done it. She swung around in mid air watching as the snake brought its head down full force smashing it against one of the temples pillars. It hissed in anger not being able to free her counterpart from its neck. Its huge body smashed through the one of the half broken pillars as it moving towards the city its neck trashing as it tried again to free her counterpart.

She moved through the air feeling the panic hit home as the screams filled the air as the monstrous snake moved towards the nearest street. Why was she so powerless to do anything? She began to beat her wings faster following it, watching as the blood hit the floor as it crashed through the street bellow shattering pots and tearing apart baskets. Blood Jaguar leapt free of the huge neck which was bleeding badly now, she hit the floor hard on her hind legs. She didn't think as she smashed a warrior out of the way watching as he was thrown against the wall. She hit the floor hard on all fours breaking in to a run as the grand serpent followed her lowering its head.

She snarled as she turned a corner eyeing it as it followed her causing screams of panic and terror to echo through the air as people ran in to their houses or ran in to other streets trying to get away from it. Their fear was such bliss she wanted to hear more with every second. She turned another street picking up the pace. She eyed the shadow close by obviously her counterpart was willing to follow, that was good because when she was all done with this bastard she'd be next. She smashed another warrior out of the way not caring for his cry of pain. She already knew where she was going she'd been there once already, at least the real Gabrielle had once it was where she'd filled her stomach before the final push the temple.

She had found a similar place during her long walk around this city in the darkness she could see the open mouth of the serpent behind her as she tried to strike. She leapt up watching as its jaws smashed stone against the nearest building. She smiled hearing it screech in pain, she couldn't wait to relish the moment the bastard died. Where the real Gabrielle had failed out of fear she could succeed, since she wasn't ruled by any of her worthless emotions. To have emotions was to care and why care any way it only led to was suffering? The real Gabrielle had been a fool guided by her heart and she had let her Xena walk all over her.

The only thing the Warrior Princess was any good at was having sex and that was where her talent ended. She was a needy bitch who clung on her ideas of honour and nobility, she was also a constant attention seeker who had craved the real Gabrielle's attention and then acted like a spoilt child when things didn't go her way how the real Gabrielle ever put up with her she had no idea. Was she just too foolish to work it out that there was no love there it was all about the bedroom? Xena had just used her to her own end it wasn't unsurprising that her counterpart was such a foolish bitch. She had all those weak emotions and feeling that went with them. It was all really pathetic when she thought about it.

She leapt over a stall feeling her feet hit the ground again as she carried on running. She turned hearing the heavy smash as a stall was torn apart as the grand serpent came crashing through sending wood and food flying everywhere. No she would never be that foolish if you have power then use it, bend the world to your will and force your power on to lesser fools. She turned smashing a warrior with her horns hearing him cry out as the points sliced against his side causing him to hit the floor of the wide street. The powerful made there own way in the world and the weaklings fell in to place. More people screamed running all over the place trying to get out of her way and the grand serpent.

She would bring Horn Hind's true power to the Mexica, if they ever thought that the Blood Jaguar was bad she would have them shivering and begging for their lives. She'd give the name Blood Jaguar a whole new meaning, it was a name born of spilling blood she'd make it so that when they thought of it they'd think of a monster among men! The real Gabrielle had been a fool to let this kind of power slip away! She breathed in deeply listening to the screaming as she turned in to the closet main street, as she tried to ignore the pain in her body and the burning sensation which was always constant. This was the price she'd paid for this power, she had obtained.

There was always a price for power, be it pain, loss defeat or sexual assault. That was the way of life though it was painful, cruel and violent and fools in it always wanted peace. Peace in her view was fools dream squandered by priest's desperately needing money to buy their dreams while using the worth of others to obtain it. People could always be counted on when it came to using others, it was just no one ever admitted it. Even lovers denied it but the truth they just paid for it with sex. She turned smashing her horns another warrior a side, some of these lovers paid with their lives to be loved. It was another wasted notion to die for love. Why would any fool want to die for love? Why die for someone who would hit you or abuse you, what part of love was that? No she wasn't interested in the love spoken of by bards. She sneered slightly as if love could ever conquer anything or make you truly strong, that power only came when you conquered others and ruled them.

End of part 76

Silvermoonlight