AWAKEN TO A BURNING WHITE SKY

Xochiquetzal shook her head sadly as she turned to Huitzilopochtli. "I'm so sorry." Huitzilopochtli took in a deep breath as he looked down at the floor. "She would have remembered, it was only a matter of time." He looked at his hand. "A part of me just wishes that this had happened when she had left Mexica." Xochiquetzal put her hands together as she leaned back in her throne. "Sadly any memory can come back there is no telling what memory it will be." Xochipilli looked up sadly. "The reason she remembered can only be because that memory left and impression and better or for worse it never left her mind."

He shook his head. "May be the truth is that the part you created cared about you even at the end and that is why that memory was so close to the surface." Huitzilopochtli looked up slightly. "I did not want it to be this way, I wanted her to remember nothing that way it would have been easier for the both of us now she will hate me for what I have done." He turned watching as Chantico stumbled in the tall woman yawned rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She was still half asleep and struggling to kick her mind back in to gear. "What'd I miss?" Xochiquetzal slowly eased her self of her throne. "Come in and sit down on my throne just until you wake up."

Chantico groaned as she walked up sitting herself down on the throne, she shook her head trying to clear the last of the sleep. Xochipilli looked at her for a long moment. "How much did you drink exactly?" Chantico moved trying to ignore the weight of her own stomach. "You don't want to know." Xochipilli eyed her slightly swollen stomach. "No may be I don't, you know you should drink in moderation." Chantico slouched in the throne eyeing him. "Please don't it's too early for this." She turned eyeing every one else in room. "I'm going to assume that something really bad has just happened right?"

Chantico raised her hand meeting Huitzilopochtli's gaze. "She remembered that you slept with her right?" Xochiquetzal blinked as she placing a hand on the taller woman's arm. "Yes Gabrielle has remembered." Huitzilopochtli turned to Chantico he ignored everyone's surprise as he spoke keeping his voice even. "Yes how did you know that?" Chantico looked down sadly. "Because I know that look on your face its one I'm used to seeing on my own." She looked up slightly feeling Xochiquetzal squeeze her arm. "I'm so sorry." Huitzilopochtli breathed in trying to ignore the pain in his chest. "So am I this not how I wanted it to be."

Chantico looked up slightly. "Life does not always turn out the way we think it will, I guess that is just the way C'thulon's spins our fate." Huitzilopochtli folded his arms. "Then I feel that our grandfather has a way of making fate cruel at times." He shook his head. "I can no more change it though than I can keep the sun from rising." Chantico tapped her fingers on the throne. "You have the power to control the sun, you could stop it rising." Huitzilopochtli laughed but it was a sad laugh even to his ears. "Yes I could, I could stop the world from ever seeing dawn or put half of it in to eternal darkness, but I would never allow the sun that fate so I always allow it to rise."

He stopped still as a dark laugh hit the air behind him he slowly turned watching as the Greek god of war slowly pulled himself to his feet. The man's dark eyes met his as he put a hand casually on his sword handle. Why was he awake? He wasn't meant to be awake at all! He felt his teeth grind together as he eyed him. "What are you laughing at?" Ares breathed in enjoying the moment it would be the one and only time, he would get away with comment and he was glad that Xena would not be around to hear it. "You were wondering why it was that I didn't take your offer well know you know why. Was being on the receiving end of Gabrielle's hated worth all that trouble?"

Huitzilopochtli rose his hand watching as golden fire ball formed in it he felt as the anger burnt through his system. "Are you willing to push my patience with your sick disgusting little remarks?!" Ares stepped back watching as the golden light became even brighter. "You just don't like the truth." Huitzilopochtli eyed him. "What truth is that lesser god?" Ares felt his smile fade he had over stepped the mark and a part of him felt unnerved he didn't want to be knocked out again. He breathed in deeply. "That to take away a persons choice only leads to you and them feeling pain." Huitzilopochtli looked at him for a long moment he breathed in closing his hand watching as the light faded.

He hated the truth in those words and he hated even more that they'd come from him. He turned eyeing Xochipilli feeling his teeth grind together. "Why is he awake he should be passed out on the floor in his own crooked little dreams?!" Xochipilli raised his hands. "I don't know this has never happened before." Huitzilopochtli turned away ignoring the lesser god as he back to face the other gods. "We can deal with this later what I have to say is of greatest importance." He breathed in deeply as he looked up. "I came here because I wish to form and alliance with all of you, an alliance that will change the face of Mexica."

Xochipilli looked up sharply. "An alliance but alliances are forbidden by Quetzalcoatl." Huitzilopochtli folded his arms. "Quetzalcoatl will no longer be king this alliance will end his reign." Xochiquetzal felt her eyes dart. "You want to end his reign do you know what you're asking?" Chantico laughed hearing the joy in her tone. "Oh that's sounds so wonderful." She felt a smile form as she met the sun gods golden gaze ignoring the shock as it spread over the other faces. "So tell me what I have to do to join? Sigh my name in blood or pull out a canine tooth? Do tell me because I want to join so I can watch Quetzalcoatl burn." Xochiquetzal turned looking at the other woman. "Chantico this is Quetzalcoatl we are talking about!"

Chantico turned taking hold of her hand as she met her intense gaze. "Yes this is Quetzalcoatl and he is at the most weakest he's ever been. He no longer has Tezcatlipoca on his side and with out that bastard we can crush him." Xochipilli breathed in as he folded his arms turning to his sister. "She has a point, Quetzalcoatl has lost his advantage we now finally have a chance to dethrone him." Xochiquetzal turned looking at the sun god for a long moment. "You're forgetting about Itzpapalotl." Chantico sneered slightly. "Oh she won't help she ran away when both myself and Huitzilopochtli attacked Tezcatlipoca's city. The bitch has no loyalty to anyone she'll save her own skin rather than face battle."

Huitzilopochtli turned slightly keeping his voice even. "If my grandmother shows her face I will hurt her, as for Quetzalcoatl I do not care if he and my self may carry the blood of brothers I will kill him if it means the end of his reign." Xochiquetzal breathed in deeply ignoring everyone's surprise over his words. "He's your brother?" Huitzilopochtli sneered slightly. "So she says and I've contemplated it ever since she said it and that nice part of me felt that it is wrong to kill a brother but I can no longer sit back and allow the suffering I see in Mexica. We have all suffered because of Quetzalcoatl's reign. We have all lost something or some one or lost ourselves because of his malice."

He raised felt his hand form a fist. "I want to see freedom for all of Mexica's people and all of its gods and the Inca gods. Like the freedom that used to exist when my father had the throne." Chantico looked up slightly. "The Inca gods have a need for freedom." She breathed in deeply. "I know I've spent a lot of time in the Cisco region among them, they all want to see Quetzalcoatl's reign end." She tapped her fingers on the thrones stone. "They were grateful that you loosened your hold over them and gave them back their power over their regions. They now desperately want the freedom they once had which allowed them to go back in to our region as they once used to." Huitzilopochtli looked at her for a long moment. "Why did you spend so much time with them?"

Chantico breathed in painful. "Lets just say I was lonely and I had no friends so I left Mexica and spent time with them to try and rid myself of the loneliness I was feeling. I got to know the male god Catequil who is the thunder god and Ekkeko the god of health and wealth. They were also lonely and unhappy and it was okay for a while just having company." Xochiquetzal held her hand tighter. "Why did you leave?" Chantico sighed aloud. "Because for all their company I still felt empty, like something was missing. I slept with both of them but they carried no hard feelings towards me it was a partnership on conveyance on both sides. After I return home I thought that maybe if I built a city I'd find what I was looking for."

Xochiquetzal looked at her for a long moment. "Did you find what you were looking for?" Chantico put a hand on her face. "No I never did in all honesty. I didn't find it until I stumbled in to the temple ruins the same day you were there." Xochiquetzal smiled as she turned back to Huitzilopochtli. "How do you intend to take on Quetzalcoatl I mean fighting him in his own city is suicide?" Huitzilopochtli nodded as he looked up. "I'm not going to fight him in his own city I'm going to force a challenge and bring him to Teotihuacán. While his back is turned I'll have one of my spies slip in to his keep and get Gabrielle's sister back. If he fails I'll go in there personally and get her back, I've caused her great pain and now I owe her and I will do everything to ensure that her younger sister comes to her alive."

Ares sneered slightly. "You won't win her back by doing that she'll never stop hating you, believe me Xena is just the same." Huitzilopochtli turned eyeing him in disgust. "This is not about winning her over you foolish lesser god this about giving her back her family! It is an act of compassion for someone who has suffered. It's very much like the act you did of putting yourself in front of my weapon to stop me from killing Xena!" He turned back eyeing the others ignoring the lesser gods cold look. "Who of you will join me in bringing down Quetzalcoatl, who of you will fight by my side and see that he is brought to his knees!?" Chantico raised her hand. "I will join you." Xochipilli breathed in deeply as he folded his arms. "For a better Mexica you have my allegiance." Xochiquetzal took in a deep breath war terrified her but facing it with everyone else seemed better in her eyes. She looked up meeting Huitzilopochtli golden gaze. "I'm not going to lie the creator gods terrify me my ex husband is one. Quetzalcoatl terrifies me even more but I want to see his reign end and therefore I will join you as well."

8

Gabrielle took in a deep breath as she clutched the leather tighter not wanting to let it go. She felt her taller woman's hand move to her own she felt her grip tighten even more. She wanted to be free of the all her feelings and yet she couldn't shake them, she felt her lovers other hand as it moved through her hair. She looked up slowly meeting Xena's concerned gaze she opened her mouth only to close it as she swallowed feeling the uncertainty take over which caused her to cut her words off before she could say them. Xena eased up her fingers putting them on the smaller woman's lips watching as her eyes widened as she spoke in a whisper. "Say what you want to say, don't be afraid."

Gabrielle felt her eyes dart for a moment as she spoke feeling unsure of her own words. "Why?" Xena eased up her other hand playing with a stand of blonde hair. "Why what Gabrielle?" Gabrielle swallowed again trying to recompose herself which felt so difficult at this moment. She closed her eyes trying desperately to clear her mind which felt so jumbled. She took in another deep breath as she spoke. "Why are you being this way with me? Its not you, your not normally like this, I don't understand!" Xena breathed in deeply keeping her fingers in place as she leaned forward. "Because this is how I want to be with you Gabrielle. It's just taken me far to long to realize it."

She leaned closer seeing the surprise as it spread over the younger woman's face she moved her hand to her cheek. "This is how it should be you should be able to say what you feel and I should be able to speak and listen to you." She raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that how it should be between us?" Gabrielle looked down feeling her words come out in a rush. "Yes it should be, but I don't know, I'm not sure, I mean I want..." She snapped her mouth shut. Gods she was rambling again what in Tartarus was wrong with her? It was embarrassing she looked down sharply taking in a deep breath.

The truth was that she'd always wanted Xena's love, yet she had never received it so openly and now she wasn't really sure with how to deal with being offered it in this way. She put a hand on her face gods she felt so uncertain of her self right now, she hadn't expected it to be this way she'd expected the opposite she was so used to the opposite. It had been so much the norm through out their relationship she was used to being shouted at she was used to things not being like she envisioned them. It had just become her life and now here she in this odd situation and it was Xena who wanted to take their relationship to a level that she'd never taken it before and the truth was that she was afraid.

A part of her had to know that this was not being done for another painful reason a reason which meant that she'd never sleep well at night if it was so. She looked up meeting the other woman's light blue gaze not liking her own voice as it hit her ears. "Please just tell me that you're not doing this because you feel guilty about the fact that I slept with Huitzilopochtli and you weren't there to save me." She tensed slightly shaking her head. "Because if that's why you're offering this to me then I don't want it I don't want our relationship to change in this way because it's out of pity or guilt because then it's not real." She felt her teeth grind together as a violent knot twisted in her stomach. "I can't take any more false illusions I'm not strong enough to handle them."

She looked down feeling a tear as it ran down her cheek before she could stop it. "They hurt too much and they tear at my soul." She looked up hearing the pleading desperation in her voice as it hit the air. "Please tell me this is real, tell me it's for all the right reasons don't give me another illusion." Xena looked at her for a long moment the look on Gabrielle's face was heart breaking. She looked so terrified and so out of depth with everything around her. Her pleading just hurt her heart all the more, she still didn't seem to believe that this was happening to her and that it was real. Instead she thought it was all out of pity or part of an illusion just to make her feel better after what had happened.

She slowly eased her hands downs putting them on her arms gently bringing her lover closer until their faces were almost touching as she leaned forward. She breathed in as she spoke as gently as possible. "I won't lie I do feel guilty for not being able to save you but it's not the reason I want to change our relationship." She moved slightly closer looking in to the green eyes intensely. "Everything I've said to you is the truth and I meant every word of it ever since the moment you woke up today." She shook her head. "I've wanted things this way ever since you brought me back from the dead. I've just never seen how to change them in the way I wanted and a part of me finally sees how I can."

She eased up her hand running it down the other woman face using her thumb to wipe away her tears. "I know that it's going to change things between us but this feels right to me Gabrielle. I've never felt as sure about this as I do now. You've always said that we need to move on and grow old together and that's what I want." She smiled sadly watching as the green eyes began to study her hard as if searching for any hint that she was hiding something. "You have to trust me Gabrielle this is what's right for both of us." Gods there was such a sad irony to this situation she could close her eyes and think back to when they'd first met Gabrielle had said every thing and she hardly ever spoken keeping all her pain inside.

Now here they were both standing here years later and Gabrielle was saying so little as she was hurting deeply inside and she was doing all the talking. She leaned forward meeting the other woman's lips waiting until she felt the tentative response which begged for more. She felt her lover's hand as it ran through her hair. She paused pulling away seeing the slight pain as it went through her lover's eyes which was more because she'd stopped. She eased up her other putting it on her lovers face as she leaned over to her ear keeping her voice to no more than a whisper. "Let me love you in the way you always wanted Gabrielle, let me give you what you've always desired."

She could hear the younger woman's breathing as it started to slow down for the first time since this had all started her voice came out again in soft whisper. "I want to love you this way, just trust me and let me in, don't be afraid of this, it's what's right." She watched as just for an instant the green eyes lit up the light it flowed out from the pupils in both eyes before fading away. It was so fast if she had blinked she would have missed it, but it was there, Xochipilli had said that it could happen. She could feel Gabrielle starting to relax and the tension leaving her body as her focus returned. The pain in her eyes was still there but she knew it would be it would take the younger woman time to free herself from the memory of sleeping with the sun god.

The truth was though that she could take as long as she needed and when she felt like she'd freed herself from it then they'd both no. Until that time she'd help her through this and her other memories as and when they returned. She felt the younger woman's lips again as they met hers this time she could feel the searing need in them which felt so intense. She didn't want to pull away she was enjoying the sensation to much truth was she that she lived for this. It was what kept her going even when the world felt like it was falling around her. A part of her was crying out with joy that after what had happened Gabrielle that had done this. She didn't think after the pain that her lover had just suffered that she'd kiss her.

Deep down she felt that this was for the best she didn't want Gabrielle to withdraw in to herself. Every time it had happened it was so difficult to bring her out of herself. Her withdrawal brought out all her insecurities and her self defeat she didn't want to see that anymore. She'd seen far too much of it when she'd been forced to relive Gabrielle's memories. They were unforgettable memories and so painfully haunting, they matched the things she experienced during her warlord days. A part of her no longer wanted to see any more of them, they hurt so much and the sadness in them in them was soul destroying on so many levels as well as her lover's thoughts on why hadn't she been there.

They were all things which Gabrielle couldn't change they had happened and there was no point in denying them. She could no longer deny that darkness wasn't a part of her lover ether because it did exist and would always exist. She didn't want to change it or take it away ether it was there because it had a purpose that was as important as Gabrielle's light. They had so much more to talk about and so much more to put to rest and none of it was going to be easy. It was never easy though she knew that from painful experience. She let the kiss end as she pulled back bringing the younger woman back fully in to her embrace feeling her head move under her chin. No this would not be easy at all, they weren't out of the woods fully they still had to get Lila back and that wouldn't be easy ether it would be as hard as Tartarus. She moved her hand through the blonde hair feeling the smaller woman's body which was now relaxed against her own it wasn't impossible though she was sure of it.

End of part 96

Silvermoonlight.

Thank you everyone for your kind reviews and feedback and for staying with this story despite how long it has become :)