FOR HONOUR LOVE AND NOBILITY

Huitzilopochtli watched as the wall began to close up its calendar pieces locking back in to place as the walls secret passage disappeared from site all together. Everything seemed to go quite he paused for a long moment before looking up seeing that Xena was deep in thought. "Tell me why did you defend me in front of her? I don't deserve that, what I did to her was wrong." Xena moved over to her clothes easing on her boots one slowly after the other she put her armour back on clamping it all back in to place followed by he sword and Chakram. She folder her arm meeting his confused gaze as she tried her best to think of how to put this, because even to her it sounded strange.

She'd spent most of her life being deeply jealous of the men and women who had swarmed, doubted and in some cases drooled over her lover. Some she'd even hated deeply just for trying to get between them and not understanding their relationship. There had been men, women some playwrights and even heroes. While others were no more than adolescents who had been full of hormones and didn't understand the boundaries of adult relationships. Gabrielle had always been a person who had been loved and adored in certain circles where she had been disliked and even hated. She looked up at the sun god again she should dislike even hate this god just like all the others who'd try to destroy their relationship. Yet the truth was staring her in face this man despite that he was a god of war he was not evil.

He was a kind man who did have a heart he could even see right from wrong and he understood the devastating consequences of his actions. The simple truth was that he loved Gabrielle as much as she did and he had been willing to do what was right for her. Even at the cost of what he wanted. That set him so far apart from all the others, there had only been one other who had ever been this understanding. Her name was Sophia and her father was king of Illyria. She had loved Gabrielle in this same way though at the time Gabrielle had, had her body changed to that of a young man due a pendent which wouldn't free itself from her neck causing her to be stuck that way.

She had watched from afar as Sophia had come to fall in love with this young man and had adored him for all the same qualities that she'd come to love her self. She'd always got the impression that even when Gabrielle had, had her body turned back to normal that Sophia had still had very strong feelings for her. That had been a very long time ago though and she had been a different person back then a much angrier one. She had wanted the younger woman so badly and had become so angry and frustrated that she couldn't tell her how she felt. She had managed to say how she felt because she couldn't stand the thought of loosing her to another and the younger woman never being her true self again.

That male body had started to change Gabrielle's inner perception of her self as well and she had started to believe that she should stay that way because no one cared for her or gave a damn about what she thought when she was her self. How wrong she had been in those thoughts, she had wanted the younger woman more than anything for who she was.

Sophia had stepped back after the truth had been revealed and she had won Gabrielle's love but it had hurt her feelings deeply. She had done it at the cost of what she wanted, it was true that she could have forced her hand but she chose not to and let Gabrielle go. She shook her head letting go of those memories as she looked up meeting Huitzilopochtli's golden gaze. "Your right I shouldn't defend you." She watched as the little dog ran in to the other room. "If it were anyone else I wouldn't but I know that you're different from all those others who've come between us in the past. Unlike them you have never wanted her as a prize, or so you could get back at me. You truly love her the way I do and you were willing to do what's right for her even though it caused you pain, that is why I defended you."

Huitzilopochtli looked down slightly. "I feel that I have very deeply misjudged you." Xena let her gaze drift across the floor. "No you didn't misjudge me I have done terrible things to her which I'll have to live with for the rest of my life. I now have a second lifetime and I will use it to make the rest of our lives the way it should have been." She put a hand through her hair. "I won't make those mistakes again." Huitzilopochtli looked down sadly. "I loved a woman once she was my first love and I did terrible things to her. I did not deserve her I was violent and cruel and I took away her freedom." Xena looked up slightly. "What happened to her?"

Huitzilopochtli breathed in painfully. "She died." He looked up slightly. "So I am no better than you, I've done things which I hate myself for and will have to live with for the rest of my immortal life." Xena looked up slowly. "I'm sorry." Huitzilopochtli turned slightly. "So am I it seems that we both have regrets that we can not change or take back." Xena smiled sadly as she met his golden gaze. "Can you honestly pull off what you say you can, can you bring Gabrielle's sister home?" Huitzilopochtli nodded calmly. "Yes I can I would not say something if I can not do it, its goes against my laws of wars." Xena put a hand on her chin. "I really hope we can all pull this off." Huitzilopochtli tensed slightly. "So do I."

8

Akemi looked up sharply watching as Ehecatl ran down the stairs carrying a large bowl of blood. A cruel smile formed as he eased up the bowl of blood as he came to a stop in front of her. "Here I got you more than enough." Akemi grabbed the bowl of him looking at the contents she smiled as she leaned over patting his chest. "Very nice…" Amoxtli watched as the small woman pushed her hand in to the bloody bowl and then turned to the wall opposite slowly drawing symbols one after the other. There was no to ways about it she was sick twisted and out of her mind, sadly though this twisted bitch was there only way out of the keep there was no denying it.

She turned slowly to Lila keeping her voice to no more than a whisper. "You are very brave, much braver than you realize." Lila breathed in deeply as she looked back at her feeling the fear take over slightly. "Is she going to kill me?" Amoxtli shook her head. "No she isn't she's insane but not stupid your way to valuable even more so if she's your sisters rival." Tlaloc turned sharply. "She's right you're far too valuable, I agree with Amoxtli you are brave, you have your sister's courage." Lila smiled at him only to feel her smile fade in an instant as she realized that Akemi was painting her symbols in blood and that was enough to turn her stomach, no wonder Gabrielle didn't like her.

She'd seen Gabrielle at the height of her brutality and she was seemed insane but not insane enough to wipe people's blood all over walls. She took in a deep breath they would be leaving with this lunatic. She was sure that both Tlaloc and Amoxtli had a plan and both knew just what they were doing they had protected her up till this point. They had become her friends as strange as it was to say that considering that they had hated her to start with. Not that she blamed them though they were both victims of an insane and cruel god and they had both been dealt terrible cards in there lives. Though it now seemed that these terrible cards were melting away.

They were becoming living and breathing once more, they were also taking hold of this opportunity with both hands and using it to change there lives as well as expressed their feelings for each other. She breathed in deeply she was more than willing to see this through with them if it meant getting away from this Tartarus. Akemi finished the last symbol she didn't think as she threw the last of the blood up against the last bare patch of wall just to emphasis the point. She turned eyeing Ehecatl as she grabbed a torn piece of cloth from the floor using it to wipe her hands clean as she threw the empty bowl on to the floor. "What do you think?"

Ehecatl looked up slightly. "It gets the message across." He raised his finger slightly. "Your f is a little off though you need to define the line better next time." Akemi threw the blood stained cloth at him in disgust. "My f is fine!" Ehecatl snorted aloud. "No your f looks like a bad e because your stroke isn't quite right." Akemi smirked as she stepped away. "Because I like you Ehecatl, I'll ignore your picky ranting over my grammar skills. It's not like your language is easy to write down." She walked forward watching as he followed her. "We are leaving so move it! I have better places and times to be in!" Ehecatl smiled slightly. "As you wish."

Akemi turned eyeing the others. "You to should move as well before I change my mind and kill that little bitch you're protecting." She sneered in disgust she deeply disliked this woman already there was no denying that. She tensed slightly as she walked forward following the others. Lila didn't like the next question which she was going to ask but she was going to ask it anyway. "What do you mean by time?" Akemi eyed the pendent before looking at her in disgust. "Oh please don't tell that you're small minded to? To think that you're related to Gabrielle your really lacking on the intelligence side aren't you?" Lila narrowed her gaze. "Are you always this rude, vile and obnoxious or is it that you're just inbred?"

Akemi looked up sharply disgusting little bitch she breathed in trying to control her anger she could see the smirk appearing on the female warriors face. She took in another deep breath before looking up. "You should be proud you have your sister's talent for opening your mouth and really annoying people." She felt her teeth grind together as she adjusted the pistol on her waist. "People who just might hurt you very badly, by ripping your guts out while you're still breathing, people like me." Lila felt her hand form a fist. "You know I can see why my sister never liked you, I saw in one of my visions from the past how she felt about you, she really hates you."

Akemi looked up sharply. "Oh believe me the feeling is mutual." Lila folded his arms. "Well then I do hope that you and my sister don't meet again because I get the impression that she really wants to kill you since you tried to Xena from her. Which I have to say was really lacking in terms of intelligence." Akemi didn't think as she pulled the katana free from its scabbard in a violent motion as she came closer. She raised it ignoring the other warriors who raised their weapons. She moved it closer to her face watching as her eyes wandered over it. "See this really nice blade? Last time I saw it, it was being shoved in to your sister's stomach by me!"

She narrowed her gaze ignoring the surprise and shock as it spread over her protector's faces. "Your sister is dead she was killed by my hand! So unless there's been some miracle of the gods there's no way in hell that she's coming back. So don't think for a minute that she coming to save you because she isn't!" Lila watched as the gleaming sword was pulled away and put back in its scabbard. She took in a deep breath as she stepped forward sneering in disgust at the other woman. She couldn't help it a feeling of rage was filling her senses, this woman was the one who had killed her sister! She looked down slightly she shouldn't be feeling this it wasn't her real sister but she was feeling it very strongly.

May be the truth was that no matter what time or place her sister was from she was still her sister and nothing could change that fact. No there was so much more than that she just wasn't ready to admit it to her self right now. The truth was that despite that her sister had gone crazy and killed people and hurt her she felt a sense of pity and sadness for her. She had been a mess so lost and so out of her depth and in her mind that was so sad. She was like a small child who had been vulnerable and that venerability had caused her to lash out, out of fear of her own world which was no doubt coming down all around her. She couldn't take it and that had caused her to finally loose it.

She didn't like that her sister's changing time had taken away her daughter it was something she'd had no right to do. She also saw her actions as pure insanity and driven by her selfishness to get Xena back at all costs regardless of everyone else. Looking up now though she was confused as to who was more selfish Akemi or her sister? They were both so focused on what they wanted it was like they were both smoking drugs, since they were so focused on their desires. It was just that Akemi was more disgusting and vile than her sister could ever be. She eyed her again her patience had truly run out, she had seen to much suffering and to much blood here to really care anymore.

She had learnt what it was to hate, even to have nightmares and to know that everything wasn't the way she thought it was. She also knew that her being Gabrielle's sister gave her not only a sense of power but also a voice which people here didn't ignore. She could spend the rest of her time here being afraid but what was the point in that? She narrowed her gaze keeping her voice even. "My sister isn't dead Itzpapalotl said that she was resurrected by a god called Huitzilopochtli. Quetzalcoatl has already sent out the twelve elite to kill her." Akemi laughed slightly as she pulled the pendent up watching as Ehecatl came to a stop next to her. "Well if he sent out the twelve elite and she did get resurrected she won't be around to rescue you."

She eyed the pendent. "Its time we left." Amoxtli looked up sharply. "How are we going to leave here? Its suicide!" Tlaloc turned sharply. "She's right it is suicide, how do you intend to get us out here?" Akemi looked up sharply. "It's simple you stay right were you are and let me show how I'm going to get you out, you idiots." She grabbed hold of Lila yanking her forward. "I also recommend that you put your hands on her because the first time you teleport its stomach churning." She felt Ehecatl put his hand on her shoulder he laughed watching as the purple and red light started to stream out of the pendent drifting around them. "Yeah you heard that right idiots she said teleport!"

He carried on laughing watching as the light moved all around them. "You're going to love this!" He closed his eyes enjoying the moment this was far more fun than it should be. He watched as Akemi gave him a knowing smile as the looks of shock and fear spread over the other faces as the light around them shone brighter. Quetzalcoatl moved slowly up the stairs he bit down chewing on the llama in his mouth, it didn't taste that nice and as usual it hurt to swallow but that was nothing new it had hurt to swallow since the day that the Blood Jaguar's claw had been shoved in to the back of his throat. Still he was going to make the best of it and eat in front of Manaia.

He carried on moving up the steps may be he could get sex since this was after all a dinner date at least he thought that, that was the pathetic term the lesser gods used. He flicked out his tongue he could smell blood in the air, which was strange. It wasn't time for some one to meet there death right now it was to early not even mid day. He carried on moving watching as Manaia followed him he felt himself go still as he came closer to the altar which was empty. No body no blood in bowls. He felt his eyes move sharply as he caught sight of blood dripping down from the steps above. He felt himself move faster as the feeling of something being very off hit home in an instant.

No one got to top of his temple ever! The Blood Jaguar yes and her getting up his temple had been a fluke! No one had ever got up since they wouldn't get past the torturer who he'd put outside at all times to kill anyone who tried to get in. He moved faster feeling his claws scratch the stone as he moved up higher watching as the top of the temple came in to view. A dead body came in to view the body of one of his warriors who had a huge hole in his chest which was causing blood to spill out everywhere. He felt the anger start to burn some one had killed one of his warriors! He roared in anger smashing the body out of the way watching as it fell of down the step hitting every one like a rag doll as it carried on downwards.

He turned away no longer caring to see where it landed he ignored a scream from bellow as it finally hit the ground. Who had killed in his temple! Who dared to try that? He felt his anger turn to shock as a sight hit his eyes which was even worse. He could see hanging godly chains which were all open and his bastard older brother was no where in sight. He could see the gold key sticking out of the huge heavy collar there was blood all over the floor and it wasn't his brothers. He turned sharply catching sight of a hand on the floor. It was the only piece of what had been his elite torturer he could tell by the ripped gauntlet. It was unmoving which confused him even more. It should have been twitching as the warrior was un-dead.

He moved closer feeling his body tense as he looked at the bloody limb again flicking out his tongue he could taste living blood. Warm living blood what the hell was going on here? How could that even be so!? It wasn't possible, no one un-dead ever became living again only the gods themselves could give them back their mortality. Manaia came closer this was not a good thing he could feel that Quetzalcoatl was about to explode may be now was not a good time to be here. He looked down slightly. "What has happened here I thought your godly chains could not be opened?" Quetzalcoatl roared as he turned to look at him. "Be quite I'm thinking!"

He moved forward feeling something hit him which he hadn't felt in almost a millennium it was the feeling of panic. It was the realizing that someone else had not only the power to stroll in to his temple but also to free his godly prisoners. He moved faster down the steps of his keep using his tail to smash the godly chains out of the way as he went past. He felt the panic turn to utter horror as he looked inside his keep it was empty! Where were his two elite guards! Where was his prize!? He turned his head smashing the broken table part out of the way in frustration. As he tried to find bodies or even blood or other some give away that could tell him what the hell was going on here?

No one ever did this! They never got in to his keep! He turned his neck seeing nothing he turned his tail knocking the other table over as he felt his rage boil up! It was the Blood Jaguar it had to be! Who else could get in to his keep? He stopped as he caught sight of something on the wall. He could smell the blood even before he came close enough to read wasn't blood from his two elite it wasn't from the Greek girl ether no it was from the warrior outside whose body he'd pushed down the temple steps. He leaned closer reading the writing which was piss poor and badly composed, he knew the Blood Jaguar's hand writing and this wasn't her doing he felt his eyes dart as he leaned closer.

If you're reading this you bastard, then you're no doubt wondering why your men are dead as well as where Tezcatlipoca has gone. Oh and you might have also noticed that the Blood Jaguars sister is missing. Well if you hadn't noticed that she's missing well I'd take a good long look around your keep because I can assure you that she's not there.

Well first I'll start of by saying your men are dead because I didn't like them and it was fun to kill them. Tezcatlipoca's free because well what can I say I like freeing what you own. You see when I free or take something from you the mighty king of the Aztec gods it must put a shiver down that really long snake like spine mustn't it?

Something like say your master prize oh yes and you won't get her back but if you want to know where she is…well all you have to do is look to where the bright lights shining. Good luck getting through the temple doors of the city of the gods, oh wait you can't can you, you belly dragging worm because your forbidden to enter the temple of C'thulon…what a pity.

Star Coyote.

Quetzalcoatl couldn't stop his long drawn out roar as it hit the air he brought up his clawed hand slashing the writing with it. He brought up his tail smashing it against the other wall with all his might. He turned only to smash it again hearing the stone crack with the force of his blow as he lost control of his anger and rage.

End of part 100

Silvermoonlight

The first time mini story of Xena/Gabrielle and what happened in Illyria is half complete it will be posted early in 2010. It was going to be posted this year but has been put back so this story could be completed and it the follows ups notes could be finished.