WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND WILL NEVER BE
Mixcoatl turned back eyeing the Star Coyote. "The fact is that I was going to send her right back to hell after I was done with her!" He flicked his tail. "It was meant to be a glimpse of the future, no more no less and enough for me to see that what I saw when I first turned on the time deceive was not a ripple!" Akemi pulled herself away from Ehecatl in a violent motion ignoring the pain which caused her body to spasm. She eyed Mixcoatl it had been so long since they'd last talked and now she just felt sick to the stomach that the vile bastard had set her up. That was what he'd said, that she was just a thing which he'd used to set events in to motion.
She turned to meet her master's disgusted gaze ignoring the shock in everyone's faces including the gods who were behind them. "You slimy bastard, you told me if I saw your precious future that I'd be free from hell!" Mixcoatl turned flicking out his tongue. "Did you honestly think I'd care for the whims of a mortal, you are after all a slave you were put in the seventh hell for a reason." He shook his mane eyeing Quetzalcoatl before turning away. "As my foolish son always put it mortals are vermin and though I do not agree with his notion of them all being vermin I believe that those thrown in to the seventh hell are. After all, those who are sent there are sent there because they are the worst of all and the rest of humanity is desperate to get rid of them."
Huitzilopochtli turned to his father feeling the anger as it started to boil up. "You manipulated this! Just so I could be king?!" Mixcoatl looked up slightly. "Yes Huitzilopochtli I manipulated this because you are the rightful king of Mexica it is your destiny to rule so that you can change the tragic future and kill theconquistador Hernán Cortez when he sets foot here!" He opened his wings wider. "I did this all for you Huitzilopochtli you were always my most treasured son." Quetzalcoatl pulled up slightly trying to take the pain. "I hate you…" Mixcoatl turned looking at him. "Hate me all you want, you had no right to take the throne from me. I will not allow your arrogance to be Mexica's downfall!"
He turned eyeing Tezcatlipoca who was smiling cruelly he could see Itzpapalotl in his grip as he held her up higher he narrowed his gaze. "At least my other bastard son had the sense to understand that he had no place as king." He turned eyeing Tezcatlipoca. "Who might I add I will kill if he doesn't drop my mother!" Tezcatlipoca sneered as he eyed Itzpapalotl he turned back eyeing his father in disgust. "As you wish father..." He didn't think as he threw her with all his might watching as her body landed hard in front of father. "So sorry about her condition you see we were having a chat earlier." He looked watching as C'thulon's tentacles moved downwards now was he chance to get one over on his father.
He put a clawed hand on his chest. "You see she was trying to force a deal with the Star Coyote over having control of time, apparently she wanted to go back and kill Huitzilopochtli before his birth." He shook his head. "It's all very shameful father wouldn't you agree, I mean we've all had to put up with her down here for so long and we were all so nice to her despite that she's an immoral oversexed bitch." He felt a cold smile form. "Now we'd all be really thrilled if she'd go back in to the seventh hell where she belongs and stops getting in all our faces!" He raised his clawed finger. "That's not too much to ask is it…father?" Huitzilopochtli ignored Itzpapalotl's moaning as he raised his weapon to his father. "You had no right to force this destiny up on me or any one else regardless of the future you saw!"
Coatlicue moved forward she eased up her clawed hand running it down his face. "My son we did this for you, because you deserve to be king. You have embraced your role as the first god of war and now you have come full circle and embraced humanity. You've even learnt what it is to love all these things Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca cannot embrace because they both obsessed with power and hatred." Her many eyes blinked as she moved all four forked tongues as she turned to the other gods. "You created this alliance and you did it because you wanted to do good for your people. Only a king like you can stop what you're father has foreseen don't you see that? We weren't trying to manipulate you we were trying to save you and all of Mexica centuries from now."
Ares groaned as he opened his eyes realizing that he was lying on his back on hard stone. He groaned seeing the platform which he was now no, he blinked feeling the blood as it ran down his face. He couldn't feel his sword in his hand though but he could see it close by sticking out of the broken brick of the damaged house which he'd tried to hide in. He turned over only to cry out in pain his body was hurting so much. All his thoughts of pain were cut off as his gaze travelled upward meeting the many eyes of a leviathan being who was looking down over him. He felt his body twitch as he felt the fear over take him he'd seen the pictures in the library he knew what C'thulon looked like.
He'd also seen Gabrielle's memories of C'thulon when he'd tried to force them out of her soul mate thread but had been very distant and he'd never retrieved them all. Now the picture was complete and he could feel all his courage slipping away as the fear took him fully. It was the stronger than the fear he'd felt when entering the un-dead city. This fear was so much worse though for the first time in his life he had no courage to speak his mind. He could see the other gods on their knees apart from two new gods who had appeared and who were in front of him both were talking to Huitzilopochtli. He found it very difficult to look at them. All he could do was look up at the monster god who was looking down at him as he rolled over on to stomach not daring to move as he lowered his gaze.
C'thulon slammed one of his tentacles down hard causing everyone to go quite. "Silence children!" He turned looking at them and then at the mortals before turning to eye Mixcoatl. "What you did is forbidden and there are consequences that you all must pay. My device of time is not a play thing so you can force your own future on to others or use them to change it as you have now done." He turned fully to the oldest of his children Coatlicue and Mixcoatl. "You will no longer be able to return to the stars and the worlds you have put new life on!" He looked down ignoring there shock. "You will be forced to stay here and live out the rest of your immortal lives. You will be councillors to your war child but you will have no power over his godly council and nether will you sit in it."
Mixcoatl turned sharply feeling the rage as it burned through his system. "You have no right to do that to us, we were correcting your mistake you were putting a death sentence on the whole of Mexica and us!" C'thulon smashed his tentacle down hard watching as Mixcoatl flinched in fear. "Do not depute time with me you indianite little child I see time in all its forms you only see the future, you do not understand!" He narrowed his central eyes. "By doing what you have done you may have saved everyone here in the future including your family but there are serious consequences of time. When you stop something happening you create a chain reaction and the problem that would have affected you harms others!"
He raised his tentacle. "Other lesser gods will now suffer because of what you have done, time is the way it is for a reason everything that is bad happens for a reason!" Mixcoatl sneered in disgust. "So the lesser gods suffer they deserve to suffer their pitiful beings with washed out godly blood." C'thulon leaned forward. "It was a lesser being that helped your war child bring down your worm of a son!" He tensed slightly. "Lesser being serve a purpose one which will one day be for filled, you will not question me again child unless you want to be disciplined further!" Mixcoatl tensed as he lowered his head he had over stepped his mark and if he didn't stay quite it would mean his life or the life of Coatlicue and he wouldn't bring any harm to her, he loved her to much.
He lowered his head watching as Coatlicue did the same. "As you wish mighty elder god." C'thulon turned slowly to the little humans on the platform. He brought his two smaller tentacles forward so one was close to the blonde mortal while the other was near the Japanese's slave. "What to do with you two annoying little things." Gabrielle kept her head low not daring to look up she couldn't believe this. Her death her coming here had been one big set up by one of the older Aztec gods, so he could force Huitzilopochtli in to the position as king of the gods. It didn't matter though because now it had just put her in to deeper water than she was already in.
She breathed in deeply feeling Xena take hold of her hand she looked up meeting her lovers light blue eyes before looking down again. "Mighty C'thulon I came here to free my sister from Quetzalcoatl." C'thulon moved his tentacle slowly wrapping it around her neck. "You are not meant to be here little thing! I changed your world before, now it seems that you have been used to change mine which even I find very ironic." He narrowed his central eyes keeping the grip loose around her neck as he looked in to her green eyes. "Though it seems, that you have learnt better manners since we last met little thing. He eased the tentacle free forcing it under her chin feeling her flinch. "I am no fool and on any other day I would condemn you and your female lover to the seventh hell for eternity but today I am not in the mood for ether of you."
He forced her head up further. "Maybe because it was the both of you who fixed the issue with time by getting rid of the future pendent and stopping its user from ruining time further. Because of that you'll both leave here along with your family member and the lesser Greek war god who came with you. All your minds will be wiped after which you will be returned to the time and place where you all were before any of this started!" Huitzilopochtli looked up watching as the lesser eyes blinked. "You are not being fair! I was the one who sent both Xena and Gabrielle to stop the device which the Star Coyote turned on, the punishment should be mine not there's!" C'thulon stopped still turning to the war child who was now king. "You misunderstand war child, these two shouldn't be here to be here means that the blonde one has not died and been reborn as was meant to happen ten years from now."
Gabrielle felt the tentacle coil around her throat she could feel the pain as it twisted a knot in her stomach at the thought of once more being shoved back in time. A part of her wanted it but a stronger part of her soul screamed out in agony at the thought. She didn't want to go through this all over again not ten years from now or as long as she lived. She had come so far in so many ways because of the pain she'd suffered along with trying to do what was right. Her relationship with her lover had been forever changed because of this and now she couldn't stand the thought of it changing back and never having what she had now. She breathed in feeling the tears as they started to run down her face.
Xena watched the tentacle around her lovers throat she knew better than to move it, she held her hand tighter catching sight of the tears in the younger woman's faces. She knew why they were there, they were tears of pain and loss over loosing something what she'd gained. She breathed in sharply for all the pain she'd suffered here she didn't want to loose what they had now ether. She didn't want to go back to her old self she didn't want to suffer the pain of Mexica ten years from now all over again, it had been to much the first time. What choice did they have though the elder god ruled over all here his word was final. She lowered her head trying to take the burning pain in her chest.
Huitzilopochtli felt his teeth grind together he wasn't going to let this happen he looked up eyeing C'thulon. "No you misunderstand that has happened she did what she meant to. Her death was the price she was meant to pay you for changing the world, she's paid it. Tezcatlipoca witnessed it, it was the Star Coyote who delivered the death blow." He shook his head. "She's done what you wanted and she's suffered for it, her and her lover and her family." He stepped away ignoring his mother and fathers shock. "If I'm king of the gods then that means that you have to respect my opinion as king or we come to a compromise. That was what my father used to do with you before he lost his grip on his morals wasn't it?!" C'thulon looked down ignoring the shock on the faces of his children and the little mortals.
It had been a very long time since one of his children had been this forward by forcing a compromise he moved his tentacles in thought as he eased the smaller tentacle out from under the blonde human's chin. He narrowed his central eyes as the others turned to look at the war child. "You are very forward but you are right I did once compromise with my older children." He moved another tentacle forward so it was close to Huitzilopochtli. "I assume war child that you are reinforcing this lost rule as the new king." Huitzilopochtli narrowed his gaze. "I am reinforcing it!" C'thulon breathed in again deeply. "Very well war child and what is your compromise as king of Mexica?"
Huitzilopochtli lowered his sword. "My compromise is that they leave here as they are but if they ever step in to your godly city again or talk of your time device to anyone death will be instant. Those who've helped them will be let off as they were caught up in the mess and not part of it therefore they meant no ill will." C'thulon looked down thinking deeply before looking up. "What of the Star Coyote and her helper or the member of your family who wanted control over time?" Huitzilopochtli turned sneering in the Star Coyotes direction. "There all yours I don't care about the Star Coyote she started this mess and despite that she's my fathers servant I will not let her off for her actions as for my grandmother my patience ran out with her a long time ago."
He turned away as his father head twisted around the shock in his eyes his voice hit the air filled with pain. "She's your grandmother!" Huitzilopochtli put his sword in to belt. "She has caused more trouble for me than you can possibly imagine, my self and the other gods have all suffered because of her behaviour, behaviour which you've never learnt to control!" He folded his arm seeing his mother huge mouth formed a smile a smile which spoke for itself. His mother had for a life time wanting nothing more than to eat his grandmother. It was a silent view that they always shared the same opinion on. Coatlicue moved forward ignoring her lover's uncertain look as she grabbed hold of Itzpapalotl's leg dragging her in to the air ignoring the sound of Tezcatlipoca's laugher.
She raised her up higher enjoying the fear in her red eyes. "You see me don't you, the real me?" She ignored the other gods bemused look's as she turned back they were only seeing her human form but she knew that those who saw her true form never forgot it. Itzpapalotl felt her self shiver as one of the long tongues ran across her face leaving a trail of thick sticky saliva. She felt the fear take over as the huge jaws opened there many rows of teeth gleaming in the darkness. She could see right in to the back of the huge throat which was big enough to swallow anyone whole. The many crushing teeth made her shiver she closed her eyes feeling the panic turn to terror she didn't want to be here!
She didn't want it to end like this, every one of the older gods knew that to meet your end this way was not just painful beyond belief but it also meant destruction of the soul. In that your parts were absorbed and then you'd be reformed in to another god and that thought terrified her even more as she would have no choice in what her new form would be. Coatlicue eased up a clawed finger poking her. "I am going to enjoy eating you alive." Huitzilopochtli turned sharply eyeing his mother. "Please put her down it is for the elder god to decide how she must die not us." Coatlicue looked at the terrified goddess moving her grip as she opened her jaws wider. "I want to feel her squirm before she dies in side my stomach."
Huitzilopochtli moved closer. "I am serious mother her fate has to be chosen by the elder god." Coatlicue looked up as she closed her jaws she didn't think as she threw the goddess in front of C'thulon ignoring her scream of pain. She stepped away ignoring her lover's look of anger over her actions. "You are king my son and I have always obeyed the king of the Aztec gods." C'thulon wrapped his other smaller tentacle tighter around the slave's throat. "Then what will be will be I am sure that we will be making many more compromises in the future war child." All his eyes shifted to the slave who despite her wounds had started to fight his grip. "What to do with you little slave you are so much trouble, even more so than your little blonde rival."
Akemi felt the pain as the tentacle end tightened. "You bastard there is nothing you can do to me that means anything. I suffered your seventh hell, I took my punishment every day do you think sending me back there is going to mean anything to me? I'll just get out again be in ten years from now or a hundred!" C'thulon narrowed all his eyes. "You always were a rude insignificant little thing your rival has learnt manners but I feel for you manners will never come. Playing with my time device and stealing weapons from the future is forbidden and you will pay the price. You are right about one thing though the seventh hell is no longer the right prison for you but a prison has many forms."
He turned his central eyes to the male human behind her. "Your mind is screaming something and I want you to say it aloud little thing so I can hear it." He eyed the small human who looked terrified. "You will not die if you speak as you have something interesting to say." Ehecatl looked up trying to control his shaking hands as he spoke in a small voice. "Please don't send her to the seventh hell." C'thulon squeezed the tentacle tighter around the slave's neck. "It would be fitting why do you choose for her not to go there?" Ehecatl stood up ignoring Akemi's look of disgust. "She's only bad because she want the Blood Jaguar lover! If you take that away from her, she won't be this way." He lowered his head. "Make us both like Xena and Gabrielle!"
C'thulon narrowed a few of his smaller eyes. "You mean soul mate threads forever bound for an eternity little thing?" Akemi turned trying to get free of the tentacle wrapped around her throat as she looked up at Ehecatl. "You bastard I don't love you! I won't be with you for eternity!" Ehecatl ignored her struggling as he looked up at the elder god. "The Blood Jaguars lover said that she does not know how to love." He looked up slowly keeping his voice even. "Make her love me forever, if she has no memory of the Blood Jaguar or her lover she won't cause you any trouble." C'thulon blinked as he turned eyeing the little blonde human and her lover before turning back. "Funny and strange is the human notion of love it seems it is as much an overwhelming glory as it is an unpredictable curse."
He moved his other tentacles. "It's seems that as one will change time for it, another will destroy it for the same reason. I could recreate the world a new and still I'd have to deal with its effects which will always be out of my control or so it seems." He turned back to the male human leaning closer. "You will have your wish but you will both die in this time and then be put in to another where you won't cause trouble." He leaned closer. "You will remember but the Japanese's slave will not, I will erase what is needed and your souls will be bound until the end of time." Ehecatl lowered himself on to one knee feeling a smile spread across his lips. "As you wish mighty elder god." Akemi turned feeling the terror hit home. "No you can't do this to me! I served my time in the seventh hell I demand freedom!"
C'thulon felt the anger burn as he leaned even closer. "The time of freedom for you has ended little thing, you have long passed the time in your existence when you have the right to demand choice of any kind." He smashed his tentacle down hard next to her. "You have played a very dangerous game slave and now you will loose, instead you will belong to another for an eternity that will be your prison and your pain!" He moved his tentacle away from herthroat slamming its tip in to her chest which caused her to scream in agony as it touched close to her heart he turned doing the same to the warrior ignoring his cry of pain which was loud. "Nether of you will die quickly you will die as the inner flames of your own soul burn your heart."
He narrowed his central eyes. "For as the soul can heal, it can also burn in to the night like the fires of seventh hell." Akemi looked up feeling the pain take over as the tentacle pulled away. The next moments turned to agonizing pain which spread outward from her chest she could herself doubling over in pain as it began to spread through out her body. It moved down in to her fingers causing them to tingle as her hand started to snake violently. She pulled up her hand only to watch in panic as it her skin was burnt away as red and yellow fire spread outwards from under it moving in waves as it burnt away the muscle until only her skeleton hand remained staring back at her encompassed in her souls own flames.
She turned to Ehecatl watching as his arm burst in to yellow waving flames, the horror and certainty took over all at once she was about to die once more. Though this time was going to be different because when she woke up again her life wouldn't be her own and she wouldn't remember anything. She'd be the slave of another she turned pulling her other arm outwards as it blasted in to flames as she tried to reach out for Xena wanting nothing more than to see her light blue gaze look back at her. She felt a deeper inner pain hit her as the Warrior Princess's eyes met her own filled they were filed with disgust and excited joy.
Gabrielle's eyes met her own but there was no joy in them only a hollow sadness. She looked at her now burning skeleton arm as the truth of everything hit home. Gabrielle was the one who felt sadness for the pain which she was going through. Yet Xena hated her so much that she enjoying her death. She wanted to cry at the thought of that this was not how she imagined leaving this world. She closed her eyes all she could feel now was pain as her lower body and other arm blasted in to flames. She turned seeing Ehecatl's smile of joy as the rest of his body burst in to flames as his soul bunt it away through until it was no more than a skeleton surrounded by waving flames.
She closed her eyes as the flames took over just her tears began to flow. She had no choice and now any freedom she had was gone and would never return. It was ironic how now she wished that Gabrielle had taken her life but maybe this was the reason that she hadn't because she knew that Ehecatl's love and need for her would be her final downfall. She watched as the world turned to darkness and the stars faded away in her minds eye. In this sad moment of her death she could see everything so clearly from so many angles. She had wanted love but the one she loved would never love her. She could no more make it so than she could succeed in changing time. No fate had twisted its self in to an ugly form she would now have to serve someone who was as wanting and as needing as she had been. Some one who was her equal in terms of what they wanted and how they would obtain it. She watched as the last of the light faded away, how disgustingly ironic that notion was.
End of part 119
Silvermoonlight
