RETURNING TO THE PLACE WE REMEMBER

Xena blinked watching as the flames from Akemi's soul moved away from her burnt out skeleton which fell forward as the huge mass of soul flames floated upwards only to be grabbed once more by one of the shorter tentacles. Ehecatl's skeleton was next to fall forward as another tentacle moved out grabbing his soul before it could ascend upwards. The burnt out bones began to disintegrated away crumbling as both skeletons fell apart turning to dust which was blown away in the winds. She lowered her gaze she knew that she should feel something and if it had been any one else she might have, but the truth was she felt nothing for Akemi.

The only sympathy she'd felt was for the warrior who had died along with her, but at the same time she felt a gladness for him. It was so ironic that Akemi's end had been this. She had been condemned by someone who was just as possessive as herself. She turned eyeing Ares who was keeping his head down, obvious her old lover didn't have the stomach to request anything of C'thulon. No one here did apart from Huitzilopochtli who had just saved there lives and stopped their minds being wiped by forcing the issue. She moved her hand wrapping it around Gabrielle's waist helping her stay up right. She could see the glazed look spreading slowly across the younger woman's face as she fought to stay awake.

Despite her pain she had enough energy to keep her self focused but it was obvious now that Gabrielle didn't and her wounds were proof of her exhaustion. She was very badly beaten up and although some of the wounds had stopped bleeding they were obviously causing her pain there was also a lot of dried blood which needed to be cleaned away. She breathed in the smell of the other woman's hair before leaning over to her ear speaking in a whisper. "Stay awake just a little longer, it won't be long now." Gabrielle nodded not really having the strength to answer properly. She turned her eyes back to the floor taking in deep breathes every part of her wanted nothing more than to sleep.

She could see her sister holding up her other side she gave her a very slight smile before looking down once more. She could see the two gods in front of them clearly. As well as Quetzalcoatl's burnt out body which smelt awful, it kept on twitching as the battered snake god tried to move with little success. As for the other much larger snake god and the small slender woman standing next to him she knew they were both Huitzilopochtli's parents. She blinked eyeing them as best as she could she'd seen them both on wall carving during her travels in Mexica. His father looked the same but his mother didn't look human at all or maybe that was her imagination playing tricks on her.

The scaly body and the three sets of eyes could all be seen clearly, along with the massive jaws which encompassed the whole head. She blinked watching the image change instantly to that of a dark woman and then back. She found herself looking down again she was so tired that she just wasn't able to focus properly and she was obviously seeing things that weren't there. C'thulon shifted his free tentacles down ward grabbing hold of Itzpapalotl's leg forcefully. "What to do with you, arrogant foolish little child." He raised her up higher looking at the blood running down fro her wounds. "You have defied me for the last time, you have escaped your ascension to the stars on five occasions and others have had to do the work for you."

He could see the panic in her red eyes. "You are an elder child all elder children must put human life in the stars far from where little mortals can not reach it is their duty." Itzpapalotl spat at him disgust trying to ignore her pain. "It's not a duty it's your way off forcing us to do what you want you never do anything for us so why should I paint the stars with your mortal life? There's no point in it!" C'thulon swung her around violently pulling her up to his central eyes as she hung up side down by her leg. "You do what you do because it is required of you elder child! You do it so that if any other gods from beyond the stars destroy this world then I can start all over again on another which has human life already on it."

He narrowed his central gaze. "The tree of life cannot be destroyed as it linked to my soul and it can recreate new lands for the new mortal flesh on that land and the souls of those destroyed can be reborn on this new world if the worst comes to the worst! It is more than just a duty it is a question of surviving if all you know comes to an end!" He looked at her for a long moment, feeling the disgust take over. "It is time for you to perform your duty if you had not opened you mouth then your punishment may have been less severer but now you do your duty four times over to make up for putting others in your place. Others who are doing your duty among the stars, there's very little chance that you will see your kingdom again until the end of time."

His smaller eyes blinked. "Enjoy the last views of this world because you will not see it again." Itzpapalotl felt the force as she was painfully thrown in to the air only to be caught again as the huge tentacle wrapped around her waist. She pulled her hands watching as the star light began to spark all over her skin. "No! No you can't do this!" She didn't want this! She had never wanted to go to stars! She felt the pain in her body as more starlight came out of it. She was powerless to stop it. Powerless to control it, all she could do was scream as it became more and more intense filling up everything and in front of her eyes turning it to gold and silver as her power was drained from her.

C'thulon watched as the comet like light began to spray out of her body flowing as it encompassed her whole body. "The stars are waiting for you." Hebreathed out as the comet like tail formed, he let go watching as the comet flew upwards smashing through the clouds breaking them apart as it disappeared becoming no more than a tiny light spec as it broke through the stars vanishing from sight. He turned eyeing the other elder children the younger worm god looked thrilled while his elder serpent father looked devastated. "Do not bother to speak it will do no good, she will not be coming back any time soon." He wrapped his tentacle around the burnt out worm lifting it up in disgust. "What to do with you, you burnt out worm child."

He looked at the bunt up child. "Because of your foolish need to capture the little blonde humans family member you ruined all that was going to be, it is true that you will die from your wounds but I feel that death is to simpler a punishment for you, I also feel that throwing you in to the stars would not mean anything to you as anything you rule you conquer." Mania didn't think as he threw himself in to the air flapping with all his might he ignored the surprised looks as he came crashing down hard on the platform in front of the mortals. He quickly lowered his head feeling a smile form destiny had finally forced its hand and it was an ace card the card he'd been hoping for. "Great and mighty elder god I humble in your mighty presence."

C'thulon eyed the little lesser god who was not one of his own children despite that he had similar attitudes. "My patience is wearing thin you have but one chance to say what you must lesser hawk god, if it is bad then you shall be punished." Manaia lowered his head further. "Than I shall be punished for your word is absolute." He looked up slightly only to watch as Quetzalcoatl was dropped his broken and battered body smashed in to a group of houses shattering them apart. It was almost as if the elder god was getting bored and wanted to amuse himself. He moved over to the broken body putting a clawed hand on the scales ignoring the painful moaning. "Would you not consider exile to another land master of all things?"

He moved over wrapping his body around the serpent gods watching as his glazed over red eye looked back at him. "You see where I come from there are a set of islands out in the sea. He could be banished to one of these and never be allowed to leave it, until he has changed his vile ways and become a better person." He moved his wing through the burnt feathers a part of him felt truly sorry for Quetzalcoatl he was in so much pain both emotionally and physically. "I can change him if you would let me, I have changed the face of another great god I would be honoured to do it for you mighty elder god. All I ask is that he is sent enough human blood so he can survive on the island, the rest I can do myself."

C'thulon narrowed his huge central eyes that was a first a lesser god asking to help with out being forced. "You are telling me a half truth what is your real reason for your actions little lesser hawk thing?" Mania looked up slightly. "You are right might creator what I say is a half truth, I do what I do because I feel that he generally cares about me though he will not admit to it openly." He raised himself up spreading his wings fully. "He admits to being lonely it is his loneliness that has made him bitter, cruel and foolish. To take away those things may make him a better person. He was once referred to as the kindest of the Aztec gods before he became addicted to violence. He will not be a better person in these lands here there is too much to tempt him."

He shook his feathered mane. "On my island there will nothing to tempt him, no gold, no war and no humans for him to eat. He will have to learn what it is to live with out those things all he will have will be me. Then may be one day when he has learnt to be kind and un-wanting then he can return with me to his kingdom of Mexica." C'thulon breathed out deeply. "Why would you put so much effort in to this worm?" Manaia shook his head. "Because I know that he loves me and I know that he can be more than a worm he can be a grand serpent. He once let me leave Mexica when no one else would, now I owe him that favour, if I fail then you can destroy us both I only ask that you let me try."

C'thulon looked at him for a long moment how fascinating a truthful lesser being truthful most of his children weren't that truthful. Expect for the war child who was now king and the twins one who covered fertility and the other love. The others were only ever honest if it was in their best interest or if it was for a lover other than that they tended to be overly focused on themselves. He looked at the small lesser god. "You shall have your wish but only because you were honest more than most of my children can be at times I admire honesty and bravery it's the reason that I gave the little blonde mortal her desires to start with. It's the reason that I'm now going to give you what you desire."

Quetzalcoatl tried to pull himself up only to smash in to the building. "No…I won't be your slave Manaia!" Manaia looked down at him. "You won't be my slave I'm not trying to capture you I'm trying to change who you are for the better. You may not understand now but one day you will and one day you'll be grateful." He paused looking down. "One day you'll also understand more than you can ever know." He lowered his head rubbing his beak against the burnt put scales on the other god's neck. "You know that your not happy here, you have not been happy here for centuries. You're lonely and depressed and you no longer have any new goals and nothing inspires you anymore…"

He pulled up his head. "I will give you something to truly inspire you." He watched as the one good red eye narrowed in thought his next words came out in a small whisper. "Then you do care about me?" Manaia felt a slight smile form. "Yes I do and I am going to save you, because I know you want to be saved." Quetzalcoatl closed his one good eye feeling himself surrender so the other god did have feelings for him after his pursuit had not been in vein. Manaia was right in that he had nothing left here, so what was the point in staying? He took in a deep slow breath feeling the last of his strength as it ebbed away he felt the world around him drift in to darkness as he passed out blissfully in to it with out fighting it.

Manaia looked down at the other god who had finally passed out from his pain he looked up at the elder god. "Will he live?" C'thulon looked down as he blinked with his smaller eyes. "He will heal hawk thing I will heal him just enough and then send him to your island." He lowered his tentacle. "Tomorrow you will leave Mexica to join him you are forbidden to return here until his behaviour is corrected. If you do so I will kill you the moment you set your clawed hand down on the land."

Manaia lowered his head further. "As you command mighty elder god." C'thulon eased down his tentacle tip watching as lightning came down from it hitting the body of the worm, healing the serious wounds inside slightly but only enough that he wouldn't die. He didn't heal anything on the outside at all it would take the worm's outer body a century to heal if not more." He eased his tentacle tip away, the worm would pay a very personal price one which would never known but he would know as his healing had made it so. This was that even if the worm did heal up fully he would never be as healthy again. He would always be slightly unwell and need the lesser gods aid for the rest of his life.

The truth would be hidden as everyone would think that it would be because of the battle this day. He leaned down slowly picking up the worm with his other tentacle easing him in to the air as he looked down. He watched as the star light began to pour of his bloody body he was going to a very lonely island one at the end of the earth. He snorted aloud causing the bloody rivers to be blown on to the platform as he let go watching as the starlight engulfed the worm's unconscious body its long body was sent skywards in a comet of light. The comet carried on upwards only to change direction going downwards as it headed towards its island destination of Te Ika a Maui.

He watched as it dipped disappearing in to the far distance the landing wouldn't be nice. It would break at least one of the worm's wings but what did he care. He looked down as the lesser hawk god backed away knowing instantly that his time here was done. He narrowed all his eyes as he looked at the others. "Now the tree of life must be put to sleep and you will all leave here once I have fixed your mess you annoying little children." He looked up slightly. "Should this happen again under your new king's rule I will send you to a place that will make the seventh hell seem tame and it will be for the rest of eternity! My tree is not your toy or your vessel it is mine and mine alone it is not something you own. You will never own such power you never will know such power in your long and short existences!"

He took in a deep breath turning slowly towards the branches holding them tighter watching as golden and silver came out from under each tentacles which were holding the branches. He closed his central eyes seeing in his mind the spinning calendar come to a stop in an instant. The future weapons which were lying next to a pillar near by seemed to designate away in a shower of white light as they were send back to their correct time. A now altered time which would never be, as the Conquistadors would now be heading to another land and not this one which was not how he'd planned it he had made them come not as a way to punish his children in the far future but to give them a chance to rise up against them and become even greater.

Not that any off this mattered now he would have to send them another test in the far distant future. He watched with his open eyes as the white trees flesh started to designate away as the calendar stopped frozen in motion. All of it parts rotated back upwards going still and then slowly pulling apart in to sections which were wide apart. He could see the light beam breaking through as the tree's white skin carried on disintegrating while unlatching itself from the red worm like body that made up the seventh hell. The huge lakes of blood began to move back as four of the hooked tentacle openings of the seventh hell eased them selves free from the white flesh sucking up the bloody lakes.

The three other bloody bone like tentacles moved upwards blasting out red light which wrapped around any of the flying demons drawing them back in hundreds at a time. They carried on working for all they were worth dragging in as many demons as possible back. He knew that his tree wouldn't get them all but the remainder who had run away he would deal with later. He watched with his closed eyes as the golden skull was forced apart from the frozen central circle. The floating portals began to turn to solid stone once more before being forced back in to the walls the golden skull floating back in to the opening in the front wall which closed locking it in with a much harder and deeper mechanism to open.

All the calendars rings gold disappeared as they turned to stone once more encasing the thirteen other skulls whose eyes stopped glowing as their patterns faded along with the golden skulls as it vanished completely. The calendars circles all slowly moved back in to place vanishing in side the walls becomes part of the room which was now shrinking as its huge pillars grinded going back in to place. His open eyes looked down just in time to see the last of the white tree designate away revealing the temple. The huge toothed central opening of the seventh hell instantly let go as it crashed back in to the grounds opening section by section vanishing from the mortal world taking what was left of the bloody waters with it as its central mouth closed.

This huge closed mouth disappeared as the ground grew over it, the huge temple came down slamming down on top of this fresh ground causing white light to shower the whole of his city all at, the city rumbled as thousands up thousands of broken stones started to shift like a tide which could not be stopped. They moved upwards in whirlwind streams locking back in place piece by piece as thousands of houses started to rebuild themselves perfectly as every stone took back its place. The cracks vanishing as the stone healed showing no damage only beautiful buildings were left behind as everything slowly repaired it's self to the point that it looked truly untouched.

C'thulon looked up just in time to see a blast of gold light spire upwards from the closing temple roof it hit the clouds causing golden light to blast through the clouds which broke apart causing the sunlight to stream through lighting up everything more. He watched as the golden light carried on moving outwards with immense force. This circle of gold would carry on drifted breaking the darkness all the world giving the lesser god back control over their powers once more. He looked down as the last of his great city rebuilt itself. He could see the thousands of skeleton creatures as well as the ghosts running in to the rebuilt houses in their thousands to avoid the light which would dim to protect them from the sun once the light ring returned.

He turned once more pulling all his tentacles upwards as he rose above his children and mortals. "Remember what you have seen remember that I own everything! I was the first god and I will be the last and I will rebuild this world a thousand times over in a thousand places and it will be my choice of who of you I bring back every time, always remember that!" He narrowed all his eyes as the multicoloured light blasted out from his tentacles tips creating a huge opening behind in to the darkness were very few would ever go. Were only a few lived and only a few others knew of this place where it all stood still in the eternal darkness, where life and death had no meaning. The place that was more terrifying than the seventh hell reserved for lesser gods who had slipped in to it by mistake and one who lived there and had been born there. He forced the dark opening wider he would use it cross back in to his realm as he did every now and then. He turned back eyeing them all again as he moved his body in to it slowly. "Leave my city and never return little children and little mortals!"

He breathed moving fully in to blackness he knew they would not return no one ever did if they had any sense. The funny thing was with every recreation of the world there was always a time like this, always a small fault which he couldn't fix. He closed his eyes as watched the opening close and everything fade away as he drifted through the darkness ignoring the red eyes of the god who had been born here. He watched as the black horned being vanished back in to the darkness knowing that it had been seen. He turned in the darkness ignoring it as he always did. All gods other worldly or stuck inside the darkness of the place where there was no time didn't question him they knew better as they should.

End of part 120

Silvermoonlight.

Thank you every one for the reviews and feedback, sorry that my updates are slow. I have a real writers block at late, I guess I didn't really consider what the part before the end would be like and have had to spend time thinking about it.