Bringing the Peace

After a long funk I have returned to website. Special Thanks to Silvermoonlight and Stardawn who supported me during tough times. You made me believe I could come back when I was ready.

8

Hercules hated to leave Xena behind him but she was right. Saving his mother and Iphicles was the more important job to do right now. Two guards stood in front of Hercules to block his entrance, but he punched them both the face while saying, "Good night." Another guy charged at Hercules but instead found himself face first to a stone wall. Hercules charged ahead, at this moment redemption wasn't on his mind but rather freeing his family.

8

Xena and Selenta circled each other waiting for the other to make the move. Xena's forehead was bleeding profusely, she was going to have to be careful and focus on the task ahead. Finally Xena charged but she was quickly deflected by Selenta. Xena twisted to avoid one of the blades, while blocking another one. Leaping in the air at Selenta, she was surprised to see Selenta leap with her keeping her sword targeted towards Xena's head. Landing on their feet, they exchanged blows several more times.

Xena ducked and tried to strike her in the abdomen but Selenta blocked just barely missing Xena's ear. Selenta approached dragging the sword's tip just slightly above the ground grazing the soil. Xena took a step forward but a twist from Selenta shot sand in the warrior's eyes. Xena barely avoided attack after attack as she tried to clear her eyes.

Selenta pushed Xena further back striking hard. Xena could not seem to get her guard up. Selenta was taking advantage of her edge. Xena had nothing left but her instincts until she could get all the dirt out of her eyes while Selenta had everything going for her.

Still those instincts had kept Xena alive for a long time now, and with a simple sweep of the feet, she forced Selenta had first into the wall. Xena took the moment to finally get a chance to wipe her eyes, and then struck forward at Selenta.

Each warrior traded blow after blow, it seemed like they were getting nowhere. It was like they couldn't best one another. Each swing would be blocked by the other, every stab would be dodged, and every strike… avoided. They were evenly matched. They found themselves standing off against one another, swords pointing at each other's throats.

"Xena, I studied you. I knew how you fought. I read all your campaigns, after you excommunicated me from your army I found new motivation. I spoke to people you fought beside. I killed people who had been your allies, and people who had been your enemies. I found Amazons who taught me how you did your aerial moves. Xena… Anything you can do. I can do. Because I know you. I studied your entire career until the moment you got weak and became another do gooder fool."

Xena smiled, "Really… You know people say about people who claim to know everything?"

"What's that Xena?"

"No one likes a smart ass." Xena leapt into the air doing a twist while throwing her chakram at Selenta who only managed to dodge it.

Selenta fell back in surprise at the move, "What in hades was that?"

"Something new. From when I fought Callisto in the land of Chaos."

Selenta felt Xena close in, but tried to make a run for a better position but Xena's sword caught her dress and pinned Selenta to the wall.

Xena closed in, "I used that move on Cortese. But you wouldn't have read that because I was in my do gooder phase."

Selenta smiled as she ripped her clothes from the sword. "Oh that's alright Xena. Because now you're unarmed."

Selenta charged but Xena kicked her fist causing Selenta's sword to fly through the air. Xena quickly caught it as she smiled, "You see Selenta. I learned that move when Hercules and I were fighting over the sword we were going to use to free Prometheus. But you see. You didn't read that, because I was doing good and therefore wasn't worth your time or attention."

Selenta snarled, "Shut up! You were weak! You were unworthy of my attention then!"

Xena dropped her sword, "C'mon then Selenta. If I'm so weak, you should be able to take me now."

Selenta pulled out a dagger as she screamed in rage. Just Selenta came within inches, a dagger leapt up from Xena's cleavage into Xena's outstretched hand. The Warrior Princess ducked below Selenta's stab taking the breast dagger and struck Selenta in the ribs. A mortal wound.

"That one. Well, I'd never had a breast dagger before. But when I was traveling with Gabrielle she took a fancy to it. When I took it away from her, I decided to keep it for myself. Thought it might be useful one day."

Selenta fell to her knees as Xena continued, "You see Selenta. When you study up on a warrior, you should always read the latest edition."

Selenta coughed blood, "I will get you Xena…" Then the defeated warrior lost consciousness.

Xena looked down on the defeated warrior, "You were like me all along and just like me. Someone showed up and beat you." Xena picked up her sword and sheathed it, leaving Selenta's cold body where it had fallen.

8

The Castle shook as Hercules entered the prison. There he saw his own mother shackled to the wall. No doubt under Herc's own orders. How could he get over this? Did it matter that it was really some dark force that had controlled his actions? How could he forgive himself… his own hands had done this to his mother, regardless of who had been in control.

Hercules spoke, "Mother…"

The woman replied, "Stay back! Please don't hurt me! I can't stand to be hurt by you."

Hercules approached his mother, sadness in his eyes and tears going down his eyes. "My God mother… I'm so sorry. How could you ever forgive me?"

Alcmene looked into her son's face, "Hercules? It's you… I don't know how, but it's you…"

Hercules looked at his mother with his sad eyes, "Yes, something had…"

"Yes. Before, that wasn't you. It had your body, your voice, and your strength but it wasn't you. I know you… I see you there now."

Hercules broke her chains and then seemingly melted her now free arms. "Mom. I did something terrible. Not just to you, but to so many people. I became what I fought against all my life."

His face in her chest as she held him, "It's alright…"

"No it's not alright. I did it. That dark thing inside forced me to do it and… and… I couldn't… didn't stop it. I tried…" Hercules eyes watered with tears, "I tried…"

Alcmene turned her son's head towards him, "Hercules look at me… look."

Hercules watched her face as water continued to gush from his eyes. Alcmene stated, "I know you, and I know you fought with all your might against that thing that had been inside you. I know you would have never done all this on your own. Everything that happened, it wasn't your fault."

Hercules dried his tears, "I was Hercules. I'm supposed to be stronger than that, or anything."

"Son, Even with all your great strength. You can't do everything. Even you have your limits. I know it's going to be hard for you but I'm going to be there for you every step of the away."

Suddenly another voice chimed in, "Brother. I know this is touching and I figured out just by listening that you had no control over your actions before. But can you please hurry up and take these chains off me? Any time now…"

Hercules freed him from the chains as well. Picking up his mother he said, "We need to get out of here. The catapults will bring this castle down on us if we wait much longer."

Just as Hercules was about to exit, Xena popped in, "You coming or not?"

Hercules nodded as he and his family quickly left the dungeon. As they tried to make their way outside of the castle, it was already coming down upon them.

Xena shouted as she dodged a chandelier, "We need to move faster!"

Around them, the soldiers inside weren't trying to put up a fight either. They weren't about to be crushed by a castle for this cause.

Finally after dodging a lot of failing rubble, Hercules, Xena, Alcmene, and Iphicles all managed to make it ouside of the castle just as it fell in behind them. One of the officers in charge spotted them, he shouted, "Arrest them! Arrest them!"

Hercules quickly punched him out, "If you all want a chance to survive you had better surrender."

One man spoke up, "I'm the officer in charge here! I'm not surrendering."

Iphicles shouted, "I am the King of Corinth and if you don't want executed, then you had better surrender right here and right now."

"We serve King Hercules!?"

Iphicles picked up a sword, "Does it look like Hercules is in command of anything?"

The commander's eyes went to the body of the fallen Selenta.

"She's not going to be giving orders any more either."

Faced with a now armed Iphicles, a menacing looking Xena, and seeing Hercules clearly not trying to run anything, the commander reluctantly turned around, "Surrender! The War is over! Pass the word!"

Xena turned to Hercules, "You need to get out of here. Sparta and the others will want your blood and we're going to need you against Chaos."

Hercules paused, "Yes, you know where to meet me right?"

"Yes. Go."

Hercules and Iphicles traded looks, and then finally the demigod nodded at Xena, and quietly disappeared into the shattered city. All around, Xena watched as soldiers everywhere dropped their sword. Then she turned her eyes to where Selenta had laid, but the body was missing.

Xena demanded, "Soldier! Why did that woman's body go?"

The soldier looked, "I don't know! It was there… and now it was gone."

Xena looked up at the skies. She guessed that perhaps Chaos had seen fit that she had not seen the last of Selenta. But that would come soon enough. Corinth had surrendered and that was all that mattered at the moment.