From on top of one of the hills, the God of War was watching the battle with great interest, a wicked grin painted on his perfect, untouched by the passing of time, visage.

"By all Olympus, I couldn't have planned this better myself!" he exclaimed when Xena finally gave the order for her men to attack, once Athena's soldiers got close enough for her to realize that there was no way in Tartarus avoiding the massacre that was about to follow.

" No, you couldn't have. Fortunately, wisdom is my department." his sister bragged, materializing by his side, an identical grin on her lips. "I'm telling you, I didn't think I'll live to see this day: the Warrior Princess and the peace loving Bard killing each other on the battlefield…" she added, on a ironic note enough to make Ares chuckle.

" To think that you once said the Bard had an uncommon intelligence! What a joke!" he laughed, amused by the daughter of Zeus' recklessness to verbally grant a mortal such a rare honor.

" And I still stand by my words. Wasted potential, that's what this is…."

"Oh yeah? Why was she so gullible as to trust you then, huh? Why didn't she predict this scheme in all her unusual wisdom? " Ares retorted, winking at her.

" And why didn't your precious Xena anticipate it? She was supposed to be the ultimate embodiment of strength and brains, wasn't she? "

The God just rolled his eyes at her, pissed by the fact that she had dared mention his Chosen in their little talk.

" Let's face it. No mortal could have figured this out….And let's stick to that…" she suggested on a grave enough tone for Ares to understand that it was no use pointing fingers at each other.

"Fine." he simply stated, once again redirecting all his attention to the battlefield. " So….do enlighten me, how in Zeus's name did we agree on this, again? I gotta confess I'm still pretty amazed that you went along with my devious, inhumanly cruel plan , I think it was you called it. What made you change your mind?" and judging by the note in his voice, he was quite intrigued with his sister's motivation.

"Come on Ares! It doesn't take a genius to understand that an united Amazon tribe would be a constant, unpredictable threat for Athens! Plus…Artemis shouldn't be given that amount of power over us. That disorganized fool has Aphrodite's infant brain and Bacchus' stubbornness combined. Imagine the outcome. "

The War God simply arched an eyebrow at her line. She had hit the nail on the head…

" Have your Spartans left for the Amazon lands?" the tricky question was finally launched.

" As soon as this little squabble began" he said, on such a casual tone as if he was talking about his daily routine. "Oh! Look at that move! " he suddenly exclaimed, when Xena simultaneously killed three enemy soldiers rushing towards her from three different directions."

" She is at her best…." Athena had to admit, biting her lips in envy.

"Your Elenis isn't bad herself…." he complimented, watching her for awhile and observing her bold moves. " With a bit more training, she'll make a fine opponent…."

" We still have a little work ahead of us, yes, but I agree, she will shine in all her glory one of these days…"

" Your men on the other hand..." the War God insisted on informing her " …seem a bit rusty…."

"They're outnumbered, what would you have expected? " she snapped.

"A bit more inventiveness and guts….?" he mockingly retorted, without taking his eyes away from the fight. "How about the rest of your troops? I hope they're on their way to Sparta as we speak…My men will need all the reinforcement they can get if we are to squash those naughty Amazons once and for all…."

" They should be there in the morning to back your attack, as promised." she specified.

"Good! …."

There was a brief pause until the God's lungs almost exploded under that avalanche of stadium like shouts.

"That's my girl! Yeah! Go get them, Baby!"

"She's not a dog, Ares…" Athena simply had to remind him , irked by that manly display of passion.

Her jaw instantly tensed though seeing the easiness with which Xena's sword was ripping through the bodies of her soldiers as if they were made out of paper….

" Definitely not a dog…Just my precious little bitch. Gods this woman is amazing! I should really build her a temple! "

The Goddess just glared at him in disbelief for a couple of moments. For the love of all she held dear in the universe, she couldn't get herself to understand the nature of their relationship. If at times she had the impression that it was some sort of master and slave thing, some other times she genuinely had the feeling that the world had turned upside down and that she was the Goddess and he was the mortal, that he was the one worshiping her…..

" If you say so….At this rate though, you should try building her a mausoleum, instead! " Athena grinned, and it only took a split second for the God to notice that, unprofessionally distracted by deflecting an arrow heading straight towards Gabrielle's back – who was now standing just a few yards away, only a dozen men still separating them from one another- she had foolishly ignored the blade that was now mercilessly piercing through her right shoulder.

In less than a blink, he was on the battleground, behind her, putting his blade through that unfortunate loser's heart, and by the time Xena turned around, the guy was already heavily bleeding on her boots.

" Thanks. So….you've finally decided to join the party, huh?" she apathetically inquired, doing her best to mask that atrocious pain ripping through her body.

"Better late then never…" he answered. "How's that wound?"

"I'll live" she hardly got the time to answer, that her attention was immediately requested by a very persistent Athenian soldier looking to make a name for himself by killing the Warrior Princess.

Unseen by the rest of the mortals, Athena finally made an appearance on the battleground, next to her brother.

" I need to leave. I still have to talk some strategy into the generals that would be joining your troops tomorrow. " she let him know.

" Fine. This fight's almost over anyway. My Northern reinforcements are just minutes away from here.. Your men should be sounding retreat soon. "

"Just make sure to keep Xena and Gabrielle busy for the following days. Busy and as far away from the Amazon lands as possible."

"Consider it done, Sis"

"Perfect then. Enough spoilers for one day….. And Ares…." she hesitated. " ...take care of Elenis for me. I still need her for tomorrow's battle…." she added, attentively scanning his face.

" I will. " he casually replied, his concerned gaze following Xena's now slightly disconnected moves.

"Ares...I mean it. Not one single scratch! " Athena insisted.

" I will. " he repeated in a considerably lower voice this time, using a fire ball to kill one of the soldiers who had somehow managed to sneak behind his sister's careless protégée.

With a satisfied smile playing on her lips, the Goddess vanished from sight. From behind a hill , the deafening sound of horns could be heard. Reinforcements were coming.

"Retreattttttttttttttt! " Elenis yelled.

Pretty soon, the rest of Athena's men were running like sheep in the opposite direction, while Ares' soldiers were shouting their victory in the form of their new Commander's name.

"Xena! Xena! Xena!"