Decision

"Xena, you can fight him."

"Than everyone will die, I fear that I can only fight for so long, he will drive me to a point beyond exhaustion and my defenses will weaken. Death will be my only way out."

"Sometimes to save someone we have to die," Cyrene told her. Xena looked at her. "If you give him what he wants, we'll be in the exact same predicament."

"I…" Xena started but Ares appeared and began throwing fireballs. He blew up the barn and Argo and the chestnut mare came running in fury bursting through the gate. Doggy growled and bit his arm. He threw him off easily and sent a fire bolt his way.

"DOGGY!" Daniel screamed. Ares started aiming for most of the animals to Daniel's horror. Solan grabbed a javelin and through it with precision. Ares however caught it.

"You, I'll make part of my army whether you want to be or not," Ares told him with a grin. He threw the javelin at Cyrene. Xena just barely caught it as her mother retreated into the house out of sight. Xena turned and hurled it back at him.

"Your fight is with me Ares why don't you stop picking on helpless animals." She took out her sword and flipped in front of him. She sent a kick to his head only to have him catch it and attempt to put her on her back, but she flipped. He took out his sword and the clash of their swords seemed to boom as if thunder were in the air. Neither noticed the sound. Solan and Daniel unsheathed their swords ready to jump in and save Xena if necessary. Xena back flipped out of the way of several fireballs as they hit the wall destroying it.

"What's the matter Ares, can't kill me?" Xena taunted. She heard the bow strings being pulled back as he disappeared with a laugh."Take cover!" She slid under a wagon the same time as Solan, Daniel took cover behind a newly finished shield.

"Spartans?" Solan asked looking at the arrows. There was yelling as the soldiers advanced on them.

"No, Spartans would advance in a phalanx."

"Even fighting three people?" Solan asked.

"It's the most effective way and Spartans enlisted by Ares wouldn't be stupid enough to break formation over us." He nodded as they came out. "Quickly get the javelins." Daniel came out and grabbed the javelins as well as Tabbai who was covered in blood not his own. Xena began to take aim at the men running towards them swords out. They joined her in throwing them. Daniel grabbed his bow and arrow firing along with Solan as Tabbai handled the javelins with Xena. When they ran out of Javelins Xena looked around thinking quickly as she sent Nalani after Gabrielle.

"What now?" Tabbai asked as they took cover from another wave of arrows.

"Grab helmets and shields and spears. We're going to form a mini Phalanx."

"What are the odds of that working with four people mother?" Solan asked as the arrows ended and they did as they were told.

"Daniel run a line of fire straight so they can't get us from the sides, they'll be forced to come straight at us."

"Nothing to hold us from the back," Solan pointed out.

"Well than I suggest you don't move." Solan nodded as they came together giving themselves room to slide. They came at them and they held as best they could sliding if another did to stay together.

"Shove!" Solan yelled. They all shoved them back and than opened their shields to allow their spears through only to close them again. When they came for them again they began picking them off almost. It was not exactly the idea phalanx and the only reason it was holding if you could say it was, was from sheer will alone.

"I hear Nalini," Daniel said happily knowing the Amazons were coming.

"All right than let's get some real fighting in," Xena told them.

"Xena!" Cyrene yelled. "Gabrielle is here!" She was on the roof, she ducked as several arrows came her way.

"Spear the last one." They threw their spears hitting marks. Xena took out her sword and they followed suit except Tabbai who kept his spear. "Daniel when they are closed in burn some of them." Daniel nodded. Xena dropped her shield and back flipped on top of them. In vain they tried to get her only to stab their comrades.

"Xena get down!" Cyrene yelled pointing. Xena saw the Amazons about to strike with arrows. She jumped down and helped shoved them back before they used their shields as cover and arrows rained down on the men and fire came for them at the sides and in front of them as Daniel made a barrier. He was shaking and sweating when it was all over. Xena held him close as the Amazons chased the last few away.

"I killed," Daniel told her.

"I know and its okay, we were forced too. You're not bad, if you hadn't than they would have hurt you."

"Kill one, save a thousand," Ephiny told them. Solan was staring at his hands covered in blood. They all looked at her. "Because they are dead, you have saved countless villages from being wiped out by them. You have saved Amphipolis."

"You have saved more than you have taken," Xena told them hugging them close. But she knew it wasn't that easy, they would always be haunted by that first kill, first battle. She would be there as long as she had life in her body to help them through it. But she had to stop the bloodshed. They were too young to kill.

"Take everyone back to the Amazon village." Ephiny nodded as Amazons tended to Addar, who had been shot in the lung with an arrow.

"Where are you going?" Daniel asked.

"To protect you all."

"No, mommy, don't," Daniel grabbed her arm.

"Do you trust me?" Xena asked him.

"Yes, always."

"Well than let me go, don't I always come out on top?" He nodded. She kissed his forehead. "Don't go off alone." She turned to Solan and kissed him. "You don't go off alone either. Stay with your brother." Solan nodded. She grabbed her sword and chakram and hurried off heading straight for the small hidden away temple of Ares her father had built.