To Find the Light

by Debir

Picking up where Enter the Dark ended, Xena and Gabrielle search for Deerdra who is doing some searching of her own. Their respected journeys will impact their lives forever.

12. Chapter 12

"To Find the Light"

By

Debir

Chapter Twelve: "Back to the Beginning- and Future"

[Time for some time travel. The stories will ping pong between the past and future. I'll let you know by putting Past or Future at the beginning. Ready to start doing some trippin'?]

We begin by going back to the beginning. The witches are going to use the spell that brought Xena back to the land of the living to send Gabrielle to Deerdra fourteen-hundred years into the future.

Past:

Gabrielle is at the crystal bowl making it sing. Deerdra is below fighting the wolves. The bowl's pitch changes. Instead of a steady tone, it now wavers. High, low, high, low. The space in front of Gabrielle distorts looking almost liquid. It forms into a sphere with a bright center. The center opens revealing trees in a park like setting. A great wind blows threatening to send Gabrielle into the vortex. She hangs on to a tree for dear life, but to no avail. The center acts like a giant vacuum and sucks her in. A bright flash and then silence.

A naked Xena lays in the dirt outline. She wakes, confused then that memory returns. She whispers, "Gabrielle?" Not getting a response, she gets to her feet and looks around. She sees her clothes but no Gabrielle. Getting dressed, she talks to herself, "All right, Gabrielle. You went to all of this trouble to bring me back so where'd you go?" She yells out, "Gabrielle!" then a terrible thought occurs to her. She sees the overturned bowl and talks to it, "Akimi, you said Gabrielle wasn't the one to take my place. You'd better not have been lying to me." She yells out again, "Gabrielle!"

Meanwhile, down below among dozens of dead wolves, Deerdra's wounds glow as they heal. When the last one is done healing, she opens her eyes and immediacy yells out in pain, "Ow! Son of a B...!"

Her misery is interrupted by a name echoing down from the peak. "Gabrielle!" It takes her a second to realize who's voice that is. "Is that Xena? Shit! Something's wrong!"

Xena's taking a closer look at the alter when she spies movement out of the corner of her eye. It's a hand! "Gabrielle!" She rushes over, "Here, grab hold." She pulls and is surprised to see Deerdra standing before her and not Gabrielle.

Deerdra dusts herself off, "Gee, thanks. I wasn't sure I was going to make it up that last foot. So, where's the fire?" she looks around, "and Gabrielle?"

"That's what I'd like to know."

"She's supposed to be up here with you. Did you knock that bowl over?"

Xena glances over her shoulder, "No. It was like that when I arrived. Why?"

Deerdra furrows her brow, "It may be nothing, but-"

"If I didn't knock it over, who did?"

"Exactly. And where is Gabrielle? I figured she'd be smothering you with kisses by now."

So did Xena. She ignores the comment. "Someone must have taken her while you weren't looking."

Deerdra bristles, "Oh, so now it's my fault. We haven't even been properly introduced and you're already blaming me for her disappearance. Nice."

Xena sighs. She's going to have to work with this woman so she holds her temper. "I know who you are and you know who I am. I'm not blaming you for anything. I'm just trying to figure this out. There's no other footprints up here to suggest there was a struggle so I suggest we go down below and take a look around."

"Agreed."

Xena is surprised by the carnage. Dozens of dead wolves lay everywhere. She takes a good look at Deerdra's clothing and is alarmed by what she doesn't see. She whips out her sword and points it at Deerdra's chest, "What are you?"

Deerdra didn't see that coming, "What?"

"Your clothes are bloody and ripped but I don't see any wounds. What are you and what have you done with Gabrielle?"

Deerdra is getting tired of being blamed for something she didn't do. "Right now I'm resisting the urge to grab that sword and ram it down your throat."

"My, my. Someone's got a temper."

"I just don't like having a sword pointed at my chest." She whips out her sword, knocks Xena's aside, and points hers at Xena's chest. "Do you?"

"Not particularly." Xena twirls her sword around Deerdra's, locking them together and bringing them nose to nose.

They glare at each other for the longest time before Deerdra breaks the silence, "Do you really want to do this?"

"What I want are some answers."

Deerdra doesn't like being called a liar even if it is implied, "Do you honestly believe that if I knew where Gabrielle was that I would be standing here surrounded by a bunch of dead, bald wolves and staring at you instead of her?"

She has a point, "Probably not. What about my other question."

Deerdra sighs, "I'm immortal."

"You can't be a god. They don't bleed and it looks like you had a pretty nasty wound on your neck there."

"You're right, I'm not a god. I'm more like a fancy demigod. Can we get back to looking for Gabrielle now?"

Xena thinks for a moment, "Okay."

They back off, slowly. Xena asks, "Do you have any ideas?"

Deerdra stares at a bush behind Xena, "I think I see someone who might."

She walks to the bush then kneels down and whispers, "Where is she? No, I don't have any bread."

Xena stands there thinking Deerdra's gone mad.

After a moment, Deerdra stands up. Xena can't resist teasing her, "Well, what did the bush say?"

Deerdra is dead serious, "She was sucked into some kind of hole that appeared out of thin air. They don't know where she is now."

Xena looks the bush over, "Who told you that?"

Deerdra is distracted by her thoughts, "The Wood Wives. Only someone with a lot of power could have opened that door."

Xena can only think of one group, "The gods? Why?"

"Not god power. Magic power."

"Magic?" Light bulb for Xena. "That woman. What's her name?"

"Margret." Deerdra's getting angry. She thinks, "If you've hurt her, there will be Hell to pay."

"Well," says Xena, "We'll just have to pay ol' Margret a visit." She extends her arm in the direction of the road. "Take me."

Deerdra's feeling a bit silly, "Okay, but shouldn't we see Margret first?"

Xena's not feeling silly. "To Margret."

"Right. Of course." Deerdra takes a couple of steps then spins around. Xena reaches for her Chakram. This further amuses Deerdra and Xena thinking she's dangerous boosts her ego. "Say, how do you know about Margret? You have yet to meet her."

Xena relaxes, "I watched everything that went on down here."

Deerdra blushes, "Everything?"

Xena stretches the truth, "Yep. Everything."

"Ookayy. The road is this way." She heads into the trees with Xena not too close behind. Deerdra has some more fun, "Got an eye full, did ya?"

"Um, hmm." Xena's not too talkative. She's busy keeping a close eye on her new traveling companion. Plus she may not remember everything like she said, but she's been deceived by the gods enough times to not trust anyone remotely related to them.

Deerdra feels Xena's eyes on her and it is irritating. She tries once again to get Xena to talk, "So, what was it like wherever you were?"

Xena's still monosyllabic, "Quiet."

"Oh, this is going to be a fun trip."

Later.

Xena's disgusted, "Well that was a waste of time."

Deerdra's turning something over in her hands, "I thought she was full of information. It wasn't her spell. She'll find out more and get word to us. Plus, we got this nifty crystal to tell us when the next door opens."

She holds up a clear elongated faceted crystal. Xena promptly takes it from her, "And that we're in danger until then."

"Hey! She gave that to me not you."

Xena tucks in down the front of her bodice, "It'll be safer in here."

Deerdra mumbles, "Safe from me, at least. I am the immortal one, you know."

"You were also the one who was chewed up by a bunch of wolves."

"That was part of the plan."

"Uh, huh."

The shadow of a large bird glides over them.

"Could that be your Margret's messenger?"

Deerdra squints into the late afternoon sun, "No. I think it's what ate the messenger." She points, "Look."

Xena does and in time to see a Harpy barreling down on them, "Get down!"

They hit the deck and just as it swoops over, the breeze off its wings ruffling their hair.

They spring up and ready their weapons. Xena her sword and Chakram. Deerdra her two swords. Xena takes note of her weaponry, "Two swords?"

Even under attack, the two can't resist doing a little verbal sparring "Yep, because I'm twice the warrior you are."

"You wish."

"Careful, Xena or I'll let it carry you away."

"No you won't because I'll take you with me."

"Ohh, this is going to be fun! Duck!"

The Harpy zips past, missing Xena by a hair. It turns and heads for Deerdra. It bears down on her but she's ready. As it approaches at breakneck speed Deerdra raises her swords and crosses them scissor-like. Xena stands aside to see how Deerdra handles the situation. The Harpy streaks toward Deerdra and when it is practically on top of her, she slices. The Harpy's head flies off in one direction and its body tumbles another.

Xena's mildly impressed, "Not bad." She kicks at the unusually bloated torso, "You may be right about the messenger." She slices it open and out tumbles the remains of a tiny body and a full sized scroll.

Deerdra plucks it out of the goo, "Let's see what she found out." She scans the page, "I don't believe it."

Xena snatches it from her. "Hey! You and your snatching."

Xena reads bits of it out loud, "The gods have sent Gabrielle over a thousand years into the future to meet up with Deerdra." She gives Deerdra a dirty look.

Deerdra smirks, "I always was grandmother's favorite. I wonder why they'd do something like that? "

"To annoy me." She continues reading, "The door they opened showed the demons in the area the future and they will try and prevent it from coming true. Blah, blah, blah. Fend them off until Gabrielle returns. The crystal will glow. Be in the exact same positions as when she left. You won't remember any of this happening. Blah, blah, blah. If either of you die, the spell will be broken and Gabrielle will not return."

"Did any of those Blahs mention how long she'll be gone?"

Xena hands it back to her, "Read it for yourself."

Deerdra grumbles, "That's what I was doing." She scans the parchment, "Yeah. A bunch of Blahs. Here's one. She needs to be back at the rising of the new moon." She calculates in her head, "I think that's in seven days. I'm not sure."

Four more giant bird shadows. Xena puts her hand on her Chakram, "I'm sure we're about to have more company. Now you'll see a real warrior in action."

Deerdra bows and moves aside, "After you."

Xena waits until the Harpies are in range then flings the Chakram. It bounces off one tree, ricochets off another, disappears in the treetops, comes out, and hovers before rocketing toward the mesmerized Harpies. It slices one, then two, then three before bouncing off another tree and comes up behind the fourth Harpy and nailing it before returning to Xena. She latches it with a satisfied look on her face.

Deerdra's impressed but she's not about to let Xena know, "Well, sure if you want to do it the easy way. Ares offered me the Chakram, but I turned him down." She loves yanking Xena's chain.

Xena doesn't believe her, "Uh, huh, sure."

"No, really. I'd rather charge at someone and meet them head on rather than fling some disc at them."

Xena grabs her Chakram and waves it in Deerdra's face, "This has saved a lot of peoples' lives, mine included."

Deerdra keeps yanking that chain, "I thought you were going to convince me it was a good thing." She spies movement in the sky behind Xena, "Huh, Oh. They've brought in reinforcements."

Xena unsheathes her sword, "This is going to be a long night."

Much later that night, the two are sitting around a campfire eating dinner. What's left of a Harpy is hanging over the fire by a spit.

Deerdra finishes her piece of Harpy, "You know, it tastes a bit like chicken."

With a full tummy, Xena is feeling silly, "Well, it did fly like a bird."

Deerdra chuckles then remembers who she's talking to. Not an enemy, but far from a friend. More of an ally by chance. "Think the Harpies will come back tomorrow?"

Xena licks her fingers, "I doubt there are any left."

"But still, one of us should keep guard tonight, just in case."

Xena flops back on her bed roll, "Good idea. Wake me when you want to hit the hay." She rolls over, turning he back to Deerdra, a triumphant grin on her face.

Deerdra glares at the back of Xena's head. She lets out a deep, angry sigh that's just below growl level.

FUTURE:

It's 1995 in the south central New Mexico mountains.

Dusk and Deerdra is kneeling in front of a headstone, "I wanted to stop by on last time before I left." She places a bouquet of multi-colored roses at the foot of a headstone that reads: "Lyn Chalender" 1915-1995 "Loved by All"

Deerdra continues, "Thirty years is a record for me and now that you're gone, town just feels-empty. So, I'm going to start over. I don't know where yet. I suppose I'll find out when I get there." She reaches for an ancient gold band hung around her neck and sighs. Looking up at the approaching night sky, two twinkling stars stand out, "Ah, there you are. I can only imagine the stories. Be kind, you two. I"m still new to this relationship thing." Another, bigger sigh. Her already somber mood is made even more so by the heaviness of her heart, "Someday."

The quiet is broken by a wavering, high-pitched sound, "What is that? A siren?" The sound grows in intensity. She smashes her hands against her ears. Vases crack and tombstones shutter. Deerdra crumples to her knees in agony. There is a bright flash and it's all over. "Okay, that was some kind of magic. But what kind?" She scans the graveyard. Nothing ominous stands out. "I've heard that sound before. Where?" Her eyes grow wide, "It couldn't be-could it?" She scans the cemetery again. Nothing but moon shadow forms of crosses and angels. "I didn't think so." A dark form on the ground partially hidden behind a headstone catches her eye. "If that's who I think it is, I'll faint dead away."

She approaches with caution. You can't be to careful in a cemetery at night. He palms are all sweaty and her heart pounds in her ears. She shines her flashlight on the form and sure enough, it's Gabrielle.

Deerdra doesn't faint, but she does get week in the knees, "You can't be real." She backs away and into a pedestal bound angel headstone. Her breath comes in quick, short bursts. Her hands tremble as she wipes sweat off her brow. Looking up, she says, "It's finally happened, Michael. I've cracked and become delusional."

The delusion moans. "I guess if you're going to go off the deep end, you might as well go all the way."

Another moan. Now Deerdra wonders if it could really be her. She whispers, "Gabrielle?"

She gets down on all fours, creeps over, and touches Gabrielle's boot. Pretty solid for and illusion. Her heart leaps, "Good Lord, you are real!" She gently shakes Gabrielle's foot, "Gabrielle, wake up."

Gabrielle slowly opens her eyes and just as slow sits up. She sees Deerdra crouched at her feet, "Deerdra? When did you change your clothes?"

Deerdra can't contain her joy. She pounces and darn near smothers Gabrielle in a bear hug,

"Deerdra. Can't-breathe."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just so excited to see you. How do you feel?"

"Okay. A little disoriented, but okay. Did it work?"

"Well, that depends on what you mean by 'it'."

Gabrielle looks at her like she's hit her head, "Bringing Xena back, of course. Is she here?" She glances around, "Wherever here is." She takes a better look, "Wait. Are we in a cemetery?" Her eyes widen, "Something when wrong!" She grabs Deerdra by her shirt, "She didn't make it, did she?"

"Gabrielle-."

She slumps back, "Why would you bury her so soon? No, you wouldn't have buried her here. You would have waited and taken her to her family tomb."

"Are you done freaking out?"

Gabrielle is feeling dejected, "Yeah, I think so."

"Good because you're going to freak out again."

Gabrielle's cautious, "Why? What's happened?"

Deerdra stands and offers Gabrielle a hand up, "Come here."

Gabrielle gets up and dusts off her behind. Deerdra takes her hands, "Listen closely. Somehow, you have traveled forward in time to the year Nineteen-Ninety-Five."

Gabrielle laughs, "No, seriously. Where are we?"

"I am serious. Look around. You're not in ancient Greece anymore. Have you ever seen clothing like this before?" (tan suede jacket, button up maroon camp shirt, faded jeans, and square toed cowboy boots) "Sweetheart, you've traveled through time and we need to find out how and more importantly, why."

The reality of the situation knocks Gabrielle off her feet, literally. She plops down on a remembrance bench and tries to collect her thoughts. Deerdra joins her on the bench and puts her arm around her shoulder.

Gabrielle runs her fingers through her hair, "I don't understand any of this. One moment I'm making that bowl sing and the next I'm here-with you- in a cemetery." She pauses, "Why are you in a cemetery?"

Deerdra is evasive, "I was saying goodbye to someone. So you were in the middle of performing the spell." Deerdra has a memory flash, "You weren't there."

Gabrielle looks at her, "Where?"

"The mountain top. Xena made it back, but you were gone. She blamed me, of course. Why am I just remembering?" Light bulb. "The time line has been screwed up. The longer you're here, the more memories will be made. Huh, the future is affecting the past. Interesting."

Gabrielle tries to understand, "My being here is creating new memories for you? That's just weird."

Deerdra is excited about this new 'adventure'. "I wonder what's going to happen next? It's the ultimate cliff-hanger. This is so cool."

Gabrielle doesn't think so, "Great. You get new memories. What about me?"

"You? We find out who and why?" Deerdra straightens up, "Margret. She must have changed the spell. Why?"

"She did seem to have a thing for you. Maybe she saw me as a threat."

"She needn't have worried. I wasn't-" Flash. "She didn't do change the spell, but was going to find out for us."

"Another new memory?"

"Yeah. This could get confusing," Deerdra smiles, "but way cool!"

Gabrielle teases, "Pretty boring in Nineteen-Ninety- Five, huh?"

Deerdra smiles, "It can be." She lights up her watch. "Midnight. We need to go." She extends her elbow, gentleman style, "Your chariot awaits."

Gabrielle slips her arm through, "You have chariots here?"

Deerdra chuckles, "You'll see. Are you cold?"

"The air is crisp, but I'm fine. Are we in a forest?"

"A village on the outskirts of the mountains."

"Do you live in this village?"

"No. I lived deep in the forest out were it's quiet and I can have my privacy."

"Ah, still not one for the crowds, huh?"

"Nope."

Behind them, dry leaves crackle under the weight of footsteps.

Gabrielle's ears prick up, "We're being followed."

"Uh, huh. Just keep walking and talking."

Of course Gabrielle's mind goes blank. Then a big question enters, "Um, Deerdra. I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but...how are you still alive?"

Deerdra grins, "How do you think why?"

"You're some type of immortal. A demigod maybe?"

"Yes. I am an immortal demigod."

"Isn't that kind of redundant? Aren't demigods immortal?"

"Yes, but we each of us can be killed in different ways. I'll explain when we get to my place."

More leaf crunching from all sides now.

Gabrielle whispers, "There's more of them."

Deerdra's demeanor changes to serious, "No matter what you see, don't panic and don't run." She reaches in her jacket and whips out The Sword. "And stay near me."

Gabrielle reaches for her sai. "Go it."

Deerdra calls out, "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

Five hulking male figures emerge from the shadows, surrounding the women.

Gabrielle hunkers down thinking this is going to be your typical street fight until the moonlight lights up their faces. "What the...you have Bacci here?"

"Not exactly, but their bite is just as deadly."

Vamp One mouths off first, "Looky what we have here. Two girlies out for a walk."

A second one joins in after seeing Deerdra with a sword, "What are you gonna do with that? Kill us?"

All three laugh until Deerdra answers with a definitive, "Yes."

The five undead charge, three take on Deerdra and the other two go after Gabrielle. It is a short fight.

The three circle Deerdra. She slashes up on one, cuts the head off the second, and slashes down on the third. One and three bust into flame then disintegrate. Number two just plane ol' disintegrates. All three are piles of ash now. Deerdra kicks a pile, "Where's your smart remark now?"

Gabrielle isn't doing too bad, either, considering she has no idea what she's up against. Using the hilt of a sai, she tattoos the vamps across the face. They are stunned, for a moment. She leap kicks one, hitting him square in the nose sending him to the ground. Then she mule kicks the other, hitting him in the gut which doubles him over. A knee to the nose then another smack to his face sends him backward...into Deerdra's waiting sword. He bursts into flame then disintegrates.

Deerdra gives Gabrielle a thumbs up. She doesn't have time to reply. The last vampire has gotten to his feet and is mighty ticked off.

"You're going to pay for that, girlie!"

Gabrielle yells to Deerdra, "Quick, give me your sword!"

"I can't. Use this instead." She tosses her a wood stake, "Stab him in the heart!"

Gabrielle shouts, "Are you kidding me?"

"Trust me!"

Gabrielle doesn't act quick enough. The vampire grabs her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides.

"Now what cha' gonna do, girlie? What a pretty neck you have. I may have to have a taste."

Deerdra warns him, "Do you have any idea who I am?"

He looks up, "Can't say that I do."

"Well then, let me introduce myself. I'm Deerdra Reese. And this," she holds up her sword, "is The Sword of Light."

It doesn't ring a bell with him, "Deerdra who?" Then an alarm goes off in his head, "Deerdra Reese? The Deerdra Reese?"

"The one and the same. Any idea of who you're holding there?"

He thinks then it hits him. Any color he may have had drains from his face, "G-G-G-"

Deerdra smiles, "Yes. That's Gabrielle. Hmm, I wonder what happens next?" She nods at Gabrielle.

In his shock, the vampire has loosened his grip. Gabrielle goes limp, slipping free. She mule kicks him, he doubles over, she gives him a boot to the face, he stands upright, she stabs him with the stake, he goes Poof.

Deerdra can't help but admire her skills, "Poetry in motion."

Gabrielle walks over to her, "What?"

"Impressive."

"Yeah, well it would have been more impressive if you'd let me use your sword."

"Yeah, probably, but I'm the only one who's allowed to use it."

Gabrielle doesn't believe her, "The only one, huh? What is it, enchanted or something?" She touches the blade and gets quite a jolt, "Ow!".

Deerdra chuckles to herself, "Are you okay? You're lucky, most people get thrown across the room."

Gabrielle rubs her hand, "Where did you get that thing?"

"Michael."

That surprises Gabrielle, "Michael? Archangel Michael?"

"That's the one. He gave it to me to give me an upper hand against the demons I fight."

"Like turning those things into walking flame balls?"

"Vampires. They're small potatoes compared to what I go after."

Gabrielle smiles, "The Big Potato?"

"Yes, someone else eats the little fish while I catch the whale."

Gabrielle laughs, "Okay. I'm curious. Which god sired you?"

"Sired me? What am I? A horse?"

"You know what I mean."

"Ares. Ares slept with my mother."

"So, you're Ares' daughter. It fits. You do always seem up for a fight."

Deerdra freezes.

Gabrielle crouches and looks around, "What?"

"I'm sorry. I just had another memory flash. It was the gods who sent you here."

"The gods? Why?" Gabrielle panics, "To keep Xena from returning!"

"I don't know, but Xena did make it back. In fact, you both live well into old age."

Gabrielle likes the sound of that, "Are you there with us?"

Deerdra's mood turns somber, "For a while." She changes the subject, "Ah, here's my car."

"A cart? I thought you had a chariot?"

"Not a cart. A car." She slaps the roof of a sleek blue sports car. "Also known as a horseless carriage."

Gabrielle gives the blue box with odd looking tires a once-over, "If there aren't any horses, how does it move?"

"Okay. It has something called an engine," she touches the hood, "under here. Imagine one-hundred ant sized horses with the strength of all of the gods combined running and spinning a wheel so fast, Mercury himself couldn't catch them. You take that energy, and put it in a container. That energy makes the car go, fast."

Gabrielle thinks it's a joke, "A hundred tiny horses. Riiight."

Deerdra sighs and opens the door, "Just get in...and don't touch anything until I sit down."

Gabrielle gets in, the supple leather conforming to her form. "This is comfy."

Deerdra shuts the door and shakes her head, "I get the feeling that I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do," she looks up at the stars, "as will you."

CONTINUED