"Boss, boss! You got to see this!"

"See what Strife, I'm a little busy here, trying to start wars and all." Ares asked, annoyed with the interruption.

"This is about a war, Boss. The Thessilian Mitoan one."

"My favorite kind, a civil war. What about it?"

"Xena's there, but so's someone else. Someone with power, Boss. I saw him. He called himself the one who sees, whatever that means. He helped with some soldiers and used power. I wanted to see what he could do so I shot him with an arrow. Xena removed the arrow and he healed up. He's been helping her help wounded at a Thessilian healing temple. Then Xena's little side kick nearly died. The boy saved her, Boss. By calling lightening with a war hammer."

"If this is a joke, Strife."

"It's not, Boss. I saw it with my own eyes."

"I wonder if he'd like a job as a warlord. Corrupting power can be fun." Ares was in a good mood now.

Back at the temple people were going nuts after Xander's display. "What did you do?" Xena asked

"Called lightening. It restarted her heart." Xander told her.

"How? Lightening is a power that belongs to gods. No human can command lightening."

"I can. Xena, she wasn't supposed to die. I couldn't let her die, not when I could do something to help."

"Are you a god?" Galen asked.

"No. Just leave it at that, okay?"

The temple shook.

"What was that?" Cordelia asked.

"Catapults. Thessilian catapults. We're caught between the Mitoan advance and the Thessilian defense." Xena answered.

"But we're a healing temple!" Galen exclaimed.

"Neither of them care anymore." Xander said.

"He's right. The Mitoans smell victory and the Thessilians have become desperate. We have to start getting people out of here."

"Not if I tell my people to stand down." Marmak said. "I think it's time for this war to end."

"Wow." Xander said, after Marmak and his men left. "It really worked, you convinced him to end a war."

"I know how he thinks. He really did start out with good intentions, but they got twisted along the way." Xena told him. "I sort of started out with good intentions too, protecting my village. Then it became something else."

"Thrilling. Wanting more of that feeling. Chasing it."

"You understand pretty well yourself."

"Sometimes I teeter on the edge myself. I just want to help and then a situation comes along and I do help, but I wonder, did I help in the right way or did I make things worse?"

"You're about the age I was when I first started. You could go either way."

"I have something you didn't, Xena. An anchor. You have one now, though. I couldn't let you lose your anchor. I know what losing mine would cost me."

Xena looked at Gabrielle, who was breathing normally and at Cordelia holding her hand and reassuring her and Ephiny holding her baby. "I understand. You meant it when you said she was your everything. Like Gabrielle is for me. They remind us, living in the light is warmer and happier then living in the dark."

"I know what I could be in the dark, Xena. So do you. You don't want to ever go back there. I'm afraid of falling in there. That soldier I brought in. I knew he was going to attack, I knew why he was going to attack. I knew the boy would die if I didn't do anything. The soldier didn't care. I still care. I don't want to ever forget that."

"It took saving a baby to remind me to care. Be careful, Xander, your display of power could call attention to you."

"It's time for us to leave anyway. We've done what we came to do. The reminder will hopefully keep us both going for awhile. Don't be careless with your anchor, Xena."

"It's there a particular reason you're giving me that warning?"

"You really are smart. If you seek vengeance against Caesar in Britain, you'll destroy Gabrielle."

"You're certain about that?"

"As certain as I can be. Something's are different. But I'm certain your hate of Caesar isn't. I understand that kind of hate. I hate the one who killed my brother and all their kind. I hate the fact that I never got a chance at vengeance because someone else destroyed them before I could. But sometimes I'm grateful, because I wouldn't have what I have now, if I'd had a chance to chase vengeance."

"I'll think about what you've said. I'll be careful with her."

"I hope so, Xena. Because if Gabrielle falls, the world falls with her. Not just your world. What happens to her, could destroy the whole world."

"Ready to go, Xander?" Cordelia asked. "Seems Marmak got his soldiers to stop fighting. I think we've done what we can here."

"I'm ready. Remember what I said, Xena."

"Why don't you stay awhile." Another voice said. "I've got a job offer for you." Ares materialized beside them. He eyed Cordelia for a moment. "You're a pretty one."

"Ares." Xena and Xander said at the same time.

"Who's Ares?" Cordelia asked.

Which had both Xena and Ares blinking.

"He's the god of war." Xander told her. "He likes starting wars, convincing people to hate each other. If I remember right, civil wars are his favorite kind."

"So he's happy about these people fighting."

"Yeah, basically he's Thor's opposite."

"That's the second time I've heard you mention Thor." Xena said. "Most people around here have never heard of him. How do you know him?"

"I'd like an answer to that question myself." And Thor himself appeared before them.

"Cordy." Xander said.

"Yeah." She answered.

"When did our life get surreal?"

"When Buffy crashed into it."