Xena: Warrior Princess- A Legend Never Dies

Chapter 5

Gabrielle raises her sword, ready to strike and kill Solan. A stern but soft voices pierces her ears.

"Gabrielle..."

Solan smiles and breathes a sigh of releaf as Xena steps out of the trees.

"Put the sword down and grab me some of those leaves over there. I can use it to create a poultice to stop the bleeding and save his lung."

"Xe..Xena?"

"Yes, Gabrielle, now we don't have much time. Not only is my son dying and your army after my hometown but Ares is after you. Now unless you want to spend eternity hearing me bitch about how you let my son die, my town perish, and yourself get bound forever by the god of war then I suggest stop gawking and do as I say."

Gabrielle, shocked and unsure of what else to do, starts following Xena's orders. She gathers everything Xena asked for and hands them to her.

"I'm not going crazy am I? You're really here? Not just in my head?"

"I'm really here Gabrielle. Now can you get me that stick over there, Solan will need help walking."

Gabrielle picks up the stick, hesitates for a moment, then swings it against Xena's back before handing it to her.

"That is for leaving me and letting me turn into a monster."

"I deserved that. Now go get Callisto and Argo. We need to get moving."

"Right. Get moving."

"Well, go on."

"You promise I'm not going crazy? That you're really here?"

"I promise. What do I need to do to prove that to you?"

"Tell me something about you that I don't know."

"I chose to go to Tartarus so that I could pay for my past crimes and made a deal with Ares that if he stopped you I would rule the world as his queen. The first part is in the past but the second part could happen at any second. My Plan B because I didn't know if I would make it here in time."

"You chose to go to Tartarus? And what if I had died before I turned into this monster? I would have went to the Elysian Fields and we wouldn't have gotten to be together."

"Quit referring to yourself as a monster, Gabrielle, and go get Callisto. We don't have all the time in the world."

"Right."

Gabrielle turns and stumbles her way back to where she and Callisto had been sleeping.

"Callisto, we have to go. Solan and Xena and.. and..."

Instead of being greeted by Callisto, Ares is who Gabrielle meets face to face.

"Well hello Gabrielle. You know, I never knew what Xena saw in you but now I see it. She saw herself. A ruthless killer."

"Where's Callisto?"

"She's struggling to break free in the bottom of that river. You shouldn't have teamed with her, Gabrielle. You put her life in danger."

Gabrielle gasps and tries to back away but Ares grips her arm and chains her up. He leads her to the water's edge and gives her a little push.