~ Immortality And Greek Wizardry ~
by Patricia Winterburn
tapsxena@yahoo.com
For disclaimers see part 1.
Part 7
I sit by their side, as my heart chokes out it's tears.
I am at a loss, my powers and potions have become useless to them.
They lay dying , with their children grieving and their friends in anger over the situation.
I have begged Aphrodite to grant them immorality, but alas her powers are not what they used to be, when mankind prayed to the Gods, granting them strength and power.
Each time I have gone into the realms of the past to seek out Ambrosia , it shrivels and dies upon entering this world. It is not meant to be here in this 21st century. It's powers belonging to that of the ancient Gods, no longer here except for Aphrodite and Ares.
I have but one choice left and that is to seek out Ares, in the Realm of War God. My only hope is he will be able to help. But at what price?
Will he demand his prize of Xena, in order to save her and what of Gabrielle?
They are but clones. Not meant were they to live a normal life. Perhaps not to be here at all. But they are and their cell structure is breaking down. I have placed them under a sleeping spell. The pain of death would surely drive them insane and it would not be a fitting ending for the Warrior Princess and her Bard.
Two small children who's ages are now 10 years look at me and plead for some magic to bring their mother's back to them. Whole and healthy.
Ephiny and Al have grown strong and wise for their tender years. They are aware of the mothers past and present. Sandra and Amy have returned and will take the children to their rooms for some much needed sleep, with their cousins.
I must be on my journey. Time is running out and I know from my previous tales, that it waits for no one.
I enter into Ares domain and look around me in more sorrow. This is what the world would be like if Ares ruled it. There is war and death everywhere. The stench of rotted flesh and soured blood. The cries of those still living, if you can call it that, send even the strongest of us to tears. The earth is dying. The air polluted, trees hang limp from decay, brown grass and no flowers. It is a living hell. I take a moment to thank Zeus for his wisdom, so many years ago. He knew I would see to it that Aphrodite would reign in love and I am thankful.
I approach Ares.
"Hey Wizard, you lost or something?" He stands looking out a window of his palace.
"I have come in need of a favour, Ares." I stand before him not knowing whether or not this has been a good idea.
He turns and gloats.
"You, you need a favour from me?" He points at his chest.
"Oh this has got to be a first, in fact it is a first." He laughs.
"Ok, Wizard, what is it you want?"
He beckons for me to sit with him and I accept his hospitality. He pours two goblets of wine and with a grin passes me one.
I sip it. It is bitter. It doesn't surprise me.
"Ares, this wine is terrible. I will send you a case of my own special blend."
He laughs. "A token for me? "How thoughtful of you."
"So, what is it you need from me?" He asks.
I am not sure just how much to tell him but my time is short. Not only for Xena and Gabrielle, but I cannot stay here much longer. The smell of death is too much. I feel ill.
"I need you to return with me to the 21st century. Xena and Gabrielle are dying and Aphrodite and I cannot save them. We have tried everything we know of, but they were not meant to live long. Alti only needed them for a short period of time and their time is up."
He looks at me, arms crossed over his chest. "What do you think I can do?"
"What even makes you think, I would help you?" He asks.
I look at him, shrugging my shoulders. "I don't know Ares. All I do know is without the help of all three of our powers or some miracle, they will die. Their two children will be left with Sandra, Amy and myself to raise. I don't want that to happen. They need their mothers."
"Look around you, Wizard." He gloats. "All you see here is war and death. This is my world. I rule here and this is what makes me happy. Not all this mushy boo hoo crap you are telling me. Besides I would get nothing out of it."
"No, you're wrong Ares. An immortal Xena and Gabrielle. Eternity with your Warrior Princess. She has always meant more to you then war and death it's self. Life times with her. Even if she always remains your adversary. She will at least be here, near you."
Ares turns and faces out the window. His shoulders are tense, he rubs his beard. I can see him thinking and plotting. I know I will live to regret this favour. He will demand so much from me, into each future. But the cost is nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits.
He turns back to look at me. "I gave up my immortality once to them already."
"I remember Ares, you gave it up to save Eve and Gabrielle. I am not asking that of you. You can't anyway. Love must be balanced by hate. Humans couldn't survive without you and Aphrodite."
His expression grows cold. "Why should they be granted immortality? Are they that special? They are human, let them die as others have."
I stand up and thank him for his time. I must leave now. I don't want to anger him and cause problems. My heart is weary as it is. I'm in no mood for a battle.
I must return back to my home. I feel them calling to me.
"Thank you, Ares. If you change your mind, you'll know where to find me."
I leave in a puff of blue smoke. I leave behind me a gift. A case of sweet wine. Perhaps this blend will mellow his heart. I can only wish.
I am quite sure that some of you readers out there are scratching your heads wondering why in the cosmos would I go to Ares of all people and ask for help?
No, I have not gone insane. At least not yet. I had some visitors the other night, much to my surprise. The Fates. You see, I do not get along with the Fates. We have argued and fought over these lifetimes, as to the lives of all the descendants. But they are the Fates. The loom controls our lives, even before we are born. It has always been and shall always remain. Life is in the hands of the Fates.
I have to save Xena and Gabrielle. Al's destiny depends upon it. If you remember from before, all four women, while on vacation a number of years ago, became pregnant. This was done through artifcial insemination. Unknown to even Ares himself, he is Al's father.
As a joke one day Ares sold his sperm to a sperm bank. He figured one day he would have an heir and the child would rule with him. It was only by chance that Xena had received the sperm. The Fates kept the secret amongst themselves, hoping that with such a strong family structure, the world need never worry of what Al's destiny could be. With both Xena and Gabrielle dying, his heart will harden and Ares will claim his prize. A son.
The Fates have entrusted me with this secret and I have to change the future. I cannot tell anyone. I alone must do this. Destiny and fate are in the hands of a small wizard, who cannot share this knowledge with even her own soulmate. She knows of the toubles I am feeling. She just doesn't know the weight of what I bare.
I have returned back home. I can only hope and pray, that Ares drinks the wine.
Aphrodite greets me. "Well?"
A woman who gets right to the point with few words.
"I left him the wine. I can only hope in his arrogance, he drinks it." I say to her.
She giggles. "He will be so mad when he finds out what we've done."
"I know my Goddess, but with all the tricks he has pulled on us over the centuries,
paybacks are beautiful and I pray this works. It's all we have left."
She nods.
"How are they?" I ask.
"Nothing has changed since you left." The Goddes of Love sighs. It's little Autolycus I'm worried about. He seems so angry and sullen."
The Fates prediction has started. We must hope for that miracle.
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I feel his presense before he appears before them.
He stands there looking at them sleeping.
Their bodies dying before him.
He gently touches Xena's face.
I can see the look on his face is one of love.
He glances at Gabrielle.
The God of War is chuckling to himself.
He is in awe of her.
Her love and faith of Xena has caused him an eternity of irritation.
But he shows her compassion and caring as well.
He turns to me.
"What is it you need of me?" He asks.
Aphrodite whispers in my ear.
"He has drank the wine."
I smile knowning full well that each bottle contained a single tear of Aphrodite's.
A tear of love.
He received a gift of 12 bottles.
"I need two drops of your blood Ares to mix with two drops of my own and Aphrodites. The blood must be removed from your heart itself."
He nods his head in agreement.
I go on to explain that the mixture of our three immortal bloods should be enough to grant them eternity. If not then all hope is lost and we will sit with them until their final breath.
Sally in all hesitation perpares a syringe. She is still a practicing paramedic and should be able to easily perform this task. With the single needle she withdraws my blood and then Aphrodites. She cringes at this completely unsafe practice. Next she looks at Ares, looking for permission before plunging the needle into his heart. He nods and smiles. She completes her task. She shakes the mixture of the three bloods together, injects Xena and then Gabrielle.
We wait.
Aphrodite passes her hands over them.
The process has helped. Their dying has stopped, but it is not enough. Something is missing. What have I overlooked?
I am in need of sleep. My exhaustion and tears have left me numb. I feel cold and empty. I have failed them. I cannot bare the thought of loosing them again.
Can they never have a life together? Is it their fate to be torn from each other repeatly. I think back to the past. Where did I go wrong?
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I feel her enter my body as I fight off sleep. She soothes my soul and comforts my aching heart. She speaks to me of love and devotion. She opens up my mind and cleanses my thoughts. I give her my all. She takes it. Denying herself nothing. She makes me feel the wonder of her self. For she is The Ancient One and I have been blessed. She teases me and gives my body such carnal pleasures, I cannot describe. She demands more of me and I obey, helpless in her want and need.
She finally releases me, as I cry out her name in pleasure. I lay spent and shaking.
"You are a most powerful Wizard and yet you waste your time with these mortals." She taunts me.
"I have been chosen by Aphrodite to guard their souls for eternity, Ancient One, you have always known and accepted that." My throat is dry and I barely manage a whisper.
She laughs and mocks me. "You think Wizard that love is the answer to everything?"
The tears fall from my eyes as I plead my hopes, dreams and fears to her.
"Love is always the anwer." I defy her as my anger takes hold of me.
"So it shall be." She smiles warmly at me. "Then you will find your answer at the beginning."
She leaves.
I am now cold and as usual naked. "Why does she always leave me like this and what did she mean, "find your answer at the beginning?" I hate riddles.
I gather Sandra, Amy, Sally and myself into the livingroom. We sit and drink the wine that is Aphrodite's special blend. We are hoping to cast some spell upon ourselves in order to figure out this riddle.
Sandra speaks first. "Maybe she means the beginning of love?"
I shake my head. "I asked Aphrodite that question before she left. It made no sense to her."
Amy speaks next. "Maybe it means when Xena and Gabrielle first fell in love?"
Again everyone shakes their heads. That just doesn't sound like the answer.
Silence.
Sally finally asks me. "Tap, when did you fall in love with them?"
I smile and a small laugh escapes my lips. "From the first time I saw them in the pool of knowledge."
Gabrielle was cleaning a cut on Xena's arm and Xena got angry with her because there was blood on Gabrielle's leg. Xena had told her to stay back and let her handle the bandits. But, try and tell that fiesty little blonde anything. They were so clueless back then on how much they loved and cared for one another. They looked so cute cleaning each others blood off..................................
"That's it!" I yelled. "That's what she meant."
"Each others blood from the beginning."
Three sets of eyebrows rise up in confusion.
"I have to travel back into the past and bring back two drops of blood from each of them and inject Xena's blood into Gabrielle and Gabrielle's into Xena's. That's how their souls intertwined in the beginning.
Aphrodite pops in.
"Duh! How could I have forgotten about that?"
"It was the only way we could finally get them to realize how much they loved each other."
Amy looks at Aphrodite. "You mean you took blood from each of them and gave it to the other?"
"Yup, I did cute cheeks. Two drops from each of their hearts. It was the only way we could get them to finally see into each others hearts and admit their love to each other."
"Remember that day Wiz?"
"How could I forget. They never got out of bed for the whole day."
I quickly wiped the smile off my face. My wife thinks I'm a voyeur as it is.
We make preparations to leave.
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Ancient Greece. Home. The air is sweet, fresh and new. How I have missed this world. This life. So simple and clean. No skyscrapers or airplanes. No air polution or an overcrowded earth. Just the sweet sounds of..................... swords and yelling?
"Yi, yi,yi,yi!"
Now there's a sound I haven't heard in a long time.
It is Xena. The one and only Warrior Princess in a battle with a group of thugs that would dare cross her path. Gabrielle has her staff, knocking off one fool after another.
Sally watches in amazment at the pair of women in action. Guarding each others backs and sending these morons running into the shadows.
"They're amazing!" She watches in awe. "Now I understand what you saw that first time and how it has led you back to save them."
The fight is soon over. The two women are once again cleaning each others wounds.
"Gabrielle, we're not alone."
"I know, it's that feeling I have again. Someone is watching us."
"Someones." Xena replies. "There's two of them this time."
"So what's the plan?" Gabrielle says smiling as Xena just rolls her eyes.
In one quick move Xena sends her chakram flying directly over the heads of Sally and myself.
That's my Warrior Princess. She always did know when I was around. I wonder how she'll understand this one?
Xena's chakram returns to her.
"Come out." She growls.
From behind an enclosure of bushes, Sally and I both emerge. We are dressed in 21st century clothing and both Xena and Gabrielle looked strangely at us.
"You're not what I expected." Gabrielle said standing very close to Xena.
I spoke to them in the ancient language.
"We aren't suppose to be here, this isn't our time. We're from the future and we need something from you."
"And what would that something be?" Xena asked in a most un-charming voice.
"Two drops of blood from your heart, from each of you."
A sword went quickly to my throat.
"You need what!" Xena growled
"In the 21st century you both are dying and I need your blood from now in order to save both of you. Please Xena, you both have children. Don't leave them." I see the look that Gabrielle has given me.
"We have children?"
"Yes."
"Xena's son is named Autolycus and your daughter Gabrielle, is named Ephiny."
A smile comes to her face.
She gently touches Xena's arm. A gesture I have witnessed in my life for eternity.
"I believe them Xena. Let's do it."
Xena relents and each woman bares their chest.
I touch each woman in the temple as Sally inserts the needle and draws the blood.
They feel no pain.
Sally whispers in my ear. "We can't leave them this memory."
I agree.
A warrior and her bard awaken from their sleep. " I had the oddest dream but can't remember what it was."
Neither notice the tiny mark on the top of their left breast.
We have returned home.
The blood of Gabrielle's is inserted into Xena's heart.
Xena's blood into Gabrielle.
Again, we wait.
Slowly two sets of eyes open. One set of blue, the other green.
They groan from stiffness and are unable to move yet.
"Water. Please." Xena manages to choke out.
Both women are given drinks.
Aphrodite and Ares return.
They see what I already know.
They are one again. Eternity is their's.
Once again this Wizard has given her all to save the souls in her life that are most precious.
The Fates appear before me, nodding and smiling, before they disappear into the mists. Of course I will see them again and argue over the lives of each new descendant. I dread the day in the future when in reality we loose Sandra and Amy, but they are truly mortal and life and time carries on.
As it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the future.
This is the end of my journal. I hope you have enjoyed these tales that I have shared with you. Their's is a future that will live on in our hearts and the tales of bards for many years yet to come.
Thank you for sharing the journey.
The end. ( I promise)
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