Xena, Gabrielle, Callisto, Joxer, Amarice, Eli and all other original characters who have appeared in the syndicated series' Xena: Warrior Princess &/or Hercules: the Legendary Journeys together with their names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. However the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of myself.
Author's Notes:
The following story was completed in December of 2000, however the idea was conceived over a year earlier in late 1999.
It's events takes place directly after the XWP season 4 episode 'The Ides of March'. The following story should be read as if 'The Ides of March' was the last episode that ever aired, and as if season 5 and 6 never took place.
Feedback is always welcome and appreciated.
Part 3
Callisto grinned as she drew her sword for the first time in over a year. "Let's see if I'm at all rusty." Callisto then gave her battle cry and charged Xena.
The Warrior Princess successfully blocked Callisto's first attempted strike but Callisto continued her attack. Xena however parried Callisto's blows. As Callisto thrust her sword and Xena' parried, the blonde warrior began to laugh. "Just like old times hey Xena?"
Both Xena and Callisto then screamed as they both took wild swings at each other, the force of which caused their swords to interlock together.
As Xena tried to regain control of her sword she said, "I'm glad you're enjoying this Callisto."
Callisto laughed hysterically and screamed once again as she threw a knee to Xena's gut. Xena dropped her sword as she doubled over in pain. Callisto then grinned, stepped back and threw a low round-house kick to the back of Xena's legs which sent Xena crashing to the ground.
Callisto smiled as she confidently pointed her sword at Xena's throat. "I win Xena!"
Xena looked up at Callisto. She knew if Callisto wanted to kill her she would have by now. So Xena, in a confident tone, pressed Callisto for information. "What did you mean you wanted me to reform the Chakram? I thought . . . ."
"Oh Xena," Callisto responded, "That's what we wanted you to think. You see, my master does want your soul, but your soul is no good to him without your bond with Ares."
Callisto then removed her sword from Xena's throat as she placed her foot in it's place. Callisto then raised her sword and shouted. "OK, I did you're bidding, now you hold up your end of the deal!"
As Callisto looked upwards waiting for a response, she heard a scream of a warrior charging her from behind. Callisto grinned and just as the attacker was about to strike, Callisto whispered, "Gabrielle!" Callisto then turned and plunged her sword into her attackers midsection.
As Callisto's victim cried out in agony, Callisto's eyes widened in horror at the site of a doubled over Amarice.
Callisto quickly pulled the sword from Amarice, and as the wounded Amazon fell to her knees, Callisto screamed at the top of her lungs. "Nooooooo!!!"
As Amarice collapsed to the ground, Xena rose to all fours and crawled over to her fallen friend.
Callisto gazed upon the blood soaked sword in which she held in her hand. She then gazed down at Xena who frantically ministered to her sister. Callisto then looked at the sword again then violently tossed it aside.
Then from out of no where, a deep resonant voice echoed throughout the chamber. "I told you that no one fails me without paying the consequences."
Callisto gazed back down at Amarice again and screamed once again. "Nooo!"
Callisto collapsed to her knees and slowly pulled Amarice into her arms. "I told you not to come her Amarice."
Amarice then took a gasp of air as she looked up at Callisto. "I couldn't let you kill Xena! She's my friend."
Callisto just shook her head and as tears rolled down her face she whispered, "I'm so sorry."
Amarice then raised her hand towards Callisto as she whispered, "Callisto, I want my sister back!"
Amarice then took one last breath as her eyes closed and her arm fell to the ground.
"No," Callisto softly whispered.
"No," she said again as she began trying to shake Amarice awake. "No! I won't lose you again."
As a confused Xena looked at Callisto, from the far side of the chamber, a grinning Eli slowly approached. "Now Callisto, with your sister gone maybe you will learn to listen to me."
Xena's eyes widened in shock as she whispered to herself. "Sister?"
Callisto gazed up at Eli and said, "No! . . . You told me if I helped you you would leave my sister alone."
Eli then grinned and sarcastically said, "Well, I didn't kill Amarice. You did!"
Callisto then looked back down at her sister. She then looked at her own hands which were covered in Amarice's blood. Callisto frantically shook her head as tears rolled down her face. "No!"
Callisto then pulled the lifeless body of Amarice tighter into her arms and wept over her fallen sister.
"Well now Xena," Eli said with a confident tone. "Since my Emissary has turned into sniffling fool, I guess I'll have to finish the job."
Xena swallowed as she slowly stood up. She glanced back down at Callisto who still held Amarice in her arms, Xena then glanced back at Eli and in a confused voice said, "What are you talking about Eli?"
As Eli slowly stalked the Warrior Princess he chuckled. "Oh Xena, there never was an Eli . . . he's a figment of my imagination."
Xena's eyes widened as she took several steps backwards. "Emissary? . . . ." Xena's eyes widened as she said, "You're Callisto's Master?"
Eli smiled and laughed. "Of coarse. And what better way to watch over you than to befriend you."
Xena reluctantly picked up her sword that she had dropped earlier. She then looked at Eli and shook her head in disbelief. "If you're not Eli, then who are you?"
Eli smiled as he sarastically said, "Oh Xena, I'm disappointed. You know me."
Eli then waved his hand as a semi transparent image appeared before Xena. Xena gazed into the image and saw a rapid succession of images, including the battle with Caesar and Bodecea, Gabrielle's rape and loss of blood innocence, the birth of Hope, the death of Solon, Gabrielle's sacrifice as she pulled Hope into the altar, Iolaus' possession and then the images vanished.
Xena shook her head as she glared at Eli and with contempt in her voice said, "Dahak!"
Eli nodded and chuckled. "Surprise!"
Eli then laughed sinisterly as Xena shook her head in denial. "No. Hercules killed you! He told me all about it, He defeated you."
Eli confidently paced back and forth as he said, "Oh Xena, I am a god! Hercules didn't defeat me. He simpy sent me back to my home domain."
Eli then waved his hand once again as another image appeared before Xena. This time it was an image of Xena and Gabrielle in india when they first met Eli as he cast a demon from his female assistant. The image then vanished.
Xena then whispered, "India"
Xena then nodded. "Then, It was you who killed that priest?"
Eli nodded. "Of coarse.
"You should have listened to him Xena. He said a great evil was present . . . and you thought he meant Tataka."
Eli then chuckled to himself for a moment before he smiled and continued. "You know Xena, I don't care much for sentiment. But looking at your past, well it reminds me of when i raped Gabrielle . . . how I could actually feet her soul rip in two."
Eli then laughed with a sadistic tone as Xena quickly raised her sword and screamed, "You son of a bitch!" She then charged Eli and plunged her sword into the false prophet's midsection.
Xena violently twisted the sword within the prophet but Eli, uneffected by the sword, grabbed Xena by the throat and lifted her off the ground. "You fool," Eli said as his voice lowered to a deep base and his hand morphed into an inhuman form, "I am Dahak the Destroyer. Do you really think that you can defeat me that easily?"
Then with a yell, he violently threw Xena through the air which sent her crashing into the wall before she fell to the ground.
As Xena grimaced in pain, she attempted to get up, But Eli quickly approached and threw a hard straight kick to the back of Xena's head. Xena attempted to get to all fours but Eli kicked her in the gut, which knocked the wind out her once again. Xena then collapsed as she faded in and out of consciousness several times.
Eli then gazed down and noticed the sword was still in his midsection. He rolled his eyes and pulled the sword from his body and as his voice then slowly returned to normal he tossed the sword to the ground. "Oh, now Xena," Eli said in a condescending tone, "don't blame yourself for Gabrielle's rape. it was destiny!"
Xena fumed with hate as she glared up at Eli. As she clinched her teeth to fight back the pain, she struggled to her feet as Eli continued. "As someone once told you . . . there are no accidents, only destiny . . . you can't control destiny Xena . . . only the gods have that power."
Eli then looked around the chamber of the tomb and began to pace back and forth once again. As he began to describe each event of Xena's past, a matching image appeared before her. "Each event in mortals lives leads to the next. Destiny led Gabrielle to me. Destiny allowed me to plant my seed inside of Gabrielle . . . Hope's birth led to Gabrielle's betrayal of you Xena. Her betrayal led to Solon's death, Solon's death led to what I affectionately call the gab drag,"
Xena's eyes narrowed as she stared right through the images and directly at Eli. "You are one sick son of a bitch."
Eli paused, looked at Xena and smiled. "And attempting to murder your best friend isn't sick?"
Xena reached for her sword, but then realized it laid on the floor across the room. Eli raised his finger and shook it back and forth. "Ah, ah, ah, Xena, I'll just throw you around the room again."
The warrior stared up at Eli and shook her head. "I know you didn't come here to brag about destroying our lives or to kick me around, or to brag about your master plan . . . So what is that you want?"
Eli smiled. "Why Xena, I want what I've always wanted from the moment I entered the world. Just as my Deliverer said, I simply want to destroy the world . . . but to do that I need your soul."
"What does destroying the word have to do with me?"
Eli glanced back at Callisto who continued to weep over her dead sister's body. He then looked at Xena once again and explained. "You see Xena, every god is born with a mortal spirit. an attribute. For some it's love, for another it's peace, for another it's the hunt, for Ares it's war, and for me . . . it is destruction. I'm simply fulfilling my will as Dahak the Destroyer.
"You see, every god's divine spirit has a reciprocal spirit held by another god. It's sort of a safety measure put in place to prevent war among the gods. Take Hera for example, the goddess of fidelity and marriage needs Zeus, the god of infidelity, to fullfill her spirit. As much as she hates Zeus and as much as she would love to destroy him, she and her spirit, needs him and his infidelities to exist. Without Infidelity of marriage, fidelity of marriage would cease to exist as well."
Xena swallowed as she held her ribs and said, "You didn't answer my question. What does that have to do with me?"
Eli smiled and nodded. "Well, as you can see, I can destroy individual lives pretty easily. Not only am I the Destroyer but am a deceiver too. By deceiving you and Gabrielle into thinking I was the god of the Israelites, Gabrielle was raped, Solon was killed, yada, yada, yada!"
Eli then glanced over his shoulder and looked at Callisto who still wept over her sister's body. The evil deity then smiled and looked at Xena once again as he continued. "By holding Callisto to the covenant she and I made in the past . . . you know the deal, don't you Xena? Callisto helps me, I give her oblivion. But she didn't help me as promised . . . and as I've always said, no one backs out of a deal with me without paying the consequences. So instead of oblivion, I gave her what she hated most, her life. Which was easy to do since she wasn't born a god . . . this whole Amarice thing was just icying on the cake.
"But the will of my spirit is not to destroy one life at a time, but it is as my Deliverer said. That I will destroy the world through the cleansing power of war. And you my dear Xena are bonded to . . . .?"
Xena whispered in response. "Ares, the god of war!"
Eli chuckled. "That's right! I need Ares. More importantly I need the spirit of war. One cannot destroy the world without war you know."
Xena shook her head. "Then why don't you just go to him?"
I already did, remember?"
Eli chuckled. "You never could figure out why Ares suddenly joined me, could you? One minute Ares is raising an army against me and the next he's on my side?
"I knew about your bond to him through the Chakram. I've been watching Ares for a long time. And then, I started watching you Xena. I've been watching you since before you met Hercules . . . Anyway, I simply used Ares' soft spot for you against him. I told him that if he didn't freely join me, that I would take you instead. And either way, I would get the spirit of war.
"The consecration of our bond was to take place at the halls of war. The sacrifice of those innocents was to sanctify my bond with Ares, thus giving me the spirit of war."
Eli's eyes then began to glow red as a look of anger crossed his face. "But there was one thing I didn't know. That your friendship with Gabrielle was so strong, that she was willing to die for you."
Eli's eyes then returned to normal as he continued. "But you see, I think quick on my feet and I always have a backup plan . . . I wasn't about to let Ares' betrayal or you and Gabrielle's friendship defeat me. Luckily, I still had Callisto. Though she betrayed me as well, our bond was already consecrated. So I helped her with the hind's blood thing and used Hercules' little buddy to convince everyone that Dahak was no more . . . then, I waited. Little did I know that you Xena, of all people, would actually come to my domain. And once you did that and a bond between us was formed when you fought Shiva, well after that I was free to follow you . . . and here we are!"
Eli then pulled the Chakram from under his robe and held it up for Xena to see. "The Chakram. Your eternal destiny lies within this weapon. How ironic that the weapon created to defend the gods against me will be their ultimate undoing."
Xena's breathing became heavier from anger. "You destroyed our lives. Killed my son, raped Gabrielle, almost destroyed our friendship, and what you really need is the spirit of war? You didn't even really need us. We were just stepping stones? Is that about right Dahak?"
Eli chuckled. "Funny huh? . . . Ah, but Xena. What a god can take away, a god can restore. Xena, wouldn't you like to go back to the good old days? The days when it was just Gabrielle and you having grand adventures? I can take away all the pain I have caused you. I can make it as if I never had raped Gabrielle. As if Hope had never been born. I can even give Solon back to you . . . I destroyed your lives Xena . . . and I can restore them. You and Gabrielle can live a life of peace and love and blah, blah, blah."
"What's the catch?"
"The catch, is your bond with Ares. You see, I need the spirit of war. And while I coud go back to Ares, I feel taking your soul because of his betrayal suits me a lot better . . . Just invite me into your soul Xena. By doing so, you will be giving me you eternal bond to Ares . . . and in return, I'll restore what I've taken away from you. Your life will be just as it was before that day at the temple. I'll even wait to destroy the world until after your dead."
Xena grimaced as she took a few steps toward Eli. "You must be one stupid god Dahak. For you to think I'd give up my eternal soul for that. I've done a lot of things I regret. And I do wish . . . every day in fact, i wish that I would have never left Gabrielle at that temple, But I would rather spend eternity as Ares' slave than give you my soul."
Eli chuckled as he nodded. "Oh I figured as much. But as I said, i always have a back up plan. So to make things interesting . . . ."
Eli then turned and waved his hand causing a wall of flames to engulf the far end of the room. As Eli lowered his hand, the flames evaporated revealing Gabrielle and Joxer laying down and strapped to an altar.
"Now, give me you soul, or I'll take Gabrielle's."
Xena immediately started towards the large altar, but Eli waved his hand
and a wall of flames encircled the Warrior Princess.
As the flames died down, Eli grinned as he arrogantly said, "I wouldn't try that again Xena."
Xena looked over at the altar once again just as Joxer raised his head and in a shocked voice asked, "Eli, what are you doing?"
Eli smiled as he latched the Chakram to his belt and looked at Xena. "Well, you have your choice."
Xena looked at Eli and shook her head in denial. "She'll never ask you into her soul."
Eli smiled. "She already did."
"What are you talking about?"
Eli grinned sinisterly. He then began to pace back and forth as he sarcastically explained. "Well, when the Romans held us prisoner, Gabby was sure interested in being filled with love. So I told her, before she could be filled with love, she had to become an empty vessel," Eli then glanced back at Gabrielle and chuckled, "so, she did."
Eli then laughed as Gabrielle looked at Eli and shook her head in disbelief. "Eli, I thought I was emptying myself to be filled with love?"
Eli chuckled. "I lied. More accurately, I deceived you Gabrielle."
Eli then slowly approached the altar. Xena started toward the altar, but Eli waved his hand once again and Xena found herself trapped in a circle of flames.
As Gabrielle and Joxer struggled to free themselves, Eli softly said, "Shhhh. Now Gabrielle, just relax."
Eli grinned as as he slowly reached towards Gabrielle, Joxer violently pulled on the straps that bound him and stared Eli down. "If you even touch her, I will . . . ."
Eli snapped back as he interrupted. "You'll do nothing!"
The false prophet looked at Gabrielle once again and softly brushed his hand against her cheek. "You freely emptied yourself. It's not my fault you were too stupid to not know that something bad could also enter you.
"How do you think you killed . . . I mean, destroyed all those Roman's so you could, quote endquote, protect Xena?"
Gabrielle pulled her face away from Eli's hand as her eyes welled up with tears. "Eli, how could you do this to me? I trusted you Eli. I trusted you with my life . . . with my heart,"
Gabrielle then took a deep breath as her tears began to roll down her face. "Why?"
Eli shook his head as he wiped the tears from Gabrielle's face with his hand. "Now, now, Gabrielle. I can see where you're coming from. Had your friend Eli betrayed you, you'd be right in questioning him."
Eli then looked down at the bard and grinned. He then leaned over and lightly kissed Gabrielle on the cheek. The false prophet then took a deep breath, looked into the bard's eyes and lustfully said, "But there never was an Eli . . . there's only been me. There's only been, Dahak."
Eli then stood up and smiled as Gabrielle felt a chill overcome her entire body. "Dahak? No!"
Eli smiled, "Surprise!"
"No," Gabrielle whispered as she shook her head. She then looked at Eli who just chuckled. "Don't worry. If Xena doesn't cooperate, I won't just take your virtue this time, I'll take your soul and you won't remember a thing."
Eli then laughed maniacally as Gabrielle screamed, "Nooooo!!!"
Eli then turned his attention back to Xena.
The false prophet slowly approached the wall of flames that held Xena. With a wave of his hand the flames vanished and he said, "I know you've heard mine and Gabrielle's little touching moment. So you see Xena, you have no choice . . . give me your bond with war, Invite me into your soul so that we may become one . . . or should I just take Gabrielle?"
Xena swallowed in fear as she looked at a confident Eli. She then looked over at Gabrielle once more and Gabrielle looked back at Xena.
Xena gazed into her companion's eyes. Xena had failed Gabrielle once before when Dahak took Gabrielle's innocence from her. Xena wasn't about to fail Gabrielle again.
Xena shook her head regretfully, then gazed back back at Eli once again. "OK."
Gabrielle frantically struggled to free herself as she screamed, "Xena no!!!"
Eli's eyes narrowed as he viciously said, "Say it Xena . . . say it!"
Xena nodded just a familiar male voice echoed from across the tomb. "Wait!"
Eli turned and sneered as he saw a determined Ares approaching. "She does have another choice."
Eli chuckled confidently. "Oh no Ares. She won't choose you, Because if she does I will simply take Gabrielle. Not even you can stop me from doing that."
Ares grinned. "Oh, but that's not the choice I'm talking about"
Ares quickly drew his sword and charged Eli.
The false prophet quickly pulled the Chakram from his belt and as he blocked Ares' first strike with the Chakram, a thunderous crash rang out.
Ares swung his sword again, but as the Chakram blocked the attack, another thunderous crash rang out. With each strike of sword against Chakram, a matching crash shook the foundation of the tomb.
Ares being a skilled warrior began to gain the upper hand. Eli began to back peddle as Ares aggressively kept up the attack. Ares felt confident as Eli slowly began to near the seal of the Chakram. Ares then took a huge swing but Eli ducked and plunged the Chakram into Ares' gut. As Ares doubled over in pain Eli pulled the war god in close and said, "What are you doing Ares? You know you can't defeat me." Eli then pulled the Chakram out of Ares.
The false prophet then gazed up at the Eye of Hephaestus and chuckled. "Too bad there's not enough power in the Chakram to imprison me, hey?"
Ares, now recovered from the Chakram strike, waved his sword around and confidently nodded. "Yeah, too bad."
Ares then charged Eli once again and as Eli blocked Ares strike, the war god's sword and the Chakram interlocked. Ares grabbed the Chakram with his other hand. As Eli struggled to regain control of the Chakram he taunted Ares yet again. "Just what are you trying to prove Ares? Your little prison can't hold me, because only your essence is in the Chakram and you can't defeat me. And even if you could, we are the same. War cannot exist without destruction.
Ares looked at Eli and grinned. "I'm counting on it . . . Xena, release Gabrielle."
Eli's eyes shifted over to Xena and within that moment of distraction, Ares threw a knee to Eli's gut. Eli let go the Chakram as he stumbled backwards, Ares then latched the Chakram to his belt, drew is sword back and quickly plunged his sword into the chest of the false prophet.
Xena paused on her way to the altar as she watched Ares withdraw his sword from Eli. The war god then grabbed Eli by the collar of his robe and threw him across the room. As Eli crashed to the ground, Ares quickly approached and drove the sword into Eli once again. Ares then violently stabbed Eli repeatedly until the foreign god was rendered semi unconscious.
Ares then took a deep breath and sheathed his sword as he stared down at the evil diety Dahak. "You may be the Destroyer, but you fight like Aphrodite."
Ares then turned and walked over to Xena. Ares then pulled the Chakram from his belt and handed it to Xena. As she took her weapon back, Ares silently gazed into Xena's eyes and brushed his hand against her cheek. Then without saying a word, Ares turned and quickly walked over to the Eye of Hephaestus and stood inside of the seal of the Chakram.
Ares then turned and faced Xena and in a commanding voice said, "Do it Xena!"
Xena stared at Ares with a confused look on her face. She then glanced over a Eli who had started to move once again.
Xena looked back at Ares who nodded and said, "The one great evil wants only one thing and that is to destroy the gods, and the world. But he can't do that without the spirit of war. Remember what he said about each god needing another god to exist? I'm Dahak's reciprocal spirit. War cannot exist with out destruction and destruction cannot exist without war. With my spirit imprisoned . . . he loses his spirit . . . trust me Xena . . . this once, just trust me!"
Xena then gazed up at the Eye of Hephaestus as Eli slowly rose to his feet.
Ares seeing Eli back up looked at Xena once again and said, "Do it Xena. If you want to save Gabrielle, if want to save your soul, you will do it!"
Xena confusingly stared at Ares as he screamed, "Do it Xena!!!!!"
Xena swallowed as she looked over her shoulder back towards Gabrielle. She then nodded and as her eyes narrowed, she took aim then threw the Chakram at the Eye of Hephaestus. At the moment the Chakram struck the Eye, a bright flash of light lit up the tomb. As the Chakram ricocheted off the Eye, rebounded off the far wall and back into Xena's grasp, the Eye began to glow as it emitted a cone of red light that encircled the god of war.
Xena took a few steps towards Ares and as she shook her head in disbelief she whispered, "Thank you . . . but . . . why?"
Ares nodded, then gazed into Xena's eyes for several moments. The war god then took a deep breath and softly whispered, "Because I love you!"
Xena's eyes widened as she silently looked at Ares. The cone of red light which encircled Ares began to brightened and Ares began to grimace in pain.
Xena reluctantly stepped back from Ares just as Eli screamed, "Noooo!"
The cone of energy brightened even further and the god of war collapsed to his knees. Xena's pulse began to quicken as she looked at Ares who looked at her once more.
Then as Ares screamed out in agony, a blinding flash of light came from the Eye of Hephaestus forcing Xena to turn her head and shield her eyes.
As the room darkened once again, Xena slowly lowered her hand from her face, gazed over towards Ares, but saw only a sarcophagus where the god of war once stood.
She then heard a clanging sound and as she looked at the Chakram, she saw that she held one half, but the other half had fallen to the ground.
Xena then gazed back at Eli who approached the sarcophagus. Eli looked up at the Eye of Hephaestus and screamed once again. "Nooooo!"
Eli then turned and looked at Xena. Xena smirked confidently at Eli and said, "Something wrong Dahak?"
Eli curled is lip in anger as his breathing became heavier and more deliberate. "Oh Xena. Ares may have won the war but I will win the battle."
Eli then waved his hand in an attempt to do something, but nothing happened. Eli l then looked at the palms of his hand in shock. "No!"
Eli then gazed back at the sarcophagus as he shook his head."No! My powers? My godhood?"
The false prophet then looked upwards and raised his hands in the air and screamed, "Ares!"
Eli then gazed over at Gabrielle who was still strapped to the altar. Eli then gazed back at Xena and saw that he stood closer to the altar than she did. Eli's breathing became erratic, his eyes narrowed, and he snarled like a wild beast as a look a madness came upon the evil deity. Eli then reached under his robe and quickly pulled out a dagger, raised it above his head and, with a yell, charged the altar.
Xena knew she would not get to the altar in time to stop Eli, so she pulled her spare dagger from her boot, took aim, but just as she was about to release the dagger, Eli suddenly stopped only a few feet from the altar and let out a blood curdling scream.
Eli dropped the dagger and looked down only to see Callisto kneeling in front of him with her sword in his gut. As Callisto slowly rose to her feet Eli began to bleed from the inside out as he coughed up his own blood. He snarled at his blonde accomplice and in a haggard voice said, "What have you done?"
Callisto's eyes narrowed as she stared down the evil Dahak, "Given Amarice her sister back."
She then pulled the sword from Eli and immediately thrust it into the false prophet once again.
As Eli doubled over in pain, Xena watched on in shock, but she was still prepared to throw her dagger if necessary.
Callisto then pulled the sword from Eli once again and watched him collapse to his knees.
As he held his gaping wound, he looked up and stared into Callisto's eyes. Eli's eyes then widened as he shook his head in apparent disbelief. "No! You . . . it can't be you!"
Callisto looked at Eli in confusion, then plunged the sword into the evil god once more. As he screamed one last time she pulled the sword from his body, he collapsed forward and as his head hit the ground, his eyes glazed over and Dahak was no more.
Callisto, with her sword in her hand just stared down at the lifeless body of Dahak.
After a few moments, Dahak's body began to glow. As the glow brightened, Dahak's body began to disolve away. Then with a flash of light, the body of the evil god silently exploded into millions of glowing particles, which quickly faded away, leaving Dahak as only a memory.
Xena then hesitantly approached Callisto, as she stood in between the altar and Xena.
As Xena neared her arch enemy, Callisto quickly glanced up at Xena and silently stared at her. Xena stared right back and neither woman even blinked. Then Callisto slowly glanced over her shoulder at looked at Gabrielle and Joxer.
Xena's eyes widened with concern. The Warrior Princess slowly drew her sword just as Callisto looked back at Xena.
Callisto then extended her sword and pointed it at Xena. Xena braced for an attack, but then Callisto released her grasp of the sword and it fell to the ground.
Callisto then turned and slowly walked out of the tomb.
As Callisto calmly left the tomb, Xena quickly approached the altar and with her sword, cut Joxer and Gabrielle free.
As Joxer and Gabrielle slowly sat up, Xena gazed over at Callisto once again, but she was gone.
Xena then looked back at Gabrielle and as she gazed into her companion's eyes she brushed her hand against the bard's cheek and whispered, "Gabrielle, are you all right?"
Gabrielle grabbed Xena's hand, smiled and shook her head. "Yeah."
Xena and Gabrielle then tightly embraced as Gabrielle asked, "Is it over?"
Xena hugged Gabrielle even tighter as she nodded. "It's over Gabrielle. It's finally over!"
After a few moments the bard then glanced down at Amarice's body. "Amarice, is she . . . .?"
Xena released her embrace of Gabrielle, stepped back and nodded. "Yes."
Gabrielle slowly stood up and approached the dead Amazon. As the bard silently knelt down next to Amarice, Xena softly said, "She was Callisto's sister!'
Gabrielle's eyes widened as she glanced back at Xena. "Callisto's sister? . . . but I thought?"
Gabrielle then glanced down at Callisto's sword. "That's what she meant when she said she'd given Amarice her sister back?"
"Yeah!"
After a few moments, Gabrielle glanced up at the Eye of Hephaestus and shook her head. "So, Ares is just . . . entombed?"
Xena nodded. "It looks that way."
Gabrielle then stood back up and approached Xena. "Maybe some of his feelings for your were geniune after all?"
Xena nodded. "Maybe."
"Uh, I don't mean to interupt," Joxer said curiously as he rounded the altar, "but what do we do about Callisto?"
Gabrielle then nodded. "Yeah, I thought she was dead? Shoudn't she . . . .?"
Xena placed her hand on Gabrielle's shoulder and smiled. "Well, I'll explain it after we find somewhere to put Amarice's body."
About an hour later, Xena and Gabrielle, having placed Amarice's body into an empty sarcophagus they had found in another chamber of the tomb, exited the tomb and harnessed up their horses for travel. But once outside they noticed that one of the horses stood at the top of the hill along with Callisto.
As Xena and Joxer sorted through their packs, Gabrielle silently gazed up at the the hilltop towards Callisto.
The bard then glanced back at Xena and saw she was busy tending to their supplies. Gabrielle then looked back up towards Callisto and took a deep breath, then slowly headed to the hilltop.
As Callisto adjusted the harness and saddle of the horse, she felt Gabrielle's nearing presence and as Gabrielle stopped just a few feet from Callisto, the blond warrior glanced over her shoulder and said, "My you're awfully brave. Coming up here by yourself? Aren't you scared?"
Gabrielle swallowed then shook her head. "I figured if you wanted to kill me, you would have let Dahak do it."
Callisto grinned slightly as she turned her attention back to the horses saddle. "I'm taking this horse, I hope you and Xena don't mind."
Gabrielle slightly chuckled in a bit of relief, although she was still a bit uneasy from Callisto's presence.
The bard then took deep breath and curiously asked, "Why?"
"Because I need a horse!"
Gabrielle shook her head. "That's not what I meant. Why did you save me. You could have let Dahak kill me, why didn't you?"
As Callisto tightened the saddle down she shook her head and said, "Still trying to figure me out Gabrielle?"
Callisto then paused as she took a deep breath, then turned around and stared at Gabrielle as she continued. "Because if you are trying to figure me out, forget it . . . ."
Callisto then shook her head as a look of regret crossed her face. "Only Amarice could do that!"
Gabrielle looked at Callisto and sorrowfully said, "Xena told me what happened . . . I'm sorry!"
Callisto shook her head with a bit of disgust. "Don't believe everything Xena tells you. The Warrior Princess doesn't even know half of the story."
Callisto then took a few steps toward an uneasy Gabrielle. "You want to know why I saved you from Dahak? . . . What if I were to tell you it was so I could have the pleasure of killing you myself?"
Gabrielle shook her head. "i wouldn't believe it."
"Why? You know me Gabrielle, What makes you think I wouldn't?"
Gabrielle nodded. "Because that's just it. You are not the same Callisto you were a year ago, or even three days ago. You're not the Callisto I know. You've changed somehow. I can see it in your eyes . . . I can hear it in your voice.
"Besides, I can't believe that you would allow your sister to die in vein. Like you always said, you were a monster with integrity."
Callisto then took another step towards Gabrielle and placed her hand on the bard's shoulder. "I now know why you couldn't kill me when you had the chance. It's what Amarice told me . . . that others can kill our loved ones, but only we can kill our own soul."
Gabrielle nodded. "Yeah. I couldn't kill you without killing everything I believed in."
Callisto then looked at Gabrielle, shook her regretfully and said. "I'm so sorry Gabrielle. For your husband, for everything. I can never make up for what I've done . . . all I can do is change."
Gabrielle silently nodded just as Callisto noticed Xena standing off to the side, watching the situation as a mother wolf watches over her pups.
Callisto's eyes narrowed as she slowly approached the Warrior Princess. Xena's muscles tensed up as she she looked at her arch enemy. As the two women stared into each others eyes, Xena firmly said, "We have Amarice's body in a sarcophagus . . . if you want to take her with you!"
"No. I'll bury her here."
Xena nodded as her and Gabrielle headed back towards the tomb and Callisto slowly followed.
As sunset quickly approached, Callisto placed Amarice's sarcophagus in a seperate burial chamber of the tomb. As Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer all said good by to Amarice, Callisto silently watched on as they left the chamber one by one until Callisto stood alone.
Callisto then took a deep breath as she slowly approached the sarcophagus. "Amarice," Callisto whispered, "I'm leaving you here so I will never forget the day you re-entered my life. And so I will never forget your final request . . . You were right Amarice, I was a monster."
Callisto then glanced upwards and whispered, "But Amarice, I hope you can forgive me. I will try and make you proud . . . little sister!"
Callisto then bent down and kissed the top of the sarcophagus as she whispered, "I love you!"
Callisto then slowly exited the tomb and noticed Joxer waiting impatiently for Xena and Gabrielle.
As Joxer spotted Callisto he jumped up in fear, then shook his head and said, "Sorry, just a reflex."
Callisto grinned. "it's OK!"
Joxer's eyes widened as he stared at Callisto. "So, Callisto," Joxer stuttered nervously, "I guess you've turned good now like me and Xena, huh?"
Callisto began to pace back and forth as she nodded. "Yeah, something like that!"
Joxer clinched his teeth as he nodded. "Good!"
Then at that moment, Gabrielle and Xena emerged from the tomb and Joxer demanded to know what took so long. "What were you two doing in there?"
Xena shrugged her shoulders. "Huh . . . oh, I was helping Gabrielle put her scrolls in the tomb."
"What?" Joxer said in total shock, "why would you do that?"
Gabrielle shook her head. "Well . . . sort of a tribute to . . . i dunno? I mean, Xena left the Chakram in there, why not my scrolls?"
Joxer shook his head in confusion. "Uh, are you two OK?" Gabrielle nodded and just as Xena stepped out of the entrance way of the tomb, the doorway began to close.
As the tomb sealed shut, both Xena and Gabrielle shook their heads and stared off into space for a moment. Then Gabrielle shook her head again, looked at Joxer and asked, "What did you want to know?"
Joxer's eyes widened as he said, "About your scrolls? Why you left them in the tomb?"
Gabrielle quickly turned around, looked at the sealed doorway and shouted, "I did what!?!"
Joxer nodded. "Yeah. In fact you just told me you did . . . and Xena left the Chakram in their too."
Gabrielle then looked at Xena and curiously asked, "Do you remember doing this?"
Xena just shook her head as a smile crossed her face. "Ares!"
"Ares?" Gabrielle asked, "you don't think?"
Xena nodded. "Who else?"
From inside the throne room on mount Olympus, Zeus, king of the gods, watched on and in response to Gabrielle question he whispered to himself. "No not Ares . . . Zeus."
"Brother," a male voice echoed throughout the throne room. As Zeus turned around he saw Hades standing before him. "Hello Hades!"
"Zeus," Hades said with a bit of concern in his voice. "Ares has made a great sacrifice . . . but not for us . . . for her."
As Zeus looked upon the image of Xena he nodded. "I know that Hades!"
"Then I'm sure you know with Dahak dead, the spirit of destruction is no longer controlled by a god, but by mortals."
Zeus' eyes narrowed as he angrily responded. "Don't talk to me like I'm a fool. I know very well the price that has been paid with Dahak's death, but I feel much more comfortable knowing that mortals, who are a mix of both good and evil have control of destruction, rather than just one god who was truly evil."
Hades nodded. "So do I . . . but I know you Zeus . . . you'd never admit it, but you have a soft spot for Ares. Your divine inspiration told Xena and Gabrielle to leave the Chakram and scrolls in the tomb. You wouldn't have done that unless you were planning on that tomb being opened again someday . . . and if Ares ever got out, with the sprit of destruction in the hands of mortals . . . I don't care to think about that day."
Zeus stared at Hades for several moments then reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, We both know that only a descendent of Xena could reactivate the Eye. And only a descendent with the same blood that was bound to the Chakram at that. And Solon is dead. So there's nothing to worry about is there Hades?"
"True!" Hades nodded. "Forgive me brother . . . I have work to do!"
Hades then waved his hands and disappeared.
Zeus however took one last look at the image of Xena and whispered. "Xena, so that my son may live again, I make it so your sone lives again!"
Zeus then waved his hand and another image appeared, this time of an area just outside of a small village high in the mountains where Spring had not yet taken hold.
As a middle aged man and woman walked along the banks of a river, they noticed an unconscious boy laid in a melting snowbank along the river.
The couple quickly approached the young boy to see if he was alive. The woman quickly took off her coat, knelt down and placed it under the young boy's head. The man removed his coat and covered the boy.
As the boy slowly awakened, the woman gently asked, "Are you all right? What happened?"
The young boy slowly attempted to sit up but the man gently pushed him back down."No son, be still. It's best if you don't move!"
The young boy glanced up at the man. "What happened?"
Then man curiously looked at the boy as his wife asked, "Where are your parents?"
The young boy thought for a minute, then shook his head. "I don't know?"
"You don't know where your parents are?"
The boy shook his head. "No!"
The woman then placed her hand on the boys forehead and asked, "What's your name? Do you know your name?"
As the young boy slowly sat up, he gazed at the woman, then said, "Solon!"
Zeus looked at this through the image and smiled. The king of the gods then waved his hand and the image disappeared. "Sorry Hades, but destiny is not ours to control. Ares must be free again, when the time is right.
"I'm sorry Xena, but that's the best I can do. Alti's curse is too strong . . .he will never know your love, but at least he's alive. And at least Ares has a chance to be free again."
Zeus, then waved his hand and disappeared.
As Xena tightened the saddle on the last horse, she turned to Callisto who had already mounted her horse. "Callisto, what will you do now?"
Callisto looked down at Xena and grinned. "First, I'm going to let my hair grow back out! Then, I'm going to do what I should have been doing years . . . make my family proud."
Gabrielle then quickly asked, "But, where will you go?"
Callisto looked up at the sky and said, Probably home . . . but first . . . I have to go apologize to someone."
Callisto then lightly kicked her horse as she yelled. "Yah!"
As Callisto rode off into the sunset, Gabrielle looked at Xena and curiously asked, "Do you think she's really changed?"
Xena looked at Gabrielle and smiled. "I've been there before," Xena then nodded, "I know she has."
Joxer, who had begun to ride ahead stopped and impatiently shouted, "Come on you guys. We have rights to wrong . . . I mean wrongs to right and warlords to bring to justice."
Gabrielle chuckled. "You don't think Callisto would have taken him with her do you?" Xena chuckled. "I think we're stuck with Joxer."
Gabrielle then looked at Callisto riding off into the sunset. Gabrielle then gazed into Xena's eyes and curiously asked, "Do you think I should let my hair grow back out?"
Xena grinned. "No! I like it short! Besides, it's kinda sexy on you."
Gabrielle chuckled. "Sexy?"
Xena smiled. "Trust me, A lot of guys would just go crazy over that cute hair style!"
Gabrielle then rolled her eyes and curiously asked, "Did we ever find out how we came back from the dead?"
Xena thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No! . . . I guess it's just one of those mysteries of our universe?"
Xena then winked and smiled as she threw her arm around Gabrielle's shoudler. "Come on, let's go!"
As Xena and Gabrielle mounted their respective horses, the Warrior Princess glanced up at the tomb of Ares one last time and whispered, "Good by Ares, it's been fun . . . well sort of!"
Xena and Gabrielle then slowly rode away to catch up to Joxer just as the ghostly voice of Ares echoed throughout the land one last time. "Until next time my dear Xena . . . until next time!"