Epilogue

Potideia 29 years ago

She felt the spike being pierced into her heart.

By her own son. Who was a monster.

She was dieing… again. Or at least her body was.

She didn´t care.

What she cared about, the only thing in this moment, was only the creature dieing right now in her arms. Her son. Her monstrous, nearly completely inhuman looking, horrible mutated son.

So far she had avoided to show him many real signs of affection. Mostly because his body was covered by dangerous razor-sharp spikes. And just because she was immortal didn´t mean she liked being cut.

But now she used the chance to hold him in a tight embrace… for the last time.

She saw her mother Gabrielle. They both were starring at each other, looking each other in the eyes. While she herself was still holding the dieing body of the monster she had given birth to.

Yes - at some level Hope was aware that her son was a monster. Even more than she herself was.

Not because that he was - as mother would probably put it - evil. Quite the opposite, she had already figured out that her son didn´t kill out of malice or hatred, but just because he didn´t know better.

But simply alone because of his appearance. That and his wild, nearly animal like, instincts and his inability to actually speak in the normal way beyond shouts and grunts. At least not much… not beyond a few louds he could sometimes produce.

She herself was only able to actually communicate with him per telepathy.

It was quite ironic how much looks could could decide how you were seen (and treated) by mortals… and even many gods. Not matter how much they claimed openly that it weren´t looks that matter.

What life could he ever have in this world under humans, under this `normal´ people? Besides being a living weapon?

But a living weapon was exactly what father had intended after all. So this - going along with her father´s intentions, was the only way for her son to have something like a future.

Hope admitted even she had been unsettled as she had seen her newborn son for the first time. For a few moments she had actually doubts if crossing herself with the line of the Olympians had been a good idea.

Until father´s voice spoke to her like so many times before and assured her everything was alright.

But then things had gone wrong… and now both she and her son were dieing.

Gabrielle had distracted her son, pretending to be her. Even if it had been clear that she had been both frightened and horrified by him.

And maybe for the first time, Hope felt actual hatred for her mother.

Yes - she had been angry at her before, enraged actually.

When she had staid with Xena after she had tried to kill and forced her to abandon her. When she had just lied to Xena and just pretended that nothing had happened at all and just returned to be `best friends´.

After she had poisoned her on Xena´s behalf. And also especially when she told her that she wished the poison she once gave her had ended her.

But every time... she could just not bring herself to kill her. She just couldn´t. Something inside her just seemed to be holding her back.

But now? This time it would be different. Gabrielle would pay for this, she swore to herself.

She sensed the life leaving her son´s body.

Then she felt herself falling down and everything was going dark.

This was not the end, she knew.

It would never be. Not truly - not for her.

She would always be able to come back.

xxxxxxx

Gabrielle meanwhile wasn´t quite sure how to feel.

While she tried to keep a hold on herself, her face on a closer look betrayed many Feelings - sadness, horror, regret… and also relief. Relief that it was finally over.

She had accepted for herself a long time ago that Hope had to die. For the safety of the world, for the people who would die because of her otherwise, for Solan.

But now, that she was looking at the body who looked exactly like her own... and remembered the baby she had held in her arms, she could barely hold back tears.

Yet at the same time another part of her was only glad that the horror of the last year seemed to be finally coming to an end. And that she would have never have to go through this again.

If only she knew.

xxx

They had decided to bury the bodies somewhere in the woods close to the town.

"Gabrielle," Xena turned to her, Standing over the two holes in the ground they were digging.

"I-... you know you don´t have to be here." The Warrior Princess was not quite sure what to say.

"It - it is okay Xena. I can help." After all what happened, she could at least bury her daughter (and the creature that was somehow her grandson) in person. At least that.

"Do you think this is really the end of it?" Gabrielle asked. "I mean she came back before. Who said she can´t do it again?"

"I don´t know." Xena sighed. "I guess we have to hope for the best."

Deep down though, the silent doubt was coming up in Gabrielle´s mind again. Did it really had to be like this?

Or could things have been different, if she hadn´t been force to abandon her child? But she pushed the thought down.

No - she had to believe that Xena had been right all along. That Hope couldn´t be saved.

Otherwise she would just not be able to live with herself.

And she wasn´t sure if Xena would be able to do it.

xxxxxxx

A moment later (or was it an eternity) Hope was looking up.

She knew where she was - the Spirit Plane.

The Realm of the souls and the mind. In many ways it was also the place between life and death.

The way it looked however - how it had manifested itself - was an wide empty wasteland, filled with rocks. In a way it showed visitors a mirror of what was inside them. Or what others intended them to see.

For a moment, Hope´s hold over her rage broke and she let out a horrible scream, augmented by Supernatural energy.

Of course it wasn´t an actual sound. Since this wasn´t really the physical world. Like everthing else here, the sound was a mental - spiritual - representation. It was the demi-god´s rage and grief given form.

The Realm around her was literally shaking under her anger.

`Was this what Xena had felt when...?´ she asked herself for a moment. But then she pushed the thought down. Xena deserved all pain and she would gladly see her suffer for years.

"Welcome daughter-," she heard a voice greeting her.

It was the voice of Iolaus. As she turned around, she saw the form of the small sized man ständig before her.

But looks could be deceiving. Especially in this case. She knew instantly who it truly was.

"Father," she greeted him.

"You have done it," Hope noticed. "You have chosen a physical shell... And him of all people?" she asked.

"It was not the origial plan," he admitted. "But Looking back, I believe I could not have chosen anyone better."

"Father - he is dead," she said tonelessly, "... my son."

"Yes - it is a tragedy," he said quietly.

"Please Father - bring him back."

Dahak/Iolaus was looking at her for a moment with an unreadable expression.

"I am sorry my child - I can not," he replied. His voice showing something ressembling regret.

"What?"

"You know the reason," he said to her.

Indeed she did. As much as she hated to admit it.

Father could not bring him back, because her son was not truly his.

What he had done, he had done simply out of instinct or the necessarity to eat… or because she told him - out of loyalty to her.

She had never thought her son to hate. Not really. And now, because of this - because she had failed as the mother of the Destroyer, her son was now dead for good.

"It seems that our attempt to create a hybrid with the Olympians was not successful in the end," Dahak stated thoughtfully.

"No... it seems it wasn´t," Hope said nearly expressionless.

"Ah - I can sense the pain you are feelings, your pain, your anger. Don´t let your grief draw you down you daughter. Use it instead to fuel your hatred."

"Yes," she answered.

Father was right, she thought. There was no way to change this.

Unless the Light itself were suddenly defeated and Dahak took over the cosmos by himself… and that wouldn´t happen until the end of days… there was no way to bring her son back.

There was only one thing left and that was... revenge.

xxx

And besides - it was not as if father had ever been wrong. Everything he had ever told her had turned out to be correct. Nearly all his plans - all his predictions - nearly always came to pass.

The knowledge he provided her with - the things she had learned from him. Far more than a being that was technically only a year old should ever know.

xxx

"Father I -... " Hope´s face hardened. "I want them to pay for this - Xena and mother both. I want them to suffer."

Dahak silently raised his hand towards her cheek.

"And I promise you my girl... they will," he said. "One way or the other. When my campaign succeeds - when this world is mine - then I will come for them. And even if not - if the Light and it´s allies somehow interferre, I have other, contingence, plans."

For a moment, Hope looked downwards, her face twisted in hatred.

She didn´t notice the smile on his face that showed... satisfaction. The part of him that was still Iolaus was both, aghast and appalled, by the Feelings he felt through their now shared mind. It seemed that Dahak saw the death of the Destroyer as an acceptable price in exchange for the hatred it had caused in Hope and the way it affected her.

"Now sleep my daughter," he said. "Your work is done for now. The rest I will do myself. You will wake again when I have need for you. Until then, you will sleep and watch."

As her father stretched out his hand to her, she felt herself falling in a state as if she was dreaming.

xxx

A part of herself was still there, watching and following the events in the outside world. But it was as if she was in a state were time and space completely passed her by - hours or decades, it made no difference to her.

She watched Father´s campaign play out and... at the brink to world-rule… ultimately failing. But only after wiping out the Sumerian and Assyrien Gods and devastating most of the country in the process. (Something that technically already happened before her body had been killed.) After nearly destroying the North Gods and killing the Druids and successfully taking over Greece.

xxx

She also in particular watched the events involving her mother and Xena.

She saw how the Roman civil-war spread to Greece… and how Xena and mother manipulated Cesar´s and Pompey´s armies into destroying each other.

How Xena was being hounded by the vision of the crucification. Nice, she thought.

She watched how the two of them journeyed and their adventures in India, their confrontations with Nejara, how Xena was nearly executed for a crime she had commited years ago and many other things.

Until she saw them travel to Rome to assassinate Ceasar, where the vision finally came to pass... and with that father´s promise to her.

She watched in grim satisfaction how they were caught thanks to Callisto´s interferrance, who had been temporally released from Hell by Mephistopheles with her father´s blessing and put to death by Ceasar. To be crucified. This was exactly what they deserved as far as it came to her.

But then, as she saw her mother´s body hanging on the cross, as she watched her agony, she slowly felt other feelings rising up inside her.

No! This was not what she had wanted. But right now there was nothing she could do. Right now when she was in ner non-corporel state, with no Body and outside of this world.

And with every second she continued to watch Gabrielle slowly dieing - now in silent and formless grief - she could feel her anger at her mother disappearing more and more. Until there was barely anything left.

This was what she had asked for, she remembered. And she knew this was not even the end. Father would break them both in body and soul.

She watched their resurrection by Eli´s Hands and the god´s of Light - the only Thing she could not see was their time spend in Heaven.

And then the rest, Eli´s cult , the Twilight of the God´s, Livia.

And finally she watched Father confronting Xena´s spirit. How he tore all her believes and her self-image to shreds and forced her to confront the most ugly parts of herself… and how he made mother watch.

And then - finally - her return to life. After nearly thirty years she was made flesh and blood once again.

xxxxxxx

29 years later - Now

Their small group was staying for the moment in a inn in the next town close by.

Well - not all of them.

Michael had staid in Heaven and Ares had returned to Olympus. He had offered to take them along and by his and Aphrodite´s guests for the next days. But they had declined.

None of them had been particular eager to be on Olympus. The place just carried too many bad memories for most of them.

For Xena, Gabrielle and Eve, it was the slaughter of most of the Olympians, in Eve´s defense. And when she and Gabrielle had nearly been dieing at the floor of the gods Castle.

For Hercules it was the memories of Zeus (the father he had killed in Eve´s defense) and of Hera.

No, none of them was all too fond of the idea of staying there if they didn´t have to.

xxx

It was late. The sun had already set a few hours ago.

It was then when it was knocking on the door of the room that Xena and Eve were using.

Originally the Warrior Princess had intended to share a room with Gabrielle, like usual.

But despite what happened, Xena could just not bring herself to trust her daughter being that near to Hope. She jut could not.

Xena knew it was irrationaly. If Hope had truly wanted to harm them, she would have simply helped Dahak and Lucifer to destroy them all. No - if she were going to betray them, she would have already done it by now.

But another part of her could just not overcome her fears here.

As a very tired looking Warrior Princess was opening, she was seeing who was outside.

"Gabrielle, Hope," she greeted them. "What it it now?"

"Well - Hope had… well," Gabrielle started, not quite sure how to say it.

"I have made an offer to make to you," Hope said.

"And why could you not just do that at daytime?" Xena asked now a bit annoyed.

"I-... to be honest I didn´t want the others to be present when I tell you. At least not right away. This is between you and me."

Hope send a short glance to Eve.

"Okay- I will leave you alone for a moment," Xena´s daughter said. Right before she stepped out of the door.

"So what is this about?" Xena asked now a bit irritated. "And why did you not want Eve to hear it?"

Hope actually let her shoulders hanging down a bit.

"I just had a talk with Michael," she said.

"I thought he had returned to Heaven?" Gabrielle asked.

"You of all people should know that beings like us don´t actually need to be there to communicate - mother. He actually talked to through a ray of light," Hope replied. "A bit cliche, I know, but…"

"What did he want?" Xena interrupted them.

"He told me about something…." she seemed to hesitate for a short moment, not quite sure how to say it, "a important mission - a Task that needs to be done."

"What kind of mission?"

Hope looked at her.

"You remember what Father told you about the souls that are trapped in the Greek Afterlife? With Hades and all the other gods dead, both Tartarus and the Elysian Fields have fallen into chaos and are slowly breaking apart."

Xena´s face had become unreadable. Gabrielle at the same time visibly crinched.

They felt both horrible at being reminded of this. Xena was just hiding it better. This was one of the terrible consequences of their actions that Dahak had brought up.

"Yes - I remember?" she said sharply.

"Michael wants to do something about this?" Gabrielle asked hopefully.

"The Light does," Hope replied. "They plan to release the Souls from the Elysian Fields. Michael thought however that it would be… fitting if I would be the one to do it. And - and so think I...

… Especially regarding one special soul," she said with a look to Xena. They both knew who she was talking about.

Xena said nothing, but took a visible breath.

"Solan," she said.

"Don´t misunderstand. I am not doing this for you," Hope stated, "just for myself."

"Of course," Xena replied, not quite believing her.

"I-... I am doing this so that I don´t longer see his face before me at night," Hope stated quietly. Revealing a fact she never had before.

Xena and Gabrielle were both a bit ssurprised at Hope´s admission.

Gabrielle on her part was somehow happy about this confirmation that her daughter was actually sad about her past actions. But who was she to talk? They all had more than enough that they regretted.

xxxxxxx

The next day

Their entire group was now standing a short distance outside of the town.

Hercules and Iolaus had just been told what they were planning to do.

"You are sure this will work?" the half-god questioned. "I mean we are talking about the souls of countless people here."

"Countless souls that will suffer if nothing happens," Eve pointed out.

"It is the will of the God of Light," Hope said. "As you know I can now channel power from my father´s opposite. But only when he allows it."

"Two sides of the same coin," Xena said quietly, remembering something Dahak once told her.

"Yes."

They all knew. Like they all had a dark side, Dahak was just the dark side of the universe and of the force that had created it. Maybe some day the universe could find a way to finally overcome him - maybe.

But until them they all would have to overcome the parts of him that lived in them at every single day.

Ares and Aphrodite appeared right next to them a few moments later.

"We have heard what you are planning," Ares stated.

"Ahm - you remember that the Elysian Fields are part of our Domain, right?" Aphrodite reminded them quickly. She said this with a bright smile and a friendly tone, but the meaning of her words were clear.

"A Domain you have no longer control of and that is falling apart," Gabrielle pointed out.

"These souls will be released either way," Hope said. "Now or when the Olympian Afterlife is breaking apart in some years, maybe decades. And these souls will be trapped there the entire time in an unclear state, probably suffering."

"That would give us much time to solve the problem," Ares countered. "Maybe is is worth the risk."

"And exactly that attitude is the reason turned against the Olympians so easily," Hercules stated, "and why barely anyone is missing them."

"Yes - exactly as he said," Iolaus added.

"You will not find a solution," Hope said sharply. "Without an actual Underworld ruler in your ranks, you don´t have the slightest idea how to deal with this situation."

"This is what was always meant to happen," Eve announced, "in one way or the other. You just have to accept that you are not longer in control of the world. Actually you never truly were."

The two Olympian deities exchanged an uneasy glance.

"Look - we just ask you to bring us to the Elysian Fields," Xena told them. "Hope and Michael will then do the rest."

Hello. I had actually finished this story a few years ago.

But I had a few new ideas and combined it with some plot-ideas I had back then, that didn´t made it in the actualy written version. (Like the repeat of Hope´s and the Destroyer´s death and meeting Dahak in the Spirit Realm afterwards.)

So I decided to add what will probably be two epilogue chapters. I also had worked over some of the dialog otherwise.