Gabrielle shot up from her sleeping position, sitting up straight and
breathing heavily. She could still feel the breeze of the wind on her
cheek and the soft spray of the ocean coming over the side of the boat.
Only all that had simply been a dream, she thought trying to sort out what
reality was. It had all seemed so real, how could it have just been a dream
she wondered. She could remember seeing Xena's dead body and how empty and
hollow she felt. Without Xena she had felt like a part of her was missing.
Even though at the end she had felt she had done the right thing she still
had a gaping hole inside. She had searched for years in her tiny little
town and she had been all over the known world. Gabrielle knew only Xena
could fill that hole... her thoughts abruptly died off interrupted by a new
thought.
Xena, where was she? Gabrielle looked around the now dead fire looking for the sign of her best friend. All she saw was a cover and some leaves Xena had used as a bed. Then she saw some boots suddenly appear next to a tree and filling out the boots leaning against the tree was Ares.
"Ares!" Gabrielle yelled in outrage as she jumped up ready to confront him. "I should have known it was you. Another wacky little dream sent by your pal Morpheus?" She asked as she snapped fully awake.
Ares smirked back at her looking amused, "Quick thinking there Gabby." He said disdainfully, he never even tried to hide his dislike for her. "But..." he paused and shook his finger and a loud buzzer noise was heard. Gabrielle took a step back and blinked, her hands flying up to her ears trying to block the irritating noise. "Wrong." Ares grinned pleased himself. He coughed and cleared his throat as he moved closer to Gabrielle who subconsciously backed up. He started off with his explanation in a loud story telling voice, "What you've just been given is a glimpse—"
"A glimpse?" Gabrielle said skeptically as she cut off Ares in midsentence. "What kind of glimpse Ares? What exactly was that a glimpse of?" she said using the word glimpse more times then necessary.
Ares glared back at her annoyed at being interrupted especially by Gabrielle. "Well if you would just LISTEN and not INTERRUPT then you would find out, wouldn't you?" Ares asked giving her a nasty look. Gabrielle gave a weak little smile and nodded and gestured for him to get on with his little story. "Now as I was saying..." Ares said faking a little smile and looking at Gabrielle waiting for her to interrupt. Gabrielle just stared back at him waiting for Ares to go on. "Yeah so you've been given a glimpse. Courtesy of me I might add." He inserted a pause in his story for Gabrielle to thank him she gave him a look that was a cross between boredom and disgust. "It's of your future." He continued on pretending not to notice her look. "Yours and Xena's, well what little future she has left. Just a little sneak peek into the future as you'll soon know it."
Gabrielle stared at him thoughtfully and started to take a step toward Ares then thought better of it and stayed put. "And how exactly do you know this will happen?" She asks him curiously. Ares opens his mouth to answer but Gabrielle continues on. "It's just a possibility right? Or some little scheme you have cooked up to scare me off. Well that's not gonna work Ares. That's it right some stupid little plot?" Gabrielle asked again as she started pacing back and forth in front of Ares. He opened his mouth once again to answer but again Gabrielle kept talking. "It has to be, what else can it be. Didn't know you could make up little dreams. Neat little power you just learned? Because I know for a fact that Zeus forbid any of the gods to time travel. No messing with the future, or the past. And that dream, was definitely about the future." Ares yelled in frustration and let loose a fiery blast that shot past Gabrielle and incinerated a tree a few feet behind her.
"Will you SHUT IT?" Ares screamed out at Gabrielle his face turning red in anger. Gabrielle stared back in shock and nodded mutely a little afraid to talk. She could stand up to Ares but felt safer when Xena was around just in case. "You're right there Gabrielle dear old Dad..." Ares glances up at the sky ruefully. "Refuses to let us gods mess about with what was or what will be. Claims there would be too much confusion... or something." Ares dismissed Zeus' decision with a wave of his hand. "There's this thing called an Oracle, can you say Oracle?" Ares asked Gabrielle treating her like a child. She glared back with a 'duh' look upon her face but before she could talk Ares pressed on. "I'm just gonna take a guess here and say you can. Well knowing Dad's rule and all I was just a little curious about what lay ahead for my good friend Xena." Gabrielle rolled her eyes at the 'friend' bit. "I saw that." Ares said stomping over to her.
"Saw what?" Gabrielle asked blinking and smiling trying to look the perfect picture of innocence. "There was nothing to see."
"The eye rolling, I saw that." Ares growled as he looked down at Gabrielle.
"Can you just continue with your little story Ares? I'm sure Xena will be back any minute... from wherever it is she went." Gabrielle said lamely.
"Fishing, for breakfast." Ares said supplying the information. Gabrielle looked at Ares questioningly wondering how he knew. "I had to stay around and wait for you to wake up and be alone." Ares told her. "So to continue with my 'little story' zapped myself over to Delphi and had a little meeting with the Oracle. Amazing how fast they let you to the front of the line when you're a God."
"Delphi? I thought the Oracle there quit."
This time it was Ares turn to roll his eyes, "There's plenty of Oracles Gabby. Just waiting for their turn to be at the top. What do you think happens when one dies? They're not Gods, they're not immortal."
"Ok I get it Ares, there's a new Oracle. And the big all powerful Oracle told you all the stuff that was in my dream." Gabrielle said finishing up Ares story much to his annoyance.
"Yeah you got it." Ares said as he sat down on a small boulder. "So with that information give you that dream to test it out and see how the future looked and felt. I'm betting not too good without Xena around to keep you out of trouble."
"In case you forgot Ares, I can handle myself pretty well now. It was enough to catch your attention wasn't it?" Gabrielle asks raising an eyebrow and glancing down at the sais attached to her boots.
Ares grimaced remembering the one time he had actually had a little respect for Gabrielle and was thinking of making her Xena's replacement, her heir. "Everyone has their off days." He said shrugging and standing up trying to look more intimidating.
"So why'd you do it Ares? What was the point of giving me that dream and showing me my future?" Gabrielle asked her tone less harsh then usual with Ares.
"Well I'm working on this little theory." Ares looked at Gabrielle making sure she was paying attention she looked at him waiting to hear. "My theory is that if you know what the future will bring then you can change it."
"That's pretty interesting." Gabrielle mused interrupting yet again. "I mean if you think about it that might really work. Like if you're going down a path and there's a fork in the road. And you know that if you go down the left path then a band of thieves will murder you but if you go down the right then you'll be perfectly fine." Gabrielle smiled at Ares amazed that he came up with something like that.
"Well actually it's just a little something I heard about from my no good brother Hercules." Ares says spitting out his brother's name as if it were poison. "But anyway you get the point. Now that you've seen the future you have a chance at making it not happen. It was a glimpse of what might be, doesn't have to be. Choice is yours Gabrielle, Xena's life is in your hands."
"Why show me? You could have shown Xena, this isn't my choice to make. It's her life; she should choose which path to take. Not me, it's not fair to either of us Ares." Gabrielle said gritting her teeth, hating the position Ares put her in.
"Oh come on Gabrielle. We both know what Xena would pick. Into the whole selfless redemption thing." Ares shook his head, "Don't get it. I don't even pretend to get it but I know that's Xena." Ares voice softens when he mentions Xena's name. "And you're supposed to be her side kick so you should have her best interest at heart. Just like I do."
"I don't want Xena to die. But all those souls, I can't just let them stay in captive. If Xena knew she'd blame herself." Gabrielle sighed and sat down on the rock that Ares had vacated. "There's go to be some way to save them without losing Xena. I just, don't know what it is." Gabrielle's voice for once was lacking it's usual optimism and hopefulness. Ares just looked at Gabrielle and gave out a little sigh and gave her a mock look of sympathy, pretending to be all upset. For the second time since the beginning of her conversation with Ares she started getting suspicious. Unlike Xena she knew that Ares really cared about Xena, and if she were going to die he'd be deeply upset by it. In fact he'd do just about anything to stop it from happening, so why was he wasting his time with her saying Xena's fate was up to her. Gabrielle didn't buy it. She slowly stood up and peered into Ares eyes who stared back unabashedly as she crossed his arms thinking it was a stare down. "What's in it for you Ares?"
Ares slowly grinned then lifted his face toward the sky in a crazed laugh. Then he faced down at her again with an amused look on his face trying to pass for a serious look, "Why Gabrielle whatever do you mean? You surely don't think I, Ares god of war have a trick up my sleeve?"
"I'm tired of these games Ares, just tell me what you want."
Ares expression turned deadly serious, "You know what I want."
Gabrielle nodded an equally serious expression on her own face, "Xena." Ares nodded back in agreement. "She won't go with you, especially without an explanation. And all those souls... it's not going to happen. You think I can just let them stay captive? I follow Xena's example, I would do just the same thing as she would... as she will." She says quietly.
"Hello? Anyone home?" Ares asked in a near shout, "God here, I have all these powers at my finger tips..." He shoots out another fireball and blasts a tree to give Gabrielle an example of his power. "I could get them set free, would have to call in a few favors but I could do it."
"You could do it..." Gabrielle says breathlessly wondering why Xena hadn't asked Ares for help in the future, if that was there future. Gabrielle wasn't sure anymore Ares had a point, the souls could be saved and so could Xena it was simple. But it meant losing Xena to Ares. Gabrielle's eyes locked on Ares trying to make a decision.
"What's going on here?" A loud feminine voice inquired suddenly. Gabrielle turned around in surprise Xena had snuck up on them. Well on her, at glance at Ares showed that he had sensed her coming. "Ares..." Xena said looking over at him, she didn't seem to be surprised by his presence she had sensed him also. "Catch." Xena said simply and threw him an armful of fish she had caught. Ares scrambled to catch the dozens of fish but managed to do it with one hitting him squarely in the face. Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other and cracked up with laughter.
"Yeah very cute, very funny." Ares growled and dumped the fish onto a rock.
"So what are you doing here Ares?" Xena asked crossing her arms and looking very commanding. Ares and Gabrielle exchanged a look that worried Xena. "Someone gonna tell me?"
Xena, where was she? Gabrielle looked around the now dead fire looking for the sign of her best friend. All she saw was a cover and some leaves Xena had used as a bed. Then she saw some boots suddenly appear next to a tree and filling out the boots leaning against the tree was Ares.
"Ares!" Gabrielle yelled in outrage as she jumped up ready to confront him. "I should have known it was you. Another wacky little dream sent by your pal Morpheus?" She asked as she snapped fully awake.
Ares smirked back at her looking amused, "Quick thinking there Gabby." He said disdainfully, he never even tried to hide his dislike for her. "But..." he paused and shook his finger and a loud buzzer noise was heard. Gabrielle took a step back and blinked, her hands flying up to her ears trying to block the irritating noise. "Wrong." Ares grinned pleased himself. He coughed and cleared his throat as he moved closer to Gabrielle who subconsciously backed up. He started off with his explanation in a loud story telling voice, "What you've just been given is a glimpse—"
"A glimpse?" Gabrielle said skeptically as she cut off Ares in midsentence. "What kind of glimpse Ares? What exactly was that a glimpse of?" she said using the word glimpse more times then necessary.
Ares glared back at her annoyed at being interrupted especially by Gabrielle. "Well if you would just LISTEN and not INTERRUPT then you would find out, wouldn't you?" Ares asked giving her a nasty look. Gabrielle gave a weak little smile and nodded and gestured for him to get on with his little story. "Now as I was saying..." Ares said faking a little smile and looking at Gabrielle waiting for her to interrupt. Gabrielle just stared back at him waiting for Ares to go on. "Yeah so you've been given a glimpse. Courtesy of me I might add." He inserted a pause in his story for Gabrielle to thank him she gave him a look that was a cross between boredom and disgust. "It's of your future." He continued on pretending not to notice her look. "Yours and Xena's, well what little future she has left. Just a little sneak peek into the future as you'll soon know it."
Gabrielle stared at him thoughtfully and started to take a step toward Ares then thought better of it and stayed put. "And how exactly do you know this will happen?" She asks him curiously. Ares opens his mouth to answer but Gabrielle continues on. "It's just a possibility right? Or some little scheme you have cooked up to scare me off. Well that's not gonna work Ares. That's it right some stupid little plot?" Gabrielle asked again as she started pacing back and forth in front of Ares. He opened his mouth once again to answer but again Gabrielle kept talking. "It has to be, what else can it be. Didn't know you could make up little dreams. Neat little power you just learned? Because I know for a fact that Zeus forbid any of the gods to time travel. No messing with the future, or the past. And that dream, was definitely about the future." Ares yelled in frustration and let loose a fiery blast that shot past Gabrielle and incinerated a tree a few feet behind her.
"Will you SHUT IT?" Ares screamed out at Gabrielle his face turning red in anger. Gabrielle stared back in shock and nodded mutely a little afraid to talk. She could stand up to Ares but felt safer when Xena was around just in case. "You're right there Gabrielle dear old Dad..." Ares glances up at the sky ruefully. "Refuses to let us gods mess about with what was or what will be. Claims there would be too much confusion... or something." Ares dismissed Zeus' decision with a wave of his hand. "There's this thing called an Oracle, can you say Oracle?" Ares asked Gabrielle treating her like a child. She glared back with a 'duh' look upon her face but before she could talk Ares pressed on. "I'm just gonna take a guess here and say you can. Well knowing Dad's rule and all I was just a little curious about what lay ahead for my good friend Xena." Gabrielle rolled her eyes at the 'friend' bit. "I saw that." Ares said stomping over to her.
"Saw what?" Gabrielle asked blinking and smiling trying to look the perfect picture of innocence. "There was nothing to see."
"The eye rolling, I saw that." Ares growled as he looked down at Gabrielle.
"Can you just continue with your little story Ares? I'm sure Xena will be back any minute... from wherever it is she went." Gabrielle said lamely.
"Fishing, for breakfast." Ares said supplying the information. Gabrielle looked at Ares questioningly wondering how he knew. "I had to stay around and wait for you to wake up and be alone." Ares told her. "So to continue with my 'little story' zapped myself over to Delphi and had a little meeting with the Oracle. Amazing how fast they let you to the front of the line when you're a God."
"Delphi? I thought the Oracle there quit."
This time it was Ares turn to roll his eyes, "There's plenty of Oracles Gabby. Just waiting for their turn to be at the top. What do you think happens when one dies? They're not Gods, they're not immortal."
"Ok I get it Ares, there's a new Oracle. And the big all powerful Oracle told you all the stuff that was in my dream." Gabrielle said finishing up Ares story much to his annoyance.
"Yeah you got it." Ares said as he sat down on a small boulder. "So with that information give you that dream to test it out and see how the future looked and felt. I'm betting not too good without Xena around to keep you out of trouble."
"In case you forgot Ares, I can handle myself pretty well now. It was enough to catch your attention wasn't it?" Gabrielle asks raising an eyebrow and glancing down at the sais attached to her boots.
Ares grimaced remembering the one time he had actually had a little respect for Gabrielle and was thinking of making her Xena's replacement, her heir. "Everyone has their off days." He said shrugging and standing up trying to look more intimidating.
"So why'd you do it Ares? What was the point of giving me that dream and showing me my future?" Gabrielle asked her tone less harsh then usual with Ares.
"Well I'm working on this little theory." Ares looked at Gabrielle making sure she was paying attention she looked at him waiting to hear. "My theory is that if you know what the future will bring then you can change it."
"That's pretty interesting." Gabrielle mused interrupting yet again. "I mean if you think about it that might really work. Like if you're going down a path and there's a fork in the road. And you know that if you go down the left path then a band of thieves will murder you but if you go down the right then you'll be perfectly fine." Gabrielle smiled at Ares amazed that he came up with something like that.
"Well actually it's just a little something I heard about from my no good brother Hercules." Ares says spitting out his brother's name as if it were poison. "But anyway you get the point. Now that you've seen the future you have a chance at making it not happen. It was a glimpse of what might be, doesn't have to be. Choice is yours Gabrielle, Xena's life is in your hands."
"Why show me? You could have shown Xena, this isn't my choice to make. It's her life; she should choose which path to take. Not me, it's not fair to either of us Ares." Gabrielle said gritting her teeth, hating the position Ares put her in.
"Oh come on Gabrielle. We both know what Xena would pick. Into the whole selfless redemption thing." Ares shook his head, "Don't get it. I don't even pretend to get it but I know that's Xena." Ares voice softens when he mentions Xena's name. "And you're supposed to be her side kick so you should have her best interest at heart. Just like I do."
"I don't want Xena to die. But all those souls, I can't just let them stay in captive. If Xena knew she'd blame herself." Gabrielle sighed and sat down on the rock that Ares had vacated. "There's go to be some way to save them without losing Xena. I just, don't know what it is." Gabrielle's voice for once was lacking it's usual optimism and hopefulness. Ares just looked at Gabrielle and gave out a little sigh and gave her a mock look of sympathy, pretending to be all upset. For the second time since the beginning of her conversation with Ares she started getting suspicious. Unlike Xena she knew that Ares really cared about Xena, and if she were going to die he'd be deeply upset by it. In fact he'd do just about anything to stop it from happening, so why was he wasting his time with her saying Xena's fate was up to her. Gabrielle didn't buy it. She slowly stood up and peered into Ares eyes who stared back unabashedly as she crossed his arms thinking it was a stare down. "What's in it for you Ares?"
Ares slowly grinned then lifted his face toward the sky in a crazed laugh. Then he faced down at her again with an amused look on his face trying to pass for a serious look, "Why Gabrielle whatever do you mean? You surely don't think I, Ares god of war have a trick up my sleeve?"
"I'm tired of these games Ares, just tell me what you want."
Ares expression turned deadly serious, "You know what I want."
Gabrielle nodded an equally serious expression on her own face, "Xena." Ares nodded back in agreement. "She won't go with you, especially without an explanation. And all those souls... it's not going to happen. You think I can just let them stay captive? I follow Xena's example, I would do just the same thing as she would... as she will." She says quietly.
"Hello? Anyone home?" Ares asked in a near shout, "God here, I have all these powers at my finger tips..." He shoots out another fireball and blasts a tree to give Gabrielle an example of his power. "I could get them set free, would have to call in a few favors but I could do it."
"You could do it..." Gabrielle says breathlessly wondering why Xena hadn't asked Ares for help in the future, if that was there future. Gabrielle wasn't sure anymore Ares had a point, the souls could be saved and so could Xena it was simple. But it meant losing Xena to Ares. Gabrielle's eyes locked on Ares trying to make a decision.
"What's going on here?" A loud feminine voice inquired suddenly. Gabrielle turned around in surprise Xena had snuck up on them. Well on her, at glance at Ares showed that he had sensed her coming. "Ares..." Xena said looking over at him, she didn't seem to be surprised by his presence she had sensed him also. "Catch." Xena said simply and threw him an armful of fish she had caught. Ares scrambled to catch the dozens of fish but managed to do it with one hitting him squarely in the face. Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other and cracked up with laughter.
"Yeah very cute, very funny." Ares growled and dumped the fish onto a rock.
"So what are you doing here Ares?" Xena asked crossing her arms and looking very commanding. Ares and Gabrielle exchanged a look that worried Xena. "Someone gonna tell me?"