From the Warrior's Shadow

Written: 1997
© Julie Ruffell 1997
Timeline: Sometime after "The Bitter Suite"
Disclaimer: Xena: Warrior Princess is the copyright property of Renaissance Pictures, Universal Studios and Studios USA. This fan fiction story was written for entertainment purposes only.
Description: An impressive and deadly warrior, birthed from Xena's dark past, seeks the Warrior Princess to have her revenge.

"From the Warrior's Shadow"

The palomino whinnied as the rider stopped the mare at the top of the hill. The rider reached down and patted the warhorse's neck. "Okay girl, let's take a break."

The rider dismounted, her leather booted feet making no sound as she landed. She was a true warrior and never made a sound when she moved. She wasn't a small warrior either. She stood tall, at six feet, four inches, with shoulders like a bear and arms to match. She was stronger than any warrior she had encountered, female or male. She was dressed all in black, from neck to toe, a black leather shirt lying underneath her body armour. She wore pants rather than a skirt and they were tucked into her leather boots. A black cape flowed off her shoulders, while gauntlets and arm bands clasped her arms. Her leather belt held a flaming skull with a cobra slithering from its eyes, and a sword hung from her left side.

Her skin was darkly tanned, revealing that she had spent most of her life outside. She was a wanderer. She had traveled the known world for eleven, long, hard years, training herself for the moment of her revenge. She held her lips tightly together, one solid, determined line. Her face was oval and her chestnut hair framed it perfectly, falling just to her shoulders, curling in towards her face.

Her left eye was her strongest feature; a tortured gray orb, which was a window to the storm clouds in her heart. The dead screamed from behind it, begging her to bring them final peace. They were the souls of her fellow villagers, killed by a warlord's obsession. Only she had survived.

She had been away at the lake that day, hidden in the woods so her mother couldn't make her do chores. She was a writer, not a farmer; she didn't have time for crops. She had to unleash her creative mind, setting quill to scroll, but no one understood that. Adara had only been a small, simple village. They all had to do their part, or the town would die. She was sixteen, and she didn't believe that she should have to waste her teenage years gathering corn and wheat. There was a whole world out there, and she had stories that could thrill it.

Now the stories were drowned out by screams. She wondered if the stories even tried to cry out anymore. The screams were those that she had heard that dreadful day. It still seemed like some hellish nightmare that would just fade away at the morning's dawn. But Eos never touched her.

She had been writing a tale of a warrior woman, because there had never been one before. It was a tale of one more heroic than Hercules. She was just about to start writing the battle scene, when she heard an all too vivid shriek. The scream was followed up by several more, mixed with roars and battle cries. She dropped her scroll and quill, and ran back towards her home. The scroll landed in the water and the story was washed away, like any that would follow.

She had seen the flames reaching for the sky before she had even neared the village. Tears had already formed in her eyes as she rushed frantically through the thick underbrush. The tears blurred her vision and she tripped on a root. She fell and landed hard in the dirt. She had reached her home, and as she slowly raised her head, she beheld a site of Tartarus.

Flames licked at the homes and shops, bringing their remains crashing to the ground. The earth was littered with the bodies of those she had known and loved. Men lay in pools of their own blood, run through with swords by servants to Hades. The charred remains of women and children also covered the blood-soaked dirt, curled in fetal positions of horror. The warriors were running through the village, confirming their kills and robbing the dead.

"Burn it all! String up the dead!"

She turned her gaze to see Death itself; a woman, sitting upon a horse as black as her soul, a deep snarl on her face. Her hair was the colour of a raven, and her eyes were cold, ice blue. She wore animal skins and heavy cloths, while holding a crimson stained sword in her right hand. The fire ragged behind her, a mirror image of her soul.

The dark woman warrior turned her head, and for a moment, two sets of eyes remained locked. One set was filled with pure darkness and the other of pure light, crashing together like fire and water. Then the warrior's eyes darkened and her scowl grew deeper. "Bring me the girl!" she ordered.

The teen felt herself being lifted off the ground as one of the men pulled her to her feet. "Let me go, you big ox!" she shouted, the flames finally reaching her voice. She brought her heel down on his toe, and she followed it up with an elbow to his stomach. The man grunted and released her.

"You idiot!" sneered the female warrior. "Someone bring me the girl!"

She was surrounded in an instant. She had no chance, so she allowed herself to be taken. The woman warrior looked down at her. "What's your name?"

"You butcher! I'll die before I tell you anything!" she bellowed back.

"Look kid, I'm not asking you for the secrets of the gods, just your name."

"You killed my family, and my friends! Why!? What did they do to you?"

"Nothing, and now they never will."

"You murdering harpy! I'll kill you! I won't rest until I have seen my blade through your evil heart!"

"Then perhaps I should just kill you now. It's only fitting that I add your blood to my sword."

"Xena!" came another voice. "Leave the girl." A man rode into the village and came alongside the warrior woman. He was dressed the same as her, with the same raven coloured hair.

"Borias, you've got to learn to let your warrior's have a little fun."

"You've had a 'little fun' at every village we've past. I want to make it to Chin before I die of old age," Borias replied.

Xena smiled. "Don't worry Borias, you'll never die old. You'll be rotting in your grave before you even father children."

Borias didn't even flinch at Xena's words. "I want to move on. Don't forget that I lead this army."

"Oh, I won't," she replied coldly. "As for the girl, it will only take me a second to kill her."

"Let her live. She can tell the world about us."

Xena's face grew dark. "Fine, but at least let me give her something to remember me by." With that, Xena's blade shot out, catching the angered teenager along the right side of her face. Xena dug a line in blood from the adolescent's forehead, down through her eye and over her cheek.

The youth cried out and her knees gave way under her. The one holding her let her drop, and her hands moved up to hold her bloodied face.

"That will help her remember. Tell them all, child. That's what happens when anyone goes against Xena." She chuckled. "You should have told me your name."

"I'll tell you when I kill you, bitch," the youth retorted. She turned her remaining eye to Xena. "I'm not strong enough to fight you now, but when I find you again, I will be. Then you'll learn my name, and you can carry it with you to Tartarus."

The air was silent for a moment and then Xena laughed in wicked amusement. "Go away kid, before I have a change of heart." Xena and the men laughed as the adolescent ran off into the bushes.

"Let's move on," Borias ordered, and his army followed him into the night.

* * *

"And now that time has come," she growled, her hands forming into fists. "You should have never told me your name, Xena." Her hand went up and felt where her right eye had once been. "Eye for an eye. Life for a life. This is justice, and I am finally able to deliver it."

Although she had never killed, she knew how to fight. After Xena had scarred her forever, she had stumbled through the wood until she finally collapsed from the pain of her injury and the pain of her heart. When she awoke, she opened her eye to find herself lying in a bed, in a small room. She sat up suddenly, alarmed as to where she was.

"Whoa! You're not ready to be up yet." A hand came towards her and gently pushed her back into the soft mattress. "I'm glad to see you're up. Here, have something to eat."

She looked to see a man handing her a hot bowl of stew. He was an older man, but not so old that anymore than a few wrinkles had touched his skin. He had an oval face and a broad chin. His build was strong, yet small, and his arms were muscled, but not rippling. His face was kind and his hair was honey blonde and cut short. His eyes smiled at her with their shiny green colour. She couldn't help but smile back at him.

His name was Vasilis. Vasilis trained warriors in Sparta, and his ability as a fighter was known through all of Greece.

"What's your name?" he asked her. "What happened to you?"

Forcing a strong tone to be released from her shaky voice, she answered. "Ebony of Adara," and then she told him what had happened. She ended her story with the vow she had made to Xena.

Vasilis took a deep breath. "That's a big vow for a little girl."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child! That bacchae ruined my life! Everyone and everything I knew! She cut out my eye! I want her to pay!"

Vasilis took her in, and raised her. Everyday, Ebony asked him to teach her how to fight; everyday he refused. After several months, Ebony pleaded with him, "Please, please, help me to avenge my loved ones. Just teach me what you know. Please?"

He signed. "All right, Ebony, but I'll tell you now that I don't approve and I will spend everyday trying to convince you otherwise."

"Thank you. You don't know what this means to me."

Everyday when Ebony awoke, she and Vasilis would eat breakfast and then they would train. If the weather was good, Vasilis would train her out in open fields, teaching her how to flip, jump and work with a staff. When the weather was poor, they moved indoors to Vasilis' barn, where he drilled her again, and again in the use of swords, daggers, chobos, and her own fists.

As they continued on, the two became the best of friends. Vasilis became like a father to Ebony, while she was the daughter he never had. Soon, Ebony's skills started to match Vasilis and she began to help him train new soldiers for Sparta's army. Then one day, Vasilis could teach Ebony no more. She knew all he knew and fought better than he ever had.

Vasilis pulled her over to a table and sat her down. "Ebony, these have been the happiest years of my life," he told her. "I never knew what I missing without a family, and then you came along. I've enjoyed passing my knowledge onto you, but the truth is, I have nothing more to teach you."

Ebony stiffened. "Vasilis, I'm only eighteen. How can I know everything in only two years?"

"You don't know everything, Innocent. Just everything I know."

Innocent. Vasilis had given her that name, and when he spoke it, it was a word of love. It happened the night Vasilis had given Ebony her first blade. It was a short sword forged of strong steel. The handle was gold with the image of a woman, sword raised above her head.

"That's what I'll look like one day." Ebony pointed the sword to the sky. "Just like this. Ready to bring it down on Xena's neck."

"And then you will lose your innocent soul."

Ebony lowered the sword. "What are you talking about?"

"Everyone is born innocent, Ebony, but not everyone gets to stay that way. If you kill Xena in this cold rage, you'll lose a part of yourself forever. I wish I could get back what I lost. You're innocent, Ebony. Do you want to throw that all away just for revenge?"

"Just teach me how to kill her. I'll worry about my soul, Vasilis."

"All right Innocent, but that is what I will call you from now on, that way every time you hear it, you will remember what I said. Maybe someday it will change your life."

* * *

The memory brought a pain to Ebony's heart, but she ignored it. Vasilis had been wrong. He was wise, but he didn't know Xena. She did.

The next day, Ebony had bid farewell to Vasilis and left to find someone who could teach her everything. Vasilis had given her the sword to keep, and as a final gift, he gave her his beautiful palomino warhorse.

"Her name's Lucky. Every battle I rode into with her, I rode out of. I want you to have her."

"No Vasilis. I couldn't."

"I insist that you have her. Maybe her luck will help you on your journey."

"Thank you, Vasilis. For everything." She hugged him and they held the embrace. "I'll never forget you."

"Nor I you."

With that, Ebony mounted Lucky and rode off. She traveled east and as she passed through each country, she found the greatest warrior and trained with them. Some gladly helped her, while others needed some persuasion, but anyone she served under soon loved her as a daughter. Ebony was only bitter to Xena, while everyone else learned what an amazing person she was.

From Chin, to Gaul, to Britannia, to Siberia, to Spain, to Italy, she traveled, she learned. Soon she was fully skilled in the use of every weapon known, as well as the art of pressure points and in marshal arts. However, one thing she learned, that she knew Xena had not, was sorcery; a power she had learned while in Chin. It was a field she had trouble mastering, but even the little that she knew would give her that extra edge.

Ebony stood and dusted herself off. "Come on, Lucky. It won't be long now. I can feel it."

* * *

"Gabrielle, duck!"

Gabrielle wasted no time following the order, and a second later a sword sliced above her head. Gabrielle shot her staff into her attacker's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. She quickly followed it up with a blow across his face and he flipped over, smashing into the ground, not moving again.

Two more men launched themselves at her. The first was met with her staff slamming into his knee, while the second man got the other end in a very sensitive place. The thugs got back to their feet and surrounded her. "You'll pay for that girly."

"Not today." The thugs turned to face the voice to see that the tall, raven-haired warrior was done with the others and was now aiming her sword at them. Xena narrowed her eyes and gave them a devilish grin. "Who wants to play with me?"

Behind Xena were the unconsciousness bodies of the rest of the thugs. The men still standing looked from the unconscious warriors, to the Warrior Princess to Gabrielle and then back at Xena. They turned and fled.

Gabrielle looked at her friend. "I could have handled them," she stated.

"I know you could, Gabrielle, but I haven't had breakfast yet, and would like to eat something."

"There's a tavern over there," the bard pointed.

"Great! Let's eat!"

"I thought I was the walking stomach."

"You are!" Xena called over her shoulder.

"Fun-ny."

* * *

Ebony replaced the pottery on the table. "Thank you, but something else just caught my eye." She adjusted the hood on her cloak and followed the younger woman through the crowded street. She could taste revenge, she was so close. The screaming in her head roared, for her kinsmen could taste it too.

She forced the screaming aside, trying to focus on the mission before her. She had heard about Xena's young travel companion, and wanted to make sure she wouldn't be a problem. All Ebony knew was that she was smaller than the warrior, with strawberry-blonde hair and green eyes. She had also been told that her name was Gabrielle. She was Xena's best friend who was an amazing bard.

Ebony hadn't been told that Gabrielle was an Amazon. She knew an Amazon fighting staff when she saw one, for she had trained with the Amazons herself. Gabrielle was good with her staff too. Ebony had to make sure that only Xena died, for she would not harm anyone except the demon from her past.

* * *

Gabrielle stopped following Xena and started to browse. Xena came over to her. "Come on, Gabrielle. I'm sure you're hungry too."

"In a minute, Xena. I just want to look around for a bit. Why don't you go on without me?"

"Oh no. Every time I leave you alone, you find some way to get into trouble."

"Xena, you're being paranoid."

"Am I?"

"Look, just go. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

Xena surveyed the market place, using her warrior-trained eyes to look for danger. Nothing seemed amiss, but she knew that looks could be deceiving. She really didn't want to leave Gabrielle alone. She knew that the bard could take care of herself, but being her friend made Gabrielle a key target for the warrior's enemies.

"All right, Gabrielle. I'll be in the tavern. Just don't be too long." Xena looked over the market once more, and then headed off.

"She worries about me," Gabrielle told the merchant. "How much for your scrolls?"

"They're a steal at five dinars apiece," replied the merchant.

"Five dinars apiece! You've got to be kidding me!"

"My scrolls are from the Athens academy. They are the finest scrolls in all of Greece."

"Well of course they are, but the academy sells them for two dinars." The merchant's face turned a bright red. "So, why don't you sell me these scrolls at say, one dinar apiece, and I promise I won't tell anyone that you're ripping them off."

* * *

Ebony watched as the young bard tried to shove ten scrolls into her small bag. Ebony had heard Gabrielle's entire conversation with the merchant and admired the bard's skill. Still, she was too close now to let anything stop her. She rushed through the crowd and slammed herself into Gabrielle, who dropped her bag, spilling her scrolls all over the street.

"Hey, watch it!"

Ebony moved over to her. "Oh, I'm sorry! Goodness, this is all my fault! I really must learn to watch where I am going."

Gabrielle bent down to pick up her scrolls and Ebony helped. "That's all right. Nothing broken."

"I am so sorry! I rush everywhere. Rushing, always rushing. I have got to learn to slow down and pay attention."

Finished picking up the scrolls, the two stood up. "Really. It's no problem," Gabrielle responded.

"But it will be." Ebony suddenly spun Gabrielle around as she pulled a small dagger from her belt and touched it to the small of Gabrielle's back. "Don't move. Don't yell. Just act normal. What you're feeling is a very, sharp dagger. Do anything either than what I tell you, and you'll be dead faster than Zeus can cheat on Hera."

"What do you want?" Gabrielle questioned.

"I've never hurt anyone innocent, so please, don't make me hurt you. I'm too close to be stopped now."

"Close to what?"

"Silencing the screams, avenging the dead, finding my peace."

"I don't understand."

"By the company you keep, that's fairly obvious."

"You're here to kill Xena, aren't you?"

"Eleven years ago, I made a promise. I'm here to see it through and I don't want you getting in my way."

"If you think I'll just turn my back and walk away, you're wrong."

"I know you won't, which means I'll have to use you in my plan. If only you could walk away." Ebony pushed Gabrielle forward. "We're going to the stables."

"What happened eleven years ago?"

Ebony pushed the door into the stable open, and they stepped inside. The stable was empty except for several horses, who were quietly eating. Ebony pulled her hood off and turned Gabrielle to face her. "That's when Xena left her mark on me."

Gabrielle stared at the face before her. Her abductor was a young and beautiful woman. Her face was flawless except for a hideous scar that ran down the right side of her face. Gabrielle also noticed that the scar went over her right eye, which she could see, no longer functioned.

"Look at me bard. See with your own eyes what your 'friend' did. I was the lucky one. Every other person in my village died painful deaths. They were either run through with swords or burnt in the flames. This was all due to Xena. I am here as justice for my people."

For once in her life, Gabrielle was speechless. During her three years traveling with Xena, Gabrielle had learned much about the warrior's shadowed past. From her actions at Chin, to Cirra, to Corinth, Gabrielle knew that Xena lived with darker demons then any other human being. She had seen first hand how people from her past hated her, and wanted her dead. She had seen people like Callisto and Ming T'ien turned into dark creatures with their own inner demons and dark souls, yet there was something about this woman who had stepped from the warrior's shadow that made Gabrielle unable to defend Xena. She was not able to tell this woman that Xena had changed, that she was good now; all attempts died in her throat.

Ebony looked around the stable and spotted Argo. "There you are." Ebony pulled out a rope from her cloak and tied Gabrielle's arms. She then took the bard's staff and bag, and tossed them into Argo's stall. Ebony couldn't help but admire the beautiful animal. She also couldn't help but notice that Argo looked exactly like her horse, Lucky. She then couldn't stop the shiver that crawled up her spine. Remembering her friend, she pointed at Lucky. "Get on the horse."

"Actually, I'm not really a horse person. I'd rather walk," replied Gabrielle.

Ebony held her dagger at Gabrielle's throat. "This isn't about what you want. If you will just do as I say, this will all be over soon, and you can move on with your life."

"I couldn't move on with my life, knowing I did nothing to save Xena."

"Deal with your moral issues on the road. No more wasting time," Ebony sneered.

The two stared at each other for a moment, their determined eyes each trying to command the other. Finally Gabrielle diverted her glare and slowly mounted the mare.

* * *

Xena finished off her second port and then placed the mug heavily on the table. She looked at the door to the tavern, willing it to open, to allow Gabrielle in. As if it was a well-trained soldier in an army, the door opened to Xena's will. However, it seemed to enjoy toying with her, for it was not Gabrielle who entered the tavern. Xena was tired of waiting.

She stood up and headed out of the tavern, dropping a few dinars on the bar on her way out. Upon stepping outside, she headed for the merchant who was selling scrolls, knowing Gabrielle would have stopped there. "Excuse me."

"Ah, looking for a scroll, warrior? Do you need to record all the great battles you have fought, or perhaps you are buying for someone else. Either way, you have come to the right place."

"No, I don't want to buy anything. I'm looking for a friend of mine."

"Don't want to buy anything. Nonsense! Look at these beautiful scrolls! They come from the academy at Athens."

"Look, I don't want any scrolls. I'm looking for a young woman. She's about this high, with blonde hair and green eyes. She was carrying an Amazon fighting staff."

"Never seen her, but then, you've never seen a scroll like this!"
Xena lost her patience. With one lightning quick move, her hand shot across the table and grabbed the merchant by his throat. Xena tightened her grip, holding the poor man's neck with a grip like a vice. "I know she was here and it's hard to miss a beautiful young woman carrying an Amazon staff, so don't lie to me. It's not wise to make me mad. I suggest you tell me where she went, or else I'll shove every one of these scrolls in a very unpleasant place."

"She was here! She made me sell her ten scrolls for a dinar each and then she left. She bumped into a cloaked woman in the market and then the two of them headed for the stables. They just rode out not too long ago."

Xena released the merchant and dashed towards the stables. She burst in and immediately ran over to Argo. There she saw Gabrielle's staff and her scrolls lying all over the ground. She had hoped that Gabrielle had gone to help someone, but now she knew that her friend had been captured. Gabrielle was in danger.

* * *

Ebony handed Gabrielle a chuck of bread and cheese. "Here. Eat up."

Gabrielle took the food offered to her with bonded hands. "Thank you." She took a bite of the bread, finding it to be freshly baked. The two women sat in silence, quietly eating their meal. Gabrielle found herself studying her captor. She had removed her cloak, and Gabrielle could now see the armour the woman wore. She could also see that the woman was strong and well muscled. She looked prepared for a fight with Xena, and that scared Gabrielle. Could this woman be the one to kill Xena?

"What's your name?"

Ebony looked up at Gabrielle in surprise. She swallowed her mouthful. "What?"

"What's your name? It's a simple question."

"It's not the question I don't get it's why you asked it."

"If we're going to be together for a bit, I see no need to refer to each other as 'hey you.' I'm Gabrielle."

Ebony studied the bard, as though she would find fault in the words the younger woman spoke. "When I met Xena, she wanted to know my name too. I refused to tell her and then she gave me this scar. I promised her that she would learn my name right before I killed her."

"Well, I'm not Xena, so you can tell me."

Ebony was silent for a moment. "My name is Ebony."

"Nice to meet you. Too bad the circumstances aren't better."

"Don't even think about it."

"What?" questioned Gabrielle.

"Don't try to talk me out of killing Xena. It's my right."

"Why would I tell you not to kill one of the greatest heroes ever known? The hero who freed Prometheus, stopped the Horde, took care of the evil warlord Callisto, trapped the Goddess of Chaos and kept the God of Darkness from entering our world."

At the mention of Dahak, Gabrielle felt a deep pang of pain digging through her like a well-sharpened blade. It reminded her of Hope and all that she had lost due to Dahak's evil powers: her innocence, her child, her faith.

Ebony noticed the tortured expression on Gabrielle's face. "The face you're giving me doesn't agree your argument."

Gabrielle looked at Ebony with sad eyes. "What I said just reminded me of…a very hard time in my life; a very dark time where Xena and I were on opposite sides of each other. There was one time when I even hated her.

"I understand your pain, Ebony. Don't think I don't. Traveling with Xena has brought a lot of darkness into my life, but it taught me lessons I needed to learn, and Xena was always there at my side to help me through it all. I wouldn't have been able to do it without her. I owe her a lot."

"So do I. I owe her for the loved ones I lost during her attack. I owe her for destroying my life and the lives of countless others."

Gabrielle found her voice rising to protect her friend. "What about all the people she saved? What about all the people she will save?"

Ebony threw a knife at Gabrielle's feet, aiming to miss. "Listen! I don't care about this little act she's putting on. A dragon can't change its scales. She is what she is; a killer. No matter what she does, she brings death. She's a savage killer, Gabrielle. Whether she kills an innocent child, or a blood thirty warlord, she took a life that was not hers to take."

"And what about you? You plan to kill her."

"I have never killed. I'm a warrior, yet no opponent has died at my hands. Xena kills because no matter what she becomes, it's a part of her. It's in her blood. Believe me I'm doing the world a favour."

"Don't be so quick to lose your innocence, Ebony. It's something you can never get back."

Innocence. The word struck Ebony like an arrow through her heart. It brought her back to Vasilis and his words about her soul. Then, Ebony's mind raced back to Adara, where the innocent villagers died and her anger flared. "Shut up! What do you know?! You're not me! You didn't watch your life burn away before your eyes. What would someone like you know?"

"I know more than you think. I've lost my blood innocence…and it's the one thing I wish I had more than anything else. You should treasure it, Ebony. Once you lose it, it's gone."

"If you don't keep quite, I'll gag you. I need some sleep. And don't think about trying to escape. I'm a light sleeper, and if you wake me, I'll be very angry."

Gabrielle decided to wait for Xena. She was sure that Ebony was a reasonable woman, and if she could make her understand who Xena was, maybe Ebony would change her mind.

* * *

Argo gladly took the short break Xena allowed her, and drank as much as possible at the small stream. Xena meanwhile, was examining the tracks in the dirt. "No attempt to cover their tracks," she said out loud. Either Gabrielle's kidnapper was more concerned with speed, or she wants me to find them. Xena knew it was the latter.

The kidnapper wanted Xena and Gabrielle was just a pawn in Xena's life-sized game of chess. However, this pawn was more valuable then a queen to the Warrior Princess. Xena cursed loudly, angered at her past for making Gabrielle a target and cursing herself for leaving Gabrielle alone in the marketplace. How many times was her past going to hurt the one she loved? Gabrielle was all she had in this world. The young bard had helped the warrior keep her sanity more than once, and she had also taught the warrior what it was like to love again.

Xena's anger boiled her blood, releasing fire into her eyes. Her lip curled back, exposing her teeth. Then, a loud roar exploded from her throat as she slammed her fist with all the power she could muster into a tree. "I'll find you Gabrielle! I promise."

* * *

The sun slowly crawled over the hilltop, flooding the Earth with its morning light. Gabrielle stirred slightly when she smelled something roasting on the fire. "You've been hanging out with me for too long, Xena. Your cooking is starting to smell edible," she joked.

Suddenly, Gabrielle felt a hand around her throat. She opened her eyes in surprise and instead of seeing Xena's beautiful blue eyes, she found herself staring into one cold, gray one. "Don't you ever call me by that name," Ebony growled.

"I'm sorry," Gabrielle whispered, "but I don't exactly wake up every morning as a prisoner."

Ebony's eye filled with understanding, and she released the bard from her warrior grip. "Would you like something to eat?"

Gabrielle nodded. She was hungry, but she wondered if she would be able to hold anything down with worry gnawing at her gut. Ebony handed Gabrielle a bowl of broth. "No need to eat heavy. Don't want to fight on a full stomach."

"You can't kill her!"

"Can't I? She killed the innocent, and now I will kill the guilty. Eye for an eye. Life for a life. She is long due."

"I don't think you understand what it is you're doing," Gabrielle said, trying to get Ebony to listen to reason.

"Enough!" Ebony yelled so loud, her voice shot out through the forest, sending birds into flight. "Say one more word and, I will cut out your tongue."

Gabrielle knew Ebony was angry, but something inside told her that this warrior would not carry through with that threat. Gabrielle called her bluff. "You're not going to hurt me."

In an instant, Ebony's blade sat just under Gabrielle's neck. "What makes you so sure?"

"Because you want to believe that you are nothing like Xena, and so you would never harm anyone."

"What do you mean, 'want to believe?' I'm nothing like Xena."

Gabrielle looked deep into Ebony's eye. "You really don't see it, do you?"

"See what?"

"You're exactly like Xena, good and bad. You're out here hunting her down for revenge. That's how Xena became who she was too. Her village was attacked and her younger brother was killed. Revenge ate at her soul and controlled her destiny, just as it now controls yours."

Gabrielle saw an inner conflict begin inside Ebony. Her words were touching Ebony's kind heart, and her enlightened mind, but deep within her was still the small, angered, frightened teenager, screaming for all the world to hear.

Ebony closed her eye and shook her head. "You're trying to confuse me. You're just trying to save your friend."

"That's exactly what I'm doing. If you were in my place, wouldn't you do the same?"

"I was in your place, but I failed. I don't have friends anymore. I let them down."

"You were only a child. What could you have done?"

"Probably nothing, but if I had died that day, I wouldn't be suffering right now."

"You obviously weren't meant to die. There's something you were put here to do."

"Yes, avenge the dead."

Gabrielle sighed. "Look, every time we take one step forward, you take two steps back. What we have here is a failure to communicate."

"Xena will be here any time now."

"Ebony, let me go and you can walk away from this."

"Never."

Gabrielle fell silent. She had run out of arguments.

* * *

Xena ran swiftly through the underbrush. Though the warrior was running at an incredible speed, she didn't make a sound. She had left Argo by the river, so she could move quicker through the woods.

Xena stopped and looked out just before she broke through the trees. There she could see the warrior pulling Gabrielle to her feet and forcing her towards a nearby cave. Xena had, had enough. This madness was going to stop now. She drew her sword and stepped out. "Stop where you are. Let my friend go."

Ebony turned to face Xena. "Well, Xena, we finally meet again."

"Again? Do I know you?"

"No. Eleven years ago you asked for my name. I told you you'd learn it when I killed you."

Xena looked closely at the young warrior before her. She didn't know who this woman was, but there were so many people who she had encountered in her dark years. Then, Xena saw the scar that ran over the woman's eye, and suddenly she knew who she was looking at. "You were that young girl in Adara."

"I'm surprised you remember."

"How could I forget? That was the worst year of my life."

"Funny, I feel the same way." Ebony shoved Gabrielle to the ground, and she landed heavily with her face turned away from the battle. Ebony drew her sword. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time, Xena."

Xena narrowed her eyes. "Look, I don't want to kill you. Just let Gabrielle go and we can forget this whole thing."

Ebony charged, while Xena stood her ground, not fearing her attacker. Already the young warrior was blinded by rage and Xena knew she could use that to her advantage. When Ebony's sword was just about to go right through Xena's heart, the warrior flipped into the air as her war cry blared from her lips. However, Ebony had done her homework, and she had been expecting the move. With a lightning quick hand, she pulled a dagger from her belt and threw it with great force. Xena landed and turned to face her opponent, only to be met with Ebony's dagger as it crashed into her body, hitting her just below her rib cage on her right side.

The blow from the dagger caused Xena to stumble back. She clutched the dagger's handle and her hands were almost instantly covered in blood. "Nice shot."

Ebony smiled. "I didn't think drawing blood for the first time could feel so good."

Xena pulled the dagger out of her body and threw it. It planted itself into the ground at Ebony's feet. "I've had enough of this. I'm taking Gabrielle and we're leaving."

Ebony sneered. "You can't walk away, Xena. We're going to finish this right here, right now."

"Fine. You want to fight me then fight me, but let my friend go. She has nothing to do with this. She didn't cause you any harm. She's completely innocent. Let her go."

"Not until we're done." Ebony came at Xena again, but the Warrior Princess would not be caught off guard a second time.

Ebony's sword sliced through the air like death, looking for flesh to cut. Xena brought up her sword and deflected the blow, but her injury had already begun to drain her strength, giving Ebony the upper hand. Xena was forced to use two hands to wield her sword, while Ebony could keep one hand free, which she used to punch Xena in the face.

Ebony followed up her punch by kicking Xena in the knee, dropping the older warrior. Ebony held her blade at Xena's throat. "Don't feel too bad about losing. I've traveled the known world, learning everything there was to know about fighting. I've studied with the greatest warriors of each land, and then I studied you. You always seemed able to sense me, though you weren't sure what I was. I know you, Xena. How you fight. How you think. You really had no chance."

"If you were such a great warrior, you would have learned that you don't gloat until you win!" Xena shot out her left leg and caught Ebony in the knee. Ebony was caught by surprise and she found herself lying on her back on the ground. By the time she got to her feet, Xena had done the same, but before Ebony had the time to raise her sword, Xena hit her with a backhand, followed by a roundhouse. Ebony was once more knocked to the ground. She got to her knees and wiped away the blood flowing from her nose and a cut on her lip.

Xena stood where she was, breathing deeply. She was injured, but she wasn't beaten. "End this, Ebony."

"Never! I owe the dead your blood!"

"I'm sorry for what I did, but I can't change it, and neither can you. You have to learn that before you can move on. I understand your loss."

"No you don't. You never could."

By that time, Gabrielle had finished cutting her bonds with a nearby rock, and she now stood at Xena's side. "Come on, Xena, let's go."

Xena remained where she stood, looking into Ebony's hate-filled eye. "Not yet, Gabrielle." She took a step towards the fallen warrior. "Eleven years ago, I asked for your name."

A smile flashed on Ebony's face and then she laughed. "My name, Warrior Princess, is Ebony of Adara!" Then, the younger warrior raised her right hand, and with a scream that sounded like that of a mad woman, she released lightning from her hand.

Xena saw the deadly light racing towards her, but her injury had stolen her agility, and she knew that she wouldn't be fast enough to dodge the bolt.

"No!" Gabrielle leapt into the air, slamming her body into Xena's. The two women crashed to the ground, but the bolt exploded behind them and sent them flying. They landed in a heap on the earth, Xena underneath Gabrielle. Neither stirred from where they had fallen.

"By the Gods," Ebony whispered. She looked in horror at the fallen women. "What have I done? What have I done?" She fell to her knees and raised her hands towards the sky. "I killed an innocent! Gods, forgive me! Kinsmen, forgive me!" Tears started running down the young woman's cheeks. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I just wanted the guilty to pay, but now I've gone against everything I stand for."

Suddenly all of Gabrielle's words made sense. Ebony knew she had become what she hated. She had taken a life that was not hers to take. Gabrielle's death made Xena's execution hollow. Ebony didn't feel satisfied, only empty and cold. She felt tears at her eyes. She wasn't sure at first who or what she was crying for, but then realized the tears were for everything. She cried for Adara, she cried for what she had become, she cried for Gabrielle...and she cried for Xena.

Xena? There were tears for the murderer?

She removed a knife from her boot and held it over her chest. "Forgive me for becoming everything I hate."

"Don't do it."

Ebony looked over in surprise to see Xena and Gabrielle helping each other to their knees. Ebony tears were now ones of joy, and she suddenly realized that she was glad to see both women had lived. "You're alive!"

Gabrielle slowly got to her feet. When Xena didn't stand beside her, Gabrielle sent a worried look her way. Xena didn't know what Ebony would do next, so she ignored her injury and forced herself to her feet. She was glad that her dark leather made it hard to see the blood, and Gabrielle hadn't noticed the crimson that stained the grass.

Together they walked up to Ebony and Xena held out her hand for the dagger. "No one is dead Ebony, and you can keep it that way." Ebony looked from the dagger, to Xena, to Gabrielle and then back to the dagger. Then, ever so slowly, she handed the weapon to Xena, and got to her feet. "Is it over?" Xena asked.

Ebony stood inches away from Xena and looked her in the eye. "It is. I'm sorry, Xena. I've let my hatred and fear blind me. I knew you had changed your ways, but I wanted revenge too much to let you go. Can you forgive me?"

She held out her hand, and Xena's eyes lit up, as a smile graced her face. She firmly clasped Ebony's forearm and said, "The question is whether you can forgive me."

"I only wish I had done it before anyone got hurt. I'm ashamed of what I've become."

"There's nothing wrong with who you are. You just have to let go of the anger that was controlling you, and use your skills for good."

Ebony smiled. "You know something, that's the best idea I've heard in a long time."

"You could join us," Gabrielle offered.

"Perhaps I will for awhile."

"You're more than welcome to do so," Xena told her. The Warrior Princess felt herself growing weak, and as she felt her strength flee her body, her hand slid from Ebony's arm, leaving a streak of blood.

* * *

"Xena."

The voice intruded into Xena's empty thoughts, beckoning her back from the blackness.

"Xena. Come on, Xena, you have to drink this," came a female voice.

She felt her head being raised and then there was liquid splashing against her mouth. The cool liquid felt good on her dry lips, but she couldn't muster the power to open them, so the liquid could reach her parched mouth and throat.

The liquid was removed and she was lowered down, her head resting on something soft. A hand started to softly stroke her hair, while another rested on her cheek. "Xena, you're scaring me now. You should have told me! Why do you always keep me in the dark!?"

"Maybe you should lecture her later, Gabrielle," suggested the voice of another woman.

"I know. I know I shouldn't be mad at her."

"You should be mad with me. I did this to her."

The hand that had been stroking Xena's hair left her head. Xena was in too much pain to join the conversation with the voices as they spoke above her, so she just listened.

"You were blinded by pain and anger, Ebony. They rob us of who we are and make us do things we would never do. Neither Xena, nor myself are angry at you for this."

"Well, I'm angry at myself. You told me I didn't want to kill her, and you were right. If I had just listened to Vasilis all those years ago, this wouldn't have happened. If Xena dies, it's my fault, no one else's. Then, not only would I be the one who let down my kinsmen, but I'll be the one who killed one of the world's greatest heroes."

"She's not going to die! I know it looks bad, but Xena's come back form worse than this. She just needs time to heal. As for you, Xena would tell you that we all have dark pasts, but that we can change every moment of our lives. Forget what you were, Ebony, and look forward to what you can become. If you do good now, you are good. Forget the past, and look to your future."

The hand returned to Xena's forehead and she felt safe with it there. She could feel the breath of the first voice on her face as the head lowered closer to hers. "Xena, I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you. I'm proud of what you did for Ebony, for giving her another chance. I'm proud that you controlled your anger and solved this without killing. I'm proud of you, Xena, but I need you to drink this. Don't you die on me."

Xena felt the liquid placed at her lips again. She wanted to make that voice proud of her. She wanted to do whatever that voice wanted her to do, no matter how much it hurt. She forced her lips to open and the liquid moved into her mouth. She swallowed, and though it hurt, it felt good when the liquid slid down her throat. She repeated this action two more times, but that was all she could do.

"That was good, Xena." The voice sounded teary to the fallen warrior, but it also contained joy. "That will help with the pain. I mixed it just like you taught me."

Xena attempted to move her body, to join the voices, but the searing pain shot through her body, forcing her mouth to open, allowing a gasp to escape.

"Xena, lie still! Just relax. If you move too much, you'll reopen your wound."

She followed the voice's orders and relaxed. The hand began to softly stroke her hair once more, and Xena fell back into the empty darkness.

* * *

Gabrielle removed Xena's bandage and inspected the wound. "Oh no!"

Ebony was at Gabrielle's side in an instant. "What's wrong?"

"Her wound has become infected, and it looks bad too."

"How did that happen?"

"I don't know!" Gabrielle could hardly keep the panic out of her voice. "I stitched up the wound just like she taught me. It's not like I haven't done this before. I don't know what went wrong. I wish she would just wake up!"

"We need to get her to a healer."

"Do you know of any close by?"

"Sparta is about a day's ride from here. I know…an old friend who lives not too far from there. He'll help us. You pack up and I'll make a litter."

The two jumped to work. Gabrielle replaced all her supplies in Argo's bags, while she placed Ebony's on Lucky. Ebony took two large sticks and several small ones, and tied them together with rope. After that, she tied the finished litter to Argo, knowing the mare would take great care with her mistress. Ebony took one of the blankets covering Xena and laid it on top of the litter. "Gabrielle, give me a hand with Xena."

Together the two gently picked up the warrior and placed her on the litter. Gabrielle grabbed the rest of the blankets and placed them on top of Xena, who was shaking slightly.

Ebony kneeled down beside the warrior. "She's in shock. We have to keep her warm until we can get her to my friend's. We have to get there as soon as possible, but not so fast that we jumble her too much."

Gabrielle nodded and they began their journey.

* * *

Xena felt a hand on her shoulder, shaking her ever so slightly. "Xena, I know it hurts, but this will help."

The voice was so kind to her, Xena had to do what it asked and she drank the cool liquid. Once more, the liquid moved into her mouth and down her throat, bringing both pain and relief.

"Good work, Xena. We're just taking a little break to check on you. We're going to get you to a healer. We'll be there soon, so just hold on, okay? You're not going to give up, you hear me? You'll be fine. You just have to believe it."

Then, the voice blessed her with a kiss on her forehead. The kiss strengthened the warrior more than any healer ever could, and she tried with all her might to reach out to the voice anyway she could. Her body didn't move. Her eyes didn't open, but her mouth parted and she forced out the words, "I...be...lieve."

The owner of the voice embraced her. "Did you hear her, Ebony?! She spoke! You're going to be okay, Xena! I just know it!"

"She won't be if we don't get moving."

The embrace ended, though Xena was granted another tender kiss upon her head. "We're moving on. Just lie still." With the voice gone, Xena no longer had it draw her. She quietly slipped back into her darkened world, filled with the tortured memories of her past.

* * *

Vasilis was an older man, just over fifty, but he was not weak. He had trained everyday like soldiers do and, although he was old, he was still able to wield a sword. However, he didn't use a sword any longer. He had given up his warrior days, and instead now focused on bringing life not death by being a healer.

He heard a loud and urgent knock on his door and strode across the room in several steps. He opened the door to find a large woman warrior looming over him. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Don't tell me the years haven't been as kind to your head as they have to your body, Vasilis. It hasn't been that long. I finally brought Lucky home for a visit."

Vasilis squinted his eyes. "Ebony?"

Ebony reached down and embraced her first teacher and friend in a large bear hug. They released their embrace and stood back to look at each other. "How are you, old friend?" Ebony questioned.

"I can't complain." Vasilis got serious. "What about you? Can I still call you, Innocent?"

Ebony's head dropped. "I hope so, Vasilis. I hope so."

* * *

Xena hated this cold, dark place. She was forced to visit it nearly every night, subjected to relive all the horror she had brought to the world. Yet this time it was different, for this time the nightmare refused to end. Hours upon hours passed; days upon days. She was beginning to believe it would never stop. The voice had saved her from this place two times now, but it never seemed able to hold her, and then she returned here.

The village was nothing more than burnt remains, covered with blackened soot. A heavy mist swept through the streets, moved by a cold, yet gentle wind. The night hung heavily in the sky with a full moon shedding a pale, silver light over the silent village.

Xena stood in the center of the street, dressed in her leather and armour, though she carried no weapons. She walked slowly down the street, the silence digging into her soul. She prayed for a sound, just to prove to her that this world wasn't completely dead.

"Hello Xena."

Xena spun around to face the hallowing voice, but she did not find the owner. Then, from out of the mist stepped her greatest enemy, Callisto, the Warrior Queen.

"We've missed you, Xena."

"'We'?"

"Yes. All those you created. All those you destroyed."

From the shadows stepped thousands of men, villagers and soldiers, surrounding Xena and filling her view. They were all rotting corpses with horrific sword wounds, from holes in their guts, to slit throats, to no head at all. They parted to allow innocent women and children, who had been killed by Xena's armies. Most of them were scarred by flames of the past, but there were a few who had been run through with swords.

"See all the horror you have brought, Xena? All these people are dead because of you."

One of the rotting, sword slashed men stepped before Xena. "I wouldn't surrender my home to you, Warrior Princess, so you made an example of me."

"I'm sorry," was all Xena could say.

"I lived in the village your lieutenant Darphus burned," said a small boy. "I didn't think it could hurt so much to bleed to death after his sword ripped through my body."

"I'm sorry."

"I tried to save my husband," a woman cried, "but you knocked me unconscious. The fire finished the job."

"I'm sorry."

"So many were killed, but how many lived to forever remember what you had done to them?" questioned Callisto. "You took away my family, but left me behind to suffer!"

"I'm sorry."

"And she wasn't the only one." The circle parted and Ebony stepped out. "Not one other villager survived your attack on Adara. Then you left your mark on me, you bitch! I was only sixteen and you cut out my eye!"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Ebony drew her sword and when she brought it down, the entire world shattered like glass.

Darkness surrounded the warrior. Nothing but empty darkness. Then, a bright overhead light appeared from nowhere and bathed her in its glow. She squinted her eyes to allow them time to adjust to the brilliant light, but no time could be long enough. She forced herself to look out into the blackness, sure that there was something more to come.

In the distance she could make out a small, darkened form. Its head was bowed, shadowing its face even as it moved closer to Xena and the light.

"Who are you?" Xena demanded. "What do you want?"

The figure moved closer until finally, the light hit its bowed head. Slowly, it lifted its chin, until the face was visible. Emerald green, angry eyes burrowed into the warrior.

"Gabrielle," she whispered.

The shadowy Gabrielle shook her head. "Not the Gabrielle I was. You killed her, Xena."

"No."

"Yes. You brought me into your hate filled world. You made me a target, you stole my innocence. You made me a killer."

"You're not a killer! It was self defense, Gabrielle. You're still innocent."

"It doesn't matter why I killed. The point is, I did. And that's your fault." Gabrielle held up her hands to reveal that they were soaked in blood. "I'm not that little girl anymore. Now I am you, and you made me."

Gabrielle moved closer to Xena, and placed the crimson coloured hands on Xena's face. The blood burned into the warrior's flesh, burning Gabrielle's damned soul onto Xena. "No!"

* * *

Ebony ran over to help restrain Xena. The warrior had suddenly begun to scream and flail her arms about, knocking objects from the night table to the floor. Fearing she would harm herself or reopen her wound, Ebony grabbed the flailing limbs, one by one, and strapped them to the bed with rope, while Gabrielle and Vasilis tried to hold her down.

Finally Xena ceased her struggling and lay still on the bed. Gabrielle laid a hand on the warrior's brow. "She's running a fever."

Vasilis dabbed Xena's head with a damp cloth. "The medicine I gave her will flush out the infection. The fever is a side effect. She'll suffer from hallucinations for a day or two, but then she should regain full consciousness. All we can do now is keep her comfortable and keep her from injuring herself."

"You said 'Should regain full consciousness,'" Gabrielle said.

Vasilis sighed and patted the bard's shoulder. "The problem with healing, Gabrielle, is that every person is unique. Something might work for one person, but not another. I've used this medicine many times before, but sometimes, the injured person just doesn't have the will or the strength to fight the infection. They just give up and let Death take them."

"No one is as strong as Xena. She'll make it." Gabrielle turned away from the others in the room, and looked at Xena. She couldn't stand to see the pale, sweat covered face, but she would not give up on her friend. She took the warrior's hand in hers. "I know she will."

* * *

"Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle opened her groggy eyes to see Xena's blue ones. Xena's eyes were dull and unfocused, and it crushed the bard's heart. She grabbed Xena's hand. "I'm here, Xena."

"I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"How could I do that to you? Can you forgive me? No, of course not. How could you? I've ruined your life and I stole your innocence. I'm a monster. I'm nothing but a monster!"

Xena tried to get up, but her binds held her to the bed. "Xena, calm down. Just take it easy."

Xena began to thrash wildly. "I'm a monster! I should be killed! Kill me Gabrielle! Cut out my evil heart! Kill me!"

Vasilis and Ebony came running into the room. Ebony and Gabrielle tried to keep the hallucinating warrior still, while Vasilis mixed something together at his table.

"I ruined your life! I've killed thousands! I'm covered in their blood!" Xena's hallucination grew more vivid as she saw the blood of the dead staining her body. "No! No, get it off me! Get the blood off!"

Vasilis ran over and held his brew under Xena's nose. The Warrior Princess breathed in the deep fumes and she began to grow still. Her muscles relaxed and her head sank back into the pillow. "Gabrielle." Xena's voice was so faint, Gabrielle could hardly hear her. "I'm sorry."

* * *

Three days later, Gabrielle was exhausted. Xena had had several more strong hallucinations that had called for Vasilis to once more register the warrior unconscious. Xena had also had some quiet hallucinations where she had just begun to quietly sob to herself. Those were the worst for Gabrielle and she always had to leave the room.

Now Gabrielle sat by herself in Vasilis' garden, her head in her hands. The last few days had been more than the young bard could handle, and her nerves were shot. Vasilis had said a day or two, but two was turning into four. Gabrielle was beginning to fear that Xena was beyond hope, and that the proud warrior would spend her final days tied to a bed, unaware of her surroundings.

A hand fell gently on Gabrielle's shoulder. "What's wrong, child?"

"Does that question really need an answer?" Gabrielle asked Vasilis.

"I know that you are worried about your friend, but she's doing very well."

"What do you mean? She's dying!"

"Xena's physical wound has begun to heal nicely, Gabrielle. It is her psychological wound that has me worried. Your friend needs a reason to come back to us. Her hallucinations are real. She's seeing the past, and she fears the future. Don't hide from her child, help her."

* * *

Ebony sat at Xena's bedside, guilt holding her there to watch over the weakened woman. The warrior was resting quietly for once and the only sound was Xena's soft breathing. Ebony starred at the fallen warrior. Her face was still a pale shade of white, with sweat plastering her hair to her head. Ebony was having as much trouble as Gabrielle was looking at the once healthy woman. The hero, who she had injured, perhaps killed.

She felt something wet at her good eye and was surprised to find a tear rolling down her cheek. She hadn't cried since that night in Adara, believing she was above crying. She felt that grief would not help her in her mission, so she had buried her hurt and forgotten it. But this week...this week had created change in her. She'd cried twice, both times for the warrior who robbed her of her family. She cried not for failing to kill Xena, but because of the injuries she had caused this warlord turned hero. Ebony found herself remembering all that had happened to her, and she cried for all she had lost. She cried for her family, her friends, her forgotten stories, and for Xena. She held nothing back, shedding eleven years worth of tears.

"No one knows why bad things happen," Ebony told the unconscious warrior. "And no one knows why bad things happen to them. I was only sixteen, Xena. I didn't understand, and in a way, I still don't. I can understand your pain, because I learned from you what that was. Then I allowed myself to become a hate-filled monster, giving in without a fight. I allowed that darkness to eat away my heart.

"For years I rode across the known world, shadows seeping into my soul. Vasilis called me Innocent. He was wrong. Being innocent doesn't mean that you've never killed, because you never know when you might be forced into a situation where you have no choice. One who is innocent, is a person who does not want to kill. You friend Gabrielle is innocent. Me, I wanted your blood so bad I could feel it, taste it. Then, I hit you with that dagger, and it felt so good. It felt like I was giving something back to those I had failed so long ago, but I also took away all that I had left of me.

"You and Gabrielle have given life back to that missing teenager of Adara. I want to help people like you do, Xena. My warrior skills, my sorcery skills, I want to use them to bring good to the world. I have left behind my vow to kill you, Xena, because the one I sought is already dead. My new vow, which I make to you, is to forever fight against the darkness of the world and the darkness of my heart. I will not let you down."

Ebony could feel her spirit lifting as she spoke the words of her new vow. She still couldn't lift the heavy weight from her shoulders however, for that couldn't happen until Xena was well. "Before I met you, Xena, I wanted to be a bard. My sister always loved my stories. That night in Adara, I forgot my dreams. I let them die. I wrote tales of a woman hero, but I can't remember those stories anymore. Maybe it's time to tell a new one.

"I sing of Xena, Warrior Princess with a dark past. Once feared by every living thing, her presence now means an end to evil…"

Gabrielle stood at the doorway, listening to Ebony spin an amazing tale of what happened several days ago. Ebony was a gifted storyteller, and Gabrielle found herself shedding more tears from her eyes as Ebony spoke.

* * *

Later that night, after Ebony and Vasilis had gone to sleep, Gabrielle opened the door to Xena's room. She moved silently across the floor and sat down in the chair beside Xena's bed. She wiped a tear from her eye and then placed her hand on the Warrior Princess' forehead.

"Xena, I don't know if you can hear me, but I've got to believe that you can. You told me that you believed you'd be all right. Grasp that belief. Hold onto it with all your might and don't you dare let go. You've got to be strong, and then you'll get through this.

"Don't believe for a moment that you are not needed or wanted. You're my best friend and I need you at my side. We're supposed to be together. You can't leave me here alone.

"You've got so much to live for, Xena. People are just starting to see you as the hero you are. Your name is beginning to mean hope to people. Don't leave before you've cleared your name. Come back, Xena. Gather all your strength and fight to come back. You're Xena, Warrior Princess. Show the world who you are."

* * *

Gabrielle awoke the next morning when she felt a hand touch hers. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Xena looking back at her. "Xena?"

"About time you woke up," Xena whispered weakly.

Gabrielle gave Xena teary smile. "You're okay?"

Xena smiled back. "I'm okay." Gabrielle leapt up and gathered the warrior in her arms, tears of joy flowing down her checks. "Don't drown me, Gabrielle."

Xena's joke just made Gabrielle cry harder, so glad to have her friend at her side again. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Never."

Gabrielle let go of Xena and undid the binds that held Xena to the bed. She rubbed Xena's wrists to help the blood flow. Gabrielle looked into Xena's blue eyes and her heart soared when she noticed they had returned to their normal, enchanting colour. Gabrielle hugged the warrior again. "I love you, Xena."

Xena brought up her tired arms and hugged the young bard against her. "Love you too, Gabrielle." Gabrielle didn't notice it, but a joyful tear rolled down Xena's cheek as well.

FIN

Sequel story: I'll Stand By You