Alia

Xena and Gabrielle were walking along a small dirt path weaving along merrily in the bright meadow, around noon. Then again all paths were dirt for the most part in Ancient Greece. Joxer was romping along merrily a few feet behind them, sniffing at the flowers, being chased by a few angry bees, scaring a field mouse now and then…
"So what did the oracle say to you, Xena?" Gabrielle demanded.
"She said there was a great magician bound to come to Greece by extraordinary means. But I don’t believe her," Xena said with a skeptical look on her face.
"Hey guys! HEEELLLPPPP!!!" Joxer cried, whizzing past them with a horde of bees in hot pursuit.
"Hey Joxer, what have I told you about Honey and…..," Gabrielle started, but then looked up in shock.
The whole sky became very dark as if a storm were brewing, but nowhere was there a cloud to be seen. Suddenly lightning flashed, and what looked like a fissure opened up from the sky… What terrors could emerge from that hole?!?! None other than a girl.
"Is that what I think it is??" Xena remarked quite calmly as the sky returned to its sunny disposition.
"Looks like a person…fell out of the sky," Joxer mused.
The trio walked on a bit until they came to a rather bewildered looking girl about 17 years old in what appeared to be outrageous clothes. She had long light brown hair, glasses, and was about 5’5" or so. She had on a flannel shirt, jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers, but the three knew none of these styles, and so they were very confused. She also wore a baseball cap which Gabrielle thought was more outrageous that Joxer’s hat.
"Who are you?" Xena demanded.
"I…uh… Name’s Alia," the girl said slowly.
"Where…how…I mean… the… SKY!?!?" Joxer stuttered, completely confused.
"Hi, Alia… you don’t seem to be from around here… Ah… may I ask where you are from?" Gabrielle asked.
"Well… I’m from New York and…. Wait aminute… where ARE we?? And what language and I speaking??" Alia gasped.
"Greek of course… and we’re in Greece," Joxer said, matter of factly.
"GREEK?? I am speaking Greek?? I am UNDERSTANDING Greek?!!? I have NEVER in my life spoken or studied Greek!" Alia almost shouted.
Xena had been staring at Alia for a while now and seemed confused but not afraid. Joxer looked frightened by this strange and plainly deranged girl and Gabrielle looked very concerned, though whether it was for the welfare of this girl, or for themselves, Xena wasn’t quite sure.
"Well… YES you are speaking Greek. Now what are you doing here?" Xena said abruptly.
"Well I was sitting in school and all of the sudden I was falling from the sky!" Alia said, uncertainly.
"Are you a wizard?" Gabrielle asked.
"NO! WHAT!?!?" Alia yelled.
Yes, she is clearly insane, Joxer thought. He backed away a bit. What to do what to do?
"Joxer what are you doing?" Xena snapped.
OOPS! Backed away a little too much. Mustn’t let Xena think I am a coward! Joxer thought quickly.
"Nothing. I was.. uh… the sun was in my eyes, that is to say," he said.
"Yeah… well… come with us Alia. We’ll figure this out eventually," Xena said, grabbed Alia’s hand and marched off towards the oracle.
They backtracked down the dirt road back into the little town where the oracle resided. As soon as they entered the oracle gasped and backed into a wall.
"That’s HER!" she crowed.
"Yeh, so what about her? What is she supposed to do?" Xena barked.
"Stop a war, is what. A war that will end the world," the oracle said plainly. She was an old woman and right now seemed so frightened they could almost hear her bones, clearly visible through skin, rattling.
"And what war would that be?" Xena snapped.
"Not the WAR, Ares. She was sent to defeat Ares," the oracle proclaimed.
"HOW?? Why her?" Joxer said, a little jealous.
"Well, you see, it all started with you three," the oracle said, "According to the prophecies, over several millenia, your three bloodlines mingled and the child produced, the final end to all your lines, is she. She is supposed to have inherited all your powers in such a way that when properly activated she becomes almost a god. Of course, you three are the only ones who can do THAT. When the first and last meet is the point of the greatest power. You all have to drink of a potion that is in this vial."
The oracle had gone to the cupboard during her speech and had found a medium sized blue vial. She quickly handed it over to Xena and stepped back again.
"You have to all be WILLING or the power is not unleashed. She is the only one who can stop Ares this time. I don’t know why or what will occur. Please go now. I have done my part." The oracle finished, and could not be persuaded to say another thing.

The four left the hut and started, once again down that dirt path. Alia began to tell them of inventions that would come about. Gabrielle couldn’t seem to shake the disgust she had when she heard Joxer and her bloodlines mixed, Joxer seemed amused both by Alia’s stories and the fact that somehow this kid was a bit of him and Gabby… TOGETHER! Xena seemed to be in her own world, and after a while, finally turned to the other three. It was about late afternoon now.
"Alright. We have to try this potion. Who’s with me?" she asked.
"Sure I will," Joxer said, absently.
"Well, if it will save the world, count me in, Xena," Gabrielle said.
All three turned and stared at Alia who turned bright red under their gaze.
"Uh… look guys… I dunno what that’s supposed to do… but I don’t wanna…" she said.
"Now look, Alia, you have to try. You could become VERY powerful and…" Xena started.
"Look, all I wanna do is go home!" Alia retorted.
All four stopped as a little chicken in a black leather outfit wandered by. How curious. It looked at them almost as if it knew what they were saying and then disappeared into the brush. And Xena and Alia began to argue again about using the potion.

Discord returned to Ares’ palace and told him what she had see.
"So… that little brat is the ‘Chosen One’," he said in a silly mocking voice.
"Hey, Ares, I wouldn’t scoff at that kid if I were you. You know what the oracle said!" Discord clucked.
"So I do, and I do take that seriously. We have to get rid of her BEFORE she drinks the potion," Ares replied, a bit hotly. "And HOW do you propose we do THAT?"
"Well, I know of a FABULOUS assassin, one of the best in his trade," the chicken said, almost seeming to smirk.
"Very well. And off you go!" Ares said, waving his hand. And POOF (or FLASH rather), Discord the chicken was gone.

"Well, I think I can do that little task easy enough," replied the assassin.
"Good. And when you are done we’ll give you 1000 dinars," Discord said.
"My freedom AND the knife. You said you can get me out of prison now, but I want out AFTER the job, along with that knife!" the assassin remarked.
"Of course. Now, follow me…" Discord said, as both she and the assassin disappeared in a flash.

"Okay, I REALLY don’t think I am you’re ‘savior’ or anything," Alia complained. "LOOK! I don’t like it any more that you do, but if that oracle says it is so, then it is!" Xena shouted. Xena had been trying for 15 minutes to get this girl to drink the darn potion. How stubborn could she BE?? Great Zeus! This kid was grating on her nerves.
"Alright, I JUST want to go home… and…" Alia started, but never got to finish, because there was a flash and then an arrow whizzed past her barely missing her.
"JETT?!?!" Joxer proclaimed, half in horror, half in amazement. "How did YOU get out of prison?"
"Joxer, dear brother, how ya been? I’m here to kill that kid. Now. If you don’t mind stepping aside," Jett said.
Alia was clearly confused. There now seemed to be two people looking like this Joxer fellow, and one was out to kill her. What a BAD day! Xena ran up to Alia, pushed her down into the tall grass, snatched 3 arrows in mid flight (which Alia had a hard time swallowing) and then did a serious of flips and tosses in mid air, all the while shouting high pitched lalalalala’s. The Jett fellow was dodging Xena’s blows and Gabrielle was fending off some soldiers that miraculously came to Jett’s aid. Jett kept muttering something about no one said anything about Xena and this called for a raise and Alia had had enough. She slipped off into the grass and would have gotten pretty far, if not totally away, if Joxer hadn’t been hurled into the grass right in front of her.
"Hey! It’s you!" he said. "You should get back there!"
"Uh… that guy… that looks like you is trying to KILL me… why should I go back?" Alia said.
"Oh yeh. Good point. Well, let Joxer the Mighty escort you to saftey!" Joxer said enthusiastically.
Oh boy. How’s is he gonna help me when he just got thrown 10 feet into the air? Alia thought, but she let herself be led off.

"Now WHERE is my brother?" Jett mused out loud. "I believe he has absconded with my PRIZE!"
"You aren’t getting within ten feet of that girl!" Xena shouted and kicked Jet in the gut.
"OOF… Listen. I have a job to do and you can’t stop me!" Jett gasped.
"Oh yeh? And what you being paid?" Xena said.
"Not NEARLY enough!" Jet said clutching his stomach.

Joxer led Alia to a small town a few kilometers down the dirt path. He put up a few dinari for a room and they ordered some food brought up.
"So, what are those things on your face?" the ever curious Joxer asked.
"These? They are my glasses… they help me see," Alia said, absent-mindedly.
"MAGIC!" Joxer gasped.
"No… they are… well from the future," Alia said, and Joxer left it at that.
"I wonder what Jett was doing there… Said he had a job. I bet he was looking for that knife!!" Joxer muttered.
"What?" Alia asked sleepily.
Joxer thought about that knife. It had no real fancy name, just ‘the knife’. Jett had wanted it since they were kids. He heard about it at some thieves’ den he frequented. It had no fancy powers, but it was a very priceless and ornate piece. And he knew JUST the man to get it from the treasury that held it. Autolycus.
"HELLO!?!? JOXER?" Alia said, waving her hand in front of his face.
"OH! Sorry. Look, we have to go find a friend… They’ll save the room and it will only take about an hour. C’mon!" Joxer said, putting on his hat and helping Alia to her feet.

"Gabrielle! RUN!" Xena cried.
Jett seemed to have an army at his command and before they knew it, Xena and Gabrielle were GROSSLY outnumbered. The only option left: RUN. Xena hated to do it, but she needed to figure out how Jett had gotten involved, who had sent him, what this potion did where Joxer and Alia went, and what Ares was up to.
They ran up the road a few kilometers and came upon a town…

"So, my former partner…" Autolycus started.
"Boss," Joxer corrected him.
"I DON’T THINK SO! But anyway, JETT wants this knife? Huh! Piece of cake for the King of Theives!" Autolycus said, puffing himself up in front of the kid and this bumbling idiot, Joxer.
"Yeah, well, come one. HURRY. We have to hurry back and bribe Jett!" Joxer said, dancing around like he really had to go to the bathroom. Autolycus snickered at the thought. Alia looked really tired and was starting to get really hungry. They had left the inn before the food arrived.
Anyway, to make an hour short, Joxer, Autolycus and Alia made their way to the rich man who owned the knife’s vault. After a bit of fumbling with guards and security spike and fire traps, Autolycus managed to retrieve the knife, and Joxer actually helped but bumbling around keeping the guards busy. Alia had hidden in the bushes trying not to laugh as Joxer by playfully dodged one guard only to barely miss being pummeled by another. This tired him out a lot though, so when Autolycus came back he had to support Joxer a little ways until he found a horse to steal. Joxer and Alia rode the horse and Autolycus was singing his praises right up to the inn door where they met up with Xena and Gabrielle.
"Hey! Where have you been?" Autolycus asked.
Xena gave him a very annoyed look. "Where did YOU come from?" She retorted angrily.
"Hey, Joxer here was filling me in on… er… uh… Hiya… Jett…. Uh.. hehe…" Autolycus said.
"And where’s my bro?" Jett said darkly.
"Right here, Jett, and I got a little trinket you might enjoy working for!" Joxer said, proudly holding up the knife, which was glittering marvelously in the evening light.
"What the… ARGH! Alright brother… you win. I never did like Ares anyhow," Jett said, not sounding all too annoyed. "So what are we doing here?"
"We’re TRYING to get this little……girl to drink a potion that will bring out her powers so that she can stop Ares!" Xena said, quite fast and not bothering to elaborate.
"Right…" Jet and Autolycus said together. They looked at each other and then turned away quickly.
"All right all right, I’ll drink the crazy potion!" Alia sighed.
"Good! Wait… where did all those soldiers go?" Xena wondered.
"I sent them off looking for Joxer and the girl," Jett said.
"Good. Buys us some time. Let’s go upstairs. I hope the food’s not cold yet!" Joxer said hungrily.

Half an hour later they were all done eating up 3 wild boars, 5 chickens and a few dragon egg and cheese omelets. Xena stood up and remarked that they better start the ceremony. She uncorked the vial, took a drink, grimaced slightly and handed the vial to Gabrielle. She took it, drank a bit and passed it to Joxer. Joxer took a big swig, which went down the wrong pipe. He started to hack and cough a bit, both from the taste and swallowing it wrong, which made Jett crack a few jokes and sent Autolycus trying furiously not to laugh out loud. Joxer composed himself and pretended nothing happened and eventually Xena grew impatient and shoved the vial into Alia’s hands. She hesitated a bit, and then reluctantly gulped down the remaining potion. As the first rays of moonlight began to peek through the window shutter, Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer and Alia all began to glow. Autolycus and Jett were stunned and just stared open mouthed. After a few seconds Gabrielle, Xena and Joxer stopped glowing, and Alia got brighter, then also stopped. She seemed less frightened and almost serene, the moonlight now bathing her and giving her a funny aura.
"Ooooh…" She said.
"What in the…" Jett gasped.
Joxer and Gabrielle were sitting with their eyes closed, ruminating on that experience, but Xena was up and about, asking Alia how and what she felt.
"Well.. I feel… not so much different… well it is hard to explain!" she said.
"Can you USE your powers?" Xena asked.
"I don’t know. I am really tired…" Alia said with a yawn.
"Alright, I say we get some rest and you can play with magic tomorrow," Joxer said.
"Haha, sounds like something you’d say as a kid, eh Jox?" Jett smirked.
Autolycus had settled down already, Gabrielle was attending to Alia and Xena was removing her armor and arranging their packs. Jett was playfully beating up on Joxer, with Joxer all the while whining and ouching in the dark until everyone else, including Alia shouted, "BE QUIET AND GO TO SLEEP!"
Joxer gladly complied right away, but Jett muttered for a second about what a day this had been. Joxer hid the knife from both Jett and Autolycus, seeing how neither can be trusted quite as well as you’d like, and Xena did not sleep, although she pretended… She had to keep a watch out…

"WHAT!?" Ares yelled.
"Well… Jett just…. I don’t know. He’s sided…" Discord clucked nervously.
"WITH THEM!" finished Ares. "How COULD you??"
"I thought he could be trusted! I didn’t know that moron of a brother of his was there with them!" Discord said, rather unhappily.
"Well, NOW I have to go tend to this myself!" Ares bellowed angrily and was out of there in a flash, leaving the chicken to sulk in his absence.

The next morning they were all up early and testing out Alia’s newfound powers in the field (Again). She had quite a good grip on the magic, and was able to do almost anything. Change shape, produce things out of air, affect time even! They were actually having a good time, turning things into gold (much to Autolycus’ surprise, as he pocketed a few golden feathers and apples), until Ares appeared in a flash that seemed angrier than usual.
"Well well, if it isn’t the little mortal who thinks she can beat me," Ares taunted.
"You keep away Ares!" Gabrielle said, which shocked Joxer completely. She seemed to become so attached to Alia.
"Stand back, I’ll take care of him," Alia said, stepping in front of Gabrielle.
"So the little wimp has some guts, eh?" Ares said, amused.
"I’ll show you what I can do!" Alia said, hitting Ares with some form of lightning which appeared from out her hands.
Ares threw back a beam of lightning which Alia reflected back to him.
"So, you have mastered your powers well, but I doubt you can defeat me!" Ares said.
Alia, upon hearing this, transformed into a large winged dragon and in a fury of fire and scales, leapt upon Ares, talons slashing. Ares and Alia threw each other around for a while until Ares finally got a clear shot and blasted Alia. Xena winced. Gabrielle and Joxer ran over to her. She was partly concealed in some tall grass, and they expected her dead. But she was trying to sit up. She had reverted back into human form… but strangely enough her dragon’s tail and huge flashing wings remained. She looked like an odd gargoyle. They helped her up and Ares caught sight of her. She leapt in a flash to meet him in mid air and, half gliding with her wings, turned half way to whip her tail around and grab Ares by the neck. Much like a snake, she coiled her tail more tightly around his neck until he was gasping that he surrendered.
"Now, promise you will not incite world wide war!" Alia demanded.
"ALRIGHT! *gasp* Let me *Hack* GO!!" Ares gasped.
Alia let go and, true to his word, Ares stormed off in a fury. But before he flashed away, he said, "You are so pathetic! True you defeated me, but you aren’t even HALF god! A MORTAL with powers befit the king of the gods! And yet you don’t know BARELY a thing about them at all! I pity you! So much power, yet so mortal. There will never be enough of your life to fully understand your gift, or perhaps curse!! I leave you permanently deformed as a token of our meeting….Farewell, and until we meet again!" Ares walked over the hill and was followed by a flash.
Autolycus took his leave of the group, saying he had done his share, and made off with the gold to cash it in. Jett looked ruefully at Joxer, saying that as much as he’d like to catch up on "family affairs", he also had things to do. Joxer, kinda glad to see the family pride and joy out of his adventures, congratulated Alia on her defeat. Gabrielle also thanked Alia for saving the world from war.
"So what are you gonna do now that you have the Power?" Gabrielle asked.
"Well… I like it here. If I go back to my time I may not have this Power anymore. I have to stay here and protect this world in my own little way." Alia said.
"But how you gonna live with those wings and tail?" Joxer wondered out loud.
"Oh they come in handy! I’ll be just fine!" Alia said.
"Where are you gonna go?" Xena asked, coming back from whatever world she had been in.
"I’m going to wander around a bit, maybe fix whatever I can, learn more about my powers. That sorta stuff," Alia said.
"Well you’re welcome to come with us," Xena and Gabrielle both offered.
"Thanks guys, I think I will!" Alia said, happy.
"Yeah, and I can show you everything I know about the daring art of swordplay!" Joxer piped in.
"Oh Joxer! Come here! I’ll show you sword play…" Gabby started as she grabbed Joxer’s nose and pulled him along after Xena and Alia, who had begun walking down the path, smirking.