Another Side of Ares
by DQiscool
Prologue
"Oh! That Zeus! It seems that every week he has a new lady he’s seducing!" Hera yelled. She was pacing up and down her private chambers steaming mad. "Maybe I could get Hephestus to forge me some chains.... no. I don’t want that," Hera said knocking down a crystal figure of Hephestus. "I know. I will hurt Hercules again. That is always enjoyable. Let’s see, I’m getting bored of his mother, Iolaus? No, I want to do something new," she decided. " I know! Who was that one warrior woman? She had black hair and blue eyes. The one Ares is always going on about. She has that annoying bard who never shuts up! Xera, no Xeta no Xena! That’s it!" She said proud of herself. She walked over to her pool where she looked into it. She found Xena. She and her bard were walking along. The bard was talking as usual. Hera waved her peacock feather over the pool and laughed. This was going to be fun.
Chapter 1
"So then the mighty Hercules and Xena had saved Prometheus and survived!" Gabrielle finished. "What do you think?" she asked the woman on the horse.
"That was wonderful!" Xena exclaimed. "Tell the one about how I saved the baby! Or the one where I saved that village from Xerxes!" Xena said clapping.
"Xena, what’s wrong?" Gabrielle asked concerned.
"Nothing!" Xena replied. She swung off the horse and started skipping ahead. She picked some flowers and started braiding them through her hair.
"Now I know something is wrong!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "You skipping and flowers don’t go together," Gabrielle explained.
"I just feel happy!" Xena told her giggling. " Hello Argo my sweet!" She said skipping over to Argo. Argo neighed as if to agree with Gabrielle.
"O.K. we better make camp," Gabrielle said.
"O.K. Gabby!" Xena replied cheerfully.
"Can you go get some wood?" Gabrielle asked.
"Sure!" Xena replied. She skipped off to find some wood.
"What has gotten into her." Gabrielle thought aloud. "Her skipping! Something’s wrong," Gabrielle decided. Xena came back after a while with some green wood. " Xena what’s this?" Gabrielle asked.
"It’s wood," Xena replied as if she had asked the stupidest thing in the world.
"Xena, it’s green!" Gabrielle said losing her patience.
"You never said it couldn’t be green," Xena replied.
"What has gotten into you?" Gabrielle asked. Suddenly they were attacked. Xena just stood there. They surrounded her and she looked scared. Gabrielle picked up her staff and was ready. She was really getting worried. the men went into attack Xena and she sat down. They all looked confused. Gabrielle tapped on of them on the shoulder with her staff. When her turned around she knocked him on the side of the head. He slumped to the ground. The others decided that Xena was no threat and went for Gabrielle. Since there was only four men she handled it. If there had been more she would have lost. She knocked them all out and then took Xena’s arm and led her away.
"Are you alright?" she asked Xena once they were far enough away.
"I, I don’t know. I couldn’t do anything. It’s like I wanted to attacked but I didn’t know how!" Xena said crying. She sat down and Gabrielle held her for comfort. Xena cried on Gabrielle’s shoulder for a while and then Xena pulled back. "What are we going to do?" she asked her companion. Gabrielle looked at Xena. She looked like an innocent child. Not like the warrior she new. Fear was written all over her face instead of the normal coolness.
"I don’t know," Gabrielle told her. She then hugged Xena while the great warrior cried.
Chapter 2
"What!" Cracus exclaimed. His men had returned and told him about their attack on Xena. He couldn’t believe it. " Leave me!" He ordered. They left and he paced. Suddenly he heard a bird and then he saw eyes.
"You want to know why Xena was like that," the eyes told him.
"Hera!" He exclaimed. " Yes I do," he told her. He swallowed in a gulp for he wasn’t used to seeing gods.
"She no longer can fight. She’s like a child. She no longer knows how to fight or take care of herself. She remembers everything but can do nothing. Right now she’s crying," Hera told him laughing.
"Xena, cry?!" he said as if he couldn’t believe it. " How did this happen.
"I happened," Hera said. "You may do as you like with her. She won’t be able to do anything, Hera told him. Then she disappeared. He again heard a bird and then there was silence. He slowly broke out laughing.
"Guards!" he yelled.
"Yes sir?" one asked as he entered the tent.
"Get ten men and go get me Xena," he told the guard. He could see fear in the guards eyes. " Don’t worry. She won’t be of any trouble," he told him. He waved hi hand to dismiss the guard. He then began planning what he would do with the beautiful warrior princess.
"Now what do you remember?" Gabrielle asked.
"I was riding and you were telling me about Prometheus. In the middle of the story I felt something. I don’t know what. I heard a bird squawk and then I was all happy and couldn’t do anything," Xena explained. the two women were camped in a forest. They had found a glade. Rather Gabrielle had found the glade. Xena couldn’t do anything.
"A bird?" Gabrielle asked.
"Yes." Xena said.
"Well something’s happened. We’ll just have to figure it out, "Gabrielle decided.
"Well, let’s decide in the morning. I want to sleep," Xena said. She then laid down and was asleep in moments. Gabrielle heard something in the bushes and was ready but Xena simply smiled in her sleep. She looked like she hadn’t a care in the world. Gabrielle heard metal and knew they were going to be attacked.
"Xena," she whispered. No reply came from the peaceful figure. "Xena," she tried a little louder. Still nothing. She then shook the warrior and Xena opened her eyes.
"What? I want to sleep," Xena said rubbing her eyes.
"We’re going to be attacked," Gabrielle whispered. That woke her up. She sat up scared. Then the men burst from the bushes. Gabrielle fought with all her might but she couldn’t defeat this many. They then surrounded Xena and laughed at the unconcious figure of Gabrielle. One of the men picked the little bard up and the others grabbed Xena. She tried to struggle but all she couldn’t do was lash out like a child. the men all laughed. They told her they were taking her to Cracus. She remembered that name. He was a warlord she had fought a while back. She had allowed him to live as long as he promised to leave the area. She had heard he was near by and had gone to do what she should have done in the first place. Now she couldn’t do anything.
Chapter 3
Gabrielle was thrown into the dungeon. No one really cared about her. Xena brought to Cracus’s tent. He had cleaned up for the occasion. They shoved Xena in and she fell to the floor. She looked up in fright. "Leave us!" Cracus said. "Leave the bard. If something happened to her Xena might remember how to fight," he said laughing. The guards bowed and left. "Well well Xena. Nice to see you again. Do you like my home?" He asked.
"What do you want?" Xena asked. She was terrified.
"You," he replied. He then pulled her to her feet roughly. " What are you going to do about it?" he asked her. He then kissed her. She tried to struggle but couldn’t do anything. He pulled back and laughed. "This is too easy," he laughed. He then started removing her armor. Once that was off she was totally petrified. She couldn’t even move. He then began removing her leather. Suddenly there was a bolt of lightning.
"Stop!" a voice yelled.
Cracus turned around. Before him was a man dressed in leather. His dark hair was slicked back and he had a small beard. His hand was on his sword. "Ares?" Cracus finally managed to get out.
"Yes," Ares replied.
"See Xena now. There’s plenty for both of us," Cracus said. He held the weak figure in front of him. He had managed to get part of the leather off.
"How dare you!" Ares exclaimed.
"What do you mean. She’s worthless to you now," Cracus said dropping Xena to the floor.
"How dare you do this to the woman I love!" Ares yelled. With that he stabbed Cracus with his sword. Hades will have you in major torture for eternity. He then knelt by the figure on the floor. He lifted her head so he could look into her blue eyes. " You’re alright now," Ares told her. He then lifted her and they disappeared. Ares was furious.
The next thing Xena knew she was lying on a bed and Ares was looking down at her. " Ares," she managed to get out.
"You’re awake!" He exclaimed. He knelt down beside her and ran his fingers through her hair. She looked around. She was in a room that was familiar. Yes. This is where Ares had taken her when he had killed those villagers and she had first met him. She noticed that she was wearing a blue dress.
"What happened?’ She asked.
"You fainted," Ares told her. " I killed that man for what he tried to do," Ares told her.
"How did I get like this?" Xena asked.
"Your clothes were ripped so I dressed you," Ares told her.
"No, I mean, how did I lose all my skills?" Xena asked.
"Oh. Hera," He told her.
"Hera!" She exclaimed. She tried to sit up and fell back.
"Don’t try to move. You’re exhausted.
"What did I ever do to her?" Xena asked.
"Hercules," Ares explained. "Zeus went on another of his visits to earth and Hera was boiling mad. She wanted to hurt Hercules and knew that he loved you so she took away your skills and made you like a little girl," Ares explained.
"Why are you helping me?" Xena asked. " I can’t be of any use to you now," Xena told him.
"I know. I love you. Besides. You’ll be back to yourself soon. Mount Olympus is in an uproar. Hera has gone to far this time. Zeus is furious. This time he won’t let Hera do this to someone Hercules cares about. He told Hercules and Hercules is worried sick. Apollo loves your singing so he’s mad. You can still sing though. But now that you have lost your fighting abilities he feels that you will never sing again. Cupid said something about you helping him with Eros. Hades owes you a favor. Aphrodite owes Hercules a favor. Artemis is mad that she did this to one of her amazons," Ares said.
"I’m not an amazon, "Xena said.
"You are an amazon queen!" Ares exclaimed. "You defeated Melosa. She’s merely acting as queen while you aren’t there. You are the true queen," Ares told her.
"So why are you helping. I’ll never come back to evil. You should know that by now," Xena said.
"Because," Ares said. He stood up. " I love you. How many times do I have to say it. I love you I love you I love you! Have you noticed how there’s been less fighting lately. I’ve been trying to turn good so that I can win you. I’m realizing that I can’t have you if I’m evil so I’m trying to be a little nicer so that I’ll have a chance!" Ares yelled. He then stormed out of the room.
"Ares love? That can’t be true," Xena thought aloud. " How can someone that evil be good and care about someone. He’s always trying to make me evil. This must be another one of his tricks," she decided. Shortly she fell asleep. When she wok up she was alone. " Ares!" She called. He appeared immediately.
"You called?" Ares asked.
"Where’s Gabrielle?!" she herself flung at him.
He caught her. She would have gotten seriously hurt. " She’s with the amazons. I had her go there until you’re better," Ares explained. He then lifted her and placed her on the bed.
"Did Cupid shoot you or something?" Xena asked.
"No. I’ve always been in love with you. I just always thought that I was perfect and you would come to me because you couldn’t survive without me. Well I’m starting to learn differently," Ares told her. He sat on the bed next to her.
"But, how can the god of war be in love?" Xena asked.
"You think I can’t feel?" Ares asked. "I have feelings you know," he told her.
"I guess I just never thought about it," Xena admitted. "What have you said to Hera?" she asked.
"I told her that you are a wonderful being. Someone worth respect who has helped many. You do not deserve this. You had nothing to do with what Zeus did and she shouldn’t take her anger out on you!" Ares replied.
"You said that?" Xena asked. She was sill in wonder of the fact.
"Yes. She asked me why I cared and I said right in front of all the gods on Olympus because I loved you. Many of the gods love you." Ares told her.
"What are you talking about?" Xena asked.
"You are very beautiful. You have a beautiful soul and the most beautiful voice." Ares told her.
"Thank you," Xena said.
"You will be getting your strength back soon. I went to Olympus this morning. Hera will be giving it back to you by the end of the day," Ares said. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked.
"No. Stay please," Xena said smiling. "Would you like me to sing for you?" Xena asked.
"Yes I would," Ares replied. Xena began singing. She sang a song of two people in love. They were both two totally different people. One was evil and one was poor. They ended up together and found something in common. Ares smiled. Xena soon fell asleep. Ares knew that she would be herself when she awoke. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. He then stroked her arm.
Chapter 4
Xena woke up with a start. She quickly took in her surroundings and saw Ares. He smiled at her and she smiled back. She remembered everything. "Welcome back Xena," Ares said.
"It’s nice to be back," she told him.
"I’ll take you to Gabrielle now. She’s not very pleased that you’re with me," Ares told her. She stood up and took his hand. The next thing she knew she was in the amazon village. Gabrielle ran up to her.
"Xena! You’re back! I was so worried," She told her friend.
"I’m O.K." Xena told her. Gabrielle glared at Ares.
"You can go now," Gabrielle said coldly.
"I was going to," Ares said.
"Wait!" Xena said. She kissed Ares and said goodbye. "Maybe someday," she told him.
"I hope so," Ares said squeezing her hand. " I’m still going to try," Ares said. Then he disappeared.
"Xena! You kissed Ares!" Gabrielle accused her friend.
"He loves me Gabrielle. He is trying to change." Xena told her. Gabrielle gave her a strange look.
"So what happened to you?" Gabrielle asked.
"It’s a long story," Xena said. Then Gabrielle laughed.
"That’s my favorite kind," Gabrielle said. So the two women started off down the road Gabrielle walking and listening to Xena tell the tale.
THE END
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