Author’s Note: This story takes place shortly after Xena has her baby. But since those episodes did not air yet, the baby or events that take place after its birth are not included in this story. However, spoilers for Them Bones, Them Bones may be included.

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Part One

The cave lit up, as lightning flashed from the outside.  A small altar, surrounded with candles, stood at the center of the chamber.  Just beside it was a pile of bones tinted a dark color from decay.

Another flash of lightning revealed a young man standing at the mouth of the cave.  A hood covered most of his face, but hi sdeep brown eyes were visible.  He slowly walked over to the pile of bones.  He was wearing elaborate clothing under the hood, made of deerskin, and decorated with small bones, feathers, and other natural trinkets.

He was now standing over thee pile of bones, and looking down at them.  He closed his eyes, and spread his hands above them.  A glowing, red light traveled from his fingertips to the bones.  The light became brighter, until nothing could be seen. 

When it dimmed, the bones were a whole skeleton again, and tinted a reddish color.  They lay there, motionless for a moment, but then the skull moved, then arms and torso.  It stood up and gazed at the man.  Another flash of red light filled the room with its brightness, and left nothing in the darkness.

“It’s really raining out there,” Gabrielle observed, looking out the mouth of the cave.  “I’d hate to be stuck out there.”

“Yeah,” the warrior agreed.

More lightning filled the sky, and crashing thunder followed.  A small fire was the only light inside the cave.  Shadows danced on the walls.  Xena was grooming Argo and looking around the cave, and Gabrielle was cooking.  Eve just stared into the fire.

“You know, Anatolia isn’t far away,” Gabrielle pointed out as she saw the distressed look on her partner’s face.  “You can’t stop thinking about Alti, can you?”

“Well, she did try to take my child’s soul.”

“Oh yeah, I can’t wait to meet her,” mumbled Eve.

“Are you alright?” asked Gabrielle.

“Should I be?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve killed hundreds of people, including Joxer, you don’t just get over that in a few weeks,” Eve answered.

“She’s right,” Xena added.

“You don’t hate me, do you?” Eve asked Gabrielle.

“Why would I?”

“I killed Joxer,” Eve answered bluntly.

“No. I’ve forgiven you, and in time, so will Virgil,” Gabrielle answered.

“I hope you’re right.”

The clouds swirled above, and lightning flashed.  A rumbling could be heard in the distance.  Lightning struck the ground, and it parted immediately.  From it rose a tall, dark haired woman, clad in blue leather.  She looked around to find herself among the Amazon ruins.  In a raspy voice she muttered: “Xena!”

The sky was still gray, and rain threatened to fall at any moment.  Eve sat atop a rock, and observed her surroundings.  She gave out a sigh of boredom, and gazed toward the east.  A slight rustle of the leaves caught her attention, and she spun around, sword in hand ready to defend herself.

“Relax.  It’s only me,” Xena, still half-asleep, mumbled.  “Well, it looks like you’re not too grief stricken to defend yourself still.”

“I can’t afford to not defend myself,” she answered, “too many people hate me.”

“I know how you feel,” Xena said, trying to comfort her daughter.  “Plenty of people still hate me.”

“You mean someone like me?” came a raspy voice from behind.

Xena and Eve both turned around to see the leather-clad shamaness standing about a hundred paces away.  Xena’s hand slowly moved down towards her chakram.

“What’s the matter?” asked Alti. “Aren’t you going to welcome you dear old friend back to the real world?”

“Sure I am,” answered Xena, “with a good old ass kicking!”  She quickly unlatched the chakram, and sent it flying towards Alti. It split in two halfway to its destination.  Alti jumped high in the air and flipped to avoid the lethal weapon.  The chakram ricocheted off a nearby boulder, and went flying in two directions, but still toward Alti.  This time, the shamaness ran up a boulder, and flipped to avoid death.  She took off in a backhandspring series, the chakram halves gliding under her back with each spring, towards the stunned Xena.  Alti passed Xena, and stopped.  She pulled a knife from her boot, and slashed at Xena’s arm as she turned to face the shamaness.

Alti ran to her horse, which was waiting for her in the clearing.  The chakram still chased after her.  It came together, just missing Alti’s head as she galloped away.  The chakram looped in the air and returned to Xena.

“Who was that?” asked Eve.

And Xena answered: “Your worst nightmare.”

A large fire burned in the field, as Alti danced around.  The dagger with Xena’s blood lay on a small stone altar, surround with candles.  She stopped in front of it, and looked up towards the heavens.

In her hoarse voice, she recited the incantation:  “Spirits of the earth and sky, bring to me the greatest of the Amazons to obtain vengeance.”

With that, the dagger burst into flames, and a loud moan could be heard from the fire.  A spirit leapt up and flew around the sky.  It came down and stopped a few paces away from Alti and slowly became opaque.

It was a young male, about fourteen.  His hair was short and black.  He was wearing a sleeveless leather shirt and leather pants.  He opened his eyes and stared at Alti, and then at the fire.  In it, he could see the image of Xena, in battle.

He became filled with rage but still stared.  His gaze shifted to the dagger, and after a moment, he spun around toward Alti.  The dagger flew, and buried itself into a tree right next to Alti’s face.

She looked toward the dagger and then to the amazon.  An evil smile slowly crossed her face.

“I thought you said that Alti couldn’t fight,” Eve said as Gabrielle tended to Xena’s wound. 

“She can’t,” replied Xena. “Something’s wrong.”

“Yeah, she’s alive,” Gabrielle put in.  “I guess the amber didn’t work.”

“It should have, someone must have released her. And I’m gonna find out who did.”

“I’m going with you,” Gabrielle demanded.

“Me too,” added Eve.

“Xena.”  All three of the women looked around but could find no one. And then they heard it again, but much louder.  They spun to find Alti and a young man standing up on the hill.

Xena’s eyes widened as she recognized the other person. “Damon?” she muttered.  Eve and Gabrielle looked at each other, then Xena, and then at the young amazon.

Damon’s eyes started to glow a bright red.  He extended his arms and blasts of energy flew from his hands and made contact with Xena’s chest.  She flew back about twenty paces from the impact.  Gabrielle rushed over to her motionless body, while Eve just stared at the two figures ahead of them.  Alti let out a giggle, and they slowly faded away.

Eve turned her attention to Xena.  Her body was motionless, with no signs of life.  Eve couldn’t believe what she just saw.

Part Two

Eve rushed over to the motionless body of her mother.  Gabrielle was taking her pulse, and had a worried look on her face.  “Is she…?” her voice trailed off.

“No, not quite,” Gabrielle answered gravely.  “I’m surprised actually.  She’s never taken a hit that bad.  And I don’t even know how powerful he is.”  She added after a moment: “I don’t even know who he is!”

“I’ve only seen a god with that type of power.  I don’t recognize this one though.”

“He’s not a god,” Gabrielle assured her.  “I’ve seen powers like this in ordinary people. Xena is capable of harnessing it, she just has to have time.”  Gabrielle’s mood brightened a little when she saw Xena’s head twitch slightly.  “The interesting thing is, he looks like an amazon.”

“A male amazon?”

“I know.  It’s strange.”

“Not really,” Xena corrected from below.  She slowly put her hand to her head and let out a low moan.  “There used to be a tribe of male amazons in the northern steppes.”

“What do you mean used to be?” Gabrielle asked a little bit nervously.

“I killed ‘em all.”

Xena, Gabrielle, and Eve were all back in the cave.  A small fire lit the room, and warmed Xena as she lay in her soft bedroll.  Every few moments she would let out another moan.  Gabrielle drew in the sand with a stick while Eve stared at the fire.

“So who is this male amazon?” Gabrielle broke the silence.

“His name’s Damon.  He was the leader of that tribe,” Xena answered.

“Did he always have those powers?” asked Eve.

“Yes.”

“So how did you kill him?”

“Sneak attack.  He was the only one with the powers.  Once I got close to him, they were almost useless.  He was an incredible fighter, thought he was no match for me,” explained Xena.

“So I guess I gotta go kill something again,” Gabrielle said absentmindedly.  “We need blood, right?” she added as she caught sight of Xena’s strange look toward her.

“No,” Xena answered.  Gabrielle gave a sigh of relief.  “He doesn’t have spiritual powers.  He’s mortal too, not a spirit.”

“How did Alti resurrect his whole body?”

“She used my blood.”  Xena pondered over her words for a moment.  “He’s here for revenge.  And Alti wants something else from him too.”

“What could she want? She’s an incredible fighter and she has magical powers,” Eve interrupted.

“No, she doesn’t have her powers,” Xena corrected.

“Huh?”

“Think about it.  She never used them when she attacked, and she could never fight before today, at least not when she was mortal.”

“You do have a point,” Gabrielle said while starting to draw again. “I’ve heard stories of shamans and shamanesses giving up their power to return to this realm.”

“But she would never do that,” Xena answered. “Someone must have resurrected her, but didn’t have enough strength to bring her power too.”

A long silence once again fell over the cave.  Xena still seemed to be thinking, as did Eve. 

“We should head for the amazon ruins,” Xena suggested. Everyone was slightly startled at the sudden change in noise.  “If she could get powers from dead amazons before, she could do it again.”  Everyone agreed.

“Leave in the morning?” Eve offered.

“Yep.”

“So, do you feel better?” Alti interrogated the young amazon.

“About what?  She’s not dead,” he answered her sharply. 

The shamaness looked a little uneasy.  “And how do you know?”

“Because that blast could barely kill her little sidekick, let alone her.”

“I wouldn’t underestimate Gabrielle,” she said while staring blankly at the night sky.  The large fire on the ground threw shadows on her face.  “I did once.  I thought I had killed them both.  Then that darshan showed up.”

“If you were up against a darshan, you’d have never won.”

“Yes I could’ve, easily!” she retorted.  “But she reminded them that they have to work together to harness the power of the mehndi.  Gabrielle held me down while Xena attacked, I was robbed of victory!”

“Sure ya were.”

“Listen! I brought you here, and I can send you back!  Now you do not argue with me!”  Her face was now red with rage.

He finally turned to face her, tilting his head slightly upward, since she was a bit taller. “And what are you gonna do about it, huh?  Fight me?  I don’t think so!”

“I can fight now!”

“Oh yeah, I forgot that you lost your powers.”

With that her eyes flared, but she settled down quickly.  “That reminds me,” she said calmly, “we have to get rid of the other dark-haired one.”

“Why? So you can somehow get drunk on her blood, do a little dance, and think you get your powers back,” he said sarcastically.  “What’s in it for me?”

“She’s Xena’s daughter.”

A mischievous smile crept across his face.

The sky was gray with clouds.  A storm threatened to attack the helpless beings below at any moment.  Xena, Gabrielle, and Eve galloped forward, closer and closer the Amazon Burial Place.

Suddenly, lightning struck a nearby tree.  The horses reared up and threatened to discharge their riders.  As Xena steadied Argo, she looked up to see a figure racing through the trees.

“Damon,” she muttered.  Gabrielle and Eve had now steadied their horses, and were also looking at the figure in the trees. “I’m going after him,” Xena declared blankly.

“Not by yourself!” Gabrielle corrected. “I’m going with you!”  Xena started to argue, but Gabrielle just glared back.

“Fine,” Xena finally decided.

“I’ll stay here with the horses,” Eve offered. “I can keep watch if someone else comes by too.”  Xena and Gabrielle both agreed and took off into the forest, Xena in the trees and Gabrielle on the ground.

Eve started to look around.  She froze and pulled a dagger from her boot, and sent I hurling to the side of her.  She turned around to see Damon with the dagger in his hand next to his head.

“You’re good,” he complimented.

“I know,” Eve answered.

“But not good enough.”  He paused for a moment.  “You see, Alti has lost her powers, and she needs something from you to get them back.”

“And what would that be?”

“Never you mind.”

“I guess you’re gonna have to kill me to get it though, right?”

“Clever girl.”  Damon flipped over her and turned to deliver a foot to Eve’s chest.  He then ran up her, and while descending, sent another kick to her head.

Eve got up quickly.  She flipped to the side, and then to the back of Damon.  She then copied his attack, and sent him flying into the trunk of a tree.

Damon unsheathed his sword, as did Eve.  They both flipped and started the combat with their weapons.  The fight raged on and on.

Soon, the swards were no longer adequate and were discarded.  Damon delivered a deadly barrage of punches, while Eve deflected ever blow.  They both kicked at the same time, and sailed through the air backwards.

“Aren’t you gonna use your little powers?” Eve inquired as she rose.

“No, that wouldn’t be fair.”

“And using them against my mother is?”

“Yes!  She knows how to use the powers, Alti told me so,” he retorted.

“And why should you believe her?”  Damon just glared at her, and then took to the trees.

A few well placed flips on the branches, and Eve was confused.  Having lost sight of him, she turned around, only to find his foot buried in her chest.  She flew backwards and a sharp branch plunged into her chest.

Her face was blank and she gasped for air.  Her eyes closed slowly, and her life was drained.  Damon looked up at his victim and then disappeared.

Xena stared at the sky for quite a while.  The gray ceiling was already releasing drops of cold water on the earth below, but looked as if a full storm was about to follow.  A sudden blur in front of her brought her back to reality.

“Hello Xena,” Alti stated in her normal raspy voice.  “Surprised to see ME?” she questioned when she saw the disappointment on Xena’s face.

“Where’s Damon?” Xena demanded.

“Oh, off doing some business.  You know, the usual, stealing, killing, regaining my powers for me…” An evil smile accompanied her statement.  She then ran off and disappeared.

“This isn’t good,” Gabrielle assured her partner.

High in the tree was the lifeless body of Eve.  Xena and Gabrielle stared at it from below.

“Should we take her down?” Gabrielle asked.

“No,” Xena answered, “leave her there.”

“Why?”

“Cuz I’m getting her back!”

Damon was nestled I the numerous branches of the trees, high above the ground.  He stared blankly at the sky.  Below him were stone ruins, burnt houses, and graves.  It was a place of death.  As he turned his attention towards it, visions flashed through his mind.  He saw both men and women fighting off the marauders.  Children were running for their lives. The high-pitched battle cry of the Warrior Princess standing over her victims.

Then, there was something very different.  An old hag clad in deerskin, urging someone to kill.  The other woman looked mesmerized, her eyes blank and no expression on her face.  Then came the killing.  Over and over again, it repeated in his mind until the crackly voice interrupted.

“Having second thoughts?” Alti asked quietly.  “Too late.”

Damon stared into her eyes, deeply.  “Maybe not,” was his answer.  He then disappeared in a slight haze.

Anger was easily seen on the shamaness’ face.

The glow of the fire made shadows dance across the faces of Xena and Gabrielle.  Both sat, saying nothing, doing nothing.  Their faces were blank, lost in thought, staring at the dancing flames.

“Xena,” Gabrielle broke the silence.  the warrior slowly turned her head towards her friend. “Are you alright?”

“My child’s dead.  How do you think I feel?” she snapped.  Gabrielle looked surprised.  “I’m sorry Gabrielle.  You know how it feels.”

“Yes, I do.”  With that, the bard wrapped herself in the bedroll and went to sleep.  Xena followed a moment later.

The fire dwindled, and the coldness of the night set in.  Damon finally stepped out of the shadows.  He looked down at the sleeping women, and saw them shivering in the cold air.

He bent over and re-fueled the fire until it was blazing. Both women seemed comfortable, and Damon simply disappeared.

“Damon, where are you!” Xena shouted.  Gabrielle watched for a surprise attack from the mysterious amazon. But Damon and Alti appeared in a flash of light.

“What do you want?” he asked.

“A fight,” the warrior answered.

“So be it.”

The two warriors charged at each other, swords in hand.  Metal met metal and sparks flew.  Both attacked with great strength.  The fight continued until both had lost their swords.

They moved on to kicks and punches.  Damon leapt into the air to deliver a series of kicks, but Xena countered every move.  The to were a perfect match for each other.

Alti looked frustrated, and her eyes soon flared.  Xena fell down, grasping her legs and screaming in pain.

Damon turned to her.  “This is my fight, not yours!” he shouted.

“Not anymore!” she answered.  Her eyes flared again, and Xena flew up high in the air, suspended only by her memory of her painful crucifixion.  Wounds appeared on her hands and feet.

Alti then turned to Gabrielle, and the same thing happened.  She was in the air, wounds in hands and feet, and crying out in pain.

“You can’t do this!” Damon shouted.

“You don’t control me,” answered Alti.

He shook his head and quickly flipped over Alti.  But the shamaness knew what he was doing, and turned around to meet him.   Both of their hands plunged into the stomachs of the other.  Then they retracted glowing white orbs, the soul of their new enemy.

“Now who controls who?” she asked.  Then she looked at the white ball in her hand.  Her eyes flared, and Damon was soon flying through the air into a tree.

Once back on his feet, his eyes glowed a bright scarlet, and lightning flashed. Alt blocked, and the power struck Xena and Gabrielle from their place in the sky and left them motionless on the ground.

“Oh, did I kill your little friends?” asked Alti innocently.  “I’m so sorry!”  Another power ball flew from her hand and hit Damon in the chest, and he fell to the ground.

Alti let out an evil giggle as a portal of swirling winds developed.  On the other side was a barren, snow-covered place that was all too well known by Damon:  The Amazon Land of the Dead.

“Goodbye Damon, it was fun while it lasted!”  She turned to throw Damon’s soul into the portal when Xena’s chakram plunged into her chest.

She flew back, and so did Damon’s soul.  He watched it move slowly to the ground, and he know that if he didn’t get it, the portal would consume it.  But suddenly, a hand reached up and seized it.  Xena had saved his soul.

Alit stood up slowly, and stared at a shocked Xena.  “Can’t die without my soul,” she muttered.

“Unless you’re in the Land of the Dead,” came a familiar voice from the side.  The shamaness turned just in time to see Gabrielle’s foot coming towards her.

The kick made contact and Alti when flying towards the whirlwind.  She was pulled into it by the swift winds, and once inside, the portal had quenched its thirst for life and collapsed into itself.

All three looked at each other in relief.

“I’m sorry Xena, for all the trouble that I caused,” Damon apologized.  He was looking at the glowing ball in his hand.  “I finally realized that it was Alti that sent you to kill the Amazons.”

“That’s all right, I just want my daughter back,” Xena answered.

“Come with me.”

The three came to the place with Eve’s body. Damon crawled up the tree and slowly brought Eve down.  He laid her on the ground.

Then, with both hands, he grasped Alti’s soul and it split apart.  He gave one to Gabrielle to hold, and the other, he held above Eve’s chest.

It slowly disappeared into Eve’s body, and her eyes opened slowly and she smiled.

Gabrielle gave Alti’s soul back to Damon.  “What are you going to do with that?” she asked.

“I’m going to take it to Chi’iah. It should be safe in the tree of the Sacred Amber,” he answered.

“Um,” Eve started sheepishly. “Mom, I have to go back to Rome and start repaying the people for my evils.”

“Okay,” Xena answered. “I know what you’re going through, and it’s gonna be tough.”

Eve smiled.  “I’ll see you again, I promise.”

“I know.”

“Where are you two going?” she asked Xena and Gabrielle.

“East,” Gabrielle answered.

“I’m going west to Chi’iah’s lair,” Damon said to Eve. “Do you want some company for a little while?”

“As long as you don’t kill me,” Eve answered flatly.

“Promise.”

So the two parties separated in their own directions; walking apart, but forever connected in their souls.

The End.

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