1) DISCLAIMER: Still poor, Still don't them and I still wish I could own them :)
2) ARCHIVE: Yes please,
3) WARNINGS: Zeus bashing, Gabby bashing, Psyche bashing and do I really need to warn you folks about the steamy sex scenes between A/J and C/S ;) and oh yeah there is Mpreg in here somewhere I just don't know when it will show up :)
4) TYPE: Slash Baby
5) RATING: NC 17
6) PAIRING: Ares and Joxer and Cupid and Strife
7)What the Challenge is.: Okay this challenge was issued on the JLA list by I think Christine, but don't count me on it I am awful at remembering peoples names :) Anyway the challenge was: Joxer was walking in a field, but then he fell into a hole.When he fell, there was a trap and he realized that it felt like an animal trap. As he struggled, he saw that his foot had gotten caught in it. He called out to Xena and Gabby, but they didn't hear him. Joxer knew that something was very wrong when Xena stepped on the hole and didn't fall in. It was like she was standing on air. To Xena's eyes, she was standing in a field of grass. Joxer wondered why this had happened to him. Was this the trick of a god or something else.
Well couple of weeks back while going through the archive I reread the challenge and got this story idea and so now I hope you like it. I would like to Thank Joey R once again for answering my title question and to my ever beloved Beta's, Carrie and Solace who is the best beta ever . :) Also one of the member's on this list who is also a member of one of the Ares and Joxer's list thought it was about time for me to start posting this story here :) I kind of forgot because RL has me in knots so for those who are rereading this again I am sorry and for those who are new to this story I am sorry to be late in posting it. *HUGS* and Happy Reading, Lady Q
Part 1/?
*Rod Serling once said in an episode of "The Twilight Zone," '...that for every wish there is a sacrifice, whether the wish be good or bad, there will always be a sacrifice.'*
~~~~~~~~~
Joxer lay sleeping on the cold, hard ground when the dream came to him. He dreamt that he was walking in a field, but then he fell into a hole. When he fell, there was a trap and he realized that it felt like an animal trap. As he struggled, he saw that his foot had gotten caught in it. He called out to Xena and Gabby, but they didn't hear him. Joxer knew that something was very wrong when Xena stepped on the hole and didn't fall in. It was like she was standing on air. To Xena's eyes, she was standing in a field of grass. Joxer wondered why this had happened to him. Was this the trick of a god or something else. Then, a bright flash appeared. It was so intense that it caused him to wake up.
Joxer sat up and sleepily looked around their camp site. He noticed that Xena was still up, keeping watch over them while she cleaned her sword. Gabby was asleep nearby her. Xena had noticed how Joxer had suddenly sat up and looked over at him.
"Joxer," she softly asked. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, Xena," he said as he gave her a shy smile. "Just a strange dream that I had was all."
She nodded her head and went back to working on her sword. Joxer watched her for a moment before he finally laid back down to go back to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~
It was later on in the afternoon when Joxer realized he was seeing the beginning of last night's dream come true.
Unfortunately, he realized it just before he fell down the hole.
He looked down at the trap and it did indeed feel like an animal trap. Four long, pointed rocks surrounded his ankle. As he struggled, he knew that his foot was caught in it, just like in his dream. He started to call out to Xena and Gabby, but they couldn't hear him. Joxer knew that something was very wrong when he saw Xena once again step on the hole and not fall in. It was like she was standing on air. However, to Xena's eyes she was standing in a field of grass as solders suddenly swarmed from everywhere to attack. Joxer lowered his head as he began to wonder why this stuff always happened to him.
Suddenly there came a bright light that flashed in front of him. The light was so bright that he had to close his eyes for fear that he would be blinded.
When he thought the light had faded, Joxer slowly opened his eyes and saw three women standing before him.
They wore beautiful, flowing white robes as they made their way towards him and then formed a small circle around him.
"Who are you?" they asked in unison.
Joxer bravely stood up straight as he proudly exclaimed, "I am Joxer the Mighty."
The three women looked at each other and then back at him as they again asked, "Who are you?"
Joxer paused as he realized that these women were probably goddesses and already knew who he was.
He let out a soft sigh as he answered, "I am Joxer of Athens."
The three ladies solemnly nodded their heads as they looked at him and asked, "What do you seek, young Joxer of Athens?"
Joxer then realized that they thought he was down here looking for something. He quickly shook his head as he began to explain to them that he had fallen down the hole and that his foot was trapped.
They looked at each other, then turned back to him as they asked again, "What do you seek, young Joxer of Athens?"
"Do you seek love?" asked the first woman.
"Do you seek wealth?" asked the second woman.
"Or, do you seek happiness?" asked the last woman.
Joxer shook his head at the women as he answered their questions. "No, I don't seek love." He said as he blushed at the thought of Gabby. "You see, there's this Amazon Warrior who is also a bard, and I am in love with her. I hope that one day she will feel the same about me."
"As for wealth," he said as he continued. "Why do I need wealth when I already have everything that I could ever want. I have some great friends, I can travel wherever I want to, and I am able to help people out whenever I can.
"And as for happiness, I am happy traveling with Xena and helping people who need it."
They looked at him, then back to each other, and then turned to him once more as they spoke.
"We have found you worthy young Joxer, and in turn, grant you one wish and one wish only."
Joxer instantly thought of wishing for Xena to find her redemption or wishing for Gabby to become famous, which would make her happy, and then she might return his feelings.
"This wish, Joxer of Athens, cannot be used for your friends. This wish is meant for you and you only," spoke the first woman.
"What do you wish for, Joxer?" They asked in unison.
Joxer closed his eyes as he thought of the one thing he would like to have. "I wish to have my feelings of love returned to me," he said softly as he thought of Gabby.
The three women looked at each other and the man standing before them.
"Your wish then," one woman spoke, "is to find true love."
"You wish for that someone will love you for who you are and not for what people think you are," came one cryptic reply.
"Most of all, though, you wish to feel your love returned to you." came another response spoken softly into his ear.
Joxer surprisingly looked up at the women, for they had turned his one simple wish into three.
"Very well, young Joxer. We will grant you your one wish, but remember this, Joxer of Athens: for every wish that is granted, whether the wish be good or bad, there is a sacrifice to be made. What will you sacrifice?" They again asked in unison as a sudden bright light flashed before them and Joxer found himself standing once more in the battlefield and looking at a very angry Gabby.
She began yelling at him for not listening and not staying put when he was supposed to.
~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, back in a room, sat a beautiful woman watching the ongoing weaving move back and forth, making up the fabric of life.
She didn't turn when her three daughters appeared before her. She just continued to watch the tapestry as she asked. "Is it done?"
"Yes Mother," came their reply.
The woman smiled sweetly as she spoke, "Good. Now for the next stage. Let's just hope he is ready to face his greatest test."
The three women nodded their heads as they flashed off to complete the next step of their mother's plan.
'For Peace will come to Olympus,' thought Moira as she watched the moving threads of life. 'The greatest sacrifice will be made to bring Peace to Olympus, and War will find Peace and bring forth Faith, Hope and Destiny. They will save us from the coming of the twilight.'
Part 2
Ares sat in the darkened throne room of his temple on Olympus, brooding, when a bright light flashed before his eyes.
There standing in front of him were the three fates.
Lachesis tried to hide her smile as she witnessed the surprised look from the God of War and she began to speak.
"Ares."
"God of War," Clotho said as she moved closer to her sister.
"Son of Zeus," Atropos followed close behind.
"We have come here to tell you that it is time for you to face your true destiny. What will it be?" Lachesis asked.
"Ares, God of War and Son of Zeus," they spoke in unison.
"Will it be happiness?" Clotho asked as she moved closer to the confused god.
"Will it be love?" Atropos asked as she moved to the other side of his throne.
"Or will it be power?" Lachesis asked as she stood in front of him.
"Choose wisely, Ares, God of War, Son of Zeus. For the choice you make will change the future of Olympus," they said in unison.
Part 3
Ares sat back on his black throne in shock.
For years, the other gods and goddesses had ostracized him because he was War. War that had never known peace because of his father's hatred for his son and the lack of love from his mother.
'Hades,' he thought with a rueful smile. Even his own daughter, Xena, hated him for what he represented and that was being war.
Even his own son, Cupid, didn't like what his job represented.
'The Son of Zeus, heir to the throne of Olympus,' he snidely thought, 'had known no love from his father for it was all given to my half brother Hercules. The favorite son of Zeus.'
Rumors had spread far and wide over Olympus, all saying the same thing. Zeus was going to practically ignore his first born and give the throne to the favored son. So there went his birth right, right out the temple, and Ares could care less.
Someone might ask why Ares, The God of War and the first born son of Zeus, did not care about the loss of being the new King of the Gods?
Well, for two reasons, really. One being that he was a survivor, and in case Zeus did give the throne to his idiot half-brother, then he had a nice and comfy back up plan ready to go when it happened.
The other reason was that if and when it happened, Ares knew it would be the down fall of Olympus and the end of the Greek gods. So, with his back up plan in working order, he, his sister Eris, and their nephew Strife, had set up a nice little cottage in a country called Italy. The cottage came with a large mirror on the wall so they all could have front row seats to watch the downfall of Olympus and laugh to their hearts' content.
So what more could an unloved and unwelcomed God of War ask for? He paused in thought. 'Someone to love him and welcome him with open arms.'
"Love," he roughly whispered.
Atropos smiled as she gave a knowing wink in her sisters' direction. Lachesis ignored her as she looked at Ares.
"You wish for someone to love you," Lachesis replied as she looked at her sister Clotho.
"You wish for some one to understand you," Clotho said as she looked back at Atropos.
Atropos looked up at him and stated softly, "And most of all you wish for someone to love you for who you are."
"Very well, Ares, God of War and the true Son of Zeus, we will grant you your one wish," they said in unison, and in a blinding flash, they all disappeared and then reappeared standing on a dirt road.
Lachesis pointed down the dirt road as she spoke, "For your wish, Ares, we have taken your godhood away from you for one week's time. Don't worry, we will keep your sword safe from harm. We give you this one week to find your heart's desire. At the end of the appointed time, if you have not found your true love, then we will restore your powers and you can continue on as you were. Remember this, Ares, that for every wish that is granted, no matter if it be good or bad, there will be a sacrifice. What will you sacrifice, Ares, God of War and the true Son of Zeus?" With out waiting for his answer, they flashed back to Olympus.
Ares let out a sigh and wondered what the Fates had gotten him into. He ran a hand through his black hair and looked down at the plain clothes that he was currently wearing. He let out another sigh as he started walking down the dusty road. As he walked, he began to idly wonder who the fates had put in his place while he was looking for his heart's desire.
Part 4
Suddenly there was a bright flash as The Fates reappeared in the Temple of War.
Lachesis snapped her fingers as a dark blue flash appeared before their eyes. She snapped them again as a pink flash appeared in the Halls of War.
"Hey!" Strife angrily exclaimed as he looked around. "What's tha deal, Aunt Lachesis? I was in tha middle of tha most wonderful mischief when-poof-I am back here."
"Yes Dudes,I totally would like to know the reason for pulling me away from a very important love match," the angry God of Love stated as he tapped his foot impatiently on the black marble floor.
"Love match," Strife snorted as he tried to ignore how turned on he became when Cupid was angry. "I'll have ya know that tha mischief I was causing down there was way more important than your stupid love match."
"I'll have you know that," Cupid started as he angrily strode over to his cousin, "that love match was very important."
"BOYS!" Lachesis yelled as she pinched the side of her nose and tried to ignore the giggles coming from her younger sisters standing behind her. 'Sometimes,' she thought, 'being the oldest by three minutes has its drawbacks.'
Cupid let out an angry sigh as he stopped in mid-stride, while Strife's insane laughter slowly began to quiet down.
"Cupid, your father will be gone for a week and while he is gone we entrust you and Strife to take over his role as the God of War."
"What?" they asked in unison.
"Why me?" Cupid asked.
"Even though Ares has made Strife his second-in-command, being the God of War can be a difficult position for a young god to fill, so we have decided that with the combined powers of Love and Mischief that you two will be able to handle the power shift quite nicely."
"But what about our duties?" Cupid asked his aunt as he looked at the man standing beside him; the man he had hidden his true feelings from for so long now.
"You will be able to carry out your duties, along with Ares's, just fine, Cupid." Lachesis tiredly said as she kept thinking that their mother owed them a nice vacation after this.
Strife softly spoke the most important question in his mind, "What kind of an assignment is Unc on that he needs to be gone for a week?"
Lachesis turned piercing blue eyes on her cousin as she and her sisters spoke as one, "Ares, God of War and Son of Zeus, is seeking Peace. You are forbidden to tell anyone where the God of War has gone. No one must know that he is seeking Peace. Not even the King of the Gods."
"All right already. Gee, ya ask a simple question and ya get forbidden to talk about it," Strife said with a shake of his head.
Lachesis softly smiled down at her cousin as she once more snapped her fingers. A small black flash filled the room and then disappeared in place of the Sword of War floating above their heads.
"Sword of War, come forward," The Fates called out in unison.
"Do you know what is going on?" Lachesis calmly asked the floating sword.
A deep humming came forth as its reply.
"Good. Will you then willingly come with us for protection while your Master is gone?"
Silence rang for a long moment while the sword hung in mid-air.
Lachesis let out a sigh of relief when the sword finally gave its affirmative reply, because they all knew they would not survive if they took the sword against its will.
She raised her hand and waited for the sword to go to it. However, the Sword of War had other ideas and remained floating in the air.
Mumbling under her breath about stubborn swords and their owners, Lachesis let out a frustrated sigh, "Very well, Sword of War. Come with us to meet your Master's destiny." As she spoke, a bright flash appeared and then it was gone, leaving the God of Love and the God of Mischief alone in the Halls of War.
Cupid looked over at his handsome cousin as he ran a nervous hand through his blond hair. "So...Dude,What do we do now?"
Strife shrugged his shoulders as spoke, "Unc usually keeps a list for me ta go over in case he is away at a long war. He usually keeps it in his study." Cupid nodded and motioned for Strife to lead the way.
As they headed towards the study, a dark shadow hidden behind the throne silently moved forward.
She evilly smiled as she thought, 'What to do, what to do. Why, I guess I better be the one to tell Zeus that his God of War is missing." With that thought in her warped mind, a purple flash appeared behind the throne and then was gone.
~~~~~~~~
Moira was quietly watching the fast moving weave of the fabric when a bright light suddenly flashed into the room.
"Well?" She asked as she continued to watch the moving thread.
"It is done, Mother," they answered in unison.
"Good," she calmly replied. "Was she there?"
"Yes, Mother."
"Good," she softly spoke as she turned to look at her beautiful daughters. "As we all know, there are two possible futures going on at this moment. Your job is to make sure that the right one comes to pass."
"Yes Mother," they answered in unison. Suddenly behind them came an impatient humming.
Moira looked up at the Sword of War and smiled. 'Just like it's owner,' she thought as she pointed to another room behind her.
The sword hummed its reply as it floated over to the room where its destiny was held.
There, floating in mid-air, was the golden Sword of Peace.
Part 5
An angry, dark purple flash appeared in the chambers of Zeus.
She frowned at the passionate sounds coming from Zeus's bedroom and his latest conquest.
She rolled her eyes as she wondered if the old fart ever ran out of justice. No wonder Hera was so grumpy all of the time.
'Hades,' she thought, 'he would do a goat if it showed him any interest...Wait a minute, he's done the goat thing already.'
"Zeus," she called out.
When no reply came back, except an increase in the volume of the moaning, she called out once more.
"Zeus, you damn bloody, horny old dog! Get your ugly cock out here. You've got work to do."
Suddenly, a bright and angry flash appeared before her eyes as a barely dressed Zeus now stood before her.
"Psyche!" he angrily bellowed. "This had better be important. I was in the midst of some important negotiations."
Psyche rolled her eyes at the lying bastard and angrily pointed her finger at him.
"You stupid fool, while you are seducing one of your wife's pretty priestesses, The Fates have started the Prophecy."
Zeus gasped, "No, they couldn't. I would know about it if they did."
Psyche rolled her eyes once more as she showed Zeus a scene in his mirror.
"Look you blithering fool."
The mirror showed the Halls of War. The image then changed to the study where they looked in and watched as Strife explained to Cupid the different kinds of battles that were currently going on. The image changed again to a man with black wavy hair who wore no beard and was dressed in peasant clothes, but it was the eyes that gave his true being away. They were the eyes of War, desperately seeking his destiny, his other half...his peace.
Zeus angrily growled and threw the mirror against the wall, shattering it.
"Years of planning gone," Psyche angrily screeched at him.
"Years of planting suggestions into your stupid son's head so he can take your place. Years of planning the death of your wife. And most of all, years of planning the death of War and the destruction of the House of War and Love, are all gone now because of you." She angrily pointed her finger at Zeus. "Just had to turn your back on The Fates. The keepers of the Sword of Peace. Just so you could have a one night stand with one of your wife's priestesses."
"Silence!!" Zeus bellowed as he raised his hand, ready to strike.
"Silence, you sniveling and whiny woman," he paused as he waited for Psyche to hold her tongue. "We still have time. Ares is still looking for Peace and if you are good, he may never find it."
Zeus snapped his fingers as a black box appeared before Psyche's eyes. "In this box lies the last of the hind's blood daggers. Use it wisely, Psyche, and we will never hear of Peace again. We will control the universe, and I will be more powerful then Gaea and Uranus combined. For I will control the universe, and you my dark beauty, will be the new Queen of Olympus and will control all of the gods through the throne of my favored son, Hercules."
Psyche evilly smiled as she flashed out of the room in search of War.
A moment later, Zeus flashed out to keep an eye on Mischief and Love, and make sure that their destiny was in his hands.
Part 6
~~~~~~~
Zeus silently flashed into the study of War's temple and carefully watched as Strife and Cupid made plans on which battles were important and which ones they could put off until Ares came back.'Yes,' he thought as he gleefully, rubbing his white beard with his hand. 'I need more power, I crave it.The only way to become more powerful then Gaea and Uranus is to destroy the houses of War and Love, leave the throne to my idiot son, Hercules, and let that sniveling bitch think that she can control Olympus, when it is really I, Zeus,who not only controls Olympus, but the entire universe. It all hinges on the death of Cupid, and to then lay the blame in Strife's hands, leaving the way open for Hercules to take over the throne. Oh, it doesn't matter that Hercules doesn't know he is going to take over the throne, just that he will. And all I have to do is place the suggestion in his head, which I have been doing since he was born.'
Suddenly, dark and pink flashes caught Zeus's eye as Strife and Cupid disappeared from the temple. Zeus growled dangerously low and zapped out after them.
~~~~~
Meanwhile, down on what was thought of as a deserted road, walked a tall man dressed in peasant clothes, with his dark head bent down and his hands behind his back.
Ares let out a soft sigh as he began to think. How was he supposed to know his hearts desire? Hades, he and his heart have never been on good speaking terms since he didn't know when. Sure, he loved Aphrodite, but more as a brother would love a sister than the true love of his life. When it came time for them to marry, it was more of an expected thing than for the feeling of true love. When her eyes fell on Hephaestus and she fell maddeningly in love with him, Ares was very happy for her. Their marriage ended well and he could honestly say that he and his ex-wife got along wonderfully. Unlike his father and mother.
"OOF!" Ares exclaimed as he felt something hit him square in the chest.
"Ouch!" came a soft reply from below, followed by the sound of a pile of metal hitting the ground.
Ares unknowingly rubbed his chest as he looked down at the man sprawled on the dirt road. His eyes slowly crept up a strong pair of legs to a rusty, metal covered chest, then to an odd, sort of metal pointed hat covering the face.
The strange man let out a groan as he pulled off his ugly pointed hat and looked up into the most beautiful dark eyes he had ever seen. Eyes that were filled with pain and loneliness. He looked as if he was seeking something that was very important to him. Joxer felt his heart go out to this handsome and lonely man. He felt compelled to help him.
Ares stared down into the most beautiful brown eyes he had ever seen. Eyes that were filled with a past pain, but happiness, joy and peace overflowed the hidden pain and made him shine with serenity.
When he smiled up at him, Ares felt his heart tighten and it was hard to breathe.
He watched as Joxer slowly stood up and automatically took his arm as he began pulling him along the road.
"Hi, I'm Joxer. And if you don't mind me saying so, you look like you're lost. Listen, my friends and I have a camp just up the road from here. Why don't you come along with me and we will see if we can help you find what you're looking for?"
Joxer paused as he looked at the confused expression on the stranger's face and realized that he must have hit him harder than he had previously thought.
Ares took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He was going to do the one thing he had never done before...put his trust in a man he didn't know. In a man he had ignored most of his life because he was clumsy; in a man that held his destiny. So Ares did the only thing he could do, and that was nod his head and let Joxer take care of him. It was something that he had let no one ever do before.
Joxer returned his smile as he took Ares's hand in his smaller one and led him towards camp. Part 7
~~~~~~
Xena looked up from the fire that she was starting when she heard the sound of Joxer's voice coming from behind the trees."Our camp is this way," there was a slight pause,. "At least, I think it's this way. I get lost easily."
There was another slight pause as if Joxer was waiting for a reply, but there was none that Xena could hear.
"I think you will like them," another pause, "Xena and I are great warriors and Gabby is an Amazon and a bard. Gabby is writing up our adventures," Joxer happily finished as he came through the trees into their camp.
Xena cautiously watched the man Joxer was leading behind him come into view. He was taller than Joxer, with dark wavy hair to the shoulder, and he wore clothes that had seen better days. However, it was his eyes that held her attention most. They made her feel as if she should know this man who was looking at Joxer as if he held all the answers in the world.
Joxer smiled at Xena as he noticed Gabby coming back from the stream, carrying fish.
Before he could even greet and introduce his new friend, Gabby angrily stalked over to him and began to yell, totally ignoring the fact that they had a guest.
"Joxer, where were you? You were supposed to do the fishing for our supper, and now because you weren't here, I had to do the fishing myself. Now supper is late all because of your stupidity!"
Joxer could feel the anger slowly rising from the stranger standing next to him and quickly stepped between the two before the situation got worse.
"You're right, Gabby, I'm sorry. I got lost, and while trying to find my way back, I accidentally bumped into him," he finished with a soft blush on his face as he looked at the handsome man standing behind him.
It was then that Gabby noticed the handsome stranger.
'She had the gall to yell at him,' Ares angrily thought as she shoved the fish into Joxer's arms and tried to pull Ares away from his mate... 'Wait a minute, I am already thinking of Joxer as my mate?'
Ares growled low in his throat as he angrily pushed her away from him, causing Xena to rise in her defense. Suddenly, Joxer dropped the fish in his hands as he placed a gentle hand on Ares's chest while he looked at Xena, "It's all right, Xena. He meant no harm to her, did you?" Joxer turned his pleading eyes to look at Ares, and without knowing why, Ares let out a soft sigh, "Sorry Princess, I meant no harm to her... She just took me by surprise."
Xena nodded her head as she slowly lowered her sword back down to her side. "Who are you?" she asked as she bent to pick up a slightly bruised Gabrielle.
"Res," he quickly answered. "I got lost from my unit. We were heading to Sparta."
Xena nodded her head, "Yes, we are headed that way, too."
Ares raised his head up sharply to look at his daughter, "Why are you headed that way?"
"Xena wants to stop the coming battle," his future love said as he looked up at Ares with a smile.
Ares let out a tired sigh, 'I should have known. Well, at least I planned for some extra surprises for her just in case she showed up. Why, it wouldn't be a battle without her,' he thought with a rueful smile.
Xena nodded her head in agreement with Joxer as she looked the bruised Gabby over. "Joxer, why don't you go and clean those fish for us while I make sure that Gabrielle is okay?" she said as she tried to ignore the dirty look Gabrielle was giving Res.
Joxer gave Xena a relieved smile and gladly picked up the fish and headed back to the stream to clean them off, giving Res a slight smile as he left. Ares returned his smile and without knowing why, silently followed Joxer to the stream.
Joxer sat down and began to clean the fish while Ares nonchalantly leaned against a tree to watch him. As he watched the gentle hands of the man who unknowingly held his heart and the future of Olympus,perform the task. He idly wondered how he was going to tell the gentle soul of the man he was so quickly falling in love with, that his life was going to change, drastically? It was then, that out of the corner of Ares's eye, he saw a glint of silver flash right before the blade flew through the air.
"JOXER!" Ares screamed.
Part 8
~~~~~~
Cupid and Strife appeared on an empty battlefield outside of Sparta.Strife unrolled the list while Cupid looked across the field.
"So, Dude, what do we do now?" Cupid said as he watched the sun shine on Strife's pale, white skin and shining, black hair, causing Cupid to hold his breath at the sheer beauty of his cousin.
Strife frowned in thought as he looked over the items that were listed on the scroll.
"Unc says," Cupid turned and watched in concern as Strife paused. He watched as Strife slowly began to close his eyes and his body began to shake.
"Strife?" Cupid called out as he ran back to his cousin. He started to lay a hand on him when the shaking suddenly stopped and Strife opened his eyes. His once beautiful blue eyes were now violet as a wicked smile crossed his pale features.
Strife wrapped his arms tightly around his body and let out an insane cackle.
"Melody, just now, dropped," he paused as he fell back down on the ground laughing harder, "manure all over Jason's clean white togas."
Strife paused in his laughter to see a look of confusion come over Cupid's face.
"Don't ya remember?" Cupid shook his head as he watched in fascination,a warm amethyst glow of mischief spark to life in Strife's eyes.
Strife let out a sigh as he sat up and explained. "Melody is the only sister of Harmony. Ya know, the sister whose mother went through a music phase when they where born." Strife paused and watched the recollection come to Cupid and smiled when he nodded his head.
"Yeah,Dude, now I remember them. Mom had me set her sister, Harmony, up with this dick of a guy to teach her a lesson, that looks are not everything and it was what was on the inside that counted."
"Well, apparently it worked, because Jason just dumped Harmony for one of the popular girls in town. Anyway, Harmony was all upset about it, right," he paused, watching Cupid nod in agreement. "Well, Melody is Harmony's only sister, and her brother is away, so Melody decided that she should at least avenge her sister in her brother's place. I mean after all, what else is a little sister supposed to do?" Strife said as Cupid reached down to pick him up.
Cupid gently smiled down at him as he watched Strife explain excitedly how he helped her find the really smelly manure in town, because you really need the smelliest manure in order to pull something like this off. Strife again paused as his eyes that had been slowly turning back to normal once again changed. This time they were a deep, angry shade of purple.
Strife suddenly began looking around, and then he violently pushed Cupid to the ground as he fell on top of him. Strife looked up in time to see a whizzing dagger fly past their heads and then disappeared with a purple flash which was soon followed by a golden flash.
Cupid let out a painful cry as his wings and body fell down on the hard ground. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up into a face that would have almost scared him if it wasn't for the fact that he had been slowly falling in love with his cousin.
For the face he looked up into was full of bloodlust as Strife's now angry red eyes looked around their surroundings, searching for something.
Strife could feel the hatred and deadly mischief filling the air around them and knew in a instant that someone was trying to kill Cupid. His Cupid. Sure, he knew he had deep feelings for the guy currently lying underneath him. If he had the guts, he would admit to himself at least that he was hopelessly falling for the God of Love. But,now, someone was trying to kill the man he was secretly in love with, and as Strife looked down into Cupid's worried green eyes, he knew in an instant that he loved Cupid above all else and that he would die to protect him.
Part 9
~~~~~~
Joxer looked up into angry black eyes as they scanned their surroundings, looking for whatever had frightened Res enough to push Joxer down on the hard ground.It was then that Joxer noticed that Res's arm was bleeding.
Worried at seeing Res bleeding, he quickly began pushing hard against Ares's chest to get him off so he could take a look at it.
Feeling something pushing hard against his chest brought Ares back from scanning the area around them for their assassin. It was then that the copper scent of blood filled his nose and caused him to quickly check his beloved who was lying underneath him.
"Joxer, are you all right?" Ares asked as he concernedly ran his hands up and down Joxer's body.
Seeing Ares's concern caused Joxer to smile as he placed a gentle hand on his arm. "I'm fine, Res. It's you that I am worried about," he said as he pointedly looked at Ares's bleeding arm.
Ares looked down at his arm and grimly smiled at the nasty cut as he, without thought, tried to make the cut disappear. It was then that he remembered that the Fates had taken his godhood away from him, and in so doing, had also made him mortal.
Joxer gently pushed against Ares's chest once more to get his attention. "Come on, Res. Let's go back to camp so Xena can look at your arm. Okay?"
Res smiled down at the man, feeling happy for the first time since he could remember because he was now cared for, and that made him feel special and loved for the very first time in his life. So, with a great reluctance, because laying on top of Joxer was starting to feel very good, Ares moved off of him and helped him up.
Still holding Joxer's hand, Ares made a mental note to find out who would want to kill Joxer and why. Once he found the who and the why, then he will decide which way he would like to watch them die. The slow and painful way, which is always enjoyable, or the quick way with less the joy but the satisfation that you killed them off? Decisions, decisions, decisions, Ares thought with a smile as he held his lover's hand as they made their way back to the camp.
Part 10
~~~~~~
Joxer looked up into angry black eyes as they scanned their surroundings, looking for whatever had frightened Res enough to push Joxer down on the hard ground.It was then that Joxer noticed that Res's arm was bleeding.
Worried at seeing Res bleeding, he quickly began pushing hard against Ares's chest to get him off so he could take a look at it.
Feeling something pushing hard against his chest brought Ares back from scanning the area around them for their assassin. It was then that the copper scent of blood filled his nose and caused him to quickly check his beloved who was lying underneath him.
"Joxer, are you all right?" Ares asked as he concernedly ran his hands up and down Joxer's body.
Seeing Ares's concern caused Joxer to smile as he placed a gentle hand on his arm. "I'm fine, Res. It's you that I am worried about," he said as he pointedly looked at Ares's bleeding arm.
Ares looked down at his arm and grimly smiled at the nasty cut as he, without thought, tried to make the cut disappear. It was then that he remembered that the Fates had taken his godhood away from him, and in so doing, had also made him mortal.
Joxer gently pushed against Ares's chest once more to get his attention. "Come on, Res. Let's go back to camp so Xena can look at your arm. Okay?"
Res smiled down at the man, feeling happy for the first time since he could remember because he was now cared for, and that made him feel special and loved for the very first time in his life. So, with a great reluctance, because laying on top of Joxer was starting to feel very good, Ares moved off of him and helped him up.
Still holding Joxer's hand, Ares made a mental note to find out who would want to kill Joxer and why. Once he found the who and the why, then he will decide which way he would like to watch them die. The slow and painful way, which is always enjoyable, or the quick way with less the joy but the satisfation that you killed them off? Decisions, decisions, decisions, Ares thought with a smile as he held his lover's hand as they made their way back to the camp.
Part 11
Zeus and Psyche flashed back into his temple. Zeus angrily wrapped his strong hands around Psyche's throat and slowly began to squeeze the life out of her.
"You idiot! You stupid, greedy, sniveling bitch!" Zeus yelled as he shook her body like a broken rag doll.
"How dare you try to kill Cupid when he is with Strife!" he shouted once more at her as he threw her body hard against a stone wall.
"Did you, in your haste to kill your husband, forget that Strife is the God of Mischief? That he can feel both good and evil mischief in the air? Dammit, you inept bitch!" He cursed at her again as he threw a lightning bolt at the cowering woman.
"Because of your blasted stupidity, they now know that something is up. They will know that we are after Cupid, and this will put Strife on guard, and he will in turn, warn Ares. Thus, ruining my plan to have the ultimate power; to be able to control the universe and be the supreme being."
"But Ares is dead," came Psyche's soft, whimpering response.
"What?" Zeus asked with deadly calm as he came near her.
"I...I killed him, " she said with smug pride. "He was standing at a river guarding some sniveling human when I took up the dagger and slashed his arm. Even as we speak," she continued with an insane smile crossing her pale features and her dark eyes shining with madness, "the poison of the Hind's blood is running through his veins and he is taking his last breath."
An unholy gleam entered Zeus's blue eyes when he waved his hand and he viewing mirror appeared before him. "Show me Ares, God of War," he commanded the mirror. The mirror was silent and showed him nothing. Zeus smiled down at Psyche as she returned a smile of victory. Zeus turned to the mirror once more and commanded, "Show me the dead body of my son, Ares."
The viewing mirror shimmered and glowed as a picture came into view, but instead of triumphing over the sight of his dead son, he became furious, and with a snap of his fingers, ended the immortal life of Psyche and turned her into a horse fly.
Ares, the thorn that had been in his side since his birth, still lived because someone had taken his godhood away and made him mortal.
With a deadly glare, Zeus turned his eyes to the only one who could do this. The only woman who was charged with the protection of the Sword of Peace when he lay dying.
"MOIRA!" Zeus angrily called for the Goddess of Prophecy and the mother of the Fates.
Part 12
A fine mist filled Zeus's room as a red haired goddess with dazzling blue eyes appeared before Zeus.
"You bellowed?" she said with a sneer of disgust as she looked him up and down.
Zeus narrowed his blue eyes as he looked at his sister, "You've gone too far, Moira. In your protection of the Sword of Peace, you have made War vulnerable. You have made him mortal." He paused in thought as an evil smile crossed his face. "It is far too easy for me to kill my son now."
Zeus felt a shiver run up his spine as he watched her blue eyes turn a deadly black and her voice grew cold with emotion as she prophesied, "Try to kill him if you must, Zeus, but Peace has found War and will give the greater sacrifice in order to protect him and bring forth Faith, Hope and Destiny. Then, Peace and War will unite and dethrone the sky king, and they will bring forth a new age that will survive the Twilight and outlast even the age of One God."
She smiled coolly at Zeus, her eyes still deadly black as she spoke once more, "Farewell, dear brother, for I fear this will be the last time that I will ever see you again. Say hello to Hades for me." With a wave of her hand she was gone from the room, leaving behind only a trail of mist behind her.
Zeus frowned at his disappearing sister and then glared at his viewing mirror, "Show me Peace," he commanded. When nothing happened He angrily growled at it as he threw a thunder bolt at it, causing it to break once more
With an angry growl he flashed out in search of his son, knowing Peace would be near by.
Part 13
~~~~~Xena let out a tired sigh as she began to wipe the blood from Res's arm.
As she looked up, she gave a worried Joxer a comforting smile and told him to help Gabrielle look for the healing herbs she needed.
She paused in cleaning Res's wound as she watched Joxer head back out to the woods.
Then she turned her cool blue eyes to the man that was sitting in front of her. "So, Ares, what are you doing here?" She calmly asked in an ice cold voice as she ignored his surprised look.
"How did you know?" He winced as she touched his wound.
She smiled slightly as she continued to clean it. "A daughter always knows when her father is around, and a former warrior always knows when her former war god is around, too. So, what's going on, Ares?" She asked again.
Ares let out a tired sigh as he ran his fingers through his curly hair, "To be honest, Xena, I don't know." He laughed softly at the look of surprise that crossed his daughter's face.
"Xena, all I know is that yesterday the Fates appeared in my temple and gave me a choice between power, happiness and love," he paused as he wondered if he should tell his daughter how vulnerable he really was.
"What did you choose, Ares?" She asked as her cool blue glaze held his dark one.
He sighed and he looked away from her as he roughly whispered, "Love."
"What did you say?" She asked as she tied the bandage tighter on his arm, making him wince again at the pain.
"Love," he angrily barked at her. "The Great God of War wants to be loved. Does that surprise you?" He asked as he glared at her.
"No, Ares," came her soft reply, "It doesn't. Everyone wants, needs or deserves to be loved. I'm just surprised that it took you this long," she replied with a teasing look in her blue eyes, "to find that out for yourself."
Ares shook his head at his daughter. She watched as his once hardened features softened, and he smiled as he watched Joxer come back from the forest.
She frowned at the way Ares was looking at Joxer, like he was his only lifeline to this world. Xena squeezed Ares's sore arm to get his attention.
"Is Joxer the one you love?" she asked
Ares looked away from his daughter, back towards the happy man headed their way, and without thinking he said, "With all my heart. I love him as I have never loved before."
Suddenly, a dagger appeared under his throat as Xena leaned in close, and with a deadly whisper in his ear, she hissed, "Love him if you must, Ares. But if I find out that you have hurt him in any way, then whether or not you are a mortal, or God, or my father, I will not think twice about slowly cutting your heart out and watching you bleed to death. Joxer's been hurt enough. He deserves to be happy for once."
Ares smiled at his daughter, feeling proud of her, "Now that's a threat that I can understand, and agree with."
"Threat?" She quietly asked as she swiftly put her dagger back.
Ares frowned and then quickly informed Xena on what had happened at the river.
Xena grew serious in thought, "So, you think that someone is trying to kill Joxer. But why?"
Ares shrugged his shoulders as he watched Joxer and Gabrielle enter the camp. "The only thing I can think of is that either whoever is after him thinks that he is his brother Jett, or," he paused as he swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat, "it's because he was with me, and I'm the one that the dagger was meant for. Then, he is still in danger, because like a fool, I have fallen in love and have put him in harm's way. And for that reason, I must stay away from him. Find a way for him to hate me so he will be protected from my enemies."
Part 14
"Ares, are you sure that's the right choice?" Xena softly asked, "Don't you think that Joxer should be included in your decision?"
Ares looked thoughtfully at his daughter, but before he could speak, a pink and blue flash appeared near the campsite.
The sudden flash caused Xena and Ares to be on the defensive, standing protectively in front of Joxer and Gabrielle.
Ares let out a sigh of relief when he saw Strife and Cupid standing before them.
"Hey Unc," Strife called out as he and Cupid walked forward.
Ares smiled at seeing his son and nephew together and lowered his sword.
"What are you doing here?" Xena asked with her sword still raised.
Cupid looked toward Strife and shrugged his shoulders while Strife just raised his eyebrow up and gave her a 'duh' look. "Unc was missing, so we thought we would go find him."
"What's going on,Strife?" Ares asked as he bent down and picked up Cupid's glowing feather. As he handed the glowing feather back to his son, he noticed the sudden closeness between Cupid and Strife, while Xena finally lowered her sword. He ignored the anger he could see growing in Gabrielle.
"That's what we would like to know, Unc. One moment, Cupie and I were minding our business and the next, the Fates bring us to your temple and tell us that we are to take over until you're back. Then they leave with the Sword of War following behind them."
"The Sword of War willingly left with the Fates!" He exclaimed.
Cupid and Strife nodded their heads. "What's going on, Dad?" Cupid asked as he elbowed Strife and nodded his head towards Ares's bandaged arm. He also noticed the look of surprise and shock that came across Joxer's face.
"To be honest, Cupid, I don't rightly know. All I do know, is that the Fates also appeared to me, and gave me an offer that I couldn't refuse." He wasn't about to tell them what that offer was; admitting his so human-like feelings in front of his daughter was enough for him to deal with in one day.
"It sounds like the Fates are behind what is going on," Xena thoughtfully spoke as she turned back towards the camp.
"Aren't they always, Xena," Gaberille stated bitterly as she glared at the three Gods standing before her.
It was then that Gaberille noticed Joxer was missing.
"I hope you know that this is all your fault, Ares," Gaberille angerly hissed at him as she stomped back into the camp.