Disclaimers:
Renaissance/Universal own the Xenaverse, created by Rob Tapert.
I make no monetary profit form my fanfic.
Summary - Xena and Hades comfort one and other.
Rating PG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Xena sat in a heap, cradling Gabrielle's body, gently
rocking back and forth, the air shivering, hearing her painful melody of death.
Xena's gaze drifted from the lifeless body of her
friend to the sky. In her pain, she did
not see the beauty of the wispy clouds.
"I won't
let it end like this ..." Her voice was quiet, yet brooked no argument.
Gently Xena lay Gabrielle's limp body down, covering
her wound. She had killed the warrior
who had run her friend through, but that brought little consolation.
Xena carried Gabrielle's body into the woods, and
wrapped her friend in a blanket. Argo
gave a sad whimper as Xena placed the Bard inside the hollow of a large tree.
"I'll
come back for you, I promise."
Xena composed herself, walking out into the clearing
as though there were no tomorrow.
"HADES!!!!" the Warrior Princess bellowed.
No answer.
"HADES!!!!!" Her voice broke.
Still nothing.
"You owe
me, damnit! Show yourself!!!"
The world could not have been quieter.
"All
right, you bastard! Have it your
way! Don't say I didn't warn you."
The Warrior Princess ran and dived into the nearby
lake.
Yet again, she thumped down hard in Tartarus and
grunted.
"I hate
this place ... Ohh ... Gabrielle ... "
She knew her friend was in the Elysian Fields, safe
and serene, though she wasn't to be in the Land of the Dead for long ...
Xena kept cover, avoiding any unwanted surprises, or
an impromptu visit from Hades who was none too fond of people dropping into his
realm uninvited.
As the Warrior Princess made her way through the
depths of Tartarus, she began to hear weeping.
Not just any weeping, weeping of a shattered heart and soul. She knew the sound well. Her heart made the same sound.
//Tartarus is
supposed to be torment...// she thought to herself, though the cries of this
soul began to eat into her own.
He may well deserve the suffering, she thought - he
may be a murderer, rapist, a paedophile and Hades knew what else, but she felt
she had to do something.
The desperate lonely, cries became louder as Xena
neared, echoing in every chasm, Xena was sure even the cries could be heard
over the peaceful plains of the Elysian Fields.
Bunched up, near a large rock, she saw a man, in dirty
tattered red clothing, his legs curled up beneath him, as he clutched himself
and cried. Her sixth sense told her
that this man was not evil.
"You
don't belong in Tartarus," she said, her voice gentle. "Let me help you."
The man did not turn to look at Xena, his cries became
louder, piercing the Warrior Princess' very soul, cries of hopelessness,
despair, a world lost, like hers was.
"Hades
would never punish a virtuous, kind soul like your own..."
The cries became louder still and the man vomited, his
face still hidden from Xena.
"Let me
talk to him. He'll escort you to the
Elysian Fields. You don't belong
here."
With an effort, the man stopped sobbing, his gentle
blue eyes wrought with pain as he turned to face Xena, the Warrior Princess
reeling back in shock.
"And
where do I belong, Xena?"
Xena stared, regarding his face, dirty and streaked
with tears.
"Hades
..."
The Lord of the Dead used the rock to stand. Xena helped Hades steady himself.
It took an effort to walk. Both God and Warrior Princess said nothing as Hades lead Xena to
his castle.
"I don't
suppose you're going to tell me what the matter is?"
"And I
don't suppose you'll believe me if I said my eyes were watering."
"Uh,
no."
"Well in
short, I pissed off big brother Zeus and he ... well... fired me."
"Literally?"
"Almost."
"That's
why you were crying? Do you expect me
to feel sorr-"
Hades looked embarassed. "I don't expect you to understand, Xena, you're mortal ...
The Underworld is my home, it's all I have."
"What
about Celesta and Persephone?"
"This
place is all we have." Hades bit
his lip.
"When
did it happen?" Xena asked.
"A few
days ago ... Zeus said he'll give me a week to get myself together."
Hades gestured as they entered his castle. He lead Xena upstairs.
"Where
will you go?"
"Haven't
the foggiest. Don't suppose you've got
room for a deposed God?"
Xena smiled.
"I've learned men on the rebound can be fickle."
Hades tried to make himself smile. Looking at him, Xena sensed he wasn't
telling the whole story.
"You've
come for Gabrielle," he said quietly.
"Yes," Xena said.
Hades waved his hands gently through the air. "She's back, alive, healed. Badda bing."
Hades waved his hand, showing Gabrielle waking up in
confusion inside the tree, Argo peering down at her.
"There
you go, Xena," Hades said.
"Good as new."
Xena stared at him.
"I at least expected a protest form you."
"Sorry
to disappoint you." Hades gave a
smile, though Xena could tell it wasn't a happy one.
Hades reached for an encrusted silver chalice, filled
with a dark green substance.
"How
much of that have you had?" Xena asked.
"I've
hardly started."
Xena took the chalice out of his hand. "This isn't what you need right
now."
Hades grumbled something incomprehensible. "And what do I need?"
Xena looked at Gabrielle, now standing with Argo. "Won't Zeus-"
"I'm
fired, remember?"
"You
want him to give you a good reference?"
Hades gave a humourless chuckle. "I don't give a fimus."
"And
what about you? This isn't like you,
Hades, deposed or not. What about the
natural order you care so much about?"
"Restoring one being to life isn't going to disturb it."
"And if
everyone said that?"
Hades gave that same humourless smile. "You're starting to sound like me,
Xena."
"Thank
you for restoring Gabrielle, Hades, though I'm concerned...“
He paced around.
"Don't be, Xena. I'm still
a God. It's not like Zeusy's taken my
powers... I can restore every person here if I damned well wanted to..."
Xena did not miss the tear rolling down Hades' cheek.
"But
what's the use of power when I can't even ... save…" His voice broke, as
he sat, in tears again, swiping whatever was on the table off, the chalice's
contents spilling onto the hard floor.
Hades bit his lip, but the tears didn't stop.
Xena regarded him with sympathy. "Hades, what happened? ... You didn't
get fired, did you?"
“Almost ...
and ...”
“Surely
Persephone would have-“
Hades bit his lip.
“She ... she ... she left me, Xena ...” Hades paused for a moment. “It was my fault ... I ... I ... fell in
love with a nymph and ...”
“I see.”
“Don’t look
at me like that, Xena ... She was so beautiful, so innocent ... I love my wife
and I always will, despite what happened ... Zeus almost killed me and Demeter
would have if she could have... And now she hates me even more... Xena, I don’t
know what I can do ... Nothing I’ve said seems to make any difference...”
“Did you
really love her?”
Hades nodded.
“What was her
name?”
The God smiled.
“Minthe ... She had this
luscious green hair and...”
“And can you
see why Persephone-“
“Of course I
can!” Hades snapped. "And I can do
nothing ..."
"Welcome
to the mortal world, Hades."
"Perhaps you should go now," he said
quietly. "I've kept you here long
enough."
"I'm
sorry," Xena said, sensing Hades' pain.
Gently she touched his shoulder and began to leave though Hades kept
hold of her hand.
She barely heard what he said.
He repeated his quiet words. "Don't go... please..."
Xena turned, looking sympathetic, though also a little
weary.
"Persephone didn't leave you did she?"
Hades shook his head.
"Am I
going to get a straight answer?" Xena asked.
His hand shaking, Hades pointed to a stony ledge,
covered by a thick white cloth. Xena
looked over and shivered as she walked over and pulled the cloth back. Eyes wide with shock as she stared at the
motionless bodies of Persephone and Celesta.
"By the
Gods..."
Hades began to sob again, Xena turned to him, feeling
his pain.
"What
happened to them?"
It took a while for Hades to respond. "Food and ale were left in one of my
Temples ... Little did I know they were tainted with Hinds blood… It was meant for
me, Xena ..." His tears flowed like the river Styx. "... And now they're gone ..."
Xena placed her hand on the grieving God's shoulder, feeling
his pain, as she shared it for her slain Gabrielle… Hades shut his eyes, tears
splashing on the stone table. he Lord of the Underworld sobbed a little louder
as he held Xena's hand. Hades shut his eyes tight, tears streaming down his
pale cheeks.
"Can't
you restore them?" Xena asked.
"I have neither
the power or the authority to restore a God or Goddess to life. Only a mortal can do that."
“A mortal…” Xena
sighed. "What do I have to
do?"
Hades managed a small smile. "Thank you, Xena."
He took her hand. "That's
three I owe you."
"You
restored Gabrielle, and I can't let you go on like this, can I?"
"You
must retrieve ambrosia and revert it to its liquid form. Only in the fires of Tartarus can you do
that."
"Swell. Looks like I have
my work cut out for me."
"Thank
you, Xena," Hades sighed with relief, as the Warrior Princess left.
She found Gabrielle sitting by the tree.
"Xena? …
What happened? I felt myself run
through."
"You're
the only family I have, Gabrielle. I
can't bear to lose you, so I paid Hades a visit."
"Oh? And he restored
me? You twisted his arm?"
"It's a
long story." Xena told her.
At the end, Gabrielle’s eyes glistened with
tears. "That's awful … He loved
them both so much."
Xena nodded, with a warm smile. "And that’s why I'm helping him."
* *
*
Hades appeared before a man, sitting on a rock.
"I've been
waiting for you," the man said calmly.
"Any
last requests before I send you to Tartarus, Borus?" Hades said, his teeth
gritted.
"The
poison was meant for you."
"I know
that!" Hades snapped. "Damn
you! Celesta and Persephone were all I
had!"
"And
Joni and Dela were all I had!" The man shot back in tears.
"Excuse
me?"
"My wife
and daughter. They were taken from me
when the Warlord Jax burned my village to the ground. I was the only survivor."
Hades didn't think it was possible, but he began to
pity the man.
"And you
thought you'd get revenge on me."
"Yes,
you took them, damnit!"
"I did
not kill them if that's what you mean.
A mortal never comes to the Underworld until it is their rightful
time."
"I miss
them so much …"
"How do
you think I feel? Do you think a God is
incapable of feelings? Incapable of
love?"
Hades forced back tears with a vengeance.
Meanwhile, Xena gone to great lengths to acquire the
ambrosia, now to melt it in Tartarus…
"I'm so
sorry," Borus said. "I know
that means nothing to you. There's
nothing more you can take from me, bar my life which is meaningless without
them. Send me to Tartarus. It’s what I
deserve. At least I'll be closer to them."
Hades sighed.
"I came here to kill you, but I must assume my responsibility as a
God. It's not your rightful time. As furious as I am, you will have to
wait."
"When
will my rightful time be?"
"I
cannot tell you that and committing suicide will get you sent straight back up
here."
Borus sighed.
"And when my rightful time comes you'll send me to Tartarus because
I killed your wife and sister."
"No –
not because you murdered my wife and sister and tried to kill me. Because you committed both murder and
attempted murder. I would do the same
if you had done this to a mortal family. However, if you do enough good with
what's left of your mortal life, I might just be lenient."
Borus looked into Hades eyes and took his hand. “I am ashamed that I wronged you, and your beloveds, Lord Hades. I am truly sorry for what I have done and you have my word that I will make amends.
"Good.
For your sake. I must tell you that
Joni and Dela are safe in the Elysian Fields, hoping you will join them someday."
And with that Hades disappeared to his realm.
"What
took you so long?" Xena asked, holding a chalice of liquid ambrosia.
Hades sighed.
“Some unpleasant business.”
“You killed
him, didn’t you?”
Hades signed.
“I wanted to, Xena, believe me …”
“You didn’t?”
Hades shook his head. “As furious as I was, Xena.
If I murdered him in revenge, I would not be worthy of the title of the
God of Justice. He told me the poison
was meant for me. He told me that his
wife and daughter were murdered by a warlord …”
Xena took his hand.
“Any other God would have killed him without a second thought. You’re a
good God, Hades and a good man.”
Hades smiled warmly.
"Thank you, Xena."
The Warrior Princess poured the glowing orange liquid
over Celesta and Persephone's mouths.
Hades held his breath. It was a
while before the two Goddesses came to.
The Lord of the Dead let out a breath of relief.
"I
cannot thank you enough, Xena."
"Nor can
I for resurrecting Gabrielle."
Hades smiled.
"It was the least I could do."
The Goddesses sat up, somewhat bewildered. Hades told them what had happened.
"We are
indebted to you, Xena," Celesta said, her beeswax candle once again alight
Xena smiled.
"Just happy to help."
Persephone stood, walked to Xena and kissed her on her
forehead. "You have a long life
ahead of you, Warrior Princess, and I know you will do good with it."
"That I
will," Xena said, then she turned to Hades.
"So wont Zeus get mad at you restoring Gabrielle?"
The Sovereign of the Underworld smiled. "What's he gonna do? Fire me?"
*