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By Lynn Lucas and Co written By Phillip Howell
LynnLucas3@aol.com and Petricles@aol.com
Prologue
Darkness and a moonlit camp site. The listless smoke of a smoldering fire drifted sluggishly across two sleeping forms. In the distance, the night cry of a hunting owl broke the early morning silence.
"How on earth can one live in all of this darkness! It s driving me crazy! Oh, what I wouldn't give to see the sky again. Hercules thought I was finished. So did Xena. And that little brat, Lynn! Well, I'll show them all. And when I m done, the world will have no more heros - I will rule it all!" Callisto laughed hysterically.
Somewhere in between a dream and reality, Xena found herself surrounded by high, rocky cliffs which seemed to have no end. She felt extremely uneasy, cutoff, vulnerable. It was oh, so very quiet. Then, suddenly the silence was broken by that loud and annoying scream which Xena dreaded more than anything else in the world.
"Callisto!" Xena exclaimed, drawing the name out into a sibilant hiss, as the blond warlord landed in front of her.
"That's right Xena. Well, don't look so surprised." Callisto replied in a dry, well modulated voice which dripped with irony.
"I thought you were locked safely away?" Xena asked, backing away from the blond warrior, her hand going to rest tensely near her sword.
"Well Xena, you were wrong." Callisto replied, her tone suddenly mocking as she took a threatening step in Xena's direction, a step meant to crowd the personal space of the raven haired warrior.
"What do you want?" Xena asked, looking around nervously, as the blond warrior advanced toward her.
"Only what I've wanted ever since you destroyed my home! I want you DEAD!" Callisto screamed the final word, her hatred for Xena evident in her flashing grey eyes.
"Yes, well somehow I don't think you're going to get what you want." Xena replied as she continued to put distance between herself and insane blond warrior.
"Don t be so sure of yourself, Xena. This time I've found an easier way to destroy you." Callisto pointedly told the dark haired warrior, her voice suddenly a near whisper.
"Oh really?" Xena replied evenly, sounding not at all convinced.
"Yes! You see, Xena, I've been inside your head. I know your deepest, darkest secrets. And I am going to use each and every one of them against you!!" Callisto chuckled hideously.
"Very funny, Callisto. I just have one little problem with that - where s your punch line?" Xena inquired, a smirk coming over her beautiful face.
"You think this is funny? Well Xena, it looks like I really DO have an advantage over you. Don't I, Xena?" Callisto threw her head back and laughed the brittle laugh of madness. "Be afraid, Xena. Be very afraid!" And as those haunting words swept over the raven haired warrior, Callisto vanished, leaving only a hint of smoke behind to mark her presence.
Xena was...well, Xena was afraid. With a resounding shudder, Xena's dream crashed inward upon her sleeping mind. She bounded out of her bedroll as if struck by lightening, suddenly awake. Reaching across the smoldering campfire with a shaking hand, she shook Gabrielle by the shoulder, desperate to wake her friend.
"No nut bread for me today, mom. I have to fight a war with Xena!" Gabrielle mumbled groggily, still half asleep.
"Gabrielle wake up!" Xena exclaimed loudly, shaking the bard by the shoulders.
Gabrielle suddenly shot up from her reclining position. Grabbing her staff, the bard was instantly awake and alert, her staff held stiffly in a guard position. "What is it Xena? Trouble?" Gabrielle whispered, searching the surrounding semi-darkness for the source of Xena's anxiety.
"Yes! Big trouble. Now get packed, we're leaving." Xena ordered, her voice low and gruff.
"But it's not even morning yet!" Gabrielle whined as she became aware that nothing threatened their peaceful camp site.
"I know. I can't explain now, just get packed." Xena replied hotly. "Move it, Gabrielle!"
Xena rode Argo up to a large undulation in the hilly landscape and dismounted. Warily, she waited for her friend to catch up and join her and Argo. Only moments passed before Gabrielle finally made it to where Xena and Argo waited for her with growing impatience.
"What are we doing here?" The bard gasped, gulping air into her lungs, breathless from the hard run uphill to where her friend stood.
"Shh!" Xena raised her arm and commanded silence.
A thick fog swept into the valley and suddenly a thousand horses thundered into view. Among the roiling mass of horse flesh rode a
very beautiful girl riding a sleek, black horse. The girl was dressed in dark leather armor similar to that worn by the infamous warlord, Callisto. To her left, a large dragon lumbered along, effortlessly keeping pace with her. Her other side was guarded by a large white wolf.
"Lynn? What do we want with her, Xena?" Gabrielle frowned.
"Be nice! And remember she's my friend." Xena replied, giving her young friend a brief smile.
"But, she tried to kill you Xena!" Gabrielle exclaimed incredulously.
"She's changed Gabrielle, you know that. Besides, I need her help." Xena said in a lowered voice.
"But why, Xena?" Gabrielle swept her arms wide, "why Xena?"
"Because she's the only one who can fight Callisto." Xena replied, her voice suddenly hard and brittle. Turning her back on the astounded bard, Xena walked down the slope to where Lynn sat her horse in silence. With an eloquent shrug of her shoulders, Gabrielle followed, snatching up Argo's reins as she passed her friend's horse.
"Hello Xena." Lynn said as the two women neared.
"Hello Lynn. Nice herd." Xena said, sweeping the large heard of milling horses with a practiced eye.
"Thank you, Xena. They belong to King Lexious. He s merely hired me to watch them, so they're not mine." Lynn replied, a half smile gracing her beautiful, young face.
"Of course. I need to ask a favor from you. I don't know how, but Callisto s found a way to destroy me. I can't kill her because she's immortal so you're the only one I can turn to for help." Xena said.
"Callisto? But she hates me." Lynn said in a matter of fact tone of voice as if the statement were common place.
"I know. What do you say?" Xena asked, her face expectant.
Lynn looked over to where Gabrielle stood silently contemplating the two warriors. "Gabrielle? If you stay here with the horses, I'll go with Xena."
Gabrielle frowned, looking over at her friend. Xena pulled her aside and whispered in her ear, "Gabrielle please, I need her help."
Gabrielle nodded, looking into Xena's ice blue eyes. "Okay, I'll do it. I'll stay with the horses while you two go on ahead."
"Are you sure?" Xena asked, placing a hand on the bard's shoulder.
"I'm sure, Xena. Go on." Gabrielle said, reaching up to touch Xena's hand reassuringly.
"Good." Lynn said. "Let's get going, Xena. The sooner we get this over with the better."
Lynn reined her black horse around and spurred the animal into a quick gallop. Xena quickly mounted Argo and spurred the horse into a furious gallop to catch up with the fast receding Lynn. The dragon followed closely behind Xena and the white wolf closely behind the dragon.
"Great! Just great," Gabrielle exclaimed to no one in particular. "Now I'm left, all alone, with a bunch of horses. Just great!"
PART ONE
Callisto waited silently in the darkness as Xena approached the village the blond warrior had just burnt. She laughed, softly. "That's right Xena, come and get me," she said quietly to herself. Callisto could not see Lynn or her dragon friend even though they were right there with Xena. Callisto waited until Xena was right beneath where she squatted. Then suddenly, she leapt down onto Xena's back, knocking her off Argo.
"Where's that little brat of your's?" Callisto laughed, holding a long blade sword to Xena s neck.
Lynn s dragon appeared shouting, "Look out!" Then he grabbed Callisto by her hair. The blond warrior screamed bloody murder as the dragon drug the struggling woman off Xena's back.
"Hurt's! Doesn't it," the dragon inquired, looking his captive in the face as Lynn appeared by his side.
"Put her down, Owen!" Lynn ordered.
The dragon let go of his grip on Callisto and the blond warrior fell to the ground in front of Lynn's black horse. "Ahh Lynn! You never let me have any fun," he whined imploringly.
"You'll get your chance. You know that," Lynn chuckled. She dismounted with a flourish from her black horse, Shadow. Walking toward the sprawling blond, Lynn unsheathed one of her two swords and pointed it at Callisto's neck.
"You! I should've known Xena would hire you to put an end to me," Callisto wailed.
Lynn smiled down at the blond. "Xena didn't hire me. I came of my own free will," Lynn told her.
"Oh how thoughtful of you. Just the thought of the warrior princess Lynn, who once had such great potential, going soft makes me sick! Callisto spat, her voice venomous and tense. You could've worked with me! Together, we could've ruled the world!" Callisto screamed at the young woman.
"I don't want the world, Callisto. I just want to go home. To my own time and my own world. But I'm stuck here, so I might as well do something good while I still have time to do it," Lynn replied, here voice almost a whisper.
"You should have killed me when you had the chance, Xena. Now all of your friends are going to suffer. Starting with this one."
Callisto executed a forward flip and kicked Lynn s sword out of her hands. Then she spun around and kicked Lynn again, this time knocking the young girl down. Lynn did not move after her body made a loud impact with the hard ground.
"Get up, Lynn!" The dragon yelled, his voice full of pain for his friend.
"Oh yes, please do. Lets take another whack at this. Shall we?" Callisto asked, an evil grin breaking out on her face.
Lynn smiled evenly. She pulled out her other sword and flipped back up into a fighting stance. "Remember. You asked for it." she said. Lynn swung her second sword furiously at Callisto. The blond warrior easily blocked it with her own sword. Callisto laughed as the two swordswomen faced each other, blades locked.
"Oh, you've gotten better, Lynn. Or is it bitter? Hmm. I guess we'll just have to find out, won't we?" Callisto laughed hideously. She pulled her sword away, breaking the lock and arched it in a backhand strike at Lynn. Their swords clanged together once again. And again, stalemate. Lynn yelled her battle cry and flipped effortlessly backwards out of sword's reach of the blond.
Rita suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The white/black, former slave girl flipped onto the scene and knocked Callisto to the ground.
"Rita! Get out of here!" Lynn shouted, fearful that her friend might get hurt.
"No way, Lynn! I'm gonna kill her, myself," Rita yelled.
Callisto laughed an evil laugh and flipped back to a fighting stance. Soon Rita was beneath the sword of the blond warrior. Callisto laughed again, hysterically and without remorse.
Lynn, once again executed a forward flip and landed behind Callisto, putting her sword to the blond's neck. "Leave her alone Callisto!" Lynn commanded.
"Well Xena, it look s like you aren't the only one who has a sidekick." Callisto chuckled. She turned to Lynn and dropped her sword on the dirt. "I want to fight you fair and square, Lynn. A battle to the death would be nice, but too easy. You see I have learned that gods have their own battle grounds..and that is where I want to fight you. We'll fight for your powers. If I win they're mine and Xena stays alive. If I loose you loose them and she dies," Callisto said, a big, evil grin on her face.
Lynn stood silent for a moment. She could hear Xena's breath, and she could hear Owen's even clearer. Owen would want her to do the right thing. Even if it meant loosing her power and her friends. At least you would save Xena, she thought.
"All right, Callisto. I'll fight you on the battle ground of the gods and if I loose you get my power, and my friends, but Xena will stay alive," Lynn said.
"And your Immortality. But if you win, you keep them," Callisto replied.
Lynn nodded in acknowledgement. "Three Days! We'll train and at sunset on the tenth day - we fight." she said.
Callisto smiled evilly. "But of course!" The blond warrior laughed hysterically and flipped out of sight.
PART TWO
Singing an ancient Irish folk tune, Lynn sat watching a blood red sun set over the gentle hills that rose up before her to the south. Lynn looked up and smiled when she saw Xena approaching.
"I..er...ah ...appreciate you helping me, Lynn. I really didn't think Callisto would ask so much of you," Xena said, her nervousness apparent in her rigid stance.
"Doesn't matter. I need to do something good. I was hoping that maybe it would put an end to the way others see me. I don t want to end up like Callisto. I was like her once and I don t ever want to be like that again," Lynn said, looking the older woman in the eyes.
"You won't. Someone once told me that things of the past should be left in the past. And that the best way to forget them is to learn from them," Xena replied, boldly meeting Lynn's eyes.
"I know, but I still find it so very hard to find peace in myself knowing that there are still people like her out there," Lynn said, her voice a hard whisper.
"That s why those people have to be brought to justice," Xena said as she walked forward to lay a callused hand on the girl's shoulders.
An old man cleared his throat from behind them. Startled by the sound, Xena turned to meet the stranger. "Can I help you?"
"Might I have a word with my daughter?" The regal looking man advanced past Xena to stand before Lynn. The girl, smiling broadly, rose to meet the stranger. "Dad?" She laughed, the laughter echoing off the surrounding hills, as she watched the stranger's face break out into its own broad smile of greeting. Zeus laughed out load as he swept the girl up in a strong embrace.
"ZEUS?" Xena gasped in astonishment. "Of course. We'll talk later Lynn," Xena said as she turned and walked away, leaving father and daughter alone with each other.
Lynn nodded, "okay Xena, I'll see you later."
Lynn was suddenly nervous as Zeus released her from his embrace. There was an open pit in her stomach, at least it felt that way.
Her mind went numb. There were so many things she wanted to say to Zeus, but she did not know where to start.
"Lynn, there are a lot of things you have done that I am very proud of. There are also a lot of things you have done that I am not so proud of," Zeus began, reaching over and grasping the girl by the shoulders and looking her in the eyes.
"What are you getting at?" Lynn asked, momentarily flinching at her father's touch.
"I don't want you to fight Callisto. If you do, I m not sure you'll be able to get your powers back. Or your immorality," Zeus said.
Lynn's face broke out in a frown. "You just don't want me to fight her because you want my power all to yourself," Lynn said accusingly.
"No! That's not it at all," Zeus exclaimed. "I love you, Lynn. You're my favorite child. I want you to live and be happy." The God dropped his hands to his side.
"Bull shit!" Lynn laughed in derision.
Zeus's brow grew dark as he took in her vulgarity, his jaw tightening. His daughter could see right through him. God or no God. "Don't fight her, Lynn. You haven't got a chance," he said. And with those parting words, Lynn's father disappeared as mysteriously as he had appeared only moments before.
Before Lynn could recover from her father's rapid departure, Duncan McCloud flashed into reality right beside the open mouthed girl. With a deep sigh of yearning, Lynn fell into his strong scottish arms.
"I heard everything. And I want to help you defeat this menace, this Callisto," Duncan told her as he embraced her in a fierce hug of longing and love.
Despite her feeling and a heart that fluttered deep in her breast, Lynn shook her head a resounding no. "It s to risky Duncan. You should leave now before Callisto finds out about us," Lynn said, reaching up to lay a fine-boned finger on the highlander's lips. "If she does find out, she's libel to kill you and I don't want that to happen."
"She can't kill me, Lynn, you know that. She's only mortal," Duncan said, grasping her hand in his.
Lynn shook her head. "No Duncan, you are wrong. She s an Immortal God now. And she's insane. So go on, get out of here!" Lynn commanded.
Duncan stiffened at her imperious tone of voice. He did not want to leave Lynn, not now when she was most vulnerable and in danger for her life. But he knew she was right in this matter. "All right, fine," Duncan said. With a mere flick of her strong wrist, Lynn made him disappear.
Ares walked up behind Callisto as she was training. The God of War touched her shoulder and immediately she was in his arms. "Ares, God of War. I thought you had it in for Lynn Kirk or what ever her name is?" Callisto asked, lightly kissing the God on his scarred cheek.
"I was so wrong to love her. You're the one I want," Ares said, his fingers lightly tracing the top of her leather armor.
"Really? Do you love me Ares?" Callisto shivered as his fingers momentarily came into contact with the exposed flesh above her armor.
Ares didn't want to say it. But he did. "Yes. More than anything!" Ares lied.
Callisto threw her arms around Ares and hugged him to her breast. With abandon, Callisto passionately kissed the God. Ares didn't want to kiss this she demon from the other side, but he thought he was helping Lynn, so he did.
Joxer stumbled into Callisto s cave. She pulled away from Ares and looked straight at him. Joxer could see in her maddened eyes that she wanted desperately to kill him, right now, right there where he stood. "Joxer! What do you want?" She snapped.
"Mighty Callisto," Joxer said haltingly, his arm coming across his chest in salute. "I offer my services to you as warrior and former colleague of Miss Kirks."
"Warrior? Joxer you're no warrior. Now get out before I kill you," Callisto ordered.
Joxer staggered backwards in sudden fear of her anger. "Yes, Ca..Call..Callisto," Joxer stuttered. Turning, he ran off to tell Lynn what was going on.
Lynn looked at Joxer and shook her head. "I don t believe you, Joxer!"
"I'm telling you, I saw them kissing. Ares said he loved her more than anything," Joxer said.
"Joxer, Ares loves Lynn more than anything," Xena said, a smirk on her face at the thought of Ares loving anyone 'more than anything'.
Lynn felt a great pain over come her. She had to get out and be alone with her raging emotions. She turned and walked out of the hut.
Owen the dragon met her just outside the doorway. Looking down at her, Owen asked, "what's wrong, Lynn?"
"I don't want talk about it," Lynn whispered.
"Are you sure? Sometimes it helps, you know," Owen said.
"I know, but I don't want to talk about this Owen," Lynn said.
'Well, all right. Just remember, I'm here if you need me," Owen said.
Lynn nodded to her dragon friend and decided to take a walk in the darkness. It had never occurred to her that loosing her power
could mean so much. If she lost those, she would be mortal again. Once again an almost normal person, though she would still be half-Romulan, half-Human. But as a mortal she would never be able to return to her own time. A time she had been told was sometime in the very far future. She would grow old and die here. And while she had come to love this new world - well it was not home! No, she did not want to lose her powers!
But if she lost to Callisto she would save Xena. So what would it be? Her power or Xena's life? Which was more important? The life of a mortal being, who was her friend, or her power - and her future? If she were like the other Gods, Lynn would say her power was more important. But she wasn't like those other Gods. She had never really been treated like a God in the first place so being mortal would be a walk in the park, right? She shook her head. No! Not right!
Out of the darkness, Joxer approached her. It was apparent from the look on his face that he did not know what to say to the young girl. Lynn thought about avoiding him, but for some reason she did not turn away from his approach.
"Joxer, I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. I mean, maybe you're right. Maybe Ares WAS just using me," Lynn said softly.
"What? Uh...er...ah...Lynn, you know I make mistakes a lot, so maybe I wasn't seeing the whole thing...or whatever," Joxer said. God, but that sounded dumb, he thought to himself. Joxer blushed as he saw Lynn smile.
"I'm sure you were. I was naive to think that a God would actually love me for ME and not just for my powers. I was the one who wasn't seeing the whole picture. But at least now I can do something about it now," Lynn said.
"You're going to let Callisto win aren't you? Joxer asked, a frown breaking out on his expressive face.
Lynn sighed. "My powers won't make me great. And they're certainly not as important as a human life," Lynn said.
"I used to think that all the Gods were the same, until I met you. You don't deserve to be treated like this, Lynn. No one does," Joxer said.
Lynn smiled. "Joxer, I've been through a lot. I think that even if I don't get to go home, at least I'll have lived a good life, and have been a good person," she said. Lynn put her arms around the would-be warrior and gave him a big hug. She laughed when she heard Joxer sigh as her arms went around his narrow chest. Lynn knew that Joxer was trying to comfort her, but she half-expected that his sigh was because it was not often that a beautiful girl threw her arms around him and gave him an affectionate hug.
Callisto stood and waited for Lynn at the Lava pit. The same Lava pit Xena had thrown Callisto into not so long ago. This was it. Callisto was finally going to get her revenge. If Lynn was like all of the other Gods - well Callisto would do anything to see that she defeated the girl and kept her godly powers. The one time warlord-turned immortal only prayed that she was right. By Hades' breath, that lava looked hot, but then the warrior-turned immortal was already acquainted with its fiery touch. Callisto shivered at the memory while she waited Lynn's arrival
Lynn's dragon could be seen from miles away and as Owen approached Callisto's little camp, his hulking presence gave Lynn away. Or so Callisto thought. The blond warrior smiled as the dragon came into sight. Callisto though she could see Lynn riding at his side. But she was not. Callisto's smile darkened to a frown. Then suddenly, Lynn magically appeared several feet in front of the dragon. Horse, rider, and all.
"That's the last time you'll be doing that." Callisto said.
Lynn sighed. "So it is," she told the blond warrior. Lynn executed a forward flip from the back of Shadow, pulling out her Arabian Sword as she went.
As Lynn landed before her, Callisto struck with her own sword. The two fierce women fought for several hours and it was clear to any who might be watching that Callisto was struggling to maintain an advantage against the woman warrior who opposed her.
Then in the final moments of their fight, Lynn maneuvered Callisto into the perfect position from which to end the fight once and for all. Rather than finish the other woman warrior off, Lynn let her go. She turned her back on Callisto and began to walk away. The feared warlord laughed and struck the fatal blow which consumed Lynn's power.
Lynn watched helplessly as all of her friends began to disappear. Finally, Joxer was the only one left. He had managed to catch Lynn when she fell after Callisto had drained her powers off completely. Callisto looked up at Joxer.
"Opps!! It seems as though I forgot someone. Good Bye, Joxer!" Callisto said nonchalantly. Then without apparent effort, the blond warrior sucked Joxer up as well.
"NOO!" Lynn screamed.
Callisto laughed. "As for you, my pretty. You're mortal now. So get used to it. Have a nice life, Lynn!" Callisto suddenly just vanished leaving Lynn trapped in a dark cave.
THE END
