And Then There was Two

GENERAL COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Xena, Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Ares, Argo and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction.

All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author (meaning Kharis and Syrinus belong to me). This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.

VIOLENCE WARNING/DISCLAIMER: this story is based on the series and of course, what would Xena be but not the violent kick ass grrrl that she is! But violence has been kept to a minimum with very little actual bloodshed involved. That's for the next story. Muhahaha

SEXUAL VIOLENCE WARNING/DISLAIMER: This story insinuates a scene of sexual violence and a small amount of its aftermath. Some readers may be disturbed by this type of depiction and anyone who is sensitive to this particular issue may wish to read something other than this story. But I promise that there isn't any actual description of it, just the vague inference to it from one of the characters.

LOVE DISCLAIMER: This story depicts a loving relationship between two consenting adult women. If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal in the state or country in which you live, please do not read it. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may wish to read something other than this story.

If you can't stand the idea that two women can have a loving relationship then please keep your closed mind where it belongs and don't bother reading this story. 'Nuff said

This is my first attempt at XWP fanfic so please be gentile with this newbie. It is the first in the Sins of a God Series that will continue to grow with your support. Hopefully the other stories will be finished before you have to wait much longer. But, for now, enjoy what is below and remember...all comments, suggestions, and flames are welcome.

Kharis walked up to the tree and pulled the dagger out of the trunk. Turning back to Xena and Gabrielle, she could see them deep in conversation, the bard's arm wrapped around her much larger friend's waist while he other arm was motioning around the two bodies emphasising some point or another. Shaking her head slightly, Kharis sat down against the tree she had pulled the dagger from, resting her head on her crossed arms.

The past few days had been such a turmoil of contradictions that she still couldn't focus her mind clearly on how events had come to pass. She had only been gone a few hours, hunting for small game when she came back to find her village under attack by 'him'. Slipping in unnoticed with the rest of her village had been easy enough. Watching as the soldiers started to attack the villagers was unbearable. That she remembered but she couldn't remember what she had done because of it. Did she really kill those soldiers or was it her wish that she did? Standing up to the woman, who she originally thought was Xena, didn't even seem real. But she knew that it was and what happened afterwards... Trying as hard as she could Kharis couldn't even remember who did what first nor what was done exactly. Somehow her mind blocked out most of the day. Small fragments of instant clarity would hit her out of the blue but the whole was a whirlwind of chaos.

Clutching her arms even more tightly, Kharis pushed what had happened to her out of her mind and succumbed to the horror of what happened to her loved ones. Allowing the pain a final release, she mourned her mother's and brother's deaths. The anguish filled her soul as she silently wailed for her family. Her family - good, honest, loving people - had been wiped away from this world with the same amount of thought that the Gods bestowed upon man. None.

Sobbing with her head bowed, Kharis tightly held the dagger against her arm, never noticing the hands that slowly reached out to grab her. Feeling a pressure on her arm, she quickly raised her head to see who was touching her, only to have a large hand cover her mouth and roughly pull her small body up. Fear climbed into her heart as she was held against a large man's chest and carried into the dense brush beyond the trees backwards. Struggling with all her strength, Kharis bit down onto the man's hand and kicked with all her strength at any body part she could come into contact with. A surprised yelp was heard from behind her as the hand slightly withdrew from her mouth and from around her arms. The slight movement enabled her to free her dagger arm, which she used quickly to stab down between her legs, hoping to hit the man in the stomach. Suddenly her body was falling down the man's chest as she was released.

Turning sharply, Kharis had a second to see that her dagger had done damage but not in the area she had hoped for. The man was clutching at his groin, which quickly pumped out his life's blood. Seeing her opening, Kharis surged forward and plunged the dagger into the man's heart, feeling the dagger slip between bones, as it struck true. Moments later he was dead on the ground while Kharis stood over his body, bloodlust shining in her eyes.

Sensing a presence behind her, Kharis whipped her arm around to slash at whomever was almost upon her, only to have her hand suddenly go numb as the dagger was kicked out of a now broken hand. Ice cold eyes behind midnight hair quickly passed from the girl to the man, dead on the ground. Kharis realised who it was instantly and crumbled to the ground unconscious as the adrenaline suddenly left her body.

Xena had seen the man grab Kharis from her peripheral vision and instantly ran across the courtyard to save the girl, leaving Gabrielle to stand in dismay at her friend's sudden leaving before realising what her friend was rushing to. It was over before the warrior got in sword distance and only battle trained reflexes stopped the dagger from slicing at her arm as she was about to pull the girl out of the way. A quick kick took the dagger out of harm's reach but broke the bones. The darkness was instantly upon her as she quickly scanned the surrounding area, praying that someone else would step forward to help relieve the adrenaline rush that was coursing throughout her body. Seeing none, Xena sheathed her sword and knelt down to the girl's side. Gently lifting Kharis' now weak body in her arms, Xena stood up and turned to her bard who had just arrived.

Gabrielle was breathing heavy as she stopped by Xena's side. A man, likely a slaver, was dead on the ground from wounds to his groin and heart. Kharis was cradled gently in the warrior's arms, a broken hand now inflamed with pressure as the swelling started to begin. Looking into her friend's eyes, Gabrielle could see the darkness slowly abating as Xena struggled to control her emotions.

"I kicked the dagger out of her hand. Forgot how delicate her bones were," Xena replied sheepishly. She hadn't meant to break the girl's hand, just disarm her, but muscles that were used to defending against opponents sometimes larger then even Xena herself were already in motion before she could check their strength.

Gabrielle could see the guilt already starting in her friend's eyes over another mistake that Xena was sure could have been avoided. Touching the warrior on the arm, Gabrielle shook her head slightly; "You are not to blame for that. It was in self-defence. So don't even think of..."

A quirked eyebrow shot up, "Okay, Gabrielle. I won't blame myself for that. But I will for her being taken. I should have checked the perimeter before allowing her to go over there."

"Yes, I would have if I had been paying attention. But that's in the past now. I've got to set the bones now. Could go and retrieve the dagger. I kicked it over there," Xena nodded her head in the direction of where the flying dagger had went.

"Okay. Wait for me," Gabrielle said before jogging to the area where the dagger lay on some moss. It was covered in blood up to the hilt. The shock of seeing it red hit the bard hard. She had seen all of Xena's weapons covered in battle gore, too many times to even count, but the knowledge that the girl used this dagger was hard to accept. 'Could I have done what she did?' the bard mused as she wiped as much blood off the dagger on the ground as possible. 'Could I have lost my blood innocence at her age to save myself?' Knowing what the answer was Gabrielle sighed sadly and walked back to Xena who was waiting for the bard.

Both women walked back to the house in silence, both deep in their own thoughts. Stepping up onto the porch, Xena was blocked at the door by Syrinus who had heard the commotion from inside and went to check out what was happening. Seeing an unconscious Kharis in Xena's arms was not what he had expected.

"What happened?" he asked concerned as he stepped back into the house to allow the warrior passage through the door.

"She was attacked by a man, more then likely a slaver. Took him out before I could even get there." Xena answered calmly as she went into the girl's room and gently lowered her onto the bed. "Syr, you have anything I can splint his hand with? Gabrielle could you get my healer's kit and some water?"

Both friends nodded and went to retrieve what Xena had asked for as the warrior probed the hand for the amount of damage that she had inflicted. Two knuckles and three fingers were broken but would heal if set properly. The swelling was at its peak and slight purple bruises could now be seen starting to form. 'If she's anything like me she'll have full use in a few days' Xena mentally sighed. The girl was frightening in her speed and deadly accuracy of her attack on the man. Xena was impressed despite herself but also deeply worried. Kharis' eyes were what worried the warrior more. Rage, and that feral quality that Xena knew was in her own soul, clearly shone from those golden orbs. If the girl was deadly now at this young age what would she be like when she was fully trained and fully-grown? The thought left Xena shaking. Kharis would be unstoppable. Even more so then the ex-warlord was herself when she was the Destroyer of Nations. Kharis would fulfil what Ares once prophesied for Xena herself. One that she never fulfilled.

Syrinus and Gabrielle both returned at the same time to the room and handed over what Xena had asked for. Xena quietly worked on the girl's hand, splinting the fingers and binding the rest of the hand. Reaching over to the bard, she took the mug of water from Gabrielle's hands and applied a few healing herbs to it. Mixing them with her finger until the herbs had dissolved Xena leaned forward and lifted Kharis' head with her free arm. Titling it back a bit to open the mouth, Xena poured some of the mug's contents into the girl's mouth. Reaching over with the arm that was holding Kharis' head, Xena applied her fingers to the girl's neck, hitting a pressure point that forced Kharis to involuntarily swallow. She repeated the process until all of the water was drunk, then gently placed the girl's head back down on the pillow.

"She'll sleep a bit now. When she wakes up the pain killer should dull most of the pain."

"Come," Syrinus gestured towards the main room. "We'll eat and let the youngin' rest."

The gentle giant served the two women before sitting himself down at the table. Grabbing a large portion of mutton he noticed that Xena wasn't even attempting to eat, unlike the voracious bard. The warrior was staring down into her mug, trying to control the darkness that was once again rising within her. 'Why now? Why am I losing control now?'

Between bites Gabrielle also noticed her friend wasn't partaking in the small feast before them and nudged some nutbread towards the warrior, knowing it was one of her favourites. "Xena. Eat." The bard ordered then went back to attacking her extremely large portion of mutton.

Xena grabbed her mug of port and slowly drained it in one fluid motion. "Not hungry."

"Spooked? Me? Never." Xena scoffed as her soul continued to fight an evilness that was threatening to come out.

Nodding his head as if he understood, Syrinus took another bite of mutton but continued to hold the warrior's gaze, challenging her to deny it again. She knew he was right but hated to admit it. Hated to admit any weakness but this was one that had her worried for all of their souls. Especially her own.

"About Kharis' hand or just her?" Gabrielle asked as she helped herself to more mutton.

"Is it because she lost her blood innocence?" the bard asked softly. The point of blood innocence was very much ingrained in her friend's psyche.

"What?" Gabrielle sputtered, mutton flying out of her mouth. Blushing slightly, the bard mumbled her apologies as she cleaned up the small mess in front of her.

"That was no chance of luck out there. She knew where to hit him. In the exact spot that would kill him instantly. That doesn't happen with luck. That happens with practice." Xena said blankly. 'It only happens when you are like me' the warrior cringed.

"Where would she have acquired that practice? She's just a youngin," Syrinus asked pointedly.

"Hunting more then likely, but I think she has killed before. Maybe some of those soldiers that raided her village. Maybe even before then."

"If that's so then why are you upset?" Gabrielle asked, concern showing in her features at her friend's distress.

"Because she might be a lost cause already. I fear Ares already owns her. More so then he ever owned me."

"Why would you think that? Just because she was able to defend herself against that foul man doesn't mean that she's a lost cause."

Xena sighed and stood up, pacing across the floor to stand by an open window. The compound was quiet and peaceful, as was the house. But it wouldn't stay that way with the child under its roof. The memory that had lurked at the edge of the warrior's brain suddenly sprung to the surface with crystal clarity. How to explain the prophecy. How to explain Kharis' role in history, as was shown Ares' former Chosen once upon a time. Turning around to look at her friend's faces, Xena realised that it was time to bring to light what had been kept in her dark soul for over 14 years. The releasing of a secret that had burned her soul down to its core and was now allowing the darkness to gain control. The darkness that was reclaiming its place.

Syrinus' face was drained of colour as he sought a release from Xena's eyes. The cold, harsh light in those piercing blue eyes hid everything yet nothing to the man. Why he didn't see it before, he could never say afterwards. But the woman who was first his damnation, then salvation, was no longer there. Ares' Chosen was back, but back for a different reason. Xena was no longer there in front of him. Only death.

"You've heard of the Four Horsemen?" Xena asked casually, though her crystal eyes never reflected the easiness that her voice portrayed.

Xena chose to ignore that comment for the moment, "Pestilence, Famine, War, and Death. Apollo rules over the Horseman of Pestilence, Athena rules over Famine, Ares rules over War, and Hades rules over Death. Each God gives certain powers and feedoms to their chosen Horsemen to do as they please until they are called into service. Once the service is performed then the Horsemen are free to live their lives as they see fit." The statement hung in the air as Xena finally admitted, in her own way, her role in the fates of millions that went beyond the massacre of just the Destroyer of Nations.

"Xena? Did you ever have to...well..." Gabrielle didn't know how to say it. The sudden thought of what Xena was saying sent chills down her spine as the ramifications of what exactly being Ares' Chosen really meant.

"Yes." The truth of all truths that lead to the dark. Xena had been not only been a warlord held on a pedestal by the God of War but was his own tool as one of the Horsemen. If she had known that, when she initially accepted his offer, she would have renounced the sword. But Ares was no fool and held off telling her what being his Chosen really meant until it was too late. Her soul was already lost to anger and hatred. What was another title to her? Destroyer of Nations, Ares' Chosen, Third Horseman of the Apocalypse. Did it all really matter? They were one in the same. All titles led to death on a massive scale that pleased the Gods when it suited them. And Xena suited them very well for ten years.

"Xena," Syrinus said softly. "What was the prophecy?" He always knew that death had hung on the warrior's shoulders for years. But the reasons were suddenly much clearer to him. Once again he was mistaken in his assumptions that he knew this strange, enigmatic woman. Sadly mistaken.

Xena turned and faced the window again as the darkness struggled even harder to wrest control of the warrior's soul. The evil that had lain dormant for four years was striving to be free. With one pronouncement, evil would take control in all its glory. Realising there was no way out; Xena succumbed to the temptation, almost willingly.

"What once was four shall now be one. Unto only one, pestilence, famine, war, and death will be bequeathed. Thus fully claimed, the One shall be called forth upon this realm and shall be beholden neither to men nor gods. The One shall be known as the Guardian of Apocalypse and where-so-ever pestilence, famine, war, and death goes, so shall the One." Xena recited the prophecy as her soul quickly turned from the light to the dark. Unable to control it anymore, Xena released her soul to the Horseman of War.

The room suddenly darkened as the prophecy was finally released onto the mortal world. Shrinking unto itself, it could barely contain the three occupants. The world that Gabrielle and Syrinus knew suddenly changed in such a slight way that neither of them realised what was different. They only knew that life was never to be the same again.

Tears were streaming down the bard's eyes as she felt the change in her friend and soulmate. The Xena she knew was no longer there. A doppelganger that moved and talked and breathed like Xena was standing in front of her but was far more deadly and dangerous then her Xena could ever be. Eyes blazing in cold glory looked into the bard's soul and released that soul just as quickly. Turning sharply, the Horseman of War unsheathed her sword and purposefully strode to the room that contained the future Child of Apocalypse, preparing to do battle for her right to live.

Realising what Xena was going to do, Gabrielle shot up and blocked the entrance to the room, "Xena, don't!"

"Get out of my way, Gabrielle. This is between me and her," the doppelganger snarled as she pushed the bard across the room. A large hand landed on the dark woman's shoulder, whipping her around to face the body that owned the hand. A feral grin slowly slid up one side of her face as she pushed the hand off effortlessly. "You want to try and stop me too, Syr?"

The large man looked into his friend's soul and cried silently in alarm. The silver lining that had always redeemed this woman was gone, now replaced by a black cloud that marked her as a messenger of death. "Xena, you can't. Not this way," he said simply, hoping that he could reach her.

"This is not your way. Not now. You have to fight this, whatever it is that has a hold on you. You have to fight it not only for yourself but for the child also."

"And what makes you think I'd want to fight this for the child? She is my death. Forever. I will never exist again if the prophecy comes true. Not in Tartarus, not in the Fields. No where."

"There is another way," Gabrielle said as she rose from the ground slowly. Her back wincing from where it had made contact with a shelf.

"You and you're ways. Gods, Gabrielle, didn't you hear me? Hear what I said? She will take me unto herself and I will be no more," the warrior yelled almost uncontrollably. Insanity was starting to take a firm hold and the doppelganger revelled in it. Who needed clear thought when actions always spoke louder then words. 'Speaking of actions...' The Horseman pushed Syrinus away from her violently, pushing him into a low beam which knocked him unconscious. Turning to enter the child's room the warrior unsheathed her sword.

"How can you be sure it is her?" the bard yelled sharply, hoping that would shake Xena out of the darkness that had completely overcome her as the bard made her way to the room once again.

The Horseman stopped dead and fixed cold eyes of death on the bard, who stared chillingly back in defiance. A dark smile played quickly across her lips as she tried to figure out what the bard was driving at, besides trying to distract her from completing her mission, "You want reasons?"

"Just look at her you stupid fool. The body that looks like it barely survived a plague yet is stronger then mine was at that age. The skill of war from one who has never fought in a battle. The knowledge of death from one too young to know. Her eyes..."

"Her eyes?" Gabrielle was intrigued despite herself. They had finally come back to her original question as she stood in front of the door once again.

"Their colour. Their almost like burnt fields of wheat. Famine. She will not lay claim to us," the doppelganger snarled, triumphant in her knowledge that she was right.

"What makes you say that?" she asked slowly, wanting to strike out at this infuriating person in front of her. "She has already said she would claim me."

"Because the Xena I know won't allow that to happen. Not with violence. The Xena I know will teach Kharis how to throw the prophecy back in the Gods' faces and reject it."

Laughing sharply, the Horseman of War lowered her sword a bit as she looked down at the absurd bard, "The Xena you knew was a lie. She doesn't really exist and she never will."

"Really? And what makes you think that?" Gabrielle countered, knowing that the more she talked the greater chance she had to help her friend find a way out of the darkness once more.

"You're wrong. She is here. Right in front of me. Do you want to know how I know?"

The Horseman's smile waned a bit as she tried to discern what the bard was trying to do. Confuse her, yes. But it took more then a few words to confuse Ares' Chosen. The need to drive her sword through the bard was building greater and greater but some part of what was once Xena would not allow that to happen. Knowing that the quicker this talk ended the quicker the child would be hers to take settled in the doppelganger's deranged mind as she dropped the sword completely down by her side.

"Because she is my soulmate, my life. Because I love her." Grasping the warrior's chin in her hand, Gabrielle smiled. "Because I love you."

The bronzed woman looked down into her soulmate's eyes and saw the love still firmly in place and shining up at her, despite what she had succumbed to. The room suddenly became to bright for the ice blue eyes as Xena shut them from the pain reflected in pools of misty green. The pain of what she had turned into again. What she had promised she would never become. A monster. Ares' Chosen was slowly buried once again. The shell that was left in its place could only crumble to the floor as the weight of what Xena was going to do fully hit the ex-warlord.

Gabrielle quickly pulled her friend's body onto her lap and stroked the raven hair as Xena succumbed to the realisation that her greatest fear had come true. She had lost control once again. Sobbing in great gasps Xena could only hold onto the one source of light that once again brought her back from the darkness, her bard.

"I'm so sorry, Gabrielle. Please...forgive me." Xena cried as her heart broke once again. How many times would she be asking for forgiveness from someone who should never have to forgive, who deserved better then a battle-scarred, ruthless, warlord with one hell of a dark side.

"There's nothing to forgive," Gabrielle said with all of her conviction. "I'm here and so are you. Together we'll figure out what to do about Kharis. You won't do this alone. I promise."

The promise that held so much hope, so much love forced Xena to open her eyes and look up at her soulmate. "Thank you," she said softly as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

Gabrielle laughed lightly as she cradled Xena's head closer to her body, "You will never learn will you, you stubborn warrior. Where you go, I go. Even if it's down to the darkest parts of you soul, I will always be there to show you the way back again. Always."

Xena smiled up through the tears at the second promise. One that she held dearly to her heart. "Always," she whispered.

"Besides," the bard rattled on. "You never fulfilled the prophecy so you must know a way for Kharis to also not fulfil it."

Gabrielle chuckled, "How did I know? I'm not stupid Xena. I figured Ares would have told you the prophecy to help entice you to fulfil it. But you didn't, obviously. If not then why would he have told you in the first place, huh? This isn't a prophecy that is commonly known, you know."

Xena smiled briefly at the logically explanation. Gabrielle was dead right, of course. Only a handful of Gods and even a smaller handful of mortals knew of the prophecy. Knowing someone who lived in the light and who didn't shy away from the darkness of the prophecy somehow made Xena realise that anything was possible.

Sitting up, Xena laid her hand over Gabrielle's as she smiled fully for the first time since they had come out of the forest many days ago. "I love you, Gabrielle."

A small chuckle could be heard from the back of the room where Syrinus was lying down, holding his aching head. The absurdity of it all made him laugh despite himself. He should have been fearful for his life, for everyone's lives but he wasn't. Both Xena and Gabrielle looked in the man's direction. A quirked eyebrow from the warrior plainly asking what he found so funny.

The other eyebrow followed the first's action as Xena tried to see what he was getting to.

"It was bad enough for Ares to have one wayward Chosen, but now two? He's in big trouble I'd say."

Xena laughed suddenly at this thought as another quickly started to form in her intelligent mind; "You're right Syr. I think all the Gods are in big trouble."

The smile that filled the room was neither that of Ares' Chosen nor that of the Horseman of War, but from the only woman who dared to piss the Gods off more then anyone else could. A plan that just might free the child and herself from the Gods' influences, once and forever, clearly shone on her radiant face.

The small room with the lonely stool was very dark as the God of War stood at the side of the bed, smiling down at his daughter. She was nothing yet everything he had hoped for. The prophecy was true with this one, what his Chosen had declared was foretold by the Fates. 'She will claim the others and become what she was destined to be if...'. The God of War sighed. There was that little ending to the prophecy that he never told Xena and would never speak of. None of the Gods would. To acknowledge it meant that there was a chance of it coming to fruit and none of the Gods were going to risk that.

Ares' heart rejoiced when he heard the warrior's laughter coming from the main room in the house. His other Chosen was back, but different his time. The thought didn't necessarily disturb him. He always liked his sensual, intimidating Xena to be on the edge. It was her control over the darkness, that he bequeathed her, which endeared her to him even more. Not even Dakoh would have been able control that kind of force. If she was ever to fully release it, not even the Gods would be safe from her vengeance.

"Oh, my dear Xena. What would you do if you knew that I have never had any control over you? What would you do if you truly embraced the darkness that so terrifies you and allowed it to escape the coils you hold so tightly in check?" Ares mumbled to himself as he leaned forward and kissed the top of Kharis' head lightly before vanishing silently.

What once was four shall now be one. Unto only one, pestilence, famine, war, and death will be bequeathed. Thus fully claimed, the One shall be called forth upon this realm and shall be beholden neither to men nor gods. The One shall be known as the Guardian of Apocalypse and where-so-ever pestilence, famine, war, and death goes, so shall the One.

Golden eyes opened slightly as a small, wavering voice spoke to the darkness; "And from the One shall come forth the Light to hold council over pestilence, famine, war, and death. From which true darkness reigns so will reign the Light that neither men nor gods shall be kept asunder, all held to equal justice determined by its dominion. As it is spoken so shall it be."

To be continued in The Fates' Irony, part 2 of the Sins of a God Series...look for it soon

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