Awww! This was incredibly sad, and so much like I imagine it would have been in a perfect shipper world :)

This is such a wonderful story. The way you describe a world without love was perfect.

that was beautiful! I loved it! Great job!

Wow, that was a really good story. All I can say is Wow.

Okay, let me just say I read this story the first time several years ago, on a different site I think and I absolutely loved it. It was so good I remembered it to this day. I was thinking about the best fanfiction I had ever read and I remembered this piece. So on a whim I sought it on and was saddened to see it had only 8 reviews.

I absolutely adore this story and consider it for several reasons to be the best thing I have ever read on this site. The mood and tone set by Xena talking with the sailor on the ship in beginning is lovely. It's deep and poignant somehow in an understated way. Your descriptions are beautiful, your characterization of Xena perfect. I love the way you write Xena and Ares together, the angst to their relationship is well done. The sort of inevitiable tone you have given your story is what makes it my favorite. Events and characters seem locked in a dance they cannot escape. Even Ares and Xena's kiss and lovemaking is surreal which only strengthens the gorgeous way this story is constructed.

Your ruminations on love and hate and emptiness are perfect. I have remembered them for years actually and agree with you about emptiness being the opposite of love.

"It was a terrifying realisation, to suddenly find that a part of yourself mattered so little that you could lose it and not feel the loss." - Wow what a great line.

I love how you wrote in Ares going to a brothel, "where there was no love to give or receive, and nothing hurt" and how Gabrielle was just a business partner to her in a world without love. I adore every line of this fic and the optimistic ending has made me cry more than once.

I don't know exactly why, but this is my favorite fan fiction story and I read it every now and then with fondness. Now that I've written a few stories myself, I understand how much reviews mean to others and I thought you deserved one most of all.

And what to my wondering eyes did appear but this, another beautiful story by you! :) You give such depth and humanity to an episode that was barely so-so. It was like poetry, or tragedy, or a pint of Haagen Dazs chocolate ice cream, and I loved it! Now, go add more to "The Outsiders." :)

this is good, really sad but uplifting as well good combo.

Phew! What a nice change of fic. There too many slash fic in here and too many sappy FIN fanfics. People are still having a hard time accepting Xena is over for 2 years already. What a wonderful fanfiction.

u did a wonderful job with taht! of the 25 most recently updated or made xena stories urs was the only non-slash one i could find lol people get to much of a kick outta joxer and ares i think hehe... keep up the good work i think this is ur best story ive read yet

Superb, simply superb. There is such poignant sadness here, and yet such hopefulness in the end and such an exquisite poetry that suffuses the prose. With wonderful style and imagery, and spot-on characterization, this is one of the best Ares/Xena stories out there.

Yeah - what Juxian said Excellent and original story with strong and believable characterization. _Loved_ the ending.

It's so really beautiful... and a very sad story. You know I haven't expected at all what angle you'll take in this one. It was a very original take. Xena's voice was wonderfully done. Somehow you made her sound mature, and serious, and authentic. I loved the ending a lot and I loved the philosophical touch in the story.

WOW... words can't describe how good this story was