~~All the characters belong to RenPics, I only made up the ones that I made
up, added words, and made a scene :) No, I didn't get PAID to write this! And
YES, this is my original story and you can't "borrow" it or print it or whatever
without my consent (athene_of_war )~~
SUMMERY: Gab makes a sacrifice to go to Tartarus in Xena's place... (that's all
I'm gonna say, you're gonna hafta read it...) PLEASE REVIEW! :)
SUBTEXT: Nope, none, nada; Just tender moments between 2 friends! :)
RATING: Hmm... I guess PG
VIOLENCE: What'cha expect, Goody-two Shoes Xena? :)
LANGUEGE: English (LOL) No, there isn't any curse words...
Did I forget anything? Well, I'll stop this "Gibber-Jabbing" and let
you read... ENJOY!

CHAPTER 1

Gabrielle had been in the town for a while, Xena thought. She should be back any
minute. Xena went down to a lake to fill up both of their water bags. They had been
on the road for days, heading back to Greece, after saving a new found
"friend" from somewhere she
wasn't supposed to be. It was a very emotional trip that found many terrors and
suprises. Xena was afraid that Gabrielle had run into trouble in the town,
and was about to get her when, she showed up.
-I'm back...
Gabrielle said, carrying all the goods Xena had asked for. Gabrielle gave the items
to Xena and, unusually, winced.
-What's wrong? (Xena asked)
-What? Ohhh...that. I got into a bit of a scuff along the way...one of the soldiers
got a slice of me.
-Let me see it...
Gabrielle brought her upper arm over to Xena's face, where her wound was. It was
bleeding again.
-Let's go wash that out before it gets infected...
Xena said, leeding her to the lake, nearby.
-He DID get a slice out of you, Gabrielle...It may need stiches...
-I'm sure it'll be fine without, Xena.
-OK...no stiches...
-Thanks. (She winced again)
-Sorry, didn't mean for it to sting... so what happened today?
-I'm not sure... I was just looking over the list of things you wanted me to get
and, out of nowhere, about 7 men came out from the brush and attacked me...
Gabrielle looked down at her hands, laying in her lap. Xena sensed there
was something bothering her. She could usually tell these things.
-Are you ok, Gabrielle?
She did not answer, but seemed to be in a trance, frozen in time...
-Gabrielle...?
Xena shook her shoulders.
-Huh? Oh, sorry, I was, umm...daydreaming again, I'm sorry.
-Are you feeling allright? (Xena asked again)
-Yeah, just a little tired... ummm... I think I'll go to sleep, now...
-The sun hasn't even set yet, and you've eaten no dinner...
To Xena, Gabrielle had seemed lost and confused. Maybe she's just tired,
Xena thought.

CHAPTER 2

The next day, Xena awoke to a start, to find Gabrielle tossing in her
sleep, and talking. Xena listened carefully to the words she spoke.
-I'm sorry... Please don't hurt her... she didn't mean it...
The words were getting louder and louder. Xena shook her friend awake.
-Gabrielle? It's time to wake up...
-What? Oh come on, can't I get a little more sleep? I'm so tired...
-Gabrielle, it's almost noon time. Don't you want to get back to Greece?
Gabrielle?
She had fallen back to sleep. Gods, Xena thought, she must be tired.
Then the memories of a few days ago came back to her, suddenly.

-Xena, you know what they say... If you can't say anything nice...
-Come on, Gabrielle, she would say ANYTHING to get Zeus to even LOOK at
her!
-She has a kind heart, you know she means well...
-I don't think walking around NUDE has anything to do with having a kind heart...
especially looking like THAT!
-She was protesting, for the Greater Good!
-You always try to look for the good in all people, don't you?
-Well, I try... (Gabrielle said convincingly, with a smile) You should try it
some time, it's fun!
-I'm not much good at complements and goody-goody stuff, you know... we're being
followed (Xena said suddenly, in a normal voice)
Suddenly a figure appeared in front of them.
-Oh, am I now? I beg to differ... Xena...
It was the one they were talking about.
-Thanks for backing me up, Gab... but, you, on the other hand (referring to Xena)
have been a very naugty girl. I must have my men teach you a lesson. I do not
like people behaving rudely to me, you know... Soldiers!
Gabrielle reached down and grabbed her sais, and Xena, her sword. They fought
side by side, each throwing kicks and hits of such strength, some men would
be crazy to even come near them. The woman stood there, laughing at their
struggle. While still fighting, Gabrielle yelled to the woman.
-Who are? What do you want from us?
-I want revenge, that's what! Don't you know how much it HURTS to have people
taunt and laugh at you all day? I am Aretay and I made a mistake of taking
ambrosia, becoming a goddess, forced to listen at people tease me. You know
why I'm nude? It's because I am FORCED to undergo the pain that I braught
forth to other people... I am taking your friend, Xena, to "my little section"
in Tartarus.
-Why her?
-Because she made the mistake of making fun of me. You know, she could have
kept that to herself! It hurts in my heart, and it will never go away, you
know why? Because I'm immortal!
-Let me take her place, Aretay! Please!
With a snap of her fingers, Aretay froze time, allowing only her and
Gabrielle to move.
-You would do that for her?
-She's my best friend, Aretay, I would DIE for her! Please, let me take her
place...
-Are you sure? You have such a pure heart...
-I'm sure...

CHAPTER 3

Gabrielle had finally awoken from her deap sleep, packed up her sleeping roll,
and sat down by the early morning fire. After Xena had packed her things, she
came over and sat down next to her.
-How ya feeling?
-Better, now that I got some sleep...
-About the last few days...
-Xena (she turned her eyes to look at Xena)! I'm fine...
Gabrielle turned to look back into the fire, the past days, unfolding in
her mind.

***

Aretay pointed her sword at Gabrielle, then, sliced a small cut in her
neck, allowing her soul to float out of her body. Gabrielle's spirit
looked down at her body. Her eyes lay wide open, in shock.
-You're not dead (spoke Aretay), you're just, well, how do I put this...
resting...
Aretay snapped her fingers again, allowing the fight to continue.
Gabrielle saw Xena turn toward her body.
-Gabrielle?
Fighting off the rest of the baddies, she ran towards her best friend
and kneeled down beside her, feeling for a pulse.
-What have you done to her? (Xena asked Aretay)
-What she asked me to.
-What is that supposed to mean?
-She took your place. She's right here, beside me.
-Where?
Xena could not see her friend, but, she could feel her presence.
-Gabrielle, where ever you are, I will find you! I will bring you back
to this realm, I will make everything better! I promise you.
-Not so fast, Xena... there are certain, well, consequnces.
-No matter what happens, I WILL bring her back Aretay.
-Xena, her spirit is with me, in Tartarus. She will be forced to suffer what
you brought forth to me, except worse. It was her choice, after all.
-Why can't you take me?
-It's already done, Xena. Ta-ta!
-Wait!
But it was too late. Aretay had already gone. Xena looked back down
at her best friend, she was so cold, her lips blue and her eyes still
opened. There was one way to save her, Xena knew. She picked up Gabrielle,
and carried her to a cave.

CHAPTER 4

It was a long trip back to Greece, and they decided to go to Amphipolis
first. It was closer, and Xena was very eager to see her mother. After about a
weeks travel, they finally arrived, to be greeted happily, by Cyrene.
-Xena! Gabrielle! It's so good to see you both! Come in... have a drink or
something to eat... you both looked famished!
They both entered the tavern, and sat down to a table, while Cyrene
got them mugs with water to drink. Gabrielle drank the water like she
had never drank water before. She said not a word, but instead, looked
down and stared at the hands laying in her lap.
-Gabrielle, I'll be right back, OK? Mother... (Xena beckoned her mother
to another table far from Gabrielle's hearing distance)
-What's wrong, Xena? Gabrielle, she seems lost...
-It's a long story... on the way to the Persian Empire... (Xena explained
the whole story to her mother, occasionally glancing over at Gabrielle)
-So you mean...
-She was tortured in Tartarus.

***

Gabrielle opened her eyes to find demonds surrounding her.
-She's awake! Look! (They all said)
-Who are you? Where am I?
-I am Margita, the present leader of Tartarus. Nice to meet ya! Care
for something to eat? We have apples, oranges, peaches, here, take your
choice!
Margita put a large plate of fruits in front of her. They looked so delicious,
freshly picked, maybe. But, no, wait, Gabrielle had heard the stories. She
remembered the stories her mother told her, "And thou will be tortured to
eat the fruit, so that you may spend eternity in Tartarus, reliving the pain
of your life."
-No thanks...
-Oh, don't worry, you will later. Would you like a tour of the place? Great,
now, here is where Xena asks you to kill Hope, and you don't, then she ends
up killing her only son, Solan, see that knife, well, that's the one she used.
Margita grabbed the knife and put it in her hand.
-What are you doing? (She drops the knife)
-Just giving you a pre-view... Are you hungry, now? I sure am...
Margita grabs a peice of the fruit and savagely eats it.
-No... no thanks...
-Come on, just a little peice? You know you're hungry... look at this apple!
It is so juicy! Here, try!
-Nooo!
-(All the demonds talking) Come on, one little peice, it's so good! Mmm... taste...
Gabrielle cowers to the ground, holding her ears, sobbing.
-Get away! No!

***

CHAPTER 5

-Xena, this happened many years ago to someone in our village...
-What did you do?
-Well, let's put it this way: Sometimes the only answer to heal someone, mentally,
is to talk with them about it. We made that mistake by letting him just go
on his own. He killed himself about a week later. You see Xena, he died
of his insanity. He was a prisoner in his own mind.
Both mother and daughter walked back over to where Gabrielle was sitting
and sat down next to her. She didn't seem to notice, but just looked
off into the distance, in her own world. You could see the pain in her eyes.
You could feel it, actually.
-Gabrielle? (Xena asked)
-Huh?
Gabrielle shook herself out of her daydream and looked up at Xena.
-Wanna talk about it?
-Not really...
-Are you sure?
-No, I'm not sure...
-Maybe I should leave you two to talk (Cyrene enquired, Xena nodded to her)
-What happened down there, Gabrielle?
-It was horrible, Xena...

-Aww... poor Gabrielle... (Margita said to her) Are we gonna have to stuff
this fruit down your throat? Now, come on, we can do this the easy way,
or the hard way... it's up to you... Well, maybe you'd just like another
short tour of the place...
The demons took her arms and dragged her to another place. It seemed
very familiar. It was a river. Then, she recongnized it. This was the same
river she sent Hope down! She watched with agony the memories of her past
unfold in her head. Then, they went to a different place. It was where
Hope killed Solan. They made her watch it again, and again, and again...

Xena knew what to do. She had seen it happen only once before. She
knew that if she didn't get Gabrielle back in a few minutes, she would
lose her forever. She wasn't about to let that happen. Xena quickly
grabbed her herbs and hurried back to Gabrielle. She mixed the ones
she needed and prepared to bring back her friend. She grabbed her
friend's sais and rubbed them with numbing herbs.
-OK, Gabrielle. Hang on, we're bringing you back...
With that said, she took the sais and inserted them into the cut
that Aretay put into her neck. Yes, there it was. Just what Xena
had been looking for. It was a piece of the knife. Xena knew that
it was in there. It was the only thing keeping Gabrielle in Tartarus.
Xena carefully took the knife piece out of her neck. She felt for a
pulse. None. She put a rag on it to ease the bleeding. She decided
to put the pinch on her to release the blood that was being held
up. She waited for a few seconds, then, she felt it. A pulse. Gabrielle
was still not breathing, so she frantically hit the girl's chest.
With that hit, Gabrielle gasped in breath, viciously, and opened
her eyes, wide, to find Xena kneeling beside her.

***

CHAPTER 6

-I'm so sorry, Xena (spoke Gabrielle)
I didn't know she would kill Solan... I'm so sorry...
-Gabrielle, it's not your fault! I though we had gotten over this a long
while ago... I didn't know you were still hurting about this...
-Thank you...
-for what?
-Bringing me back...
-What are friends for?
Gabrielle looked up and smiled. It was the first time she had smiled
in a long time, and it felt great! They looked over at each other and
hugged.

THE NEXT DAY...

Xena awoke to find the bard still, as usual, sleeping. It was a
different sleep, though, it was different in that it was peaceful.
Oh well, she had to wake up some time, might as well be now, Xena
thought.
-Gabrielle, time to wake up! Rise and shine!
-I'll rise, but I REFUSE to shine!
She's back... (thought the warrior, smiling to herself)
... time for another day, another
adventure, another beginning for life to start over...

THE END... or IS it?