Disclaimer: See Part 1
Authors Note: This is the second to last chapter. The last chapter will be posted in the next couple of days. This chapter is told from four different POV's as I wanted you to see all the reactions to this part of the story. If you want to email me, my email is jacklavigne13@hotmail .com
Chapter Twenty Two
She didn't think, she just ran.
She was a blur of colour as she raced past men and women in the midst of battle, her feet hardly touching the blood soaked ground. She paid no attention to the warriors that fell to their deaths around her, all she could see was the sword moving in slow motion towards Xena's exposed back. She knew there was no time to block the blow, there was only one way to stop it in it's deadly path.
She had made Gabrielle a promise. She had to take the hit.
She wasn't scared as she had expected to be, but she didn't feel brave either as she took the final leap, skidding into the space between Xena and her attacker. She heard someone scream her name but she paid it no attention as she waited. Less than a heartbeat later she felt the cool steel pierce her back and indescribable pain shoot up her spine. She inhaled sharply, breathing in the scent of Xena's hair without meaning to while also alerting the dark haired woman to the person behind her. She smelt of sandalwood and blood. It was kind of wonderful.
Xena spun around gracefully, swinging her sword with a feral smile on her lips. The smile softened as she caught the midnight blue orbs of the woman behind her. The sword slowed, only barely nicking Alexandria 's skin, causing a tiny trail of blood to run down the red headed woman's neck. Xena's eyes widened in shock at the wound, and her knee's almost gave way as her eyes travelled down her friend's body, only just noticing the sword sticking out of her friend's abdomen.
"No," Xena whispered brokenly, her sword falling from useless fingers. "No, not again..."
Neither woman noticed Alexandria 's attacker drop dead to the floor behind them, an Amazon spear impaling itself in his thick neck. Nor did they hear the tortured scream that followed it.
They continued to gaze at each other, both too shocked to move or speak. After a few moments of stunned silence, Alexandria tore her eyes from the pale blue before her and looked down at the sword sticking out of her gut. She fell slowly to her knees as her legs collapsed beneath her at the sight. This scene was all too familiar, besides the spot in which she was wounded. Just a little higher and it would be like deja vu, she thought to herself. Once again, she was on her knees, in front of the former Destroyer of Nations, her life blood draining from her body.
But she didn't feel sad or angry, she only felt peace. She'd completed her mission.
"It will be the hardest thing you've ever had to do, but you will find what you've been searching for. You will find peace."
***********
Everything was happening so fast and she could feel the adrenaline surging through her body as she hacked away at her opponents. She grinned wildly as they fell beneath her sword. She felt the darkness clawing at her insides and she let it show in her eyes as she ran her sword through a man's throat, listening to him gurgle as his lungs filled with blood. She tried to keep her eyes on her friends to make sure they were all right. She could see Gabrielle fighting some soldiers with Alexandria and she breathed a sigh of relief. At least Alex was looking after her lover so she knew Gabrielle would be safe.
She continued to fight, hearing footsteps racing towards her as she cut off one of her attacker's arms. She listened gleefully as he screamed, blocking out all the other noises around her. That'll teach him to fight the Warrior Princess, she thought to herself smugly as she kicked him in the chest and watched as he fell to the ground. She stiffened as she heard a gasp from behind her and swung around to slit her new opponents throat.
Trying to take me from behind, you cowa-
Her eyes widened as she gazed into midnight blue eyes and quickly pulled her sword back to avoid slashing Alexandria neck. She was horrified as she still managed to nick the skin, watching as little droplets of blood ran down her ex lovers throat. That could have been so much worse, she thought to herself guiltily as her eyes watched the blood trail down Alexandria 's skin. It seemed to happen in slow motion as the blood dripped off her collarbone and as she watched it fall to the ground she finally noticed the sword sticking out of the red headed warrior's abdomen.
"No," Xena whispered as her heart stopped in her chest. "No, not again."
She watched as Alexandria fell to her knees, gazing down at the sword in her stomach and before she knew it, Xena was on her knees in front of her. She reached out shaking hands, attempting to stop the blood that flowed from the wound but she knew in the back of her mind it was hopeless.
"Xena," she heard Alexandria rasp and she looked up into her ex lover's eyes. "It's okay."
"No! No, it's not, Alex. I can't," She choked, her throat tightening as she was overcome with emotion. She let the tears leak from her eyes as she gazed at her friend, her heart breaking in her chest. "I can't lose you again. I just found you. It wasn't supposed to be like this."
"No, this is exactly how it should be," Alexandria whispered as blood starting to drip from her lips. She used all of her remaining energy to raise her hand and caress Xena's cheek. "This is exactly how I always wanted it to be, Xena. When I died all those years ago, I was so angry when you killed me because this is how I wanted it. I didn't want to die by your hand but I did want to die for you. This is how I wanted it, Xe."
"It's not how I wanted it," Xena sobbed, resting her forehead against Alexandria's as the woman slumped forwards, her strength escaping her as quickly as the blood from her wound.
"I know," Alexandria breathed as she looked into the pale blue eyes she loved so much. "I know and I'm sorry. Just remember that no matter what happened between us and what happens after this that I love you, Xena. I love you and I forgive you."
"By the Gods, Alexandria ," Xena whispered as she closed her eyes. "You can't leave now. I'm about to get married and you're supposed to be there. Gabrielle really wants you to be there with us. She told me this morning when we woke up that maybe we should leave the Amazons and go somewhere and build a house. She was telling me how we could have a room just for you when you visited us. Or live with us if you wanted. You're her bestfriend, Alex and you are mine too, don't you know that? You always have been, you and Gabrielle. You need to live for us both, you hear me? You need to live.
Alexandria ?"
She opened her eyes and gazed into the midnight blue orbs in front of her and felt her heart ache with grief. The once so bright eyes were now dull and lifeless, looking back at her but not seeing the pained expression on her face.
" Alexandria ?" She sobbed. " Alexandria ?"
She pulled her once bestfriend's head against her chest, holding the woman tightly against her. Her head dropped back and she looked up at the cloudless sky, wondering how it could seem to be such a beautiful day when it was truly so horrible. She opened her mouth and screamed her pain into the Heavens.
***********
As she struck down another soilder, she quickly glanced at the battle surrounding her. She felt an immesurable amount of pride for her fellow Amazons as she watched them defend their land. As she watched their enemies fall to her sister's swords, she knew they would be celebrating a victory tonight. Against all odds, they were going to win this war. With courage and determination the Amazons fought and as far as she could see, they had suffered very few casualties.
" Alexandria !"
Gabrielle felt her blood run cold at the screaming of her friend's name, turning quickly to find the source. Her eyes fell on Varia, her dark hair wild and her face a mask of horror. She followed the Amazon's vision and she felt her heart stop in her chest.
"No!" She screamed, her eyes wide.
She watched as Alexandria leaped in front of a sword aimed at Xena's back. The blade plunged deep into the red headed woman's back and out through her abdomen. Gabrielle felt a sudden surge of relief as she remembered that her friend was immortal and couldn't be injured, let alone die.
"Thank the Gods," Gabrielle breathed, more thankful now than anything that Alexandria had protected Xena against what would surely have been a killing blow.
She heard a tortured scream and frowned, looking towards Varia who was now running towards Alexandria , her face contorted in anguish. She didn't understand why Varia was so upset; Alexandria would be fine. Any second now, she'd pull the sword from her belly, turn towards her attacker with an menacing grin and kill him.
She was shocked to find the attacker already dead, a spear sticking out of his neck. But what suprised her more was that Alexandria had fallen to her knees and Xena had knelt down in front of her, her face horrified.
She was missing something. Something was wrong, something she couldn't see.
And then finally she noticed the blood that was dripping from the sword sticking out of her companion and covering her soulmate's hands as she tried to stop the flow.
No, that's impossible. She can't be hurt, she's immortal. This is all wrong.
A memory from over a week ago flashed in her mind and she gasped, her heart shattering in her chest.
"What did you trade for me?" Xena asked Alexandria .
"Nothing of worth," Alexandria replied softly, averting her eyes.
Tears streamed down her face as she started stumbling towards the injured woman before she started to run. Her feet pounded against the muddy ground as her heart beat thudded in her ears. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion as she watched Xena pull Alexandria against her chest and a pain filled scream was ripped from her throat. She felt Xena's pain mingle with her own and she knew the truth as she gazed at her soulmate and the lifeless body of her bestfriend.
She slowly fell to her knees beside her lover and pulled the dark haired woman into her arms. She felt the tears continue to slip from her eyes as Xena buried her face into the bard's neck, sobbing uncontrollably. Resting her cheek against the dark hair, she stared down at her friend and ran her fingers through Alexandria 's short locks. She knew there would be casualties in this war but she had never expected this. Alexandria had been the one person she could truly count on after Xena had died. She had never thought this day would come, never thought it possible that she would lose Alexandria . This couldn't be real.
But as she gazed down at the red headed warrior and looked into the midnight blue eyes that always searched for her in a crowd, it hit her like a ton of bricks. Alexandria was gone and those eyes would never search for her again.
***********
Stabbing her spear into her opponent's chest, Varia smiled grimly before kicking the body from her weapon. She looked to her left, searching for Alexandria who had been fighting besides her moments ago and frowned at the woman's disappearance. She caught a flash out of colour out of the corner of her eye and followed it.
It happened so fast that all she could was scream her bestfriend's name. The woman paid her no attention as she slid between the sword and Xena's body, impaling herself on the weapon.
"NO!" Varia screamed her voice hoarse as she threw her spear, watching in satisfaction as it buried itself in the sword bearer's neck. The satisfaction only last for a moment as she watched Alexandria slowly fall to her knees.
She ran as fast as she could towards her bestfriend, praying the whole time for some sort of miracle. Miracles happened to good people, didn't they? Alexandria had been brought back before and so had Xena. Maybe she would be all right. Maybe Varia would get there and when they pulled the sword from her back, the wound would magically disappear. Her step faultered as Xena pulled Alexandria 's head against her chest and filled the air with an inhuman scream. She sounded like a wounded animal and out of the corner of Varia's eye, she could see the fighting stop for a moment as everyone looked for the cause.
She slowly fell to her knees as Alexandria hair was pushed away from her face by Xena's blood soaked hand and she saw the lifeless eyes gazing back at her. Varia sobbed as she crawled the last few feet to her friend, resting her cheek against the woman's cooling shoulder as she cried. She hardly noticed as her Queen fell to the ground beside her, wrapping her arms around Xena's broad shoulders.
All she knew that her bestfriend was gone and she no longer cared about the outcome of this war.#