by JS Stephens
Copyright © 1998, revised 2013. All Rights Reserved
Comments to:
libriscat@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: The characters belong to MCA/Renaissance blah, blah, blah. I'm just playing with them. I suppose that technically Ares belongs to the ancient Greek authors, so any copyright on his character ran out several millennia ago. Anyway, this is only for fun, not profit.
Ares stared down at the two women as they slept together. Damn, he had intended to keep Xena for himself, to have her be his supreme warrior! She couldn't go around falling in love with her sidekick, that would royally screw up everything he had worked for the past few years. To think that Gabrielle would realize she was in love with Xena because this Kaydus character charmed her with fancy talk was in line with the bardly aspirations of the little blonde, but for Xena to be jealous? This would not do!
"What to do, what to do," Ares muttered to himself. He paced around the room, watching the warrior holding the bard close. Then it came to him in a flash, so simple, so brilliant, so deliciously devious! He laughed as he melted away into the air.
"Spike!" Ares roared, looking for his nephew. "Where are you hiding yourself this time?"
Spike scurried up to Ares, simpering, "Yes, my lord?"
"Get your worthless butt to the river Lethe and scoop up several bottles of the water. I know of two women who have some forgetting to do," the dark-haired God of War thundered.
"But, Ares, wouldn't I forget what I'm doing?" Spike whined.
Ares scowled at the other god. "You are a god, stupid. If you are so worried, I'll have someone else go--"
"No, I can do it." Spike disappeared, then reappeared several minutes later, holding two dripping pitchers of water. "All filled, Ares. Now what do you want me to do?"
Ares smiled cruelly. "Go pour it in Xena and Gabrielle's waterskins. They need to forget a certain night..."
Xena yawned as she woke up. She could rarely remember such a wonderful night, so relaxed, so peaceful. She looked at the snoozing Gabrielle, love bursting in her heart. Why did it take the threat of another playing for Gabrielle's affections to make her realize that she loved Gabrielle so much? She gently stroked Gabrielle's hair, not wishing to wake her up, but to make sure that Gabrielle was really there, so beautiful...
"Okay, Xena, that's the last of our stuff," Gabrielle said as she tied down the load to Argo's saddle. "Have you paid our bill?"
"Yes. Let's go." Xena grabbed Argo's reins and led her out of the stable.
The two women walked along for a time, talking about nothing in particular, trying not to get caught stealing glances at each other. Finally, Xena announced that it was time to stop for lunch, which Gabrielle seconded very quickly (being very hungry as she usually was.) They ate a quick lunch, taking turns with the waterskin. Gabrielle noticed that she was feeling very light headed after drinking the water, like her whole body was starting to swirl. "Xena?" she queried.
Xena was falling down herself, unsure why she was so dizzy. "Gabrielle?" she asked. "Are you dizzy?" But Gabrielle could not reply, she had passed out cold. Xena got to her feet unsteadily, then fell down on the ground beside Gabrielle, passing out before she hit the ground.
"You see? I did it, Ares! I got the water in their skin and they drank it. Now they will forget that they were ever lovers!" Spike crowed. Ares smiled at him, patting the other god on the back.
"Ah, yes. Hmm, let's make it interesting, perhaps they should meet up with Callisto again." Ares smiled as he stroked his beard, then he came up with his most devious idea yet. "Spike, old buddy, let's stir up some trouble. I think that the regiment that a certain Perdicas of Potedidea should be fighting when Callisto shows up."
"Why?" Spike said.
"Because, dunderhead, Gabrielle has residual feelings for her former fiancé. That should prevent her from following Xena round, and should send Xena off into a tizzy, right back to my side, where she belongs. She won't even remember why, just that she feels that Perdicas is horning in on her friendship with Miss Perfect." Ares laughed again. "Okay, this is how it will go down..."
"Gabrielle, I'm tired of fighting, tired of killing," Perdicas said as the fight swirled around them...
Ares smiled.