Disclaimer. This story contains violence, as well as love between to adult women.

Disclaimer. The Xena Warrior Princess series and its characters are all copyrighted property of MCA/universal

Disclaimer. This story is based on the events of the Dark Xena comic series, which is like early season four only with the Ying Yang Chakram

For thoughts and feedback please e-mail me at Gabrielle_567@yahoo.com

PROLOGUE

Xena turned slightly eyeing the small Japanese woman in her beautiful patterned kimono which was the colour of cherry blossom with flowing white areas. It had long decorated sleeves and a wrapped sash. The small woman lowered her head her deep brown eyes moving slightly. “The 40.000 souls have been freed.”

Akemi’s brown eyes moved slightly. “You want freedom from your bonds in this place?” Xena eyed her for a moment before turning away. “Yes.” Akemi slowly stepped the side of her. “That I cannot give you.” Xena turned adjusting her leather bodice as she looked at the tea house which had once been Yosho’s prison for his daughter. “You promised me my freedom!”

She raised her hand slightly. “You said I could return to the living world.” Akemi turned slightly. “Yes I did but why would you want to go back? You have everything here.” Xena snarled aloud she looked around her slightly. “I want to go back to Gabrielle…” She ignored the twinge of jealously in Akemi’s eyes as she slowly stepped forward. “She’s waiting for me.”

Akemi smiled slightly. “So am I.” Xena narrowed her gaze. “What we had was over long ago you know that.” She sneered slightly. “Gabrielle is my soul mate.” Akemi breathed in as her smiled faded she slowly kneeled down ignoring the angry gaze from the Warrior Princess as it burnt in to her. “I could be your soul mate.”

She looked at the empty scroll on the floor then eased the paintbrush free from the flowing black ink. “You don’t need Gabrielle to make you whole.” Xena kneeled down next to the young Japanese woman she watched as her hand moved as she wrote the beautiful Japanese’s symbols. “Yes I do and you know it!”

Akemi raised the brush as she finished the symbol. “You haven’t been able to reach her, such a pity.” Xena looked up sharply. “How did you know about that?” Akemi turned as she smiled. “I was the one who severed your connection to her over a season ago.” Xena slammed her fist down hard as she snarled aloud moving closer to Akemi who didn’t flitch or show any fear. “Why?”

Akemi looked up meeting her gaze for the first time. “Because you belong here Warrior Princess with me.” She watched as moved closer. “Your mine you always have been.” Xena leaned closer her anger rising as her blue eyes darted as a horrible notion hit home. “You tricked me…you used me and now your trying to trap me.”

Akemi put her hands together as she lay the brush down. “Used you no, trapped you yes, you can’t leave this place I won’t let you.” She rose her hand watching as an image appeared on the mirror close by, an image of the warrior Gabrielle. Her face showed nothing but sadness. “She can’t give you what I can.”

She moved her hand watching Xena’s utter contempt as her lover disappeared. “Two seasons have passed in the land of the living she’s forgotten you and remembered despair and anger and hated she isn’t the lover you remember. I can love you the way she used to.” Xena slowly stood up her anger boiling. “Free me!”

Akemi looked up her smile widening. “No, I waited to long for you I won’t let you go again.” Xena took a step forward. “Free me Akemi!” Akemi shook her head. “No one can free you Warrior Princess only I can let you go and I won’t do that.” She met the ice cold blue gaze. “This is where you belong with me where I can love you.

She lowered her gaze again. “There is no thing in Japan powerful to free you.” She watched as Xena eased her sword free. “You can’t kill me, kill me and you will never be free you’ll be here for eternity in the limbo between life and death.” Xena narrowed her gaze. “You betrayed me.” Akemi looked up again. “No I love you.”

Xena narrowed her gaze. “I don’t love you, I love Gabrielle.” Akemi turned again ignoring her swords blade. “One day you will love me Warrior Princess you’ll learn to love me in the way I love you.” Xena raised an eyebrow. “That won’t happen and you know it.” Akemi looked up. “All things change Xena you know that.”

Her words came to sudden stop as everything around the tea house began to rattle violently the beautiful paintings on the wall hit the ground hard. Akemi looked around in confusion what was going on? She pulled stood up only to be thrown of her feet as a huge squid like tentacle smashed through the blinds of the tea house it shot forward slamming in to her sending her flying backwards.

She hit the wall back first feeling intense pain as she hit the floor. Another tentacle smashed through the other blind. The roof above shook as this monstrous thing began to pull the house apart. Xena watched in shock as the rafters of the building crashed in to the floor outside as they were pulled off with savage force.

The roof was suddenly pulled upwards above her by another monstrous purple tentacle. Two huge yellow eyes with black slits came in to view there were six smaller eyes all above the larger two on an octopus shaped head which had two huge nostrils. The sudden horror sunk in all at once as it dawned on her how huge this creature was.

It was a towering monster who’s many huge tentacles made up part of its face as well as its body. The part of the tentacles that had been inside Akemi’s building had been mealy the very tips, even the smaller eyes were twice the size of her body. She was merely an insect in comparison to this leviathan. She turned hearing Akemi scream in terror as one of the eyes turned in her direction.

Suddenly all the eyes turned to look at her with out warning one of huge tentacles wrapped itself around her waist pulling her up in a violent motion causing her to let go of her sword. She was dragged up wards to one of the eyes which narrowed as it studied her. She felt the coils tighten as she tried to struggle.

If the monster or what ever it was wanted to harm her now it could do so she couldn’t stop it. She could feel her limps stiffening as her strength was sudden sucked from her body causing her whole body to spasm painfully. She looked up eyeing it trying to ignore the pain. “Bastard! Kill me if that’s what you’re going to do!”

The creature’s eye widened before narrowing again. “Be quite little human I have no intention of killing you.” Xena stared in to the yellow eye, the voice sounded like thunder breaking with every word. “Who are you? What are you?” The yellow eye narrowed even more. “That is not important little thing, what is, is that I’ve come to free you from your prison.” One of the eyes lowered to the half destroyed tea house. “This pitiful prison.”

Xena breathed in sharply. “Free me how?” The yellow eyed moved slightly as Akemi’s scream of anger hit the air. “I’m going to give you life again little human. I’m going to bring you back from the dead and give you back your body with its beating heart and running blood.” Akemi got up slowly. “You can’t have her she’s mine!”

One of the huge eyes turned to her its burning anger showing. “You are an insignificant speck you don’t command me!” One of the huge tentacles rose high above the tea house as another got ready to wrap around the lower section. “If you value your after life as you call it you’ll choose your words better little human.”

The eye moved across the tea house. “This tiny house is all that keeps you here to destroy it will mean you that you’ll be forced in to your next life. I don’t think you want that do you little thing?” Akemi took a slow step forward. “I own that woman! What right do you have to take her from me monster?” All the eyes narrowed their anger blazing. “You do not own this human little thing because no other human can be truly owned.”

His eye turned to Xena again. “Another asked for her partner to be brought back and for time to be turned back by many years, her wish will be granted.” Akemi raised a hand slowly. “No that’s not possible you can’t turn back time the Greek Gods weren’t capable of such things even before the twilight. They needed the Kronos stone to help them.”

The huge being eyed her, another of his huge tentacles moving to the tea house getting ready to tear it apart. “I can do as I please little thing, all the gods are descended from me and you are a mere speck compared to me. I was the first, the god of gods, the creator and destroyer of other gods and continents. My power is infinite.”

He paused his huge nostrils breathing out hot air which caused the trees around the tea house to be blown back. “Allow me to show you my might little thing and may you always remember it and dare not challenge me again.” Xena turned watching in horror as the three tentacles slammed in to the tea house smashing it apart.

The broken building was lifted up as it was ripped in half there was a blast of white light from in side, it was followed by the remaining sections shattering in to pieces. The white light sudden came free shooting upwards it was stopped by another of his tentacles which grasped around it. “I will not give you the pleasure of your next life little thing.” He brought the glowing light down wards eyeing it for moment.

All his eyes suddenly turned back to Xena. “Let me give you life little human.” Xena felt herself suddenly cry out in pain. The whole world turned to black around her as Japan faded she felt her fingers dig in to the rough skin of the coils. She watched as the ghost like white disappeared and her skin came back life.

She felt her body spasm as all the blood in side her came back to life and her heart started to beat again she could hear it pounding in her ears. She breathed in feeling herself collapse as her body came back to life. Her mind was swirling and it hard to stay awake, she could feel her lover again and the feeling was so strong.

She coughed bringing her hand up to her mouth feeling blood running down her lip from where she’d bitten down. She put her hand up before pulling it away looking at it. It was real blood red in colour she breathed in feeling the air move through her lungs one of the yellow eyes widened. She suddenly felt the weakness kick in again, she closed her eyes feeling herself slip in to unconsciousness.

To be continued in part 2