DECEPTIONS PART 3c
By D.virtue
“ Oh! That’s right, your suppose to show me our mates.” Gabrielle exclaimed
when she saw the imager.
“ Okay, but I don’t know how long when can talk to them, and one more thing,
they can hear us, but we can’t hear them, so you have to read their lips
okay?”
“ Ok, Ok, just do it.” Gabrielle said anxiously.
Diana smiled and then she drew the events of the moment she and Gabrielle were
in, once she had, she pushed onto the imager and then enlarged it. suddenly,
the images begun to come into view.
“ By The Gods! Questra? Xena? Oh.” Gabrielle said shakily as she stood up and
walked slowly over to the wall where the imager was being projected. she ran
her hands over the image of Questra’s face, as tears ran down both their
faces. Gabrielle was choked with emotions that she could not speak.
Questra then spoke to her, and Gabrielle saw her lips moving but could not
read them.
“ I don’t know what your saying?” Gabrielle cried.
Questra looked at her with love and understanding, and then she looked up at
Diana.
“ She said, “ My Beautiful Blossom, I miss you. You are so beautiful. I am
sorry you have gone through all of this heartache, but I promise when we get
back I will make it up to you tenfold and more. I love you.”
Gabrielle leaned her head onto the head of Questra’s image and cried. Then she
composed herself enough to speak again.
“ Oh, Questra, I hurt so much for you. I find comfort in the library, where I
go to read the journal you wrote in for me to read and think about you
whenever you were away. I’m afraid you’ve been away so long this time, that I
actually finished reading it and I’ve written in mine for you to read when you
get back. I keep them hidden in the library, so that they won’t find them.”
Gabrielle said spilling her heart to her love.
Diana let them talk for a bit before she finally interrupted.
“ Um....excuse me Lord Questra, Gabrielle, I really need to discuss something
with Xena that effects all of us?”
“ I understand Diana. Gabrielle we will talk later, I love you.” Questra said,
and Diana interrupted for Gabrielle.
“ Hi Love.”
“ Kitten.” Xena said with love in her eyes, but sternness in her voice.
“ Um.....I guess you already know what happened today?”
“ Yes.”
“ Well.....what do you think?”
“ What do you think I think Consort?” Xena asked in her conqueror way.
“ Well, I thought that maybe this one time, considering everything that is
going on, that maybe, you might allow.....” Diana said not Quite finishing her
thought.
“ NO!” Xena shouted.
“ But Xena?”
“ No!”
“ Xena be reasonable, it’s only one time and that’s it, I mean don’t get me
wrong, I don’t want her too any more than you do, but it’s just once and
that’s it?”
“ By The God Consort I said NO!” Xena scolded.
Diana lowered her eyes and fought back the tears that were threatening to
fall.
“ What are you two talking about Diana?’ Gabrielle asked gently as she walked
over to the bed and sat by Diana.
Diana slowly raised her eyes to look at Xena, who was sitting in the chair
with her arms crossed over her chest as she watched and listened to Diana.
Diana then turned her gaze onto Gabrielle and then begun to tell her what was
going on.
“ Xena the clone wants to....claim me, as a way of showing her that everything
I have done up to this point was my true feelings. She’s told me that she will
kill her God, and that will open a window for Xena and Questra to escape from
that other place that they are in, although she doesn’t want that part of it
to happen, she wants her and I to stay together for the rest of our lives. But
she’s willing to do this, but not if I don’t let her claim me this one time?”
Diana said as she directed the last part of her statement to the image of
Xena.
Xena’s eyes narrowed and Diana’s breathing increased as a result of what Xena
was most likely feeling at that moment, seeing how she has seen and felt the
mood of that look.
“ Xena what am I suppose to do? If I don’t go through with it, then she won’t
go through with killing her God, and then you two could be stuck there
forever, and I can’t live without you?”
“ No.” Xena said simply.
“ Arrgh! Your so unreasonable about this, it’s for the greater good Xena. You
taught me that there are times one has to make sacrifices to save those who
otherwise would be lost.”
“ Not that.” Xena stated simply again as her agitation and frustration and
anger were coming near to explosion, due to them being unable to find a way
out before this.
“ But Xena?” Diana said trying to get Xena to approve.
“ Your My Mate! My Consort! I am Your Chosen for LIFE, NO ONE CLAIMS WHAT IS
MINE, and You Diana....ARE MINE! Find another way, but By The Gods Consort,
don’t let her claim you. I will never forgive you if you break the one thing
that is sacred to me that no one else has experienced but me since you arrived
in this time. I’ve had to sit here and watch my Consort, the woman I love make
love to another person, I had to feel her ecstasies, as she took you. I had to
watch you show her tenderness,and loving type behavior, and despite the fact
that I knew and know it’s all an act, there is no acting the claiming of you.
I will be hurt angry and vengeful if you let her have that what is mine. I had
to accept, you and Seductra for the greater good, but she never claimed you.
So I dealt with it. I had to now accept you and that fake bitch together, in
our bed, in the palace you built for me, in a land you discovered for me. I’ve
accepted it as best as I can. But Diana I will NEVER accept you being claimed
by anyone other than me. NEVER.” Xena stated with warning and conviction.
Diana looked at Xena with tears rolling down her eyes, and then looking away
from the intense gaze Xena had leveled on her, Diana then looked back and
threw up her hands.
“ Then I don’t know what to do.” Diana said with resignation, and then covered
her face with her hands.
Gabrielle tried to soothe Diana, as she thought about what was just said. Xena
sat back down and just ran her hands through her hair, in frustration, anger
and irritation.
“ Diana?” Gabrielle finally said with tenderness in her voice.
Diana looked up at her sister, and seeing the love and understanding in her
eyes, she leaned into her and Gabrielle held her for long moments. Xena sat
and watched the two, and she took some comfort in the fact that Gabrielle was
there for Diana.
“ Diana, maybe we can come up with another way?”
“ She made it clear. She’s given me three days to decide.”
“ Okay, that gives us three days to come up with some other way?”
“ No, it only gives us today. I know for the next three days, Xena will keep
me at arms length until I decide.”
“ Okay, today. Alright, we can do this, let’s just see what are options are.
Okay, the claiming is definitely out.” Gabrielle said as she glanced up at
Xena, who simply raised a brow.
Diana was watching Xena watch her, and Xena saw the pouting, but ignored how
cute Diana looked, due to her not wanting Diana to get any wrong impressions,
she wanted her to see and know that she was deadly serious.
“ Okay! How about this?” Gabrielle exclaimed as she turned so she could look
at everyone. “ The clone Xena said that her dagger into his chest would kill
their God, well, if that’s the case, this Xena’s dagger is also Our Xena’s
Dagger, therefore, our Xena could throw her’s into his chest from the back,
I’m sure it wouldn’t matter which way he fell, right Diana?”
“ I don’t know, she said the moment his shoed foot stepped threw, how is Xena
going to know when that is, and she did say when he returned, dead, then that
would be the window for both of them to step through, so I don’t know what
would happen if he came forward instead of going backwards.”
Diana looked up at Xena and Xena point to the imager. Diana knitted her brows
for a moment, and then her eyes lit up in understanding. A smile broke out on
Diana’s lips at Xena, and Xena smiled back. Diana’s smile turned to
contriteness as a result of even bringing up the idea to Xena. Xena instantly
read Diana’s expression, and she mouth the words to her.
“ Just remember who you belong to. I love you.”
Diana smiled and then erased the imaging part beneath Xena and Questra’s
image, and she drew the change in and then pushed on it to see the results.
The four women watched the images as rather than Xena the clone throwing the
knife, they watched Xena throw it from behind the figure at the perfect time,
just using the imager that Xena and Questra had been watching. Upon the dagger
entering into the figures back. they all waited for him to go forward in the
momentum of the dagger, but instead, it was like a suction effect, he was
pulled back and Xena and Questra both flew forward, and out they came swords
drawn and ready to attack the moment their feet's touched the ground.
Just as they were all about to see what was going to happen, Xena stood up and
waved her hands furiously until Diana looked up.
“ What?!” Diana asked somewhat panicked by Xena’s furious waving.
“ Put it away Now! “ Diana read on Xena’s lips.
“ OH! Shoot! Their back!”
“ NOW!” Xena shouted again.
“ Love you two Bye!” Diana said as she wiped her hand over the images and then
told Gabrielle to put it back in the closet in her pack.
Gabrielle ran over to the closet with the imager and put it back in the closet
in the pack and then ran back to the bed and Diana threw her down on the bed
and begun massaging her so as to calm her breathing, and relax her as much as
she could before the two came in so that Gabrielle would not be flushed from
her panic or the exertion of running.
“ Ohhh....that feels soooo good Diana.” Gabrielle said as she relaxed, and let
Diana’s hands massage her tension away.
Suddenly the door flew open and both Xena and Questra stepped through. Diana
had told Gabrielle not to jump when the door opened, and she made sure to hold
Gabrielle in place when the door did open and Gabrielle was about to jump.
“ What’s going on here?” Xena asked seeing Gabrielle laying on her bed with
Diana straddling over Gabrielle’s hips as Gabrielle laid on her belly.
“ I’m giving my sister a massage, what else?”
“ Hmm...alright.”
“ Good, okay Gabrielle how’s that?”
“ Great.....I’m just so....relaxed right now, thank you.”
“ Your welcome sis. “ Diana said as she removed her leg from over Gabrielle’s
hips, and rolled to a sitting position on her backside. Diana then begun
rubbing her leg seeing how the position had aggravated it.
“ Are you okay?” Xena asked as she moved to the bed as Gabrielle got up.
“ Yes, my leg is just throbbing right now, It was just my position, I thought
I could tolerate it, I guess I was wrong hmm?” Diana said as she glanced at
Xena with the look of embarrassment on her face.
Questra will you and Gabrielle excuse me and My Consort please, I think I need
to scold her.” Xena said as she raised a brow at Diana.
“ Gabrielle come on, I need some...comfort, it’s been a while.” Questra said
as she looked at Diana.
“ I’ll see you later sis okay?” Gabrielle said somewhat concerned about
leaving and having to bed with Questra again, after having not had to for a
while.
“ You okay?”
“ Ye...Yes.” Gabrielle answered as Questra slightly pulled her with her.
“ Don’t worry Diana, I just want to be with My Consort for a bit, I’m not
going to hurt her.” Questra said, I’m just a little tight and I know Gabrielle
can handle that, right Gabrielle?”
“ yes.”
Questra and Gabrielle then left and returned to their chamber, Questra begun
kissing on Gabrielle and then after removing her clothes, she laid her on the
bed and begun taking her once again the way she had been before she started
bedding Diana. Meanwhile, Xena lifted Diana’s leg up onto her lap and Diana
flinched as a result of the pain that was shooting though her leg.
Xena begun caressing the leg to help ease the discomfort and as she did she
scolded Diana.
“ What did you think you were doing sitting like that?”
Diana heard the sincerity in Xena’s voice and she kept her feelings under
control.
“ I was just helping my sister relax, I thought I could tolerate it for a few
minutes or so.”
“ Obviously you couldn’t, don’t let me see that again, otherwise I’ll make you
stay in this bed until I’m satisfy that your leg is healing well enough.”
“ Hmm....well if Questra hadn’t broke it in the first place I wouldn’t have to
worry about this.” Diana said somewhat resentful.
“ She was angry with you.” Xena said simply not wanting to get into such an
argument with Diana.
“ Obviously.” Diana said frowning.
Xena continued caressing Diana’s leg, while at the same time putting some deep
massaging into the muscles surrounding the bone.
“ Is it still set alright?” Diana asked concerned that the continued pain was
indicating the bone may have rebroken, or something.
Xena felt along the bone and then she said, “ Yes it is still set perfectly.
It’s just healing slowly because you never have had your bone broken before,
and because of the makeup of your very body, it is something for your to have
a broken bone. It’ll heal just fine, you just have to stop aggravating it.”
“ Well it’s not like I’m purposefully trying to aggravate it you know?”
“ I know.” Xena said as she sat back on the bed and laid Diana’s leg across
her lap as she continued to caress the long supple limb. “ Give me your other
leg.” Xena instructed. She then proceeded to massage both of the limbs, taking
care not to put to much pressure on the injured limb.
Diana was sitting up at first just watching her, and then she laid back and
let her mind think of her Xena. soon she had fallen asleep from the relaxing
feel of the massage to her legs and feet. Xena smiled at seeing how Diana had
come to trust her enough to just let herself go to sleep, trusting that she
would not hurt her injured leg any further than Questra had already hurt it.
“ You’ve definitely taught me Consort, I know we could be so happy together, I
just hope your answer is yes.” Xena said longingly as she spoke to the
sleeping young woman.
The next few days were pleasant enough, Gabrielle had been able to deal with
Questra, and Questra although she was not happy with the way Xena was acting
and planned on confronting her about it, but she was pleased that Diana had
not been disrespectful since focusing her attention of Xena.
Finally came the day of the decision.
“ Diana, have you made up your mind?”
Diana looked up at Xena while laying in her back on the bed, with her arms
behind her head.
“ Yes I have, I decided it’s not the right time for us to go there, you
obviously don’t trust me enough, so how can I possibly see my way to go there
with you. I mean, I can’t think of not one thing that I have done to cause you
to doubt anything about the way I feel about you, and yet you still feel the
need to threaten me, if I do then you do what was your own idea to do, and If
I don’t then you bring him here and plunge your soul back into that dark
abyss, that you will never escape once his influence is put upon you,and all
his evil essence touches. No Xena, I won’t let you claim me in that way, I
don’t think you deserve such a gift from me. I think I’ve proven myself way
beyond, and yet you still don’t trust me.....” Diana choked as she brought on
the tears, and rolled away onto her belly and sobbed quietly.
Xena let her body tell her what Diana was feeling just in case Diana tried to
lie to her, but when she found that Diana’s emotions were one of sadness and
hurt, she was truly stunned. She had figured that Diana could have found a way
to fool her with her emotions about the act itself, but she figured that there
would be no way Diana could act being claimed by anyone but her Xena, she knew
because of being Xena’s clone how the real Xena would feel about anyone other
than herself claiming what she considered to be hers and hers alone.
Xena watched Diana sob quietly and having felt Diana’s emotions, Xena once
again found herself feeling bad.
“ Okay.”
Diana heard her, and she quieted her sobbing even more, and then said quietly.
“ What?”
“ I said alright. We’ll wait on that one.” Xena said somewhat frustrated.
Diana turned over and wiping her eyes, she then looked up at Xena.
“ Really?” came Diana’s timid voice.
“ Really.”
“ Thank you for understanding, I really do appreciate it. Your learning, and
I’m very proud of you Xena. “ Diana said as she brought her hand up to Xena’s
cheek and then putting it behind Xena’s head she pulled her down to her and
let a tender kiss cover Xena’s lips. Xena shivered as a result. Diana
controlled her feelings of contempt, and just thought of her Xena.
When Xena broke the kiss she remained over Diana, for a few minutes just
looking into Diana’s eyes. Then she smiled an appreciative smile, and leaned
back and jumped up out of the bed and strided to the bathroom, under the
premise of going to get cleaned up and dressed.
Diana felt Xena’s emotions, and she knew she was touched by the supposed
affection Diana demonstrated to her, Diana then whispered to the listening
Xena.
“ Hmm....now that reminds me of someone, not wanting to show the emotion.”
Diana then smiled and then finished with. “ I’m always thinking of you love,
your my strength through all of this. I love you. I love you too Questra, see
you both soon, and Xena you can show me how pleased you are with how I handled
this little situation later, and many, many times.” Diana smirked as she
looked upwards where she assumed Xena and Questra were.
Finally Xena came out of the bath chamber to find Diana up and dressed, and at
first she wondered how, then she saw the apparatus and realized how.
“ Why didn’t you just come into the bath with me?”
“ I though you needed some time to yourself, you seemed a little in need of
time to yourself?”
“ Your right, I did, thank you.”
“ Your welcome. So....what’s the agenda today?”
“ We relax this morning, and this evening, we perform the opening ceremony.”
“ This evening? I thought we had to do it in the light of day?”
“ It will still be light at the time we perform it.”
“ Oh, okay. So....have you decided what your going to do yet?” Diana asked
somewhat cautiously.
Xena gave Diana a sidelong gaze and raising a brow she then looked at the
closed door in front of them and let her body tell her what Diana’s mouth
wouldn’t.
“ Your hoping I have decided to kill him, hmm?” Xena asked as she turned her
head slightly to look at Diana and arching a brow at Diana she waited.
“ I would be lying to you if I said no, you know how I feel about it, you have
such a light in your eyes right now Xena, a light that gets brighter everyday,
I just don’t want to see it extinguished because of such a creature as your
......God, I just don’t understand how anyone you and Questra or anyone else
can worship such a God? I mean Xena tell me this?” Diana said as she limped in
front of Xena to look her square in the face.
“ What?”
“ Were you really happy in your darkness, or are you happier now with how you
feel, and how I feel about you? Can you honestly tell me you were happy in
that darkness? A darkness that was based on destroying?” If you can say you
were truly happier, then I already know your answer, and I would truly be
disappointed.”
“ Why?”
“ Why what?”
“ Why would you be disappointed?”
“ Why do you think?”
“ Because you failed to get me to change my plans? Because you failed to get
me to believe you really care about my feelings, my soul? Because you failed
to get me to give in to you, and trust that you really do want me? Are any of
those the reasons?” Xena asked as she studied Diana and used her body to feel
any deception.
Diana maintained her composure and calling on her image of Xena in her mind,
she drew her strength and answered the woman standing in front of her who was
waiting with a look of dubiousness, to pounce to destroy the liar in front of
her, or to hug the woman who claimed to love her and really cared.
“ Xena....my disappointment would come from the fact that you would allow
yourself to be subservient to anyone, even a God. Your such a powerful woman.
The Power of XENA is food to me. It is that strength in both presence and
character that drew me to XENA, like a moth to flames, a starving woman to
food, and a child to her mothers loving arms. It would just be such a
disillusionment to learn otherwise?” Diana said factually.
Xena’s teeth were gritted as she stared at Diana as if she were about to
attack her food.
“ Xena? Are you okay?”
“ I want you right now....I can hardly contain myself.” Xena gasped as she
shook with need from Diana’s stirring words.
“ But I thought we.....” Was all Diana managed before Xena grabbed her by her
hair and claimed Diana’s mouth with hunger. She tore Diana’s clothes off of
her, and Diana’s body tighten as it responded to the connection she had with
Xena. Xena ravaged Diana for most of the day. She finally allowed Diana to
rest in her unconsciousness, until it was time for the ceremony and then she
gave Diana a bit of the strengthening elixir and then Diana aroused slowly.
“ Mmmm...man that was a whirlwind. What the.....”
“ Time to get up Consort.” Xena’s voice was so seductive and smooth, it
actually sent a shiver up Diana’s spine.
“ Xena are you okay?”
“ I’m fine, just completely....relaxed...mmmm.....Xena sighed as she turned on
her heels with the grace of a cat.
“ Did something happen Xena, while I was out?” Diana asked with some concern.
Xena read her concern and allayed them.
“ No Diana, I wouldn’t do that to you, you made yourself clear about that, I’m
just feeling good.”
“ Oh...well okay, then I’m happy for you. Thank you.”
“ Your welcome, besides it wouldn’t be the same to have you asleep doing the
claiming of you.” Xena informed Diana. “ Now get up, it’s time.”
“ Oh, really? Where did the day go? I know we just got up a little while ago?”
“ It’s heading into the evening hour. We have to get going to have the light
that is necessary.”
Diana was helped up, and after Xena helped her get cleaned up and laid out the
clothes for Diana to dress in, Diana told her she would meet them down stairs
in a few moments. Xena agreed and then she left to meet up with Gabrielle and
Questra. Diana had her crutch and she also grabbed her staff that was brought
to the chamber days ago by Ludmilla, she stuffed it into her garment belted
area of her waist. she then made sure it was not showing at all. Still limping
with an apparent limp after irritating it the other day with Gabrielle’s
massaging, Diana limped to meet up with the three women.
Xena lead them all to an open cliff surrounded area, and then turned to Diana
and Gabrielle and told them what was going to happen.
“ Okay, we’re going to do this the same way we’ve been practicing it. Diana
you will be on top, Gabrielle, you and Questra will be the arms, and I will be
below all of you. The shape of a cross if you will. Okay?”
“ Let’s do this, it’s been put off long enough if you ask me, although I have
enjoyed you Gabrielle, I want the power of controlling the world. It is just
too seductive to me...MMMM, come on Let’s open the portal!” Questra purred as
she went to her place to stand and Gabrielle hugged Diana and Diana hugged her
back not giving away any of her feelings to the still ever watchful and
feeling Xena.
They all took their places and Xena glanced at all of them and then nodding
her head she gave them the signal to start their levitations. Xena watched
each of them rise to their height to make sure they were in the right
position, before she levitated herself off of the ground. Once they were all
in position, Xena called to all of them.
“ NOW!”
Diana’s arms flew straight above her head, Questra’s and Gabrielle’s arms flew
out on each side of themselves, and Xena’s arms flew straight up resembling
Diana’s position. After a few moments in that position, the winds begun to
pick up, and the clouds moved across the sky rapidly with the movement of the
wind.
Suddenly! The four women were glowing, as if some force field, had surrounded
each of their bodies. Then a streak of light struck at Diana’s fingers and
radiated through her body, she opened her mouth to breath through the pain,
but eventually she couldn’t hold back and she screamed,as the energy passed
through her, and shot straight down to Xena, who absorbed it and only opened
her mouth to breath through the pain, then she yelled to Diana.
“ NOW!”
Diana’s and Xena’s arms both spread, Diana’s pointed downwards at a 45 degree
angle towards Questra and Gabrielle, and Xena’s pointed upwards at the same
angle, towards them as well, and suddenly they were struck by the energy, and
Gabrielle screamed, but Questra absorbed it the same way Xena had, simply
breathing through it. then suddenly the energy swirled around
all of them and then shot out from the open area of the cross they had formed.
The energy shot out in multiple colors, and straight out in front of them a
distances away. Suddenly, the energy begun swirling and as it did, the wind
picked up more as if the energy were drawing from the earth itself. Then an
opening started to glow a brilliant dark blue, and then when it actually
started to open, Diana and then other women saw animals and carts fly by them
without hitting any of them, and then the sky started to grow dark, all of the
women felt the ominousness of the air, and saw it in the sky as it grew
blacker with each moment.
The four women floated back down to the ground to watch the rest of it. But
Diana’s eyes were locked on Xena, and Questra’s was locked on her as well.
Xena slowly pulled out her dagger, but the darkness that was still a part of
her was battling the side of her that had discovered what love was. Diana felt
the darkness in Xena trying to take over, and she begun talking to her.
“ Xena remember what the consequences are of you don’t free yourselves of
this? Come on Xena you can do it.”
“ No she can’t, and she won’t.” Questra interjected. “ She can’t fight her
essences, we can’t fight who we are, this is us, and soon our power will be
unbeatable, isn’t that right Xena?”
“ Hmmm....Xena moaned and then she groaned, and then she growled, as the air
became thicker. “ YES!!!!! was her call and Diana screamed her own horror as
she ran with her limp to grab the dagger from Xena.
“ NO!!!”
Xena let the dagger stay where it was until the last moment, just as Diana’s
hands would have grabbed it and then she whipped it away and put it back in
her breastplate.
Diana fell forward and landed hard on the stones on the ground.
“ WHY?!!” Diana cried as she yelled at Xena.
“ I’m sorry, but it’s just too strong for me. Maybe in another life I could
have changed. But it’s obviously to late for me now. Anyway, look, he’s about
to step through to this time, free from his imprisonment.
Diana came to her feet and tried one last time. She planted a searing kiss on
Xena, one that was filled with the love she had for her Xena. The clone Xena
begun to moan and her body begun to shake, but Diana held her tightly against
her as she kissed her for all the world’s lives.
Questra came up behind Diana to pull her off of Xena, she felt Xena losing her
darkness as a result of Diana’s passion, and Xena pushed Diana off of herself
and pulled the dagger once again and this time she threw it, just as his foot
showed, but they waited for a moment with all their breaths held as the figure
came slightly forward....Holding the dagger in his hands.
Their was a collective gasp of air, as Gabrielle grabbed Diana from Questra,
and Questra yelled” YES!! at the top of her lungs, but then, suddenly their
was a gust of air that came from the back of the four women as it went into
the opening, thus pulling him back inside.
“ NO!!!” Questra screamed, and just as she did, Diana now grabbed Gabrielle.
“ MOVE!” She shouted over the thunderous noise of air as the portal begun to
close, and suddenly Xena and Questra shot through with their swords drawn and
ready to battle.
Both Xena’s and Questra’s clones, snapped out of their shock when they saw the
two women coming down towards them, they drew their swords and prepared to
fight. Diana and Gabrielle had moved out of reach of the clones just in case
and when Xena and Questra landed......it was on!
Swords clasped, with lightening strikes. The anger and rage built up in Xena
and Questra was now being released on the two clones, and the Clones Rage that
the two had returned was being returned.
Gabrielle stood in awe of the four fiercest women to ever walk the earth
battling each other with sparks jumping from each of their swords as they
connected with the others swords.
“ WOW! Look at the power out there Diana.” Gabrielle said breathlessly.
Diana heard Gabrielle and she spared a moment to look over at her, and she saw
how Gabrielle was literally awestrucked by the fighting and it’s fierceness.
“ It’s beautiful yet deadly, look at them, moving like cats, wow.....I see why
Xena’s power was so much of a draw on you, Gods, it’s hard to breath just
watching them. Gabrielle said nearing panting.
“ Gabrielle! Snap out of it! Xena and Questra aren’t winning, they are like
mirrors in their skills, no one has laid a strike on the other! GABRIELLE!!
Are you listening?!!”
“ Huh? OH, I’m sorry, your right, what are we going to do?”
“ I have to break their concentration, the clones that is. But Gabrielle, I
want you near.”
“ Why?”
“ Because the moment the two clones lose their concentration, Xena and Questra
will kill them, and we can’t let them. They can not be killed by them, or us.
Do you understand?”
“ Yes.”
“ Okay the moment their down, we have to get to our mates and stop them from
killing them.” Diana then limped towards the women and when both the clones
were on the same side, side by side, Diana pulled out her staff and extending
it, she formed it into the double edged blade, and then taking aim she threw
it. The blade sliced through the back of both Questra’s and Xena’s thighs, and
they went down.
Diana and Gabrielle both made it to their respective mates just as they held
their swords to the clones throats ready to run them through.
“ Xena! You can’t kill them!” Diana yelled to Xena as she held her sword arm.
“ Move Diana.”
“ No Xena, Please? You can’t kill them, if you kill them they’ll turn to Gods,
then what?”
“ Move.”
“ Please? Please don’t kill them?”
Diana pleaded with tears in her eyes. Xena spared a quick glance at Diana, but
then her eyes leveled on her clone once again.
“ Xena....I know how you feel, it’s all I can do to keep myself from slicing
through this one. But I think Diana and Gabrielle are right, we can’t afford
for them to get even more powerful, can we?”
“ I can kill her again as a God as well, it makes no difference to me.” Xena
said with acid dripping with every word.
“ Xena! Look at me.”
“ Diana I want you to move.”
“ No, please don’t make me fear every moment of my life?” Diana said with eyes
of fear.
Xena saw them and her heart stopped for a moment. Then she sighed and catching
Diana around the waist, she moved her behind her, then she put her hands out
and suddenly shackles appeared in her hands. Diana startled back for a
moment, and then when Questra did the same thing Gabrielle startled.
Both of the younger women’s eyes were wide, Xena threw a pair of the shackles
at Xena’s feet, which they instantly clamped on, then she threw the other pair
that clamped on to Xena’s wrist and brought her hands together as a result.
Questra did the same thing, only she started with the hands and then did the
feet.
Xena and Questra both put their swords away and then each bent down and pulled
the two women to their feet.
“ This is your lucky evening X.E.N.A......if MY Consort.....had not been here,
then you would be a God come the morning.” Xena hissed as she emphasized who
Diana belonged to.
Xena then pulled Diana to her and with her eyes locked on the clone, she
claimed her Consorts Mouth.
“ MMMMMmmmm.....Haaaa......Diana moaned and sighed as Xena finally broke the
kiss that left Diana leaning heavily against her. “ I.....whew......love you
too.” Diana said as she melted into her loves arms.
“ She’s mine, and she will always be mine, and tonight.......I will reclaim My
Consort, as only I have Done, and will ever DO. Now move!” Xena hissed as she
pushed the clone towards the exit to the cliff area that now had dead or dying
animals that had been caught in the winds, and thrown over the cliffs.
Diana was lifted onto one of the horses that they had rode to the site on and
Gabrielle rode on the other. The horses had been placed in an indention in
the wall of the one of the cliffs so that when the winds came they would not
be caught in them.
Xena and Questra, and the clones all walked. When They arrived back at the
palace everyone stared in complete astonishment at the group, especially at
four of them in particular.
“ By the Gods, the four of them look exactly alike!” One man exclaimed to the
group that was now following towards the palace in awe and amazement.
“ I guess it is a little alarming isn’t it?”
“ Yes, I guess so sis. But it doesn’t seem to bother any of them, look at
them, four powerful women straight as arrows, gaits strong and sure, despite
the shackles on two of the four.” Diana acknowledged.
“ Diana?”
“ Hmm....”
“ Did you feel what I did back there?” Gabrielle asked still feeling the
adrenalin.
Diana looked over at her and a smile came to her.
“ Yes. Can’t you tell?” Diana asked widening her eyes for Gabrielle to look
at.
“ OH! My Word Diana, how could I have missed that?” Gabrielle asked amazed
that she could miss the sparkling sapphires of Diana’s identifying eyes.
“ Because, your own passion is just as high for Questra and that's who your
focus was on.”
“ Gods, I can hardly wait to get these two put away so we can be alone with
our respectives.”
“ Yes, I know what you mean.”
“ Diana, you and Gabrielle go to our chamber and wait for us.” Xena said to
Diana as she helped Diana down from the horse and handed her the crutch. Xena
didn’t give Diana the staff, but instead had stored it on her weapons belt.
Diana didn’t say anything about it, she just wrapped her arm over Gabrielle’s
shoulder. Just as the two of them headed inside the palace, Xena called to
Diana.
“ Consort?”
“ Yes.”
“ Burn every sheet that was used while I was not here! Even if that leaves the
bed bare. I will reclaim you on linen she has not taken you on.”
“ Diana visibly shivered from the thought of being back in HER Xena’s arms,
that all she could do was nod.
The clone Xena watched Diana, but said nothing, she didn’t know how to feel,
just now, so she said nothing just watched.
“ Gabrielle I’ll see you soon.”
“ Alright.” Gabrielle said with a shy smile for Questra.
Gabrielle then turned around and helped Diana up the stairs seeing how her leg
had been reaggravated from the activity of the evening. By the time Xena and
Questra came to the bed chamber Diana and Gabrielle had told Ludmilla and
Dancea and Gabrielle’s and Questra’s personal servants clean and change
everything in both the bedchambers.
Diana and Gabrielle also cleaned up and Diana put on Xena’s favorite oils for
her. Diana had candles put around the bedchamber, but she did not have them
lit just yet, she didn’t know what Xena’s plans were, if they were all going
to talk first, or what, but whatever it was, both bedchambers was setup for
their loved ones.
Xena and Questra finally came to Xena’s and Diana’s chambers. The two women
stepped in and they both scanned the chamber and then located each of their
respective mates.
The four women now stood, Diana stood without her crutch trying to stand tall
for Xena, which only added to Diana’s allure. Xena and Questra walked over to
where the two stood, and Questra was the first to make her move.
Questra brought both of her hands up to place each on either side of
Gabrielle’s blushing cheeks, and looking deep into her emerald eyes she just
spoke from her heart.
“ My Blossom, Gods....know I’ve missed and hurt for you. “
Gabrielle tried many times to speak, but the words just would not come.
“ Xena, I know you and I had planned to talk to the two together, but I need
to be alone with Gabrielle right now.”
“ I understand.”
Questra then swept Gabrielle up into her arms and carried her to their
chamber. Meanwhile, Xena turned back to look at Diana, who suddenly didn’t
know what to do with her hands.
“ So....your home, you happy?” Diana asked not sure what to say, considering
everything she had done since Xena had been gone, and the fact that Xena saw
all of it.
Xena just stood studying Diana. Diana knitted her brows as she chewed on her
lips.
“ Are you going to say something Xena?”
“ Yes.”
“ Okay, what?”
“ We have a lot to talk about Consort.”
Diana let out a gasp of air that she had been holding, as a result of Xena’s
words.
“ Yes.”
“ But right now the only thing I will say right now is.....” Xena paused for a
moment to bring her hand up to Diana’s cheek, and she ran it along Diana’s
cheek, then she continued her thought, as Diana’s breathing was racing with
her heart. “ I am so....very proud of you kitten, I know you suffered....yet
again, and again......” Xena paused once again to gain control of her emotions
this time, as the rage in her heart tried to take over, at the thought of
Diana suffering again and her not being able to protect her. She then said
what she was thinking. “ And again, I was not able to protect you. It hurts me
so much to not be able to protect you, I made you a promise that I would
always be here for you, and kitten I have failed miserably in that oath,
I.....” Xena choked on her words as she gazed into Diana’s moisture filled
sapphires.
Diana raised her hands to cover and then take hold on Xena’s hand as she
kissed it and then brought it to her heart and held it over her heart.
“ Xena.....you were here, protecting me. I could not have gotten through this
without you. Especially over the last month. Xena I found the strength inside
myself because of you. I kept my mind focused on one goal, and one person, and
that was on getting you and Questra back here, and getting back into your
arms. Xena do you really think I could have fake caring for that.....woman, if
it weren’t for my focus on you. I literally forced myself to believe that she
was you, everytime I looked at her, I told myself she’s Xena, whenever she
touched me, I told myself....it’s Xena, everytime she bedded me, I thought of
no one but you, my body was taken, but never my heart, my soul, or my love for
you. I just looked at it as another Seductra thing. I would do it again, it’s
all because of me that we all go through these pains and I can’t.....”
“ Come here Kitten.” Xena said as she pulled Diana into her arms and held her
tightly as Diana sobbed with both pain and relief of being in Xena’s arms
again, knowing that Xena was hurting, because Diana assumed it was because of
her.
Xena held Diana tightly as Diana’s emotions went wild within herself. Diana’s
body shook violently and then with a deep sigh.....she collapsed.
“ Diana?! Diana?! Dancea!! Ludmilla!! Diana?!! Xena yelled as she lifted Diana
up in her arms and carried her to the sofa and laid her gently down upon it.
She then immediately begun checking for Diana’s vital signs to make sure she
was breathing and things.
“ YES MY LORD??!! “ The two servants asked as they ran into the chamber.
“ Get the healers, tell them Diana’s collapsed and I don’t know why?”
“ Yes My Lord Right away!!” The two women headed for the door, but Xena called
to Ludmilla and told her to go and tell Gabrielle and Lord Questra.
“ Yes My Lord.”
The two women then ran out the room heading for the people they were told to
get. Ludmilla arrived at Gabrielle’s and Questra’s door, and pounding hard,
and with fear in her heart for Diana, she nearly pounded the door down despite
her petite size.
“ Ludmilla what is it?!!” Questra asked dressed only in her robe and Gabrielle
standing next to her dressed the same.
“ What is it Ludmilla?” Gabrielle now asked the panic stricken woman.
“ My....My Lord.......She....”
“ Xena?!! Something happened to Xena?!”
“ No, Her Majesty, she’s collapsed and Our Lord Doesn’t know why. She sent me
here to tell you two.”
“ Are they in their chamber still?”
“ Yes.”
Gabrielle then ran passed Ludmilla and Questra ran after her followed up by
Ludmilla. The three raced to the chamber and the Guards had moisture in their
eyes from hearing bits of the healers statements to their Lord about Diana’s
condition.
“ What is it? Is Diana alright?”
“ Princess.....Our Lord told us to send you in once you arrived.”
Gabrielle looked at Questra with panic in her eyes and then she turned and ran
inside the chamber and then into the bedchamber where Xena moved Diana to.
“ Diana?!!” Gabrielle called as she ran into the room and saw the healers
talking to Xena about what was possibly going on with Diana.
Xena heard Gabrielle’s panic call and she left the healers and went to the
door to talk to Gabrielle and Questra.
“ Gabrielle, Questra, let’s step out here.” Xena said with a calmer voice.
“ Is she alright? What happen?!” Gabrielle asked as they went into the other
chamber.
“ Physically, she’s fine.”
“ Then what’s wrong with her?”
“ She’s unconscious.”
“ Unconscious? you mean from...”
“ No, not that, this is a different type of unconsciousness.”
“ How do you know?”
“ Diana still responses to me when it’s the other type of sleep, this one, I
don’t even think she can hear me, she is in a true unconscious state.”
“ How?! How could Diana just fall unconscious like that?” Gabrielle asked
dumbfounded.
“ The healers think it’s from stress and exhaustion, and relief.”
“ I don’t get it?”
“ Diana was under tremendous stress, she did things with her body that she has
never had to do, and probably could never do again.”
“ What do you mean, are you talking about these powers?”
“ No. I’m talking about her controlling her emotions, body, and mind to play
out the act of caring about my Clone. Diana’s body is nothing like other
people, and therefore it doesn’t react to things the same way. Things have
happened to Diana’s physical body that is not normal for her. Diana is
completely unconscious, most likely, because she needs to rejuvenate herself.”
“ So Diana is in essence...what?”
“ Resting.”
“ So she’ll be okay?”
“ Yes.”
“ So she’ll wake up soon?”
“ That.....I don’t know.”
“ Xena she’s been through so much, she has to be alright?”
“ Gabrielle, she will, she just has to rest.” Xena said as she held Gabrielle
in her arms, letting her express her pain.
Questra caressed Gabrielle hair and Gabrielle turned into her arms and was
held. Gabrielle was lifted up in Questra’s arms and held as she cried.
“ Questra go ahead and take her back to your chamber, I will send word if
anything changes.”
“ Alright Xena, I’ll talk to you later.”
“ Hm..”
Xena then turned and went back into the chamber to see how things were with
Diana.
“ My Lord, I think she’ll be just fine, it seems her leg is healing from
whatever it was that broke it? It’s really something.”
“ Thank you, you may leave, all of you.” Xena said dismissing all of the
healers and servants.
Xena sat on the bed and a slight smile came to her face, then she said in a
loving voice.
“ So that is what your doing, you just needed to feel safe, so that you could
heal yourself. Well your safe kitten, and I will always keep you that way, my
sweet little kitten.” Xena said as she removed her clothing and then laid down
next to Diana and rolled over onto her side and placed her arm over Diana, and
she closed her eyes and went to sleep with her heart in her arms.
The next day started out the same, with Diana still unconscious, Gabrielle now
laid in the bed with Diana, while Xena and Questra went to go and check on
their two prisoners.
“ Well, look who’s come to visit us Xena, it’s our twins. What do you want?”
Xena just looked at the Questra clone and cocking her head she then cut her
eyes to her clone. A evil smile came to her face when she felt something from
the Xena.
“ Your confused, yet your also worried about something, what is it? Is it My
Consort your thinking about?”
“ Actually it is Diana I am thinking about. I understand from listening to
some of the guards that Diana is unconscious, is it true, is something wrong
with Diana?”
Xena pinched her lips at the woman, and then her eyes narrowed.
“ It’s true, and what’s wrong with her is what SHE did to her, speaking of
which....”
P.O.W.!!!
Xena laid a power packed punch into Questra’s clone’s cheek that she was
knocked unconscious.
“ That’s for beating on My Consort, I’ll tell her the other things later, when
she’s awake again.” Xena said as she directed the rest of her conversation to
the Xena, while Questra stood chained to the wall, hanging limply as she bled
a massive amount of blood. from her mouth.
“ She’s evil, what did you expect?” Xena clone stated factually.
“ And what are you Xena?” Questra asked as Xena looked hard at the clone.
“ I’m not as evil as she was, but Xena knows that, she sees it, isn’t that
right Xena?”
“ No, it’s not, all I see is a woman who because of her power crazed plans to
take over the world, decided to deceive, mislead, connive, beat, threaten and
use a young woman who believed that she was with her mate, to the point of
near destruction. I think you are more evil than she is.” Xena said gesturing
towards the unconscious woman next to Xena.
“ How do you figure that?” Xena sneered.
“ Simple. At least she never claimed she wanted anything from My Consort other
than sex. You on the other hand used the natural connection between you to
make Diana think you were me, then somewhere along the line you begun to see
how wonderful Diana was and how much love she has for those she cares about,
and how she’s capable of immense forgiveness, despite what someone has done to
her. But when she found out who you were and that you weren’t me, she hated
you from that moment on, and although she couldn’t stand her, she was still
capable of accessing how she was hurt by her, because she was not someone who
claimed such a nobel thing as wanting to change for her, Questra is evil and she is true to that, you on the other hand can’t decide if you want to be dark, or if you want to experience what love is
all about, so when Diana told you that she hated you more than she did
Questra, you couldn’t understand that, after all....you never hurt Diana the
way Questra did, you even tried to warn Diana about Questra, but one thing you
didn’t count on was that Diana’s stubbornness is not just about things she
wants to do, or the simple things she doesn’t want to do, Diana’s stubbornness
is almost to the point of being innate in her, but because of your one sided
view of her, you couldn’t see that, why do you think it has taken all of these
years for me to get a handle on Diana. I had to learn what love was, in order
to see those things in Diana that were deeper than just a character flaw,
Diana ‘s usual stubbornness and impulsiveness comes out of her love and care
of those she loves, an instinct if you will. To protect and survive. So when
you told her to set you free, it wasn’t about some simple act of unlocking a
few chains, it was about a combination of things that Diana knew that I would
have been able to understand, and get her to unlock the chains. Despite the
fact that you were not me, Diana still had a trust in you, that you would find
a way for her to trust you, so that she could unlock those chains, but you
failed her in that, and that more than anything hurt and angered her for the
fact that Xena couldn’t help her. When you went into the role of trying to be
me, despite your goal of conqueroring the world and whatever else, you XENA
did not protect Diana from her own impulsive and stubborn misjudgements. Diana
is like a child, no matter how much of a woman she is in a lot of ways, she’s
still a child who needs the guidance of someone whom she can look to for the
strength and courage necessary to tell her no matter how old she becomes, her
lack of a mother figure in her life or a father figure, has left a very deep
hole in her that only time will fill.”