DECEPTIONS PART 2d
By D.virtue
Diana entered the chamber and Xena called to her.
“ Ahh....My Consort has returned.”
“ Yes.”
“ So what did you do?”
“ I captured Questra.”
“ What?” Xena asked somewhat shocked.
“ Yes. I figured you would use your mind to tell her what I had done and I
couldn’t let her come after me. I told her that there was no way that I could
handle the two of you, and that handling one of you was hard enough. “
“ So what do you plan on doing with us now that you have us?”
“ Ask you some questions.”
“ And what makes you think I will answer?”
“ I don’t, I just figure what difference would it make if you did answer me?”
Xena cocked her head at Diana as Diana brought one of the chairs away from the
table and sat it by the wall at the foot of the bed. Diana then turned and sat
down and moved her hair out of her face. Then she looked up at Xena.
“ You seem down Consort.”
“ really? Anyway, tell me why you and Questra were cloned after the real
ones?”
“ Because of you.”
“ Me? What about me?” Diana asked nonreactive.
“ You don’t seem to be surprised?”
“ Why should I be surprised, everything that has happened to all of us,
including yourselves is because of me, I just want to set things right. Now
why me?”
“ I know what your thinking about.” Xena said knitting her brows at the
thoughts she had intercepted.
“ Do you now?”
“ Yes, and I can tell you this, it wouldn’t make any difference, no matter
what, you will always attract attention, positive and negative, it is your
fate in life.”
“ Yeah, Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before, now are you going to answer my
question or not?”
“ Because of the energy you emit, along with all of the others. The four of
you, or should I say the six of us now, anyway, we all are powerful in our own
right, but you and I and the other Xena are the most, with her and I being the
ultimate. The Great one saw and felt you first and then when he focused on you
he discovered the others, and from there he saw how the four of you were
connected and realized only you four could bring him back.”
“ So if that’s the case why take our Xena and Questra?”
“ Because he knew that there was no way to fool them, on top of the fact that
they would never help.”
“ Why not clone Gabrielle and me as well?”
“ Because a clone would have not fool either of the real ones.”
“ So where are the real ones?”
“ With our Lord.”
“ How did they get there if only the four of us could open the portal?”
“ A servant.”
“ A servant? You mean someone who works for the darkness?”
“ No, this servant works for anyone who can control her?”
“ What do you mean control her?”
“ She’s very dangerous, she has the ability to kill, maim, or drive insane, or
any other number of things she chooses to do.”
“ Is she a God or something?”
“ A traveler like you and I and Questra.”
“ So she’s met this evil one?”
“ Yes, and they made a deal when he let her go.”
“ Which was?”
“ If she would do what was necessary to see to it that, there came a way for
him to be brought back and he would make her one of his emissaries.”
“ So she is of the dark?”
“ No, just a traveler who owed a favor for her life.”
“ How did you come to be? Where did the D.N.A. come from?”
“ The hair samples you kept as a remembrance of both of them.”
“ Me again.” Diana said to herself, but Xena heard it.
“ Diana I feeling that your feeling responsible for everything that has
happened.”
“ So.”
“ So nothing, you are responsible.”
“ Hm.!” Diana said shaking her head at the ironicness of the whole situation
and how certain she felt Xena was right.
“Anyway, how do I get our Xena and Questra back?”
“ You don’t.”
“ What do you mean?”
“ It takes the four of us to open the portal, and if we open the portal then
Our Lord will come, and Xena and Questra still may not be able to make it out,
he may not allow them to.”
“ So there is no other way for me to get them back except the four of us
opening that Portal?”
“ That’s right.”
“ And if I let you loose then what?”
“ I hurt you for doing this in the first place and then we open the portal
when your better.”
“ Can’t lose for winning.” Diana said as she wiped her hand over her mouth and
held it there looking thoughtfully at Xena.
Diana then stood up and raising her hands in exasperation she shook her head
and walked over to the hook that held Xena’s weapons belt and sword, she
lifted her hands to the hilt of the sword and with shaky hands, she slid it
out of the holder. Xena saw her and her concern rose.
“ What are you doing?”
Diana turned and looked at Xena with a raised brow, and then asked, “ What do
you care?”
“ Oh....I get it, your feeling sorry for yourself and so your just going to
what.....fall on it?”
“ No. I could never take my own life, despite what happens.”
“ So what’s the sword for?”
“ Well I figured you would let me near you to get the dagger, so this was the
only thing I could think of.”
“ Oh...so your going to kill me?” Xena asked mockingly.
Diana walked over to the bed and standing out of Xena’s long legs reach, she
lowered the sword to Xena’s throat.
“ Why not? What in this world do I have left?”
“ You would kill me? Someone you claim to love? Someone whom your connected to
by your soul? It would be that easy for you?”
“ Easy....no.”
“ Then why do it?”
“ Because your not MY Xena, And she’s not Gabrielle’s Questra, and because I
see no way of getting them back without Gabrielle getting hurt.”
“ What about yourself?”
“ What about me? You’ve already said what you would do to me, I would accept
that, if it meant that Gabrielle would not be hurt at all.”
“ Your serious, you would let me go and suffer my wrath and possibly
Questra’s, just so Gabrielle wouldn’t be hurt?”
“ Yes. Because despite everything, I couldn’t stand the idea that everytime
Diana would look at our Xena and Questra, she felt fear and anxiety, and
distrust. She would always remember being beaten by you two and associate it
with our two, and that’s not fair to her, she’s found her soul mate and I’d
rather kill you and Questra, than let her hurt because of you. The tears that
rolled down Diana’s face were diamond in their form and Diana’s hands shook as
she lowered the sword’s point to Xena’s chest.
Xena sat where she was and did not move she just let the tears in her own eyes
glisten but not roll down her face as she sat waiting for Diana to end it for
the two of them.
Suddenly Gabrielle’s voice called for Diana.
“ Diana?!! Gabrielle called as she came through the bedchamber door and
stopped cold in her tracks. “ Diana? What are you doing?”
“ What are you doing here Gabrielle? I told you to stay with Nebula?”
“ I came to tell you that we have her, although Nebula was hurt we captured
her.”
Diana looked up at Gabrielle and asked.
“ How badly?”
“ Her sword arm was pretty messed up, but she and I managed to get her. “
“ Were you hurt?”
“ Yes, but my wounds healed, Nebula and the woman is with the Amazons, their
trying to help her. What are you doing Diana?”
“ Can’t you tell Gabrielle, she’s going to kill me?”
“ Diana you can’t kill her, you know that?”
“ Gabrielle I can and I am.”
“ Gabrielle grabbed Diana’s hands at the hilt and pushed the swords point away
from Xena’s chest.
“ What are you doing Gabrielle?” Diana asked flatly.
“ Diana? What’s going on with you? You seem like.... NO! NO! You swore to me
that you would never leave me alone again, you swore and if you break your
oath to me, then I will never forgive you! Never!” Gabrielle screamed at Diana
as she let go of the hilt of the sword and it immediately went back up to
Xena’s chest, shaking even more.
“ Gabrielle you don’t understand, I can’t get them back, not without freeing
both of them, and if I do that then their going to hurt me us, and I just
can’t allow that.”
Gabrielle looked at Xena with wide eyes and tears rolling down her face for
confirmation and Xena gave a slight nod of her head.
“ See?”
“ Diana there must be another way to get them back, without letting them go,
maybe the woman can do it?”
“ No, she can only send people, but she can not open the portal for someone to
come through.” Xena offered.
Gabrielle then scratched her head and flipping her hair out of her face, she
begun pacing.
“ Gabrielle there is no other way, that I can see.” Diana stated as she cocked
her head at the intense gaze Xena had leveled on her. “ Why are you looking at
me like that?”
“ Because I’m just making sure to remember everything about you, so that when
we’re on the other side, I can find you and have you forever as my own.”
“ Is that right?”
“ Yes, because the minute you kill me, you leave Gabrielle here with Questra,
and I will be brought back to life and I will bring you back as my personal
slave, because once I die, I become a GOD!”
“ What?!”
“ Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that little tip bit, you see, when either
Questra or myself dies, we instantly become Gods if we’re killed by any of
you.”
“ Does that go for our Xena and Questra as well?”
“ Yes, you see, everything that we are and can do, they have the potential,
they just didn’t realize it until now.”
“ So why tell me this now? Why not before Gabrielle came in?”
“ Because I didn’t think you would believe me.”
“ And why should I believe you now?”
“ Diana can we really afford not to?” Gabrielle asked realistically.
“ No. Damnit!” Diana cursed as she whipped the sword away from Xena’s chest
and turned and stormed over and placed it back in the sheath she had taken it
out of. “ Fine! I won’t kill them, but all that leaves is for me to release
them and we get our asses kicked from here to Tartarus.” Diana seethe as she
turned and stormed out of the room.
“ Diana! Diana wait! Maybe we can do something else?”
“ Gabrielle is you can come up with somewhere for us to perform that opening
ceremony, without them, or at the least without untying them, then I am all
ears?”
“ No.”
“ Well what’s left to talk about except we can send them back and never see
Xena and Questra again, or we can take the beating that will surely come, and
then after we heal, or should I say if we heal, then we can perform the
ceremony, and then hope that after all of that Xena and Questra will be able
to come back through, either with, or without thier God?”
“ Diana I know it looks hopeless?”
“ No Gabrielle it is far from being hopeless, there are options, it’s just a
matter of settling on the idea of being punished, and I can’t let that happen
to you.”
“ What are you talking about Diana?”
“ Gabrielle I told you before, Xena can kill or maim me if she chose to do
that, for life. Do you honestly think that I would allow either of them to
touch you with such rage racing through them, I would die protecting them from
you, and then you would be left to their mercy because there would be no One
to protect you, not me, not Questra and not Xena, because they would still be
in the other time, and I would be dead, do you understand what I’m telling you
Gabrielle?”
“ Yes. What are we going to do?”
“ I don’t know, but right now I just want to cry, a long time.”
“ Diana, when I came in to the bedchamber at first you had a look on your
face.”
“ Yes, what about it?”
“ You look like you were ......down.”
“ really? Well right now we have other things to think about.”
“ Alright, so what are we going to do?”
“ I’m going to think about all of this for a while, and your going to go and
talk with that woman and find out as much as you can from her.”
“ Okay.”
“ Oh, and Gabrielle don’t come back unless I say to, I’ll send a message to
you via one of the lower ranked soldiers, that way there will be no suspicion
on their part. Also they can read our minds.”
“ Wow, why do they need to be killed, their almost Gods as it is, I would
think that all they had to do was just think themselves Gods and then will it,
and it would happen?”
“ Hahaha, I know.”
‘ Diana?”
“ Hm..?”
“ Don’t give up?”
“ I won’t Gabrielle, I love you.”
“ I love you too.”
“ okay go, I need to go back in here and talk some more with her.”
“ Be careful?”
“ Always.”
Gabrielle then hugged Diana and then turned and left through the chamber and
Diana closed the door behind her, and then she turned back to the bed chamber
and shaking her head she walked back to it and went in.
“ So...your back.”
“ Obviously.”
“ Now what would my Consort like to talk to her master about?”
“ I’m not your consort.”
“ Your as much my Consort, as you are the other Xena’s.”
“ No there’s a difference.”
“ What’s that?”
“ I love her and she loves me, and you aren’t capable of that.” Diana stated
factually.
“ And how do you figure that Consort?!!”
“ It’s the truth.”
“ It’s a lie!”
“ Right, as if someone like you could even begin to know what the word love
means in the first place, yet alone feel love, you were made by a dark force
and therefore how can you feel anything light, especially Love?!”
“ Listen little girl, first of al I would suggest you loose that attitude of
yours, it only serves to anger me more. Secondly, I and Questra are both
capable of every emotion that anyone else is capable of. We just don’t show or
cater to certain ones.” Xena hissed through her teeth.
“ Yeah right, and you expect me to believe that, after all you’ve done since
you’ve been here? Give me a break! You have no clue, or concept about love,
Remember, the only reason your here is to destroy! Where’s the love in that?!
I would even venture to say that the plan is to destroy all of the good and
innocent and leave the wicked and corrupt?”
Xena didn’t answer she just listened.
“ Fine don’t answer, I know how it works. But let me ask you this X.E.N.A.?
What happens after all of those people are gone, what will you have left? I’ll
tell you what? Chaos, filth, the dregs of society, liars cheaters, thieves,
backstabbers, would be assassins, HATE, what type of society can thrive in
such an environment. You know it’s things like this that I couldn’t stand when
I was in my own time, so call people who would be Kings and Queens, people who
wanted to rule the world, but had no idea or concept how to go about it other
than through destruction. Hitler, Attila The Hun, slavers, Those fanatics who
believe that their religion is the only religion, and therefore they have the
okay from thier Gods to destroy all others who believe differently. When if
they thought a moment they would realize that any God that ask their followers
to destroy people who are trying to live a good and righteous life would get
a clue and see the concept is flawed in it’s very basics. Geesha! Who wants to
live among filth?! For Gaia sakes! You claim to be just like My Xena, well let
me help you a little, she has a clue. She realized that the road and path she
was on would have lead to true unfullfilment, She has most of the known world
under her thumb, but the one thing that hold all of this...” Diana said as she
spread her arms wide. “ together, is LOVE, and TRUST, and WISDOM and SKILLS.
All of these things make for a GREAT RULER, and you ...my dear Xena lack the
two major ones....LOVE and TRUST. So don’t try to tell me that your capable of
love when you contradict that by coming here to destroy, and not destroy for a
noble reason, like running out those who would oppress those who can’t protect
themselves? No, that’s not why the two of you are here, your here to destroy
those who would help. I guess it’s better to have groveling, weak, petty,
untrustworthy, filthy Lairs as your lovers, and mates, oops sorry, no such
thing as mates, you’d have to trust someone enough to want to lay with them
and close your eyes every night and not have to worry about waking up in
Tartarus facing Hades! So give me a break, Please?!” Diana said in disgust as
she stood back up off of the foot of the bed and went and sat back in her
chair and crossed her arms in both disgust and a pout.
Xena studied Diana for long moments before she said anything, and then, she
spoke in a commanding voice.
“ STOP POUTING!!”
“ Don’t tell me what to do!!”
“ I will tell you what to do and you will listen little girl!”
“ You have some nerve.” Diana said as she looked at the woman.
“ If you don’t want this conversation to deteriorate to threats, then I
suggest you listen and do what your told?”
“ Fine what is it you want to say?”
“ Just because someone evil thought to steal samples and clone Questra and
Xena, thus us, does not make her and I evil, we are not from the seed of evil,
we are from Your Xena and Questra. Every quality they have we also have the
capacity to be everything they are. You mentioned that Xena got a clue about
love, well that only makes my point more so.”
“ How is that?” Diana asked in disbelief, as she rolled her eyes slightly.
“ Do that again and I’ll stop talking to you.”
“ Maybe that’s not a bad idea? I think this conversation is about to take an
unbelievable turn.”
“ Are you scare to listen to me Diana?”
“ Why would I be?”
“ Because you may hear to much truth to deal with?”
“ I’m not afraid of the truth, if that’s what your implying?”
“ Then prove it?”
“ Fine! Finish what you were saying!”
“ Xena had to learn to love, she has always had it in her to do so, but she
had never known how to love, and until you and Gabrielle came along she was
just as dark as I am, now because of you, the people love her, and respect
her, they would give their lives for her out of loyalty, not fear. She use to
rule through fear, now she rules through love.”
“ Okay, and...?”
“ And that means that if you did not come into her life, the people here would
be afraid to speak against her, there would be wars breaking out almost
weekly, there would be many bodies hanging out there on death crosses, in
various states of death. The path she would have been on was to become even
darker, and more lustful after blood.”
“ Right so what’s your point, you seem to have made mine, but I don’t see
yours?”
“ My Point Is....it took you to change her. You showed her how to love. I have
the same capability as her, but only you can show me how.”
“ Oh yeah, right, like you really want to learn how to love? What about your
GOD?! I don’t think he would be happy with what your saying?”
“ I say what I feel like saying, no one controls me! I didn’t ask to be
cloned, nor did Questra! But we’re here, and we have feelings and emotions and
wants and desires just like any other person. We search for fulfillment in our
lives, and I’ll admit, at first my purpose was clear and I was focused on
that. But time changes things, experiences changes things. I could learn to
love, but I need someone to help me.”
“ Me?” Diana sneered.
“ Yes. there is only two choices to make here.”
“ And they are?”
“ You teach me to love, or Questra and I will go on and destroy all that
stands in our way with the help of the Great one.”
“ That’s not a choice, it’s an ultimatum.”
“ Ultimatum or not, it is STILL a choice.”
“ I’m not in love with you, my heart is completely taken by my Xena, I can’t
do anything about that. I am hers, and she is mine, and together we are
whole.”
“ I’m not asking you to leave her, only share yourself with me.”
“ Ha! You’ve got to be kidding? I’m not a whore to be passed around whenever
it is right for you or anyone else.” Diana said with anger in her voice.
“ Who said anything about whoring?! I’m asking you to share your loving spirit
with me. We’re already half way there, we are connected by our souls.”
“ I don’t want to hear anymore of this. I think your lying.”
“ How dare you call me a lair Consort?!” Xena sneered defensively.
Diana looked at her and then she came to her feet once again and stormed over
next to the bed dangerously close to where Xena could reach her.
“ I’m not your Consort! And why should I believe anything you say?! You want
to surround yourself with Liars and people like that, so why shouldn’t their
leaders be the ultimate lairs, lead by example I always say?” Diana said full
of sarcasm, resentment.
Diana then realized where she was standing and she quickly moved out of range.
Xena smirked and then brought the focus back.
“ I could have had you just a moment ago, I know you realized that, but ask
yourself why I didn’t take that advantage?”
“ What’s your point?”
“ Your very impulsive Diana, and it is one of you downfalls, you will continue
to make dangerous mistakes until you learn to control your impulses.”
Diana studied Xena for a moment, and then she asked again.
“ So....if I let you go....then you wont try to hurt me, or Gabrielle?”
“ No I won’t try.” Xena stated with a serious expression, then she finished.
“ I WILL hurt YOU Diana, but I won’t touch Gabrielle.”
Diana turned her back to hide the tears and her fear, and then she asked
without looking back.
“ Why?”
“ Because you chained me to this wall and you disobeyed me, when I told you to
unlock them. You were rude, disrespectful, And you held MY Sword to my throat
and would have killed me. Don’t you think I owe you something for all of
that?”
“ Well if you really want to prove that you want to change, then this would be
the place to start?”
“ I’m sure you think so, because of what it means for you if I don’t agree?
Besides, if you don’t unlock these off of me, then it will go worst for you,
if I have to escape some other way.”
“ Whatever, right now I don’t have to worry about that considering you both
are chained.”
“ Are you sure Consort?” Xena asked casually.
Diana heard the sureness in Xena’s voice and turned to look at her.
“ What do you mean Xena?”
“ Are you sure that we are both still chained?” Xena asked with a raised brow.
“ Why?”
“ Because if Questra gets free, she’s really going to hurt you.”
“ Like it’ll be a walk in a park with you, right?”
“ I would only whip you, she’s going to beat you.”
“ I won’t just stand here and let her, or you for that fact strike me without
striking back?”
“ Then you’ll get hurt.”
Diana’s eyes teared once again, as she closed her eyes and the tears escaped
out of her long lashes. She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. then she
thought to go and check on Questra, but Xena read her mind.
“ I wouldn’t do that Consort? If I were you I would do one of two things right
now?” Xena said warning Diana.
“ What?”
“ Either unlock me from these?” Xena said holding out the chains.
Diana shook her head slightly, and Xena shook her’s in response.
“ Or lock the doors to the outer doors and those to this room?”
Diana stood for a moment debating whether Xena was just stalling her to keep
her from catching someone from freeing Questra, or if she was telling the
truth.
“ Your running out of time Consort.” Xena said casually, but with something in
her tone, that made the hairs on the back of Diana’s neck stand up.
Diana raced out the room and locked the inner locks to the servants chamber
and then to the main doors, and just in time. Questra’s heavy fist shook the
door.
“ Open the door little girl, I want to have a few words with you.” Diana back
away from the door and then turned and raced back into the bedchamber and
locked all of those doors as well.
Diana leaned against the door with her back while she calmed her racing heart,
and Xena watched the young girl try to calm.
“ Diana if you unlock these I can make sure she doesn’t hurt you.” Xena
offered.
Diana looked at her for a moment and saw the sincerity, but she didn’t trust
her, so taking a deep breath she moved to the desk and rapidly wrote out a
long note, but with the speed of her hands it was as if she had written one
word..
“ What are you doing Consort?”
Diana looked at Xena but she didn’t answer, she then ran to the bedchamber
balcony, and listening to Questra pounding on the doors of the servants
entrance into the room, she then ran out on the balcony and seeing the
soldiers practicing, she called to one of the nearer soldiers.
“ Yes your Majesty?”
“ Shh...take this to Princess Gabrielle at the Amazons, tell her I said Just
please do it!” Diana threw the note and a traveller to the soldier and he
immediately threw it and disappeared threw it.
Diana then went back inside the doors and locked them behind her and then
looking at the windows in the room she realized Questra would think of those
soon.
“ Diana it’s no use, she will think of the windows soon. Unlock these, take
the punishment and we can move pass this.”
“ No, you want to hurt Gabrielle, I know she does, and I won’t let either of
you.”
“ Diana is a little pain worth risking your life for? Questra will not hurt
Gabrielle that badly, in fact she will probably just whip her as well. But she
will battle you.”
Diana listened for the moment, but then she kept her mind thinking on what to
do about the windows,then it came to her.
“ Yes!” Diana exclaimed as she race to the closet and pulling out her
saddlebag she dug through it and then she pulled out a can of some sort.
“ What’s that?”
“ You’ll see.” Diana said as she moved to the window and spraying a fine mist
over the opening, a matching color stone filled in the area.
Xena’s mouth dropped open and then Diana heard Questra at the bath chamber
door pounding to get in. Diana’s heart race and then she moved to the next
windows and did the same thing.
“ Okay Consort, now that you have thoroughly sealed the entrances, how do you
expect to get out of here if she gets in?”
“ I’ll worry about that when the time comes.” Diana said looking at the solid
walls that she now faced.
“ Consort, how long do you think those doors will keep her out? “
“ I don’t know, maybe I can......”
“ Talk her down, ha! don’t even think about it, she has no feelings at all for
you, accept anger. Youu might as well try to talk Hades Guard dog out of one
of the souls of Tartarus, you would have better luck.”
“ Why are you trying to scare me?”
“ I’m not trying to scare you Consort, I just want you to see what your up
against, you can’t beat her, no matter how hard you try, and if you try then
it will only anger her more and she will beat you more, and I won’t be able to
stop her since I am locked here.”
“ Be quiet.” Diana shouted back at Xena as she watched the door begin to bow
at the constant assault put upon it by Questra’s relentless hammering.
“ Open the door little girl, it’ll go better for you.” Questra sneered from
the other side of the door.
“ Why are you so angry?! Your the ones who intruded into our lives?!” Diana
called back .
“ I’m not angry little girl, I am way past anger, you chained me up down in
the dungeon, never came back to see if I were alright, or anything, tied that
cloth over my mouth, preventing me from speaking or anything, I stood there in
one place for over 6 candlemarks, no water, nothing, just darkness!”
“ What did you expect? for me to pamper you, indulge you, tell me about your
plans to take over the world, what was I suppose to do?!” Diana shouted back.
“ You should have continued to pretend you didn’t know about us, at least you
weren’t at risk of being beaten, now it’s all I want to do to you. I take it
Xena’s in there with you still chained? Otherwise the door would have been
open. I’m going to get in there, and when I do, I will pay you back tenfold.”
“ I’m not just going to let you beat on me without defending myself.”
“ I hope not, but it really does not matter the only way I will stop beating
on you is when I’m satisfied, or I’m dead, which in that case I will be back
and continue. I’m sure Xena has told you the risk of killing either of us?”
“ Questra what do you want from me?”
“ You to open the door and take your punishment, and then to get Gabrielle
back here so she can take hers as well.”
“ I’m not going to let you hurt her.”
“ How are you going to stop me, you’ll be unable to help anyone when I get
through with you.”
“ So what, you plan on beating Gabrielle the same way you beat me?”
“ No, I’ll just whip her, she’s not as strong as you are. Anyway, you see the
door, it’s going to give soon.” Questra purred through the door.
Diana looked at the door and then crossing her arms she looked back at the
Xena sitting on the bed with a questioning brow.
“ I could leave here?”
“ No you couldn’t.” Xena stated factually.
“ That’s right little girl you can’t leave here, if you tried and somehow
succeeded, then we would destroy city by city looking for the two of you, I
promise you that.” Questra interjected.
Diana looked again to Xena to see if that’s what she had meant, and seeing the
slight nod of her head Diana inhaled slowly and then she asked,
“ Why?”
“ Because we need you two to open the portal.” Diana looked away frustrated
and scared.
“ Consort I can feel your fear, but it does not make sense to try to stand up
to her, why don’t you unlock me?”
“ Because I can’t handle both of you!” Diana shouted at Xena.
“ You can’t handle one of us, especially if we’re angry, which is where she is
at right now. You can’t handle her!”
“ Like I can handle you, why would I let both of you loose to hurt me, I’d be
a fool.”
“ No, you would be a fool if you don’t unlock these within the next minute,
because that’s how long it’s going to take her to get in here. I’m just trying
to save you from being hurt badly.”
“ Why, because you CARE?!” Diana said with contempt.
“ There’s that disrespectfulness again. You only have seconds left Consort.”
“ What will you do if I let you go?”
“ Protect you from her wrath.”
“ Only to let out yours on me?”
“ I am upset with you, I never ever lied to you about that,or my intentions.”
“ You expect for me to trust you?”
“ Yes.”
“ How can I? You want to destroy my home, my family, my friends?”
“ I just want to help you right now.” Xena said honestly.
Diana looked at her for a moment and then hearing the door start to give way,
and Xena then honed in.
“ Ten seconds. I can’t do anything to help you if you don’t free me?”
“ If I leave?”
“ Then we will kill the staff of the palace until you return.”
“ See? See?! That’s what I mean, you say you want me to teach you to love, but
I don’t see you trying?”
“ Then your not looking hard enough. Five seconds.”
Diana backed further away from the now giving door towards the other side of
the bed where she stood with tears in her eyes and fear.
“ Damn that stubborn ass of yours! Xena hissed. “ Unlock me!!”
“ No.”
“ Where’s the key?” Xena asked knowing Diana would look at where it was, which
she did unknowingly.
Suddenly the door flew open and Questra stepped threw her hair wild and
windblown looking and her eyes piercing as she scanned the room quickly and
found her prey.
“ Ah...there you are, now we can do this one of two ways, you can walk over
here to me, and save us both time and effort, or I can come and get you....My
Way?”
“ Please don’t do this Questra?” Diana asked respectfully.
“ It’s a little late for that isn’t it little girl?”
“ Maybe, but at least I asked?”
“ Yes, yes you did, and I will give you my answer, as soon as you give me
yours about how you want to do this, you to me, or me to you?”
“ I rather it not be either?”
“ That’s not an option.”
“ Xena?”
“ Ah...no, no, no, Xena can’t and won’t help you now, you blew that chance
little one.” Questra answered for Xena who now was looking at her with I told
you so eyes.
Questra then made the decision for Diana, she headed for her with a determined
stride. Diana thought to go over the bed, but she didn’t know what Xena would
do, so she begun moving at an angle from the approaching warrior.
“ Your not going to try to run from me are you little one?”
“ Questra please don’t?”
“ I told you it’s to late for that, you should have thought about this before
you did it.”
Questra now was close enough to Diana to block her from going by her. Diana
backed away, but Questra now was closing the little distances that remained
between them.
Diana glanced one way and then started to dart in the other, but Questra had
read her mind and she almost ran into her. Questra now caught Diana’s hair
when Diana tried to turn and go the other way.
“ HA!!” Diana gasped as she was pulled back to stand in front of Questra.
“ Now, what shall I start with? This beautiful face, your body, your backside
maybe?”
Diana suddenly struck Questra in the abdomen and then when she bent forward
she caught her in the head. Questra fell back towards the bed and Diana raced
past her and grabbing the key out of her pocket, she headed for Xena, but then
stopped and looked at her in question.
Xena simply raised a brow at her and asked, “ Why should I? You don’t trust
me? You have no respect for me?”
“ Because I’m asking you?”
“ Not get enough.”
Diana glanced back at the stirring Questra and then she went over to the bed
and asked.
“ Please? I’ll do whatever you want, as long as it doesn’t involve betraying
Xena.”
Xena studied Diana for what seemed like a long time.
“ Do it.”
Diana let out the breath she was holding and immediately went to unlock the
chains from Xena, but just as her hands touched the shackle, her hair was
sudden caught and she was thrown across the room, and the keys dropped on the
floor by the bed.
“ No, no no, I can’t let you do that just yet little one, you haven’t been
punished yet for your misbehavior.” Questra said smoothly as she picked up the
keys and then stormed upon the dazed woman who was picking herself up off of
the floor.
Diana steadied herself just as Questra threw a swing at her and she blocked it
with her hand. The two women then stormed into a flurry of fierce punches and
swings, and Diana was holding her own for a while, and then Questra smirked at
her, and then swinging at Diana’s head with her fists, Diana ducked and
Questra caught her in the chin with her powerful knee, sending Diana reeling
backwards once again.
Questra then caught Diana’s hair just before she would have fallen, and pulled
her back to her and struck her again across the face with her fist and Diana
went to her knees, and then pulled to her feet once again, staggered and
dazed, Questra caught her around her neck and lifted her up off of the ground
and held the faintly struggling young woman up in the air against the wall
that was behind them.
Questra watched Diana’s actions, as she slowly closed her hand tighter around
Diana’s neck and Diana’s eyes going wide with the fear that she was about to
blackout as she tried to catch her breath. Diana gave one last effort and
caught Questra at the juncture of her hip and thigh and Questra dropped Diana
and staggered back and Diana fell to the floor and tried to catch her breath
and clear her swimming head.
Questra recovered and with a powerful kick to Diana’s side, Diana screamed and
rolled into the dresser, as a result of the momentum of the blow to her side.
She was now struggling to catch her breath. Questra strolled around to the
other side of Diana and looking down at the young woman, an evil smile came to
her face and she lifted her foot to bring it down on Diana’s chest, but Diana
rolled and continued to roll through her pain as Questra followed her with
constant attempts at landing one foot on Diana.
Diana sensed she was getting close to the bed and she rolled one last time and
came to her feet and Questra threw out a jarring blow to Diana’s jaw and Diana
flew almost as if she had been lifted off of the ground by a gentle breeze.
Diana flew across the huge bed and landed unconscious on the other side.
Questra then turned to Xena who had been telling her that it was enough after
the third strike. She then turned back to the still unconscious woman and
seeing blood seeping out of her mouth, Questra lifted the woman up and placed
her on the bed next to Xena and then chaining her arms to the other set of
chains and then her legs, she then went back and looked at the bleeding and
opening Diana’s mouth she looked in and after a moment of looking she located
where the bleed was coming from and reaching her long fingers into Diana’s
mouth she pulled out one of her teeth that had been knocked loose.
“ Hmmm...a tooth.” Questra said intrigued.
“ You broke her tooth Questra?!! How could you do that?!! Xena shouted with
vemon.
“ Don’t worry, she’ll heal. Besides, I’m not through breaking things....yet.”
“ WHAT?!! Questra you unlock me now!!”
“ First I want to find out where Gabrielle is, and she’s going to tell me.”
“ Questra she won’t be able to help us if you do this to her!”
“ Don’t worry, I won’t do anything that will prevent her from performing the
opening.
After a candlemark, of Xena shouting at Questra to unlock her and them talking
about other things, in the interim, and cleaning Diana up. Diana stirred and
her eyes fluttered open and at first they closed and didn’t open again for
another quarter of a candlemark, then they fluttered again and this time
Questra called to Diana.
“ Diana...? Can you hear me?”
Diana’s eyes focused slowly, and then she groaned and her eyes looked around
the room for a moment and then they came to rest on Questra.
“ Xena?”
“ I’m here Consort.” Xena answered from beside Diana and Diana’s eyes shifted
to her. “ How are you feeling?”
“ Pain. My jaw hurts.”
“ You lost a tooth. But you’ll heal.” Xena said informing Diana of the cause.
“ I lost a tooth?!” Diana’s eyes then shifted back to the woman standing over
her. “ You did this?”
“ Yes. But that’s not what I want to talk about.” Questra stated unconcern
with the lost.
“ I can’t believe...” Diana started to shout and rise, but she noticed that it
hurt to move, and when she did she found she couldn’t lower her arms or move
her legs. “ Chained?”
“ Yes. Now, like I was saying, I want to know specific information, and if I
don’t get it, then I’m going to hurt you more. First let me tell you this, if
you tell me what I want to know then I give you my word that I will not hurt
her at all, I won’t strike her or anything. Now, where is Gabrielle?”
“ Like I’m really going to tell you?”
“ We’ll see.” Questra said with a smirk.
“ Consort tell her what she wants to know!’ Xena scolded.
“ No!”
Questra wrapped her hands around Diana’s lower leg, and leaving space between
she began to apply opposite force to Diana’s leg and Diana begun screaming
from the pain.
“ Tell me where she is little one, otherwise I will break you leg.” Questra
said loud enough for Diana to hear, but in a calm voice.
Diana begun struggling like a wild woman trying to break free of the chains or
Questra’s powerful grip. Diana was screaming due to the tremendous pain that
was being inflicted on her. Diana had never had any bone or anything else
broke on her, and her she was she lost a tooth, that would grow back, but
still to lose it was traumatic, and now her leg was about to be broken and the
pain was like that of having a concrete block fall from the top of the palace
onto her leg, and even that would not break her leg.
“ Tell her where she is Consort and she will stop!!” Xena scolded over Diana’s
screams of pain.”
“ NO!!” Diana exclaimed through her rapid laborious breathing, and scream.
Questra increased the pressure and Diana screamed out a plead to Questra and
Questra only stated.
“ Tell me. I won’t ask again, you have five seconds, and then I break it, and
then I’ll move t you other leg and do the same thing, and I will continue to
break things until you tell me. I know this has got to hurt, the pain I know
is unlike anything in comparison to regular people’s breaks?”
“ Stop being stubborn and tell her!!” Xena continued to scold the young woman.
“ No!! Diana shouted and Questra then applied enough pressure to the limb and
after a long agonizing moment....it broke.
Diana’s scream echo throughout the land of Xenadia., and then she fell
unconscious once again. The clone Xena had rage in her eyes both at Questra
and at Diana for her stubbornness.
When Diana awoke once again, she sobbed hysterically, but Questra simply
called her attention to her.
“ Diana, I am going to break the other leg if you don’t tell me, she then took
hold of her other leg the same way she had done with the other and Diana was
nearly hyperventilating.
Finally when Diana felt the pressure increase, and Xena yelled at her to tell
her. Diana finally started to open her mouth to tell her. Suddenly Gabrielle,
Nebula, and Ephiny all yelled through the door of the bed chamber from the
other side of the locked door.
“ Diana?!!!”
Questra smirked and then a grin came to her face and she jumped up off of the
bed and pulling out the keys she unlocked Diana and then unlocked Xena and
Diana curled into a ball and sobbed bitterly as her body shook from the pain
she felt throughout her body.
Questra strolled over to the door and unlocked the door and Gabrielle stood
shocked to see Questra.
“ Gabrielle....I was just asking about you.”
“ Where’s Diana?!” Gabrielle yelled with tears in her eyes.
“ There, on the bed.” Questra said as she swept her hand to motion towards the
bed. Xena head moved and dressed, and was now sitting at the table in the
room.
Gabrielle ran into the room and flew on the bed and went to move Diana’s hair
out of her face. Gabrielle’s hands stopped when she felt the cut to Diana’s
cheek, and then saw the discoloration to her cheek. Gabrielle’s hands shakily
moved the hair further and looking at the woman’s face and then her arms and
moving the covers off of Diana, as Diana continued to cry oblivious, despite
Gabrielle’s spontaneous assessment.
Gabrielle’s eyes fell upon the numerous large bruises, especially the one on
Diana’s side, and as the tears rolled down her face, she moved her hands over
each one and Diana flinched from the contact and when Gabrielle noticed one of
Diana’s legs with hand prints on it she moved her hand down to Diana’s leg and
taking hold of the broken limb Gabrielle ran her hands along the leg and felt
the break in it and Gabrielle turned and got sick on the bed at the thought.
She then wiped her mouth and flew off the bed at Questra. But Xena caught her
and Gabrielle swung on Xena but Xena caught her arms and held them.
“ Calm down before you get hurt.” Xena commanded, Gabrielle struggled to get
loose, but soon Xena made her calm down.
“ How could you two hurt her like that?!!” Gabrielle asked through her rapid
breathing.
“ She’ll be fine.” Xena stated, not telling Gabrielle what the truth was.
“ Let me go!!” Gabrielle screamed at Xena , and after a moment Xena let her go
and Gabrielle returned to the bed to sooth Diana, where Ephiny and Nebula had
now moved to. “ Diana, I’m here.” Gabrielle said through her tears.
Ephiny saw a tooth sitting on the bed table and she reached over and picked up
the bloody tooth, then looking back at Diana with knitted brows, she looked
over at Xena and Xena gave a slight nod of her head and Ephiny’s knees went
weak at the thought of the amount of pressure that it must have taken to knock
one of Diana’s teeth out.
“ Ephiny? Are you okay?” Nebula asked noticing the near fall, which brought
Gabrielle’s attention to her.