Xena: Warrior
Princess, Gabrielle, Argo, Aphrodite, Eli, Michael, and all other characters
who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess
are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures.
No copyright infringement was intended in writing this fan fiction.
All other characters, the story idea, and the story itself are the sole
property of the author and cannot be sold or used for profit in anyway.
This story depicts small hints of violence, bloodshed, and grief.
PASSION AND ROMANCE
By
Kris Johnson
Email: anchelle@samlink.com
With the Twilight
of the Gods passing of 25 years, Gabrielle is faced with a bards destiny
of Passion and Romance, and a little help from Xena.
“Xena when are
we going to get to the next village, I’m starving.” asked Gabrielle as
they rode down the path in the woods. Xena replies “I don’t know,
but I’m not taking chances on letting my guard down. Something doesn’t
feel right about this.”
Suddenly a man
lunges out of the bushes with blood covering his side and falls to the
ground. Xena dismounts Argo and cautiously kneels next to the dying
man. Gathering all the strength he could muster and says “Xena, you
must help,” he handed her a bloody piece of parchment and with his last
breath he said “hurry, there is not much time.” Gabrielle looks on
at Xena as she opens the parchment to read the message written for them
inside. “There’s a village not far from here. Someone they
call The Keeper is needing our help, but it’s not clear why.” “Xena
who’s The Keeper?” “I don’t know. Come on let’s go and find
out.” replied Xena.
As they rode into
the village the people stood and watched them as they passed by and hitched
their horses in front of a carpenter’s stable. Inside a short yet
stout woman was sanding a beautifully crafted coffin. She caught
Gabrielle’s eye and gave a little smile. Just then a loud thunder
clap of a horse running at full speed was heard and out of the dust cloud
could be seen a dark rider with long black hair like a raven. The
villagers acted as if they didn’t notice as the stranger rode up to Xena
and dismounted quickly to the horse’s side. As the stranger looked
Xena in the eyes she said to Gabrielle “She doesn’t speak.” “What?”
asked Gabrielle. “Romey, she has a stutter so she doesn’t speak much.”
said the stranger. “Who are you?” asks Xena. “I’m The Keeper,
my name is Passion.” Gabrielle turns to look back at the stable and
Romey is gone.
The Keeper motions
Xena to follow her into an old temple close by. “Why am I here?
A man died giving me your message.” “Yes, that is why is so important
that you and your friend is here. Since the fall of the gods,”
“What do they have to do with this” Xena says angrily. “Gabrielle
is pure and it is her destiny to be a bard. Like Romey, so by a bard
thy will must be done.” “I don’t understand.” said Xena. Gabrielle
walks in the temple “Xena, who are you talking to?” Xena turns and
The Keeper is gone. Xena says “No one” as she looks around the room.
“Are you feeling ok?” “Yea, fine. Come on let’s find a room
for the night and rest.” As they walked out of the temple they pass
an old woman who stops and stares, smiles, and then says, “The Keeper has
sent for the deliverer in the form of a bard. Go spread the love
of thy will be done.” The old woman turns to walk away when Xena
asks, “What do you mean?” The old woman continues on her way without
turning back saying “Go, thy will be done.” “Xena, what’s that all
about?” “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out. None
of this is making any sense.”
Xena walks off
to try to find The Keeper and get some answers, mean while Gabrielle sees
Romey walking behind the stables. “Romey? Hi.” says Gabrielle.
Romey sits down on a marble bench in a garden of fragrant flowers.
She looks up at Gabrielle and smiles an invitation to sit down beside her.
Gabrielle says to her “I feel like I know you have we ever met.”
Romey looks at her with a warm smile as if speaking into Gabrielle’s soul
and tries to speak “I-I-I kknnnooow you b-b-byy a g-g-g-i-i-f-f-t.
I-I-I- g-g-g-ave t-t-t-o-o- th-th-the world.” She then stood up and
gave a smile and a wave goodbye leaving Gabrielle sitting there unsure
of what was said.
Back at the Inn’s
room Xena was looking for the parchment that was handed to her by the dying
man in her saddlebag. A cool breeze brushed her back and she turned
to find The Keeper standing behind her. “You said your name was Passion
so why do they call you The Keeper?” “I am Romey’s keeper.
Your friend is her destiny. An attack on the village will come tomorrow
at noon and your friend will kill Romey. And in the days to come,
you will know.” Then in an instant The Keeper was gone. Slowly
the pieces were coming together. Though Xena knew her and Gabrielle
has been to hell and back, for the first time a small doubt and belief
came to her in the name of Eli and the thought of Michael were all too
real. But if Gabrielle was to be Romey’s destiny and an attack was
at noon, what do they have in common?
Early the next
morning Gabrielle went out to see Romey and found her in the garden praying.
Not wanting to disturb her she tried to listen behind the rose bushes.
Romey quietly prayed with tears streaming from her eyes as if asking for
forgiveness. When she was done, she walked away and Gabrielle quietly
walked over and knelt beside the marble bench and touched the tears that
soaked the marble. A loud commotion was heard and the attack had
begun.
Xena ran out into
the streets yelling for Gabrielle. Gabrielle came out of the garden
and began to fight off the attackers. Xena spots The Keeper with
a large sword walking towards Romey who was standing near the stable defenseless.
By this time Xena knew who Passion was and knew what Gabrielle had to do,
even though she knew it would hurt her. The Keeper tricked Gabrielle
into a fight. Battling it out fiercely The Keeper turned to run towards
Romey with her sword drawn when Gabrielle hurls one of her daggers towards
The Keeper striking Romey deep into her heart. Grief struck Gabrielle
runs to the side of Romey crying and screaming “NO!”. Not noticing
the attackers had given up and was retreating. As she cradled Romey
in her arms sobbing Xena knelt beside her and put her hand on her shoulder.
Romey looked Gabrielle in her eyes and with a last breath of life as the
blood spilt from her chest and mouth she said, “It is done.” And closed
her eyes. The villagers without saying a word took Romey’s body to
the stable where she was crafting a coffin that was meant for her to be
buried in. The villagers had been prepared for this day. Xena
took Gabrielle back to the Inn to rest.
The next morning
they headed out of the village. As they made some headway out side
the gates; they came across the old woman from the village kneeling at
two head stones placing fragrant flowers on the fresh grave. The
old woman looking now more familiar Gabrielle asks “Excuse me, do I know
you?” The old woman turns around and smiles as best she can and says,
“You know, a mother shouldn’t outlive her children.” “Aphrodite?”
says Gabrielle. “Yea, you know I’ve always liked you two and considered
you my friends. So during the twilight’s I gave up my immortality
for passion and romance.” Still confused Gabrielle asks “Aphrodite,
what are you trying to say?” “You see, The Keeper of Romance is Passion.
The only two people I know who share both for each other so strongly are
you two. So when I gave up my immorality so did passion and romance
in order for them to live in everyone sort of like eternity. Romance
had remembered me telling of Gabrielle’s stories so in order to keep the
spirit of romance and passion alive, her destiny was set through passion
and only Gabrielle could set it free. Oh, something to do with love
being the way or something.” They said their good-byes and Aphrodite
returned to the village.
“But that doesn’t
explain how Passion led us to here” said Xena curiously. A bright
light came down from the heavens and a white shape appeared as Romey and
said without a trace of stutter, “Passion came in the form of you Xena.
You have so much passion for Gabrielle and for life that you have forgotten
to see it. Gabrielle has so much romance she still needed to share.
It was by her will thyn was done to show the world so that all mankind
will have not only these gifts but to know compassion as well. Together
all is possible.” In an instant she was gone.
Xena took Gabrielle’s hand as they continued on their journey both knowing sometimes the best conversation two people can have is when nothing is said at all. The End.