"Another day. Another plot foiled," a dark man fumed from his throne deep inside of a temple in first century Greece.  He was Ares, god of war, and his bearing magnified the power behind his words. Standing nearly six and a half feet tall, clad in leather, and having the most steely gaze, he was quite intimidating especially when he was angry. On this day, he was furious.

"Why?" he demanded. "Why does that mongrel half-brother of mine always ruin my plans? And he had to corrupt my greatest warrior!" He pointed at a stone pillar and a fire ball scored its side. "Too bad, Xena. You could have been my Warrior Queen, ruler of the known world...."

"Maybe she was always the goody two shoes at heart," a female voice laughed from behind.

Ares' countenance soured even more. He spun on his heel to see a woman dressed in jet-black leather and having a mane of hair to match. Her eyes held a mischievous sparkle. "Not now, Discord," he hissed.

"Aw, c'mon...What's the matter? Your prize pupil beat you.  Too bad, get over it...." she continued.

"You're really pushing it!" he tersely informed her.

She grinned and came still closer. "You know...you could always find another woman to take her place," she suggested.

"No way," he refused. "Not among the Amazons or any other mortals. If she exists, that woman would be known to me."

"True, true...as long as your keeping your eyes open," she smiled wickedly.

"Oh, you know I am. You know I am," Ares agreed as a grin formed across his face.


****************************************


A stiff wind blew across the Britannic plains chilling its inhabitants and those travellers who traversed it. On this particular evening, two women made their way toward Londinium for supplies. The leader travelled on foot. She was fairly well-built. Her golden hair hung down her back and used a walking staff. She also talked endlessly with her companion.  Her friend who patiently listened to every word, rode on the chalk-white steed, Argo. Unlike the first woman, nobody would mistake this person's profession. After all, when standing, she was about six feet tall, clothed in leather and chest armor, a broadsword on her back, and a circular chakram hanging above her right hip. Her hair was jet-black and her countenance was grim.

The walking woman asked, "So, what did you think when Hercules....?"

The warrior held up her hand abruptly. "Hold it!" she interrupted while stopping Argo.

"What is it, Xena?" the other asked, readying her staff for a fight.

"There's trouble ahead. Get ready, Gabrielle," Xena explained. Almost at a second's notice, the Warrior Princess tensed, leapt from her mount, and had sword and chakram at the ready when she hit the turf.

Just then, a band of marauders stepped into the path in front of them. "Hello, Ladies," the leader, a swarthy Persian, smiled. "Your horse looks so over burdened there."

Xena chuckled, "Argo's fine. Now, move along. We're in a hurry." Her hand grasped the chakram even firmer.

The man shook his head and demanded, "Oh no. Either you share your goods, or it'll be your funeral." He motioned for his gang to attack with a single motion of his hand.

"They don't realize what they're in for," Gabrielle mused.

Xena arched her left eyebrow, narrowed her eyes into slits, and took her opponents' measure. "No, it will be yours," she stated. Flinging her chakram, the weapon caromed off of a nearby tree, a stone wall, Argo's saddle bag, and then, with almost an independent will of its own, took out three attackers before returning to its mistress's hand. Turning to her companion, she yelled, "Now, Gabrielle!"

The Bard nodded and with two quick movements of her staff, took out three more marauders.

Meanwhile, with the quickness of a jungle cat, Xena girated between opponents. Gripping one man's shoulders, she swung her legs into a flying kick that disabled three more men.  Then, landing between the last two men, she delivered a haymaker which knocked one into the middle of the next week.

The last brigand snuck up behind her with his sword raised.  "Prepare to die, Witch!" he thought and tensed....
...And with patented ease, the warrior's right hand raised her sword to parry the man's thrust. Turning to face her adversary, she scorned, "Nice try, Little Man." After dodging another attempt on his part, she stifled a yawn and batted him unconscious with the hilt of her sword. "But not good enough." A quick glance told her that the attackers were out of commission and that Gabrielle had fared as well as she had.

"Thanks for the warning, Xena," Gabrielle nodded.

"No problem," the Thracian warrior agreed as she resumed her place on Argo's saddle. Then, a strange feeling settled in her gut. Something was going to happen soon. Something awful. She decided to keep a watchful eye as they continued down the path to Londinium.

Xena arched her left eyebrow. "I believe that I might have the answer to that question," she stated.

"Go on," Steve urged.

"Those men were Greek and Roman legionnaires under Caesar...." she began.

"Julius Caesar?" the FBI agent interjected. "But?"

Dave cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Go on, Xena. Please..." he requested.

"Very well," she nodded. "They serve the war god, Ares, as well. He teleported them here."

"And the glowing green stone...The Chronos stone, right?" Dave guessed.

She concurred, "Right. But, what was their intent?"

"They stole a valuable crystal necklace and Dave's sister," Steve pointed out.

"But why the necklace? What would Ares want?" Xena pushed.

The question hung heavily in the air for a full minute before Dave asked Xena, "Was Caesar moving troops en masse towards southwestern Britannia?"

The Warrior Princess scratched her chin and pondered this query. Then, a memory popped into her head. "Indeed. When Gabrielle and I fought his troops, he bragged that I couldn't stop his next plan. His mistake....," she seethed.

"He has to be heading for Althanor," Dave indicated.

"So, what do we do now?" Steve queried his allies.

"Are we going there?" Xena asked.

"Yes, in a few hours...but first, I need to settle things here. I need to check on my daughters first," he explained.

"Certainly, I will change back when we get to the main floor," she agreed as they left the room.

************

"Wow!" Angie gasped, after the transformation. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Steve asked.

"No, I don't," she huffed impatiently. "The last thing that I remember is being in the ancient display area and holding a sword...."

"You did a lot more than that, Princess. Trust me," her husband snickered.

"Now, what's so funny? You two sound like I changed or something.....," she demanded.

"You did. Xena Warrior Princess actually," Dave baited.

She snorted, "You've got to be kidding! Steve, he's kidding, right?"

He shrugged and glanced at her husband who was laughing by that point.

"Right?" she insisted putting her hands on her hips.

"We're deadly serious," Dave managed to tell her while letting a little amusement into his voice.

"Oh right....and I suppose that I did the back flips, punches, karate kicks, and threw that discus thing....," she joked sarcastically.

"It's called a chakram, Angie," Dave cracked. "And yes, you did all of those things. Now, since we need to talk to our parents, we do want to keep a calm facade, don't we?"

"That's for sure. C'mon, let's go find them," she agreed and we headed for the museum's main exit.
Ares and Discord sat in the temple's throne room. While they were perplexed by the problems and bumbling of their proud lackey's troops, they loved the energy of the battle unfolding on the screen in front of them.

"What odd clothes," she criticized. "Still, they fight well."

He nodded grimly, "Yes, I agree. Those men are Caesar's handpicked troops out there and they are still wiping the floor with them. Then, they saw Cybelle and the necklace vanish into the portal. "Ah, our prizes will be here shortly. Come...we must greet our warriors." He strode purposefully through the door with Discord following closely behind.

***************

"What were you doing?" the legion's leader fumed at his men. He was a lanky yet well-built man in his early thirties. He had a severe military haircut and a piercing gaze which cut right through to his men's very souls. He was Julius Caesar, the most ambitious general in the Roman Empire. Right now, those designs meant assisting Ares and these incompetent plebes were not about to ruin this opportunity for him!

"Pardon us, Great Caesar," his lieutenant trembled. "The two men fought like tigers. We did get Ares' prizes. But then, Xena appeared and...."

The report startled Caesar and he turned suddenly. "Did you say, Xena?" he seethed. "Are you certain?"

"How could I not be, Sir?" the other continued nervously. "Who else dresses in leather, outfights everyone, and throws that damnable chakram about???"

The Roman leader nodded, "True, few fight like she does...Yes, I suppose that you did well enough getting the girl and the jewelry. Very well, you are dismissed."

The subordinate bowed silently and led the other troops from the room.

Caesar paced to-and-fro, listening as the footsteps echoed in the distance. Xena frustrated him.  But, he would defeat her. After all, wasn't he Caesar? Was it not his destiny to control mankind and rule the world? He decided to savor his position before deciding how to best deal with his men.

However, Xena continued to dominate his thoughts. "How could she...?"

"Xena is nothing, if not resourceful. Remember that," a voice lectured suddenly.

Caesar spun to face Ares. "Then you heard?"

Ares grinned with amusement. He blew on his fist and rubbed it against his chest. "Of course, I know? Am I not the god of war? Remember, Caesar, while you are a great general, I am the god of war...."

Caesar eyed the other cautiously.

"...I made you...," Ares continued.

The Roman's nerves began to flare.

"And I can break you," Ares finished tersely. "No secrets. Understood?"

"Of course not," the other assured him. While he hated to cave into a Greek god, Ares had a point about their relationship. If there was one thing that Caesar understood above all else, it was the nature of power.

"Good," the war god nodded. "Have your men taken the shrine yet?"

"Yes, the pagan building is ours," Caesar reported.

"Excellent. Now, if you will accompany Discord and myself, there is one more spell to be performed there. We will have one more priestess...under my control of course," Ares revealed and, with a wave of his hand, teleported them from the chamber.

********************

The Shrine outside of Silchester had contained a thriving Druid community. After the Romans' attack, it was abandoned and silent. It was here that the three conspirators appeared.

"Mmm...The mayhem," Discord savored.

"Yes, I love the scene of a battle," Ares concurred. "Come, let's get to the temple."

Caesar nodded and motioned for a Roman priest to follow them.

The group walked through the town and climbed the stairs to the shrine. Therein, they found the chamber and altar intact even if the Druids' religious decorations were gone...."

"Good. Everything is ready," Ares smiled and snapped his fingers. 

Cybelle's shimmering form appeared and floated to the dais.

"Now, for the other piece," she noted and pointed her right index finger at the altar. The necklace appeared around Cybelle's neck.

The Roman general looked at the priest. "Do your work now!" he ordered.

"Yes, Great Caesar," the other man agreed and hesitantly opened the Druid's book of chants.  Then, he began to chant an ancient chant once, twice...and then, a third time. The air crackled with eldritch energies and the unwitting priest became their focal point. He channeled their energies into Cybelle.

Ares, for his part, walked over, and, grasping the woman's right hand, filled her with still more energy. Having done this, he backed away to his previous position once again.

"It...It's too much!" the priest screamed and disappeared in a blinding flash as the energies reached a crescendo.

Then, Cybelle's eyes snapped open and she released a silent scream as well. When the light had subsided, she rose from the platform clad in traditional Celtic robes instead of her twentieth century garments.

"Excellent!" Ares approved and stepped toward the priestess.

She considered this man and his companions. "I'm sorry...but who are you?" she asked.

"I am Ares, god of war. The woman is Discord and the man beside her is Caesar," he explained.

"Yes, Ares...Now, I know...I'm...supposed to help you...," she recited entranced.

"Indeed. Now, please rest. We will be traveling to Althanor soon enough," he urged. "Come, we will get you to some place comfortable." In a flash, the foursome disappeared from the temple grounds.
The scene at the museum went pretty much as Dave had expected...considering that there had just been a major disturbance inside of its main display. Fortunately, Steve's federal connections took care of Manhattan's Finest. In the meantime, Angie's parents agreed to watch the girls. For its part, the university extended Dave's and Angie's respective leaves. After attempting to reassure his mother, Dave left her with his brother-in-law, rejoining his wife and friend back inside of the
museum.

"So, now what?" Angie asked him.

"Now, we go after the necklace," he pointed out. "Steve, can you run interference for us?"

"Well...It's going to be a pain, but yeah, I can hold the bureaucrats at bay until you get back.  Good luck, you two," the agent agreed.

Angie scratched her head. "How are we going to get it back?" 

"With this," Dave revealed and pulled the emerald shard from his pocket. "It's from the stone that the Romans used. Take my hand."

Angie sighed nervously. While she was nervous about this procedure, they needed to go after Cybelle. There was no choice in the matter....She grasped his hand and touched the gem's splinter.

Suddenly, the jewel fragment glowed brightly. Angie and Dave felt a intense electric charge and then, they disappeared from the museum.

Steve shook his head. "Why can't they ever do anything like a normal couple?" he wondered.  "Oh well, good luck. Come back safe and sound, will you?" Having said those words, he turned and walked back towards the detectives and the panicked family members, still trying to figure out what to say to them.


*************************

Dave and Angie fell through what seemed to be a kaleidoscope of flashes and paisley colors.  The trip seemed like it would never end.

Angie's nerves momentarily got the better of her. "Dave! Where are you?" she implored.

"Right here," he reassured her and grasped her hand.

"So when...?" she asked.

"Soon, I'm sure," he maintained.

"When?" she repeated.

"So...." he started to answer.

"Wait, what's that?" she indicated and pointed straight ahead of them.

He looked and saw the glowing spot rushing up to meet them. "Hang on!" he advised and took her hand. 

As they hit the spot, another brilliant flash surrounded them, and they felt themselves hit something hard.

Dave looked around. They were in a grassy meadow and none the worse for wear it appeared.  "Are you okay?" he asked his wife.

"Yes, but I feel different...I don't feel Xena anymore!" she noted.

He surveyed the territory around them and saw a familiar sight behind her. "That's because of two things," he guessed.

"Which are?" she followed.

"First, we're back in Roman times and, as for the second item, turn around," he indicated.

"What now?" she muttered and turned around. When she saw the person standing behind her, Angie's eyes bulged. "Oh wow! It's you!"

**********************

Xena had not slept well that evening. She felt that something was about to happen. So, just before dawn, she rose from her resting place, saddled Argo, and rode away towards the east.  About an hour later, she stopped her horse, dismounted, and took a close look around. Nothing.  Then, on a whim, she looked up and saw the bright spot appear. "What the...?" she asked. A man and a woman sprouted from it and fell to the ground below. The Warrior Princess decided to investigate.

Then, the woman wailed, "I don't feel Xena anymore!"

This statement froze the Thracian warrior. "Feel me?" she mouthed silently.

The man noticed her and advised his companion to turn around.

When the woman had done so, she came face to face with Xena. "Oh wow! Xena, it is you!" she realized.

Not sure what to think, Xena drew her sword.

"Xena, we aren't your enemies! We need your help!" the man told her.

She stopped and glared at him. "Then, what is your purpose here?" she demanded.

"We're travelers from a distant land. We came here to retrieve a necklace and rescue my sister.  If we leave them with Ares and Caesar, the world will no longer be the same," he continued.

"And what of Althanor?" Xena demanded. "What about the Romans' designs on it?"

"We also want to protect that place," Angie insisted.

The warrior scratched her head and finally, agreed, "Very well. Come on, we need to get my friend."

***************************************************

When they had arrived back at the camp, Gabrielle was leaning over the fire. "Oh, Xena. I was just cooking a meal," she explained.

Her friend nodded, "Smells good. Gabrielle, can you dig up two more portions? By the way, the man's name is David, and the woman is Angela."

Gabrielle concurred, "Absolutely." Then, she looked at the others. "So, you two are on the road as well?"

"Yes, we've come a long way," Angie told her.

The Bard took this information in and turned to her friend. "Xena, what's going on?" she whispered.

"Well, Ares is up to his usual no good," her friend advised.

"We have some big problems. There's a crystal necklace and a powerful lady who's wearing it.  Everyone in our family has psychic abilities," he added.

"What kind of abilities?" Gabrielle inquired.

"Watch," he advised and focused on her staff. The weapon rose into the air and started to spin.  The motion continued and the spinning increased. Finally, the staff slowed and finally stopped its motion before settling back to the ground.

"Nice trick," Xena admired. "But, if Ares is doing something, we'll have to move fast."

*********************************************

The sun bore down on the travelers with unparalleled fierceness as they proceeded along the twisting, dusty trail. Finally, late in the day, the mists intensified.

"We're close," Dave murmured.

The Warrior Princess nodded.

"Close to what?" Gabrielle probed.

"Althanor," Angie stated.

Just then, a triumphant trumpet echoed through the woods.

"Company!" he snarled.

Xena listened intently and grimly agreed, "Roman legion!"

Angie turned to her husband, "So, now what?"

"Now, we fight," he noted and climbed up into an adjacent tree to gain position. 

At that point, a small sortie of Caesar's legionnaires crashed into the clearing and attacked the group. 

The Thracian warrior whirled and danced through the air, lashing out at anything in a Roman uniform. The chakram ricocheted, caromed, and careened off of still more adversaries.

Gabrielle's staff and Angie's sword found still other enemies.

Dave pumped a hail of arrows into the onslaught, slowing their progress....But, since reinforcements kept coming, the effort would not be enough. Realizing this fact, the librarian exchanged looks with Xena and nodded. "Retreat, ladies!" he directed. "Into the mists!"  Snagging his whip on a nearby branch, he swung to the ground, and motioned for the others to follow him.

Angie and Gabrielle followed him. The latter, not seeing her friend with them, turned and yelled, "Xena! Come on!"

The warrior reluctantly agreed and took off after her friends.

The Romans followed but were soon lost in the intensifying mists.

Finally, after running for what seemed like hours, the group stopped in a small clearing. There, a young woman with bright red hair and a white robe watched them approach.

"Xena, Gabrielle, David, and Angela, I trust?" she inquired.

"Right," Xena agreed. "And you are?"

"I am Genaria, a priestess of Althanor. Come! We do not have much time!" Genaria bade her companions and waving her hands, created a misty fog bank in front of them. "Please!"

Dave took Angie's hand, "C'mon, Princess. Let's go."

She nodded and the couple vanished into the fogpatch.

The Warrior Princess was about to question his decision but heard the legionnaries' approach.  "Let's go, Gabrielle," she decided and plunged ahead, followed closely by her partner. 

Genaria looked about and stepped through the portal herself just before the Romans caught up to them, leaving the latter to wonder where they had gone.

Caesar was not amused. His men finally had Xena cornered along with her friends only to let them escape! That commander would never fail his leader again...for he had a lunch date with a lion in the Coliseum. "Almost..." he seethed.

"But 'almost' doesn't count," Ares mockingly baited.

Caesar spun to see his ally behind him. The war god could either have been peeved or amused. It was so hard to read his moods.

"You know, Caesar. I'm beginning to think that you don't deserve your great reputation," the war god continued.

"Is it my fault that my men can't follow orders?" he hissed.

Ares stroked his ebony beard and a cruel yet amused smile spread across his face. "But, you trained them. Mark my words. Next time, you will lead them personally and the praise...or fault will be on your head."

"But, if they vanished," Caesar protested.

The Olympian shook his head. "They vanished...because of a priestess....They're in Althanor, and if you seek Xena, then that is where you must go," he detailed.

"Indeed," Cybelle agreed as she stepped in front of the Roman. "However, if you want me to lead your pitiful band of troops into Althanor, you are out of luck. I will guide you to the crossroads, but no farther!"

"Why, you insolent British witch!" the Roman general growled, drew his sword, and charged her.

Discord, who had followed Cybelle into the chamber, moved to intercede. Ares stopped her effort in this regard with a look.

"He needs this lesson," he whispered in her ear.

She smiled and nodded. This would be fun to watch.

As Caesar charged, he heard the priestess chant something strange and felt himself start to rise. Cybelle had called upon her elemental abilities to hold him above the ground. Then, she spun him like a top four times and pancaked him against the nearby stone wall.

"Bravo. Well done!" Ares complemented.

Cybelle shrugged, "His ego needed to be brought down a couple of notches. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to meditate." With that, she left the room.

Discord slithered up to her deified companion and surmised, "She's out of control."

Ares shook his head, "No, she has her own will, but I have her under my control. Trust me."

Caesar sputtered, "That...that woman!"

"Get it out of your mind...and just focus on your troops! Remember, I won't tolerate another failure. We attack at dawn," the god informed him.

The Roman leader nodded and strode purposefully from the room.

Discord sighed, "I hope that you realize how powerful Cybelle really is."

"Of course I do," Ares shrugged. "But she is under my control, and I will manipulate her as I see fit."

"It sounds like a gamble to me," she supposed.

"Everything's a gamble. Just have faith in my strategy," he mused.

Discord nodded and teleported from the room leaving him to his thoughts.

The group followed the unfamiliar priestess through what seemed to be a soft white tunnel.  As they looked about, they could see nothing to their left or right, only what lay in front of them.

"So, where are we going?" Angie asked.

"Althanor," the priestess replied. "In fact, we are here." She pointed to a bright light shining through at the end of the misty cylinder. "This way."

The group stepped into the light and found themselves on the edge of a bustling settlement of druid priests and priestesses.

"Is this?" Gabrielle inquired.

"It is," Xena stated.

"Indeed," Dave agreed. "Excuse me, Genaria....where do we..?"

"I will show you to the high priestess's hut. Come!" she advised and led them up the path.  After a five minute walk through the village, the high priestess' hut loomed before them.  The building was a simple thatched structure with clay walls, and a roughly-hewn wooden door. "She waits for you inside."

The four companions entered the dwelling. It was sparsely decorated with the bare earth serving as a floor and a small cot occupying one corner.

In the midst of everything, a fifty year old woman sat in silent meditation. As if she sensed her visitors' approach, her eyes snapped open and she smiled, "Oh yes, you are here. I know who you are and why you are here already. Please sit down. Thank you for coming."

"You're welcome," Xena nodded. "Now, if we might know more about our situation...."

The priestess limped slowly over to an ancient bookshelf. Leaning on the venerable tomes for support, she rubbed her left temple. "It is a desperate time for us all," she worried. "A great evil is preparing to assault this place. It has possession of a powerful token and a member of our order whom they've convinced to betray us!"

"Yes," Dave concurred. "The crystal necklace enables Cybelle to find this place again."

"Indeed, she will....and she will have Caesar with her," the priestess continued.

Gabrielle looked at her friend, "Can you deal with your feelings?"

Xena's expression darkened. "Of course, I can!" Then, she savored the possibility of a confrontation between her and the Roman leader before asking the priestess, "What do you see?"

The Althonian leader concentrated for a minute and revealed, "Yes, Caesar will meet you again at dawn with a legion and Cybelle. You four are our only hope."

"Geez," Angie pondered despairingly. "Talk about long odds. Xena, can I talk to you later in private?"

"Certainly," the Warrior Princess agreed. "I'll find you. Okay?"

The oncologist managed a small smile. "Okay."

Dave bowed to the priestess. "We'll do our best. Now, I think that we need to plan our strategies."

Xena studied her new friend carefully. Dave had a brave heart that was for sure...and didn't scare easily. Those qualities would come in handy during the next day's affairs.

"All of Althanor thanks you," the priestess mentioned. "I will see you at dawn. Now, if you would please excuse me?"

The four visitors bowed briefly and departed for the guest dwelling.


******************************


After a brief chat with Xena, Angie wandered along the edge of the settlement. She needed to be alone in order to think. The moonlight peered through the treetops, illuminating the clearing around her. However, by morning, this area would be swallowed by the tensions of conflict. "Sometimes I wish that Dave and I could lead normal lives," she wished.

"You probably could, but then, you would be denying yourselves," a voice advised from behind.

Angie whirled and drew her sword. But it was only Xena. "Xena! Oh gosh, you startled me!" she jumped.

Her friend smiled, "True...but you're too preoccupied if you are letting me so far inside of your defenses."

"I'm just wondering about tomorrow. I guess I'm letting my mind wander more than I'd like...." Angie explained.

"Ah, I thought so. Angela, I'm sure that you'll do fine, but if you would like some pointers, I would be happy to oblige," the Warrior Princess offered and drew her own blade.

For the next half-hour, the ladies thrust and parried with their swords. Using her mental talents, Angie anticipated and reacted to her counterpart's moves, thus holding her own. 

Xena was secretly impressed but pressed on. After they stopped the exercise, she
complemented her new friend, "Not bad at all. You should do well tomorrow."

"I hope so," Angie replied.

"Don't worry. I'm sure that David would agree with me," Xena cheered and rubbed her shoulders.

"I'm sure," he chuckled and stepped into the torchlight. "I don't want you doubting yourself for another minute. Just maintain your focus and you'll do fine. Trust me."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dave. It means a lot," she beamed and embraced him tightly.

"No problem," he smiled back at her. Then, he turned to Xena. "Thanks for working with her."

"My pleasure," the warrior chuckled pleasantly.

"It's going to be a great honor to fight alongside you in the morning, Xena," he affirmed.

"That goes double for me," his wife added.

"As always," Gabrielle chimed in while stepping into the light.

The Warrior Princess beamed at her companions. She knew that Gabrielle would stay the course no matter what. But, these two people...she couldn't quite place why, but she felt that they could be trusted with her life if need be...and that they would be friends for a long time to come. "But, that's silly," she mused. "They're from another place." Then, she collected herself and asked, "Remember the signal fire that I left burning when we broke camp?"

"Yes. And?" Angie remembered.

"I made arrangements that if we didn't return within twelve hours of sending that signal, a search party should be sent after us. The head priestess just agreed to send one of her followers to guide them through the mist. So, if I'm right...." the warrior detailed.

"Let's hope so," Dave responded.

It would be a long night for them all....


**********************

Dawn came too quickly for Dave's liking. He spent the night in a lotus position, feeling the Earth's natural energies and vibrations. He tried to expand his perceptions into the mists, but came up with nothing. Somewhere, on the other side of that wispy shroud, Ares was putting together his invasion force and Cybelle would be with them. What would happen to her? If the situation became dire enough, could he harm his own sister? Too many things, too little time....

Then, he felt another presence nearby. Breaking off his meditation, he opened his eyes to see Xena watching him.

"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" she guessed.

"Yeah...nerves and unanswered questions. And you?" he told her.

"I did for a while. David, what's bothering you? I sense divided loyalties within you," she postulated.

"It's well...it's Cybelle. If it comes down to killing her to save Althanor, I don't know if I could...." he sighed.

She nodded thoughtfully and patted his shoulder. "I know, but you have to forget that she's your sister. It sounds heartless, but it's the only way. There are too many lives at stake."

He shook his head, "But it's not that easy. I mean...I...I know that you're right, yet...."

"...yet you don't know if you can finish the job," she finished his thought and released a deep sigh. "David, you have to let go of your doubts. If you can't, then Ares has already won.  Look, I can't tell you what to do. Only you know what's right for you. I know that we haven't been friends for very long, but somehow, I sense that you are stronger than you like to admit and that, I can have faith in you. My instincts tell me that you'll do the right thing when the crucial moment arises. Just trust yourself, okay? See you in a few hours." She turned back toward the guest rooms.

"Thanks, Xena," he beamed. "I really appreciate it!"

"No problem," she concluded and walked away.

Dave sat back down and stared at the mists for a while longer. Dawn would be coming soon....

*******************************

"So!" Dave snarled. "Let's see how you like this!" He concentrated and sent another pulse into Cybelle, knocking her back onto the ground. "If you don't stop, I'll really cut loose...."

"No," she seethed and built up still more mystical energies.

Angie wavered on her feet and her head pounded. "If only I had the strength," she wished.

Cybelle grabbed her head and began to shake violently. "No...I won't kill him...Get out! Get out!" she demanded. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the shaking stopped and the priestess looked at her brother again. She was back in control. "Wow!" she gasped. Then, she saw Angie and ran over to help her sister-in-law.

As he was still too angry to realize what had just happened, Dave stepped between the two women. "Don't...even...think it!" he growled.

"Dave, it's me! I'm back in control. C'mon, snap out of it!" Cybelle requested.
Her plea reached a chord deep within his mind. Somehow, the anger abated and dissipated. A painful spasm later, Dave was calm again.

"Dave?" they asked apprehensively.

"Yeah, it's me," he huffed breathlessly.

They embraced, thinking that the worst was behind them.