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Xena:
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SPOILER
ALERT: This work contains possible
"Spoilers" for XWP episodes The Deliverer, Gabrielle's Hope, The
Sacrifice 2 and Adventures in the Sin Trade 1!
A Poem by WLMcCord, Copyright, Feb, 1999
"Warrior",
they call me, and "Princess", that too,
A
title I shun from a past that I rue.
Hercules
helped me to leave my dark side,
but
it wasn't enough to turn all of my tide.
Then
Gabrielle saw me and loved me despite,
that
men said my path went to dark from the light.
This
small pure Bard with her good shining through,
saw
something in me that she thought was true.
And
whether it was, she made me believe,
filled
my darkness with joy, my sad soul relieved.
Oh,
gods how I loved the way that she laughed,
when
telling her stories while we walked the path.
Her
hands they were sculpted, and soft was her touch,
whether
plying her staff, or when healing so much.
Her
smile it was gentle, her eyes purest green,
and
her red-golden hair showed a fiery sheen.
Long
together we traveled and tried to do right,
and
adventures we had and a many fine fight.
Then
my evil took us to Britannia's shore,
for
there warred great Caesar, a man I abhorred.
For
want of revenge upon him I did go,
and
dragged dear Gabrielle along for the show.
I
was focussed so hard upon that petty man,
that
I left her behind where a dark evil ran.
And
while I was gone, leaving her to chance fate,
my
plans assured that I would come back too late,
for
that demon, Dahak from the fiery deep,
worked
his will on my small friend, and ruined her sleep.
Placed
his burning seed in my once pure Bard,
and
took her blood innocence; gods that was hard.
Pure
darkness he left in my poor Gabrielle,
his
doorway to this world, his daughter most fell.
My
tormented friend named this demon's child "Hope",
but
black evil it was, and we were forced to cope,
when
a time of bad nightmares came upon we two,
but
finally when over, joy and trust did
renew.
We
had many more good times, but then to our fears,
Dahak's
daughter Hope, her head again rears.
Now
evil incarnate to our world would come,
through
the "gate" in a temple run by vile scum.
So
we entered that temple, and fought our way through,
Gabrielle
and I, friends were never more true.
Joxer
and Callisto were our only allies,
so
we two planned to fight our way in with surprise.
We
smashed past the priests and saw Ares, the traitor,
there
too was foul Hope, and tied up was Joxer.
He'd
hidden the dagger with Blood of the Hind,
then
tossed me that poison that kills all god-kind.
Then
Callisto appeared and fired Ares away,
so
he could not interfere when I made Hope to pay.
"Gut
her," she cried, "then its my turn to die!"
She'd
learned godhood was boring and that was no lie.
On
the fiery edge of a volcanic pit,
stood
Dahak and Gabrielle's daughter, backlit.
Then
forward I stepped, Hind's blood dagger held high,
to
slay evil Hope so the world would not die.
But
Ares had set forth a simple plan terrible,
called
on the three Fates to make my task unbearable.
Now
my life it was forfeit if Hope I did slay,
the
Fates would cut short my life-thread that day.
But
my dear Gabrielle, I was ready to go,
for
the greatest of good, it just felt right you know.
Bard
and Warrior, Warrior and Bard,
Gabrielle,
my dear friend we were never on guard,
with
each other we've always told and discussed,
whatever
we wanted and knew with full trust.
But
my staff wielding warrior-bard had a plan,
to
keep me from death at her daughter's last stand.
As
I raised the dagger to stab, Ares spoke,
"Gabrielle,
think of Xena, you're her only hope!"
"Noooo!"
she screamed and "Hope!" her child's name,
as
she rushed right on past me, embracing her pain.
Evil
daughter, good mother, in the pit went together,
with
that the last look of love that she gave me forever.
"Gabrielle!"
I cried out from the depths of my soul,
"Xenaaaa!"
she screamed and a bell seemed to toll.
Down
to flaming death with Dahak's evil daughter,
who
looks just like her, like a lamb to the slaughter.
Now
Joxer ran up and slid to a stop;
"Gabrielle!"
he sobs and his eyes almost pop.
Then
spoke damned Callisto, both laughing and hateful,
"Oh,
Xena, do you know why I now feel so grateful?
Poor
dear Gabrielle, gave her life young and new,
now
I feel more like living and it's all thanks to you!"
"No
more living for you," I croak out as I turn,
with
Hind poison-blade a gods-death she does earn.
She
looks quite astonished, the point driven deep,
then
her eyes say me thanks for oblivion's sleep.
She
touches my cheek and then drops her blond head,
as
she wished from the start, god-Callisto is dead.
I
turn back to the pit where my stinging blue eyes,
stream
tears of remorse and my grief starts to rise.
"Gabrielle,
" I whisper, "Oh, Gabrielle, why?"
Joxer
just sits and wipes tears from his eyes.
Now
I think I will jump in and join my dead Bard,
but
something inside me says, "Focus!
Look hard!"
"She
is dead, you still live and where's life there is hope,
recall
you can see her, just pull the right rope."
And
a light bursts upon me, I know where to go,
for
the Lord of the Underworld's someone I know!
Without
further words I race to my horse,
and
leap on her backside; it's Argo of course.
Joxer
runs out and shouts, "Where are you going?"
But
I cannot stop to hear all of his moaning.
As
I gallop away from that grim fallen temple,
I
shout to the skies; it all seems so simple.
"Hades,
you owe me, your debts to repay,
you
will free my companion, and not say me nay!
She
is dead but you'll free her, or I'll know the reason,
and
I swear, Gabrielle, we'll go on many seasons.
For
without you my light is gone from this world,
the
dark will consume me, my life come unfurled.
Before
this will happen, I'll join you with pride,
gladly
calling your name out in death side by side."
Now
finally I found that dark battlefield,
where
the Lord of the Dead is counting his yield.
But
Hades says "No, she is not here with me.
With
the Amazon dead, that is where she must be."
I
take a deep breath, feel my heart seem to freeze,
for
I know of the northern Amazon's fees,
when
seeking the spirits of dead ones gone forth,
you
need much fresh blood, from a sizable source.
So
I take leave of Argo and let her run free,
ride
a different horse for the blood that I'll need.
In
my great evil past I learned things that were dark,
which
twisted and tortured, left on me their mark.
So
I focus my thoughts and harden my heart,
knowing
full well I cannot back out once I start.
"Gabrielle,
I will find you, your voice on the wind,
will
lead me and comfort this one who has sinned.
If
knowledge of evil helps find your soul path,
even
though these bad deeds bring down evil's wrath,
I
will face it all gladly for just one more minute,
with
you! Gabrielle, I'll go right to the limit!"
As
I rode to the sunrise I had not a clue,
of
what horror lay ahead, or of what I must do.
But
a white dove flew o'or me and soothed my sad soul,
for
the bad I'd now do had a wonderful goal.
Through
my tears I spoke softly as if she could hear,
and
into her green eyes I deeply could peer;
"Now
if on my quest I brave storm clouds or fair,
whatever
the pain, dear Bard, this do I swear;
I'll
face all of it now, Gabrielle, just for
you,
Your
love and my love, will yet see us through,
and
even if now from my life I am tossed,
Gabrielle,
I will find you.... No matter the
cost."