With hazy clouds masking the brilliance of the full moon above, the mood was somber at the Greater Academy of Potedeia--even more so in the torch-lit chamber of the school's sole conscious occupant. Curfew was a strictly enforced rule, and all students slumbered peacefully within their dormitories. However, the school's mistress was hardly bound by these same imperatives. She was hard at work, scowling at a blank scroll unfurled on the table before her. She'd sent her only personal attendant to bed hours before, and knew the setting of the moon was fast approaching. At dawn the school would be abuzz with activity once again, and her secret obsession would be tucked away in its trunk until the following nightfall. Currently, she leaned back in her chair, blonde hair obscuring the sea-green eyes that shot daggers at the parchment before her. Suddenly she leaned forward, her right hand darting toward the jar of ink nearby. Biting her lip, she brought her quill toward the scroll. As the tip made contact, her shoulders fell. The idea was gone again. Gabrielle threw her quill across the room in frustration. She resisted the urge to crumple the parchment itself, hating the idea of destroying something so pure and fresh. Staring at her ink-stained fingers, she sighed. "I have all the signs of a bard, but none of the finished products." She rolled up the scroll once more and rose from her worktable. Laden with maps and untidy piles of parchment, it was clearly the space of a learned scholar. But the work she now returned to her trunk had remained in its unused state since she'd purchased it over a year before. She didn't devote every night to reinvigorating her muse; merely the nights that found her sleepless. It was easier to work her mind than lay in bed with her memories. "I can't do it anymore, Xena," she whispered. "Ever since you left, I haven't been able to finish one sentence." She brushed a tear away angrily and returned to the table. It was time to settle the schedule for the upcoming semester. Class rosters were increasing every year--soon she'd have to send out for more instructors. But her mind wandered as soon as she sat down once again. "It was in Egypt," she continued. "Once we salvaged what we could from Cleopatra's library at Alexandria, you simply disappeared. I haven't heard a word from you since. I thought you were to stay in my heart," Gabrielle accused fiercely. "So why is there this great emptiness inside of me?" "This talk is so depressing," a voice interjected behind her. "When will you allow yourself to move on?" Grabbing her sais, Gabrielle whipped around. She found the weapon pointed dangerously close to the throat of the woman standing nearby, who merely wrinkled her nose at the threat. "It's only me, Gabby," Aphrodite assured her, sauntering away. She groaned at the sight of the mess around her. "So much reading," she said disdainfully. "You don't even live anymore." Gabrielle closed her eyes, her sais dropping to her side. "I'm really not in the mood for a chat right now, Aphrodite..." she began. "Oh, get off it already. You bury yourself here, pretending you've moved on from your time with the Warrior Princess, when in fact you're just stewing in your own repressed feelings." "Don't you push that psycho babble on me," Gabrielle warned. She returned her weapon to its sheath in her boot. Aphrodite laughed. "You never take those off, do you?" she marveled. "No. Someone taught me to never go unprepared," Gabrielle responded, her voice warming near the end. "Oh for crying out loud!" Aphrodite shouted, startling her. "It's been fifteen years. Do you understand that? Fifteen years is a breath of air to me, but it means a hell of a lot more to a mortal, I know that much. What was wrong with that redhead I brought over here six months ago, huh? She was smart, pretty, funny...she even had that dark, brooding thing going for her. I thought you'd at least mess around a little bit--" "Just stop it," Gabrielle interrupted. "It's not what I want right now." "Well, isn't it obvious that you can't have what you want?" Aphrodite said sternly. "What about what you need? Humans have basic desires that need to be met, and I have it on high authority that you've been slacking in a certain department recently. You can't deny your own life just because hers is gone. Do you really think she would want that for you?" "I know she wouldn't. Xena would kick my tail and tell me to get on with things. But I'm not Xena. I can't just turn away so easily. Please, don't force me anymore. It won't do any good." Gabrielle's voice was weary. Aphrodite's expression softened. "Okay," she said. "I just want you to know that you don't have to be alone. You have friends, you know?" Gabrielle nodded, feeling the prick of tears in her eyes. "Thanks." "Well, at least get some sleep. Would you do that much for your poor immortal friend? I can't even relax anymore, worrying about you all of the time. Promise me you'll get to bed." "I promise," Gabrielle nodded. Satisfied at last, the goddess grinned winningly and vanished in a perfumed burst of pink. Gabrielle shook her head. Aphrodite was right about one thing, she hadn't actually been alone after Xena died. The only problem was that it still wasn't enough for her, and never would be. But she did what the goddess of love demanded, and crossed her chamber to curl into bed at last. *** "Gabrielle! Come quickly!" Maris cried, her voice agitated. Glancing up from the scroll in her hands, Gabrielle caught sight of the bored expressions on her pupil's faces rapidly turning toward curiosity. Clearing her throat, she motioned toward Ardyth, who stepped forward immediately. "Continue reading this passage," she said. "I want this Latin translation memorized by tomorrow," she reminded the class. A tremendous sigh followed this, and she stifled a laugh as she left the room. Her assistant nearly collided with her as she entered the hall. As she waited for her to catch her breath, Gabrielle touched her shoulder gently. "Settle down, Maris," she said. "Whatever it is, I can help." "We have another...injured woman," Maris gasped. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem. Have Trylich look over her until I've finished this session." "Begging your pardon," Maris continued. "But you should come right away...she's asking for you. She says...she's your daughter." Eyes going wide, Gabrielle felt her own breath leave her body for a moment. "Eve," she breathed, then hurried forward. She knew exactly where she'd be--the infirmary was housed within the same building, taking up a large portion of the western corner. As she entered, she spotted Trylich leaving the one of the smaller isolation rooms. He nodded as soon as he saw her, and waved her inside. "Oh, Eve," Gabrielle whispered when she saw her. The petite brunette had been badly beaten some time before. Lighter bruises were already fading, but several had merely yellowed at the edges, giving her skin the appearance of rotten fruit about to burst. A nasty looking gash over her right eye had crusted over, the eye itself swollen shut. Her clothes, already rags, had nearly been torn from her body. It was clear that she had traveled some miles in this condition. When she saw Gabrielle, Eve smiled weakly. Her left eye caught her gaze and held it. A firm resolve could be seen in that stare, one that refused to cringe behind the pain. It made Gabrielle swell with pride. "I found her," Eve murmured through split lips when Gabrielle sat on the bed beside her. "I had a vision, and I found her." Gabrielle shook her head, smoothing Eve's brow with a gentle hand. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I found my mother," Eve continued. Gabrielle smiled, thinking she meant her. "She's been reborn." Gabrielle felt her smile fade. Eve wasn't speaking of her at all. A deep coldness crept over her just as a sharp pain pinched her middle. She suddenly found it difficult to breathe. "Eve, what are you talking about?" "Liria is Xena," Eve paused, coughing. She was feverish, pushed to her physical limits. "I dreamed of a woman with fair skin and dark eyes. In this life, she is good, and pure." Gabrielle didn't bother wiping her tears away, but allowed them to course down her cheeks and land on the blanket covering her injured daughter. "Eve, you don't have to--please, just rest now. Your injuries aren't too serious...you're going to be fine." "No," Eve said firmly, stifling another cough. "Let me finish...you have to leave right away. They are corrupting her. And Ares--" She had to stop, exhausted. Feeling a light hand on her shoulder, Gabrielle glanced up to find Maris staring down at her. "She needs her rest now." Turning to gaze at Eve once more, Gabrielle realized her daughter had lost consciousness. Nodding to her assistant, she rose and followed her out of the small room. It took all of her control to keep herself from screaming in rage. Her hands clenched at her sides, she took deep breaths and remembered the beginning lines of the poem "Elysian Fields." Xena had once commanded her to recite them whenever she felt herself overtaken by anger. The memory only made the pain more distinct. "She will heal, but the process will be slower than it should have been," Maris explained. "She came here from Gaul...but I don't think that's where she received her injuries. She mentioned the capital Bibtracte before passing out the first time. Said it was important you knew where she'd been." Breathing heavily, Gabrielle thought for a long more before nodding. "I'll need a few things before heading out," she said. Maris gasped. "You cannot mean to leave now," she said. Gabrielle sighed. "I have to. Listen, it would be hard for me to explain this to you, but I must leave for Gaul directly. Eve can stay here as long as necessary, and the other instructors can care for the children." "But this year's session has only just begun," Maris protested. "You are needed here." "Please just do as I ask," Gabrielle smiled. "Someone very important may be in trouble, and I have to be there for her. I have something to do before I leave, but will return shortly." Leaving Maris standing openmouthed in the hallway, Gabrielle quickly left the infirmary and crossed the open courtyard outside. The school was comprised of several buildings, the largest of which stood central to them all. This was where the majority of classes were held, and where Gabrielle herself lived. Two long dormitories, one for the boys, and the other for the girls, slung low on either side. Behind them were various outbuildings as well as the kitchen. The house in which she grew up no longer stood. After returning home the final time, Gabrielle had attempted living the simple life once again with her sister Lilla and Sarah, her niece. She was already feeling the pressure of boredom and unease when Lilla became very ill. It was around this time that Sarah began taking in youngsters who'd lost their families or were otherwise at risk. Somehow after Lilla passed away their little group home evolved into a school. After growing at an exponential rate, the old house was razed and new buildings put up in its place. Sarah still remained at the Academy, teaching history and geography. Gabrielle knew she'd have to visit her briefly before leaving. It was good, having some family left after all of these years. Her niece was chronologically the same age as she was physically. It was a strange side-effect of Ares' meddling some time ago. Gabrielle appeared to be just over forty, but had actually been born over sixty- five years before. Gabrielle continued along the path, passing the kitchen. Heat wafted from the open windows. Today was bread baking day, and the smell floating out on the breeze was intoxicating. Soon she left the school behind, and continued along the path. She was very near the area where she'd discovered Xena again after nearly dying with Hope in the fire pit. Gabrielle sighed and pressed on. It seemed nearly every inch of her life was imbued with some memory of her partner. She headed up, toward the cliffs. A broken bridge that had never been replaced hung precariously to the edge. This area was off limits to her students, and she knew she would remain undisturbed here. Staring out across the chasm, she threw her head back and started screaming. "Ares!" she called. "I know you can hear me! Show yourself!" She sensed the air around her change slightly a moment before she heard his voice. Xena had been able to do that, she recalled...know when he was hanging around. It wasn't an exact sound, or feeling that she could pin down. It was more like a slight prickling of the skin, as though his mere presence was electric. "Man!" she heard him shout behind her. "Still got quite a pair of lungs on you after all of these years, don't you?" Gabrielle whirled on him. "Where is she?" she demanded immediately. He frowned down at her. Although he'd appeared directly behind her, so close that she could smell the strange perfumed scent that all gods seemed to give off, she refused to give an inch. She remained standing right where she was, glaring up at his dark eyes angrily. Ares crossed his arms over his chest. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said. "That's bull, and you know it," she answered him. "Where is Xena?" He expressed shock. "Didn't you hear?" he asked. "Well, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but she's dead." He started chuckling. Gabrielle's suspicions were confirmed right then and there. He was giddy, excited even. Something was definitely up. "Don't play dumb, you bastard. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Didn't want me to find out that she's back, did you? I'll bet you even had Eve attacked, just so she wouldn't survive the journey here." Ares waved this away contemptuously. "I had nothing to do with that," he said. "All of her peace and love crap took her down that road. She doesn't even defend herself anymore. Ah, but you went through that phase too, didn't you? Although you did snap out of it a lot faster..." he mused. "I know her name, and that she's in Gaul," Gabrielle said, startling him. "Well then, what do you need me for?" "I want to know what you have to do with all of this. If you change that girl in any way..." Gabrielle threatened. "Hey, give me the benefit of the doubt, will you?" Ares said. "I'm not the one putting her in danger. I'm trying to help her." "Oh, I bet," Gabrielle muttered. "You just stay away from her, Ares. I'm going out there to find her, so just stay out of my way." "Oooh," he shivered, mocking her. "Hey, you had her the last time. This one is mine." With that, he vanished. Continued in Part Two

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