She was XENA...


An Epic Poem By

The Warrior Princess 
was her name
Redemption  was
her claim to fame
She started on
the road alone
Determined to
reform...atone

She met a girl
along the way
A bard she said
who would convey
The story of
the mighty deeds
that Xena did
to fill her needs

At first the Princess
didn't want
A sidekick who
would share her jaunt
But with a fierce
determination
The bard stuck fast
to Xena's frustration

Through great adventures
they together
Roamed the country
Through all weather
And somehow 
along the way
They grew closer
day by day

The Bard learned
how to weild a stick
And jump and punch
and flip and kick
The Warrior learned
to have compassion
that care and love
should have no ration

And so their fame
grew through the land
And people sought
their helping hands
And all was well 
until one day
When evil came
and made its play

One fateful day
in a strange land
Their lives were changed
by firey hand
And never would
it be the same
once they were touched
by that cold flame

It began
with tender heart
The Bard's attempt
to help in part
A cause she felt
was right and just
And thus into
evil was thrust

Her pureness and
goodness were sought
By a wicked god
who thought
That by using her
to bear his child
He'd rule the world
none by his side

Thus began the 
time of hell
which marred the soul
named Gabrielle
A child was born
of good and evil
destined to cause
the world upheaval

The Warrior Princess
told her friend
That her daughter's 
life must end
But Gabrielle 
could not complete
the heartbreaking deed
turning instead to deceit

She felt her child
could learn to cope
set her adrift
and named her Hope
Having faith
she would be guided
to someone where 
loving care 
would be provided

When asked by Xena
what befell
the evil girl
said, Gabrielle
"I killed her.
She will cause no harm."
And thus a lie
dispelled alarm

But once deceit
is firmly planted
Lives become
both strained and slanted
And so a rift 
though yet unseen
took firm root
right in between
two hearts which had
once been serene

And so distrust 
was born that day
Suspicion growing
along the way
But still their travels
shared one path
unaware of
forthcoming wrath

One day a long
neglected boy
became once more
his mother's joy
Xena's guilt
finally set free
was short lived
not meant to be
For not within
the Warrior's scope
Was that the Bard
had found her Hope

This child of evil
though deprived
of mother's love
had still survived
And hating what
her birth had wrought
revenge against 
Xena she sought

She took the life
of Xena's son
And when the Bard
saw what she'd done
With heavy heart
she promised fun
Went to the woods
and falsely smiled
then poisoned Hope
her own lost child

But Xena's heart
had become hard
and she could not
forgive her Bard
There at their children's
funeral pyre
she called her friend
deceitful lier
And as the flames
began to die
so did their friendship
They said good-bye

On a cold
and snowy mount
Screams of grief
were lost in count
There the evil
God Of War
saw his great chance
to make a score

Using all
his godly charms
he convinced Xena
to take up arms
He told her that
to satisfy
her right to justice
the Bard must die

And in her
agony and grief
she agreed
twas her belief
She came down from
the mountain top
and rode with a vengence
no human could stop
On into the Amazon
village she came
to claim the Bard
her heart aflame

While in the meantime
Gab suffered too
devastated by
what she'd had to do
And in atonement
she chose to endure
an Amazon ritual
to make her pure

Twas there she was
when Xena arrived
who tied her up
for a murderous ride
Across the miles
her friends poor body
was dragged along
torn up and bloody
Till finally at
the top of a cliff
Xena held her high
so straight and stiff
Then hurled her down
toward the waters below
But was toppled herself
by her might throw

Down into the waters
the two submerged
Life forces ebbing
as the waves converged
Until a hand
reached into the sea
and pulled Xena out
with maniacal glee
Plucking the Warrior
from the murky abyss
she revived her with
a life giving kiss

Now further down
the mystical stream
another hand helped Gab
to this land of dream
Joxer the Jester
had been chosen to guide
Gabrielle to her destiny
awaiting inside

Meantime the sprite Holyph
(for thats who she be)
had spun a great wheel
in which Xena could see
that the one who was guilty
of casting this spell
was none other than
her own Gabrielle

And through the wheel's portal
Xena stepped to meet fate
there, Ares the War God
would officiate
While Gabrielle's village
rallied 'round their lost Bard
and encouraged her to
fight back, though its hard

The conflict ensued
as passion escalated
Xena plunged her sword
to finally claim her fate
But as realization
brought her to her senses
Remorse and despair
overrode her pretenses
And as she denied
that she meant life to end
she gazed into the face
of her former close friend

Through Illusia they travelled
reliving their past
Events blending together
manifesting quite fast
Until the last room
where both bound to their torments
They sang of reuniting 
in a heart tugging performance

Released from their bonds
through a curtain of rain
they saw Xena's Solan
calling from a new plane
Gabrielle forged through
But Xena could not
For her hands burned
from deceit she had wrought

You see she also carried
a deeply buried lie
Twas she who did willfully
cause Ming Tien to die
But Gab was forgiving
and slowly reached through
and helped Xena across
to begin life anew

Upon a warm beach
they laughed once more
together again
to face what was in store

Ahh but nothing's forever
and while they celebrated
an unholy union
was being created

You see, goddess Callisto
had found a great pod
which contained Hope's essence
although twas quite odd
With revenge upon Xena
foremost in her mind
Callisto knew Hope had
her own axe to grind

And when Hope emerged
from her gooey rebirth
her appearance was that of
the only one on earth
who could be convinced
to love her again
the one she could use
to initate her reign
For a mother's love
is complete and forever
and Hope knew she could use Gab
with Xena as a lever

Even more was against
our daring duo
Ares was Angry
that he'd lost Xena you know
He went to the Fates
who there decreed
that if Xena killed Hope
she'd die for her deed

But when Xena confronted
Gabrielle's evil spawn
intending to kill her
deadly chakram drawn
The Bard jumped between them
and the force of her hit
sent both Hope and Gabrielle
into a firey pit

Xena's helpless frustration
Callisto's shocked laughter
Xena's sword plunged in deep
sending Calli to the hereafter
Warrior peered over edge
Nothing more in sight
Gabrielle and Hope gone
into the firey light

To Be Continued....

~*~The beautiful piece of Xena art which graces the top of this page was drawn especially for me by ŠEric Stedman. Look, admire and enjoy it...but please do not touch...its mine alone. ;)~*~

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