DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Xena stuff is the legal property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. All other characters that appear belong to me. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer. This story takes place after the Insanity Series, though it's not exactly a part of it. It is a sequel to Voices from the Future.

Discord
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Eris stood outside the village and observed the chaos she had created. She smiled for a while, but then it started to bore her and she left.

She reappeared on Olympus and tried talking to some of the gods, but no one had time or interest. She finally left.

She stared at the village downhill and considered what she would do next. Suddenly she felt a god near by. She looked and saw a blond girl who looked about her age, but she knew look had no meaning when you're a god.

"Insanity?" she asked.

"Hello, Eris," the blond goddess said shyly.

"What do you want?"

"Talk to you."

Eris was surprised.

"I don't have the time right now."

Insanity looked at the village in the distance.

"I can feel you're lonely," she said and looked at her aunt.

Eris was startled.

"I'm not," she objected. "I have work to do."

"If you want someone to talk to, you can come to me," Insanity said just before Eris vanished.

Eris walked among the villagers, trying to create chaos, but her mind kept recalling Insanity's words. She knew she was lonely, but she didn't want to admit it to anyone. She was more or less alone before Callisto had killed Ares, only Ares and Strife talked to her then, but now even Strife ignored her. She sighed and left the village.

She reappeared on a small desolate island. She sat on a cliff and stared into the distance. She found it strange that her brother's daughter was so… so gentle, a real opposite. She smiled as she realized that the goddess was also the total opposite of her mother. The smile quickly faded away and Eris thought about why Insanity had come to talk to her. For a moment she thought it was a part of Callisto's plan, but then she remembered that Callisto had changed and that all she cared about was her daughter. She decided that it was Insanity's decision to come to her. She smiled as she realized that the only one who ever wanted to talk to her was the daughter of her brother's killer.

She also realized that she was an aunt now, though that didn't really matter since she and Insanity were still children. She really missed having someone her age around or, for that matter, anyone at all. She wished Insanity would come again, but at the same time she was also afraid, because she didn't know what to say.

She stared at the waves below the cliff, not knowing what to do. She finally decided to go to Insanity, but then she remembered Zeus' order to leave Callisto and Insanity alone. She bit her teeth, sad. She sighed and decided to cheer herself up by causing some more chaos. She was about to disappear, when she remembered that Insanity had allowed her to visit her. She hesitated for a few moment and finally decided to go to her. She hoped that Callisto wouldn't kill her before she had a chance to explain things.

Insanity and her mother were in the ruins of the castle near Poteidaia. The castle hadn't decayed much since Callisto had killed Lila there, the only difference was the new furniture. It wasn't there because it would serve any special purpose, except the table and the chairs, but Callisto liked it that way.

When Eris appeared at the entrance, Callisto glared at her. Eris gulped.

"It's okay, Mama," Insanity said, "I told her she can come."

Callisto rose her eyebrows and looked at her daughter.

"You want me to leave you two alone?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Okay," Callisto said and turned to Eris. "I suggest you behave," she told her and vanished.

"Come," Insanity said and approached Eris.

Eris slowly entered and hoped that Callisto wouldn't return.

"I'm glad you came," Insanity continued, smiling.

Eris looked at her and she felt that the blond goddess really meant it. She shyly smiled back.

"So, how are things on Olympus?" Insanity started.

Eris shrugged.

"I don't know," she said, "I don't spend much time there."

"Oh."

"Have you ever been to Olympus?"

"No. Mama doesn't trust gods and I neither do it."

"Then why did you come to me?" Eris asked, startled.

"I have seen you several times and I felt that you were lonely. I also never heard that you ever schemed like the other gods do."

"Oh."

"I thought that maybe you could use a friend."

Eris stared at her niece, surprised. No one had ever wanted to be her friend, in fact, not many spoke to her at all. She wanted to be friends with Insanity, but she was afraid of her mother. Insanity sensed her unease.

"Don't worry about my mama."

"She won't mind?"

"I choose my own friends."

"Oh."

Insanity smiled.

"Mama," she said and Callisto appeared.

"Yes, sweety?" she asked.

"I just made friends with Eris."

Callisto's face became serious and she approached her sister-in-law.

"So, you want to be friends with my daughter, hm?" she asked sweetly and circled around Eris. She smiled as she saw that Eris was scared. "Who told you to make friends with her?"

Eris gulped.

"No one."

"Oh, really?" Callisto said and put the dagger with the Hind's blood on Eris' throat.

"Mama!" Insanity objected.

"No one, I swear!" Eris cried, terrified.

Callisto stared at her for a few moments.

"Okay," she said and put away the knife.

Eris immediately backed away from her.

"You can be friends with Insanity," Callisto continued, "but I want you to remember one thing, if you hurt Insanity, I will kill you. Got that?"

Eris nodded, still scared. Callisto smiled.

"Good," she said. "You can come and go whenever you want to." She turned to her daughter. "I'll leave you two alone," she said and vanished.

Eris stared at the empty spot, still shocked. She was afraid of Callisto, but somehow she felt that she was now welcome and that Callisto had accepted her.

"I'm sorry," Insanity said. "I should have known that she would do something like that."

Eris looked at Insanity and saw that she felt bad about what had just happened. She smiled.

"It's okay," she said. "You can be glad that you have someone who cares so much about you."

"Yes," Insanity agreed and smiled. "I think she likes you."

Eris was surprised.

"Callisto likes me?"

"Yes. She will help you, if you're in trouble. I think she considers you a part of the family now."

Eris stared at her new friend.

"Family?"

Insanity smiled.

"Yes. When Mama considers someone a part of the family, she does everything to protect them."

Eris was still startled.

"Do you want to play?" Insanity asked.

Eris was confused.

"Play?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Oh, I don't know. We could play with the mortal children."

"Mortal?"

"Sure. I played with them when I was little. We may be gods and older than they, but we're still children, like them. And besides, it's fun."

Eris thought. She had never played with anyone before and she felt a bit nervous.

"I don't know any mortal games," she said.

Insanity smiled.

"That's no problem, you can learn."

Eris considered.

"Okay."

"Great!" Insanity said, excited. "Oh, yes, why don't you change your dress?"

"Why?" Eris asked.

"Because mortal children don't wear leather armor."

"Oh."

Eris thought and then changed her dress. She looked at Insanity questioningly.

"I think it will do," Insanity declared. "Let's go."

They vanished.

The End