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 is set during the Xena - Warrior Princess episode Sacrifice 1. The inspiration for the Bacchae came from Of Amazons, Bacchae and Death by Julie "Xena Torres: Warrior Writer" Ruffell, Jenna "SilverWaves" Tomlin, Lee Lightning, Xena Bird, Jan Gyn and Calayis. Since I don't know what the name of Callisto's sister is, I named her Anna.

Redemption
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Callisto watched from a distance as a group of Dahak's followers gathered people for sacrifice. A larger group led their sacrificial victims to the holy ground while a small group went after a woman and two girls, who were still unaware of the danger. The followers of Dahak quickly reached them, but the women didn't run, they attacked their attackers. Callisto was surprised and she decided to get a closer look.

The women weren't normal women, they were Bacchae, and when Dahak's followers attacked them, they transformed into their Bacchae look and attacked the men. The men were surprised and when the Bacchae were upon them, they became terrified. But the Bacchae didn't kill them, they got up instead and transformed back into their Human appearance. The men quickly got up and ran away.

Callisto clapped her hands.

"My, they must be scare..." she started, but stopped when the women turned and she recognized one of the girls. "Anna," she whispered and felt emotions overrun her like a tsunami, crushing the emotional barriers she had been building inside since her family's death like they were made of air.

She stood still for a few moments, paralyzed by the feelings she was experiencing. If the girl was really Anna, her sister, then she had a family again, someone to love and someone to love her back. The emptiness inside of her suddenly disappeared and Callisto felt she had a reason to live again, to be happy.

The Bacchae noticed the look of recognition in Callisto's eyes and they approached her.

"You know me?" Anna asked, noticing that Callisto was staring at her.

Callisto tried to calm herself.

"You are Anna from Cirra, daughter of Pankos and Arleia, sister of Callisto," she then said.

"Yes," Anna said, part surprised, part scared and part happy.

Callisto got on her knees.

"I am Callisto," she said, tears welling up, "your sister."

Anna stared at her for a few moments. The woman in front of her did look a lot like her mother, but she was older. Then she realized that it was because years had passed by and that she herself should look older.

"Callisto," she said and hugged her sister.

Callisto hugged her back and let the tears in her eyes flow down her cheeks. They both cried for a few minutes, the other two Bacchae watching them, feeling sad that their own families were long dead, but glad that their friend still had a family.

When they broke the hug, they stared at each other for a few moments and Callisto caressed Anna.

"I thought you were dead," she finally said in a ragged voice.

Anna shook her head.

"I managed to escape through the kitchen window, but a Bacchae bit me and I became one of them. After Xena killed Bacchus, we were freed. We are still Bacchae, but we are not under Bacchus' control any more." She turned to introduce her companions. "These are Thalia," she said and pointed at the older Bacchae, "and Calliope."

Callisto looked at them and then back at Anna.

"I missed you," she said and caressed her.

Anna smiled.

"I missed you too."

They hugged again for a few moments.

"So, where were you going?" Callisto asked after they broke the hug.

Anna shrugged.

"Nowhere in particular. We're wandering around, helping people, trying to find redemption."

"Redemption?" Callisto asked, surprised.

Anna sighed.

"We killed people under Bacchus' control."

Callisto bit her teeth. It was bad enough that she had become a murderer, but now her sister was one as well. But the difference between them was that she didn't care and she chose to become one while Anna regretted and killed against her will.

"I'm sorry," she said and caressed Anna.

Anna smiled encouragingly.

"And you?" she asked.

Callisto suddenly felt so ashamed and she looked down.

"Callisto?" Anna asked, confused by Callisto's reaction.

Callisto sighed and looked up. She didn't want Anna to know, but she knew that she would find out eventually, so she decided to tell her herself.

"After Xena burned down Cirra, I swore revenge. I became a warlord and I killed people. Xena captured me and sent to prison, but I escaped and killed the husband of her companion, Gabrielle. Xena killed me, but Hera brought me back to kill Hercules. I poisoned his family, so he would show me to the Tree of Life, which was the only cure for the poison. He trapped me in the cave, but Xena rescued me when she needed help against an Amazon who had become a goddess and was after Gabrielle. She promised me ambrosia in exchange. I agreed and I became a goddess, but Xena trapped us in lava. I was freed by Hope, Gabrielle's daughter, who is also the daughter of Dahak. She killed Xena's son and Xena trapped me again, but Hope freed me," Callisto quickly told the story of her life, leaving out the details after Xena had last trapped her, and looked down.

Anna stared at her sister, surprised and shocked, and then hugged her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and caressed Callisto.

Callisto felt so good that someone loved her in spite of her past and she hugged Anna back. She felt so good having a family again. But then she remembered Hope and Dahak and she knew that she had to kill Hope or she and Anna would not be safe.

"You're a goddess?" Anna asked when they broke the hug.

Callisto nodded.

"Wow."

Callisto smiled.

"Look, there's something I need to take care of," she said and got up. "Why don't you wait here, I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?" Anna asked, worried.

Callisto tried to smile encouragingly.

"To make the world safer. I'll be back. I promise."

Anna nodded and Callisto disappeared in a burst of fire. Anna stared at the spot where her sister had stood a moment ago. She was worried, she had a family again and she didn't want to lose it. Thalia and Calliope approached her and Thalia put her hand on her shoulder while Calliope took her hand. Even though they weren't related, they still felt like a family.

"Hello, you two," Callisto chirped when she appeared beside Xena and Gabrielle.

"Callisto," Xena said, not really caring about the goddess.

"I have good news, Hope has to die."

Xena looked at her.

"No kidding," she said sarcastically.

"Now, now, Xena, where's your enthusiasm? This time I'm here to help you. You get the dagger with Hind's blood and I'll take you straight to Hope, so you can kill her."

"We don't need the dagger."

"Not for Hope, but it will keep Ares in check. Besides, it would be safer if you killed Hope with the dagger. You know, just in case."

Xena looked at her again, not believing her.

"Aha," she said.

"I'm serious, Xena."

Xena stopped.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?" Callisto countered.

"Why do you suddenly want to kill Hope? I could have killed her before, but you stopped me."

"Yeah, well, that was before, things have changed. And besides, she's a threat to this world."

"So are you."

"Well, I don't plan to go on any killing sprees anymore while Hope plans to wipe out everyone." She glanced at Gabrielle. "Nor do I plan to bug you or Gabrielle anymore."

Xena raised her eyebrow.

"That still doesn't explain why you suddenly want Hope dead."

"She's in the way," Callisto said and crossed her arms. "And besides, don't expect me to give you the real reason, because I won't. Now, shall we go and kill Hope or what?"

Xena studied Callisto for a few moments and she noticed that Callisto was obviously in a hurry.

"And then what?" she asked.

"Nothing. I burn the remains and we go our separate ways."

"And Ares?"

"I'll take care of Ares, you just kill Hope."

Xena considered for a moment.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Finally. Let's..."

"No," Gabrielle said and they both looked at her, surprised.

"Gabrielle?" Xena asked.

"She's my daughter, I will kill her," Gabrielle said, barely able to speak.

"Gabrielle..."

"And besides, if you kill her, you die."

Gabrielle was trembling at the thought of having to kill her daughter again. It was hard enough accepting that her daughter was evil and even harder to kill her once and live with it. Every fiber of her body screamed against killing Hope, but she knew it had to be done or innocent people would die.

"Shall we go then?" Callisto asked impatiently.

She wanted to get it over with and be with her sister.

"We'll all go," Xena said.

"Whatever."

After they got the dagger with Hind's blood, Callisto took them to the Halls of War, Ares' main temple.

"You disappoint me, Callisto," Ares said and Callisto immediately sent a volley of fireballs at him.

"Get her, Gabrielle," Callisto said and attacked Ares again.

Gabrielle slowly started to walk toward the cocoon and Xena escorted her. Callisto and Ares jumped around the temple, Ares trying to get to Gabrielle, Callisto trying to stop him.

"You're on the losing side, Ares," Callisto said. "The only reason why you used to be on the winning side was because of me."

Ares growled.

"We'll see," he said and attacked her.

Gabrielle finally reached the cocoon. She felt it was alive, her daughter inside it, but she knew it had to be done. She lifted her trembling hand, hesitated for a few moments and then struck down. She cut deep into the cocoon and into her daughter. She felt the twitching of her child, but she held her hand inside until the twitching stopped. Then she pulled her hand out and let it fall beside her body. The dagger slipped out of her hand, but she didn't notice. She stood still for a few moments and then fell to her knees. She was in shock. Xena kneeled beside her and cradled her, but Gabrielle didn't seem to notice. Slowly, tears started to run down her cheeks.

When Ares saw that Hope was dead, he growled, angry, and disappeared, knowing that it would be useless to stay around. Callisto stood ready for a few moments, in case Ares returned. When he didn't, she looked at Xena and Gabrielle. For the first time she understood what a sacrifice it was for Gabrielle to kill her own daughter, not once, but twice. She knew how she would feel if she had to kill her sister for some unfathomable reason. She wondered if she even could. Yet Gabrielle did it. Twice. She wondered if she would ever recover. She frowned when she realized that she hoped that Gabrielle would recover and that she regretted that she was no longer so innocent as she had been when they had first met.

She knew it also hurt Xena, that she felt responsible. Callisto found it ironic that she was now sympathizing with Xena when she should actually ravel at her pain. She sighed and stepped closer.

"Stand back, I'll burn the remains," she said.

Gabrielle didn't move, but Xena picked her up and carried her away. Callisto stared at them for a moment and then fired a volley of fireballs at Hope's remains. She stared at the fire for a while and then looked back at Xena and Gabrielle. She stared at them for a while longer and then disappeared.

She had wanted to return to her sister, but when she recalled what her sister had told her about killing, she decided to pay a visit to another god.

"Hades!" she called after she materialized in one of his temples.

Hades didn't take long.

"Callisto," he said, annoyed. "What do you want?"

"A favor."

Hades laughed.

"A favor? You're kidding."

"Trust me, I have a feeling you'll love to grant me this one."

Hades gave her a skeptical look.

"Okay, what is it?"

Callisto hesitated for a moment.

"My sister is a Bacchae. I want to take her sins upon myself."

Hades stared at her for a few moments, astonished.

"Did I hear you correctly? Did you just say you want to take your sister's sins upon yourself?"

Callisto rolled her eyes.

"Yes. That way you can throw me even deeper into Tartarus when I die."

"You're a goddess," Hades reminded her.

"I don't plan to live forever."

Hades considered.

"What about the other Bacchae?" he asked.

"What about them?" Callisto asked, confused.

"Would you take their sins?"

Callisto sighed.

"If I have to."

Hades studied her for a few moments.

"Sorry," he then said, "I can't help you."

"What?"

Hades smiled.

"I can't help you," he explained, "because whatever they did under Bacchus' control doesn't count as sin."

"What do you mean?" Callisto asked, confused.

"When one of the mortals kills another, they don't punish the knife or the hand that did the crime but the person. You could say the Bacchae were Bacchus' knives."

Callisto felt relieved, she didn't really need any more sins on her head, although she would have taken her sister's and of the other Bacchae if need be.

"Good," she said and left.

"Callisto!" Anna said, happy, when Callisto returned.

Callisto smiled.

"I have good news," she said. "Hades told me that whatever you did under Bacchus' control doesn't count as sin."

The three Bacchae stared at her, surprised.

"Really?" Calliope finally asked.

"Yes," Callisto confirmed and saw a wave of relief wash over the Bacchae.

"Still," Talia said, "I want to help people. I may not have to redeem myself for Hades, but I need to redeem myself for me."

Calliope nodded and hugged her arm.

"Me too," Anna said. "Will you come with us?"

Callisto stared at her sister with mixed emotions.

"I..."

"Please," Anna said, guessing what Callisto was thinking. "You know I would go with you anywhere, but they are my friends and I'd like to be with them."

Callisto nodded, not trusting her voice, and Anna hugged her. Callisto hugged her back.

"So," Callisto asked the other two Bacchae when they broke the hug, "how old are you two?"

Talia thought.

"I think I'm around three hundred."

"And you?" Callisto asked Calliope, who shrugged.

"She doesn't know," Talia said. "She's the oldest of the Bacchae though."

Callisto lifted her eyebrows. Then a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"So now that you're free, you're the same persons you were before you became Bacchae? Plus the memories and the fact that you're immortal I mean."

"Yes," Talia confirmed.

Callisto looked at Anna, wondering how she herself would have felt if she was little and she suddenly discovered she was a killer. At least Anna had her and her friends to help her deal with it. And if she herself found redemption, why not?

The End