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 The Greater Good.

Why, Xena?
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Xena was dead, no doubt about it. Gabrielle kissed the dead body of her friend and went out. She took her staff from Argo's saddle and went to the forest. There she started hitting a tree with her staff and continued hitting it until she was too exhausted to do it any longer. She sat down beside the tree and started to cry.

When she returned to the village, she noticed that everyone was upset.

"Gabrielle!"

"What is it, Salmoneus?"

"Ah…"

Salmoneus hesitated.

"What is it?!"

"Ah, Xena…"

Gabrielle grabbed the man.

"What about her?"

"She's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean? She is dead."

"I know. Someone stole her body."

Gabrielle let go of Salmoneus, shocked. First, Xena died and now, someone stole her body. She felt like crying again.

When Xena woke up, she noticed that she was chained to the wall. She was confused. She opened her eyes and didn't recognize the place. Her head still hurt from the poison and she shook it, trying to clear it up.

"Hello, Xena," suddenly someone said.

Xena jerked and looked around.

"Who are you?"

"Callisto," the stranger introduced herself as she came closer.

"What do you want?"

Callisto's face became serious.

"What I want, you cannot give me."

"Then why am I here?"

"Oh, just to answer a few questions."

"What do you want to know?"

Callisto stepped as close as she could to Xena.

"Do you remember Cirra?" she asked.

Xena jerked.

"Yes, I do."

"Why, Xena? Why did you burn it down?"

Xena bit her teeth.

"It was an accident."

"Accident!" Callisto was furious and she hit Xena in the face. "The whole village burned to the ground! There were hardly a dozen survivors!" Xena looked down. "Look at me! You murdered my family, you took away my life!"

"I'm sorry," Xena whispered.

"Sorry!?"

Callisto stared at Xena, furious, and was astonished to see remorse in the Warrior Princess' eyes. She turned away, trying to sort things out in her head. She had waited so long for this, to avenge her family, wanting to exterminate the evil that was Xena, the Warrior Princess, and now, everything seemed so senseless. She knew that the conscience was the worst thing that could happen to a murderer. She had felt bad about the first few people she had killed, but she had crushed her consciousness, burying it deep within herself where the remains of her soul rested.

She shook hear head, angry at Xena and the Fates. It was not fair! She returned to Xena.

"What's your friend's name?" she asked.

Xena jerked and Callisto saw fear in her eyes. She was surprised.

"Gabrielle," Xena said.

"Gabrielle," Callisto repeated thoughtfully and left.

Xena stared after her, concerned about Gabrielle.

Soon, Xena heard noise of many people approaching. She waited nervously until Callisto brought a new prisoner.

"Gabrielle!"

"Xena!"

Gabrielle wanted to run to Xena, but Callisto stopped her.

"Not so fast, little one." Callisto turned to Xena. "Looks like I've found your weak spot, Xena. Now I get to do to you what you did to me."

"No, Callisto, please."

"Do I hear the Warrior Princess begging?" Callisto asked, fluttering her eyelashes innocently.

"Yes. Please, Callisto."

Callisto grinned and knocked Gabrielle out.

"No!"

"I'll torture her when she gets around."

Callisto chained Gabrielle to the wall and left. She didn't go far, though, she stopped just outside the room and waited.

Gabrielle soon woke up with a slight headache.

"Gabrielle?"

"Xena! You're alive!"

"Yes."

"But you were dead."

Xena shook hear head.

"No. I was poisoned, but I managed to overcome the effects."

"I'm so glad you're alive." Xena sighed. "Who is that woman?"

"Callisto."

"What does she want?"

"She wants to make me suffer."

"Why?"

Xena sighed again.

"I burned down her village. The only time when women and children were also killed."

"And now she wants revenge."

"Yes." Xena paused. "She will torture you," she said and looked away.

Gabrielle gulped.

"Xena." Xena looked back. "If I die and she lets you live, promise that you won't became an evil warlord again." Xena hesitated. "Please. You can do so much good with your skills, don't stop because of my death."

Xena stared at Gabrielle, who had tears in her eyes.

"I promise."

"Thank you."

Outside, Callisto heard every word and it disturbed her. She envied Xena for having such a good friend. She thought about her life and wondered if she could have been like Gabrielle if Xena hadn't come. She sighed as she realized that she could have. She put on her best evil smile and entered the room.

"Ah, I see you're already back with us," she said and took her dagger.

She stared straight into Gabrielle's eyes and Gabrielle stared back. Callisto saw fear in Gabrielle's eyes. She ran her dagger along Gabrielle's neck, drawing blood as she went. Gabrielle bit her teeth.

Callisto glanced at Xena and also saw fear in her eyes. And tears.

"Please, Callisto," Xena begged.

Callisto shook her head as the memories of her mother and her sister came back to her. She gulped as she remembered how kind and gentle her mother was, always helping others. She looked back at Gabrielle and couldn't help herself from seeing her own mother in her. She shook and removed the dagger.

She paced up and down the room and thought. She had wanted for so long to kill Xena and avenge her family, she had wanted to stop the evil, but the evil wasn't there anymore. If she killed Gabrielle, Xena might turn back to her evil ways in spite of the promise she gave Gabrielle. On the other hand, if she killed Xena, Xena wouldn't be able to help the people anymore. It was an irritating dilemma, to kill or not to kill.

She realized that her mother's ideals meant a lot to her, although she didn't live by them. She had wanted to uphold them, protect the innocent, but when her mother was ripped out of her heart, those ideals lost their appeal and all that was left was revenge. And now, Xena was upholding those ideals.

She screamed, frustrated, and threw her dagger at Gabrielle's chains, freeing one arm.

"Go out at the back. Your weapons are in the village," she said and left.

Xena and Gabrielle stared after her with disbelief. Then they looked at each other and Gabrielle started to free herself. When she was done, she freed Xena.

"Oh, Xena," Gabrielle said when they were both free and hugged Xena.

Xena hugged her back, happy that they were both all right.

"Why do you think she let us go?" Gabrielle asked after they stopped hugging.

"I don't know, Gabrielle."

The End