DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All the 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. I got the idea from Joseph K. Anderson's History Lesson. The idea for the Well of Dreams came from Tower's Callisto's Wish. Oh, yes, I don't know what the name of Callisto's sister is, so I named her Anna.

Wishes, Wishes
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Callisto was sneaking up on the rabbit when she noticed a fight in the distance. She was surprised that anyone would be fighting there and she decided to investigate. She went closer.

She soon discovered that Xena and Gabrielle were fighting off some warlord. Not that she cared about them, but she considered herself the only person allowed to touch Xena. She unsheathed her sword and ran towards the fighters. When she got closer, she screamed her battle cry and attacked. The fighters stopped fighting for a moment, surprised, but immediately resumed when they identified the newcomer.

"Labdacus, Labdacus," Callisto said after she disposed of the immediate attackers, "I told you that Xena belonged to me."

Labdacus grinned.

"Sorry, Callisto, but I'm not interested in Xena right now. In fact, I'll be more than happy if you took care of her."

Callisto didn't understand what Labdacus meant and she continued to slay his men. Suddenly she noticed that Xena froze. She was curious and she followed Xena's gaze. What she saw was Gabrielle and she stood frozen. Callisto also saw that Gabrielle had dropped her staff and was staring at the man in front of her. Callisto looked at the man and saw that was dead. Gabrielle killed him, she realized and was surprised that instead of feeling glad, she felt bad. She glanced at Xena and saw that she was running towards her friend, ready to protect her. She looked back at Gabrielle, who was still in shock.

When she looked around again, she noticed that Labdacus was running toward a cave. She realized that Xena and Gabrielle wanted to stop him. She ran after him. Labdacus's men tried to stop her, but she ruthlessly disposed of them. She entered the cave and then stopped and listened carefully. She soon picked up Labdacus's footsteps and she followed them. She heard that Labdacus's soldiers wanted to follow her, but they soon stopped. Callisto ran after Labdacus and soon caught up with him.

"Hello, Labdacus," she said and grinned when Labdacus turned around, pale-faced. She knocked him on the ground and straddled him, shaking her head. "That wasn't very nice of you, running away from the party. Tell me," she said, gripping his collar, "where are you going?"

"What makes you think I'll tell you?" Labdacus asked defiantly.

"Well, I'm an excellent torturer and I will enjoy torturing you." She looked at his ears. "Hmm, let's see how you look without your ears, shall we?"

She cut off his right ear and Labdacus screamed in pain.

"Oh, come now, that was nothing," Callisto said, grinning and cut off the other ear, making Labdacus scream again. "I hope you're enjoying yourself as much as I am," she said playfully and took out the right eye.

Labdacus roared in pain.

"I'll tell you!" he screamed.

"Oh, already?" Callisto said, disappointed. She shook her head. "A girl can't even have fun nowadays." She shrugged. "Oh, well, I'm listening."

"Well of Dreams."

Callisto was surprised.

"Well of Dreams?"

"Yes," Labdacus confirmed and tried to nod.

Callisto looked around and noticed a map which Labdacus dropped when she knocked him down.

"Thank you," she said and slit his throat.

She wiped the knife and picked up the map. She examined it, picked up Labdacus's torch and then followed the instructions. She avoided all the traps and finally got to the cave where the Well was. She stared at it and thought of all the possibilities. Finally she approached it and took a coin from her pouch. She hesitated for a moment and then threw it in.

"Well, well, I see… Callisto!"

"Hello, Zeus, nice to see you too."

"Okay, Callisto, you made it, so what do you want?"

Callisto was about to answer when she remembered what her mother had told her when they visited a neighboring village which had a wishing well. Never wish for yourself. She cursed and thought of other possibilities. Who could she possibly wish for? She shook her head.

"Just a second, Zeus," she said and thought.

She thought for several minutes and grinned when she noticed that Zeus was getting impatient. She finally remembered Gabrielle and the look in her eyes after she had killed for the first time. She compared the feelings that Gabrielle was probably feeling and her own feelings after she had killed for the first time. She realized that they were not the same. She suddenly realized that she wished that Gabrielle had not killed that man. She recalled Xena's shocked expression as she hurried to help and comfort her friend. Xena, she thought, she's the key. She thought about Xena's past and remembered that Xena became a warlord after Cortese had attacked her village. If he hadn't, then Xena wouldn't have became a warlord and she wouldn't have burned down Cirra.

"I wish Cortese never attacked Cirra."

Zeus was astonished.

"Okay, Callisto," he said and disappeared.

Callisto was confused for a moment and then left.

When she got outside, she discovered that she was not on the meadow in front of the cave, but somewhere else. She turned around, but the cave was gone.

"Callisto!" someone called.

Callisto jerked, reached for her sword and looked around. She didn't immediately recognized the woman and she waited for the new knowledge to settle into her mind.

"Anna!" she finally recognized the woman.

"Where've you been? We've… Is everything all right?" Anna asked when she saw the strange look in her eyes.

Callisto jerked.

"Yes. I'm fine," she said, still staring at her sister.

For the first time since her family's death she felt whole. She took a deep breath and hugged her sister. Anna was surprised, but she hugged her back.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked when they stopped hugging.

Callisto smiled and nodded.

"Yes," she said. She quickly looked through the new knowledge. "Mama," she whispered when she found what she was looking for. "I want to see Mama," she said.

Anna rose her eyebrows, but didn't say anything. She quietly followed her sister and carefully observed her.

They had been quiet the whole way to Cirra. Anna noticed that there was something different about Callisto, but she said nothing. She found it strange when she saw how Callisto looked around their home village and was surprised when she saw tears in her eyes.

Callisto rode straight home. She jumped off her horse and went inside. She heard noise and followed it.

"Mama," she whispered when she saw Arleia.

Arleia turned and smiled.

"Hello, Callisto."

Callisto slowly approached her.

"Mama," she whispered again and hugged her.

Arleia was confused, but she hugged her daughter back and caressed her. She didn't say anything, just held her.

When Anna came in and saw Callisto hugging their mother, she was surprised, but didn't say anything. She retreated into another room and waited.

When Callisto finally stopped hugging her mother, Arleia saw that her daughter had been crying. She softly caressed her and Callisto took her hand and gently pressed it against her cheek. Arleia softly smiled.

"Is everything all right?" she asked when Callisto let go of her hand.

Callisto nodded.

"It is now," she said and smiled.

"Good. Will you stay for lunch?"

"Yes," Callisto said, wiping her tears.

"Then wait in the main room, it will be done soon."

Callisto nodded and joined her sister.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked, seeing Callisto's red eyes.

Callisto smiled.

"Yes."

After lunch, Callisto went out and walked around the village, just observing people. She now had full knowledge of this reality and she realized that in spite of her good intentions things were bad for Xena. Cortese didn't attack Amphipolis, but Virgilius did. Although Lyceus wasn't killed, Xena still became a warlord, though not an evil one. She befriended Gabrielle, but this time Gabrielle was killed and Xena became evil and conquered half of Greece. Fortunately, no one burned down Cirra. Callisto smiled bitterly as she realized how ironic it was that in this reality Xena was evil and she was a hero.

Life wasn't fair.

"Callisto?"

Callisto jerked and turned. It was Anna.

"Yes?"

"We will have to return to camp soon."

Callisto nodded.

"Let's go."

They said good-bye to their mother and rode away.

They rode for the whole afternoon and when the sun begun to set, they stopped. Callisto made a camp and Anna caught them dinner. When she returned from the hunt, she noticed that Callisto was deep in her thoughts again. She prepared the rabbit and put it over the fire. Then she sat beside Callisto and took her hand onto her own. Callisto jerked and looked at her.

"What is wrong, Callisto?" Anna asked.

Callisto smiled.

"Nothing."

Anna cocked her head and rose her eyebrows with disbelief.

"Something is bothering you, Callisto. I haven't seen you cry since we were children. What's wrong, Callisto?"

Callisto sighed and looked away. She thought for a while and then looked back at her sister.

"Have you heard of the Well of Dreams?" she asked.

Anna rose her eyebrows, surprised.

"Yes."

"That's where I was when you found me today."

"At the Well of Dreams?"

Callisto nodded.

"I made a wish there and Zeus granted it." She paused. "I wished that Cortese never attacked Amphipolis."

"Cortese? Virgilius attacked Amphipolis."

"In this reality. In the reality from which I come, it was Cortese. He killed Xena's brother and Xena became a warlord. She changed and befriended Gabrielle and Gabrielle wasn't killed." She paused again. "When we were fighting a warlord at the Well of Dreams, Gabrielle killed someone. I was the first to reach the Well and I wanted to make a wish for myself. Then I remembered what Mama said when we visited a wishing well in a village near Cirra. I wanted to wish that Gabrielle had never killed, but I decided that it would be even better if I wished that Cortese never attacked Amphipolis." She took a deep breath before continuing. "In that reality, Xena burned down Cirra and you and Mama had died."

Callisto looked away and wiped the tears which had come into her eyes. Anna stared at her, shocked. Then she hugged her sister and Callisto hugged her back.

"You're not alone anymore, Callisto," Anna whispered.

After Callisto calmed down, she told her sister about the life in the other reality.

When they returned to the camp the next day, they noticed that everybody was ready for battle.

"Anna! Callisto!"

The sisters looked. Callisto didn't immediately recognize the man, but then she remembered that he was their second-in-command.

"What is it, Phyleus?" Anna asked.

"Xena. Spies report that she is about to launch another offensive." He paused. "They say that she is planning to destroy Cirra." Callisto and Anna paled. "I have already issued orders, we are ready to go," he added.

"Then let's go!" Callisto ordered.

Phyleus left and issued orders.

When they Arrived to Cirra, the slaughter had already begun. Xena's army had started to burn down the houses and the villagers were forced to go out if they didn't want to burn. Callisto and Anna looked for their mother and saw that she was okay, hiding behind a large barrel. They relaxed a bit and started to fight.

The fight was hard and bloody and although their army was good, Xena's was more numerous and they knew that if they lost the battle, Xena would be in a very bad mood and many of them would end on spikes.

Callisto and Anna more or less fought back to back and many soldiers wanted to kill them and earn the huge reward which Xena had posted on their heads. Callisto and Anna, however, didn't feel like obliging and many fortune-seekers went down empty-handed. Suddenly Callisto saw that Xena was going after her mother.

No!!

She ran to her and reached her just as Xena knocked the woman on the ground. She stood over her mother and protected her.

"Shoot that woman!" Xena called to her archers.

Callisto turned and saw that they were aiming at her mother. She jumped and threw herself over her mother. There were too many arrows and she didn't even try to catch them. The arrows would all have hit their target if Callisto hadn't intercepted them with her body.

"Mama," Callisto whispered as her life was coming to an end. "I love you."

"I love you too, Callisto," her mother said and hugged her daughter.

Xena grinned and drove her sword through Callisto's body into Arleia.

"No!!!" Anna screamed when she saw her family being killed by Xena.

She rant to Xena and attacked her. She was good, but Xena was better and Anna soon found herself losing. She looked around at her soldiers and at the villagers and then at Xena's army and realized that they would all die. She bit her teeth and decided to die hard.

Xena soon impaled her through the shoulder and Anna collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

When Anna woke up, she noticed that the battle was over that there was nothing left of her village or her people. She was severely wounded and was bleeding heavily. She pressed her hand over the wound and looked around. Xena's soldiers were robbing the dead, but no one was looking in her direction. She got up and staggered to the remains of a house, making sure that she didn't leave any trail. She hid in the debris and lost her consciousness again.

When she woke up again, she saw that the soldiers were gathered in a circle and were watching something. Anna saw that they were quartering someone, but she couldn't see who. The quartering was quickly over and Anna could see that Xena went to the remains of the body. Not long after that Anna froze when she saw her sister's head being lifted on a spear.

She wanted to scream, but she remembered at the last moment that she mustn't. Tears drowned her eyes and she silently cried. Suddenly she saw that the circle opened and that a rider was coming through. Anna looked and saw that he was dragging a corpse after him and that dogs were following him and taking occasional bites at the corpse. Anna stared, in shock, as she recognized the body as that of her mother and she wanted to scream. She wanted to rip Xena apart with her bare hands, she wanted to rip out her heart and make her eat it, but she couldn't. She curled up like a fetus instead and cried.

Several weeks later, Anna had more or less recovered from her wounds. She wandered aimlessly around, not knowing what to do or caring. A part of her wanted to die and join her family, but a part of her wanted to live. She finally recalled the Well of Dreams and decided to look for it.

It took her another few weeks, but she finally found the Well. She successfully passed all the traps and got to the Well.

She took a deep breath and thought about what she should wish for. She wanted Mama and Callisto back, but then she remembered Callisto's and Mama's words about not wishing for oneself. She sighed. Then she decided and threw a coin into the Well.

Zeus immediately appeared.

"Anna. Hm, it looks like I'll have to move this Well somewhere farther away. So, what do you wish?"

"I wish Virgilius never attacked Amphipolis."

Zeus rose his eyebrows.

"Your family sure has a strange attachment to Xena, considering what she has done to you."

"Are you going to grant it or not?"

"I am. It is done."

Zeus disappeared and with him the Well of Dreams. Anna took a deep breath and went out of the cave. When she got out, she noticed that the scenery was different, she came out on the other side of the meadow. She looked behind her, but the mountain was not there. The brief confusion was over in a moment and Anna saw a fight. Her heart began to beat faster when she saw Xena and even faster when she saw Callisto. She wanted to run to her and hug her, but she remembered that this was a different Callisto.

She took her sword and was about to join the fight, when she noticed a young strawberry blond woman with a staff. She didn't know her, but she assumed that it was Gabrielle. Then she recalled what Callisto had told her, that Gabrielle had killed someone by accident. She didn't really care about Gabrielle, because she didn't know her, but Callisto was obviously fond of her. She decided to make sure that this time Gabrielle wouldn't kill. She cried her battle cry and somersaulted herself over to where Gabrielle was fighting. Xena and Gabrielle were astonished when they saw her, but Callisto was shocked. Anna grinned when she saw their faces.

"Callisto, get down!" she suddenly called and Callisto dropped flat on the ground and rolled away.

All four women then continued to kick the crap out of Labdacus and his men until Anna killed Labdacus himself and his men decided that they were no match for three psycho women and their friend.

As Labdacus's men retreated, Anna grabbed Gabrielle and put a dagger on her neck.

"Oh, Xena," she softly called in a sing-song voice.

Xena and Callisto both looked and Anna saw terror in Xena's eyes. She was surprised. Okay, Callisto did tell her that Xena was different in her reality and that she cared a lot for Gabrielle, but still, she hadn't expected fear.

"Hey!" Callisto called. "Nobody gets to harm Xena but me."

Anna looked at her and stared at her for a few moments.

"You're not the only one who has a score to settle with Xena," she said and looked back at Xena. "Tell me, Xena, would you die for her?" she asked.

"Yes," Xena said without hesitation.

"Xena…" Gabrielle started, but Anna pressed the dagger closer to her neck.

"Why don't we find out, hmm? Get on your knees," she ordered and turned to Callisto. "Callisto, take Gabrielle for moment, will you?" Callisto hesitated. "Trust me, Callisto," Anna said, looking straight into her sister's eyes.

Callisto stared back. She trusted no one, but she had a strange feeling about this woman and she saw the joy in her eyes every time she looked at her. She slowly approached Anna and Gabrielle and took hold of Gabrielle. Anna smiled and went to the kneeling Xena. She put the dagger to her neck and gently ran it across. She observed Xena's face, but Xena was looking at her friend. Anna looked at Gabrielle and saw that she was looking into Xena's eyes. Neither of them said a word, but their eyes spoke volumes. She looked back at Xena and saw a tear slip out of her eyes. She was confused.

"You're not the same Xena," she said and let her go. She turned to Callisto. "You can let her go now."

"Oh, I don't know, this is such a unique position," Callisto said.

"Let her go, Callisto, we've had… I've had a too rotten life because of her death."

Callisto stared at the strange woman, not comprehending what she was saying. She stared at the woman's eyes for a few moments and then released Gabrielle.

Anna smiled and turned to Xena.

"You can go now, the Well of Dreams is gone now."

Xena stared at the stranger, still disturbed by the recent experience.

"You don't mind if I check that for myself, do you?"

Anna smiled.

"If the Well was still there, I wouldn't let you inside." She turned to Callisto. "Come, Callisto, we need to talk."

"Who are you?" Callisto asked.

"Anna."

"An…" Callisto had somehow expected that answer, but it still shocked her. "Anna is dead," she said angrily.

"So are you," Anna said and smiled. "Come."

Callisto stared at Anna, who started leaving. She was glad and afraid at the same time. She decided to get to the bottom of it and she followed Anna. She soon realized that Anna was headed straight for her camp and was confused.

When they got to Callisto's camp, Anna looked around and then found herself a place to sit. She sat and waited for Callisto to join her. Callisto hesitated for a moment and then sat next to her. Anna smiled and took a deep breath.

"Tell me," she finally said, "who attacked Amphipolis?"

Callisto was surprised.

"I think it was Cortese," she said.

Anna smiled bitterly.

"Did Xena's brother get killed?"

"I don't know. Probably."

Anna sighed.

"And Xena became a warlord and burned down Cirra?"

"Yes."

"And you have been making her suffer?"

"Yes," Callisto confirmed, not quite sure where the conversation was going.

"Xena has changed and befriended Gabrielle, right?"

"Yes."

Anna took a deep breath and thought.

"That also happened in the first reality."

"First reality?"

"Yes. It was probably identical to this one, except that I was dead there. Here, I was saved by a traveler from Macedonia. Anyway, during the same fight at the Well of Dreams, Gabrielle accidentally killed one of the soldiers and was in shock. You used Xena's concern for Gabrielle and you went to the Well. You wanted to make a wish for yourself, but you remembered what Mama said when we visited the wishing well in a village near Cirra, I forgot its name. She said that you should make a wish for someone else, not for yourself. You wanted to make a wish for Gabrielle, but then you realized that if Xena's village hadn't been attacked, she would never have become a warlord. You wished that Cortese never attacked Amphipolis and Zeus granted you that wish.

You found yourself in a new reality and there, Cortese didn't attack Amphipolis, but Virgilius did. Xena became a warlord, but she never attacked Cirra and Mama and I didn't die. Xena later changed and befriended Gabrielle, but Gabrielle was killed and Xena became a warlord again and she conquered half of Greece. You and I were the leaders of the resistance." Anna paused and Callisto noticed tears in her eyes. "Then…"

Anna took a deep breath and tried to control her emotions.

"What happened?" Callisto asked.

Anna took another deep breath.

"During a battle you tried to protect Mama and you were both killed." Anna paused. "They threw her to the dogs and they tore your body apart and displayed your head on a spear."

Anna fought her tears and even Callisto felt a strange ache in her chest.

"I barely managed to escape," Anna continued, "and I went to the Well of Dreams."

"How did you know about it?"

"You told me after I noticed that you were different. Anyway, I made the same wish you did, that Virgilius would never attack Amphipolis." She smiled bitterly. "Instead, Cortese did."

They were both quietly for a while.

"Why didn't you kill Xena?" Callisto asked.

Anna jerked.

"She's not the same Xena I hate."

"But she killed Mama."

"She has changed, Callisto. Her conscience is punishing her far more than Tartarus. And besides, killing her wouldn't bring Mama back and would hurt Gabrielle."

Callisto stared at her sister, feeling betrayed. She jumped at her sister, straddled her and put a dagger to her neck.

"You're not my sister," she said.

"I am, Callisto."

"No, you're not! My sister would want to avenge Mama!"

"I know that, Callisto. Don't you think I wanted to rip Xena apart with my bare hands? I wanted to inflict pain upon her, make her suffer for everything she's done."

"Why didn't you?!"

"Because she has changed, Callisto. Did you see the look in her eyes when I held my dagger at her neck? She wasn't afraid to die, she was concerned for Gabrielle. She wanted to protect her, even if it meant her death. Even you care about Gabrielle."

"No, I don't."

"Then why did you want to wish that Gabrielle had never killed?"

"That wasn't me."

"It was. That Callisto had the same past as you did. Remember Perdicus?"

"What about him?"

"Gabrielle nearly killed you there, but she didn't. She would rather die than kill, even you. You said you wished to be like her."

Callisto remembered. For a few moments she was prepared to let Gabrielle kill her, so Xena would blame herself for the loss of Gabrielle's blood innocence. She hated to admit it, but she did care about Gabrielle. She looked at Anna, who was calmly lying underneath her. She stared at her eyes and Anna stared back. Finally Callisto let go of Anna.

Anna sat up and observed her sister for a few moments. Then she slowly approached her and smiled when Callisto gave her a sharp look. When she slowly hugged Callisto, Callisto's first instinct was to shake her off, but when she realized that it was only a hug, she clamed down. She felt that Anna was crying and she instinctively hugged her back. She realized that she wasn't alone anymore.

"Okay, let's get that rabbit," Anna said when they stopped hugging, "and then go home."

Callisto jerked.

"We don't have a home."

Anna smiled.

"Home is where the heart is and we left ours in Cirra."

Callisto realized that Anna was right and she smiled.

"Let's get that rabbit, shall we?"

Callisto's smile widened and they got up and went hunting.

The End