The way to Olympus is treacherous for mortals. The gods, of course, have no fear of the steep and treacherous climb. Xena was debating whether or not she and Livia should turn the horses loose and continue on foot when she caught sight of a familar figure waiting by the trail.

"Iolaus!" she exclaimed as the hunter gave her a cheerful wave.

"Glad to see you made it, Xena." He added under his breath, "It is the right you, right?"

Xena gave a quick, barely imperceptible nod. "Do you know if it's much further?"

Iolaus shook his head and pointed. A little way off the trail was a level area surrounded by tottery columns. In the middle was an altar.

"If your scroll is right, that's the spot. And if the chills on my spine are anything to go by, it's the right spot."

Xena handed Iolaus a bundle and the party warily picked it's way through the toppled columns. Daylight was waning and the new moon would rise in just a few hours.

"We'll need a fire soon," said Xena.

Livia nodded and went to gather wood. Iolaus pulled out the scroll and consulted it--not that he really needed to, but he wanted to make sure he knew just what he needed to do. He had already secreted certain items so as to be readily accessible when they were needed. Xena was examining her surroundings and appeared to making calculations in her head.

Livia brought an armload of wood and dropped it near the altar. A cold wind suddenly blew past her. Xena and Iolaus appeared to be unaffected. She nervously felt for her dagger--

"Xena!" she exclaimed suddenly. "My chakram. It's gone!"

*********************

Cupid beat a hasty retreat through the palace of Olympus. Psyche! How could he have forgotten Psyche? He felt shame when he thought of how hurt she must be by his new found love. He sighed when he realized he was going to spend the next century on the couch.

He'd have to deal with her later. He had a certain warrior princess to visit.

He ran past Zeus and Hera. "Grandpa? Can't you--" he left his plea unfinished as he dove out of a window and away from the realm of the gods.

Psyche came in hot pursuit and tried to push past Hera.

"Wait a moment, my dear," said the goddess. "I know where he's going."

************

A fire burned brightly upon the altar. The new moon was rising. It was a waiting game now.

"Xena," Alti's gravelly voice sounded from just outside the altar circle. She stepped into the circle and held up the third chakram.

"Alti," said Xena. "I've been waiting for you."

The two women regarded each other for a long moment.

"So," Alti finally said. "Are you going to give me that chakram or am I going to have to make you?"

Xena held up the chakram.

"I'm kind of hoping I have to make you." Alti grinned.

Her grin faded as Xena hurled the chakram away from her. It hit one column and then another before heading straight toward Alti. The shamaness caught it in her hand and looked at it in surprise.

"Better hurry, Alti," said Xena. "It's time."

Alti smirked and tossed Xena's chakram into the air above the altar. As it fell toward the fire she quickly threw the third chakram.

The third chakram intersected the double chakram and the new object hung suspended above the fire. It began to glow and a light began to spread out.

"It's show time," said Xena.

******

Alti had done what she was needed for, and he had no use for her anymore.

Zeus morphs into a red headed girl, and shimmers himself to the fireplace where the plan is nearing completion.



Bored now. And zaps the old hag to oblivion with a HUGE rod of lightening.


************************************************************************

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Michelle,

The glow from the combined chakrams grew brighter and turned from an intense silver to a firey copper. As it changed it began to give off an incredible heat, which forced back all those around it.

Livia fell to the ground and crawled from the blaze. Xena and Hercules shielded their eyes and slowly backed away. Iolaus summersaulted to a safe distance.

The suspended object began to spin, sending out sparks in all directions. Faster and faster. Hotter and hotter. Finally, just when it seemed the heat would be too intense for even a Demigod to withstand, it started to slow. Little by little it stopped radiating heat, as it gradually sank towards the altar.

A sound like roaring wind raged through the site, extinguishing the fire. The object fell with a clang on top of the altar.

Livia picked herself up and raced forward. She grabbed the item from the altar and held it aloft for all to see.



Iolaus gasped. 'A new chakram.' He looked at Xena. 'It looks like your armour.'

'Doesn't look like it would do much damage, though.' Livia frowned.

A peal of laughter rang out and Cupid appeared next to Livia. He snatched the chakram and hovered above the heads of the assembled party.

'Oh you have no idea about the damage this chakram can do, little girl. This chakram is the key to your Mother's soul.'

'What are you talking about?' Hercules looked sternly in Cupid's direction. He didn't like the turn that events had taken.

'Very simple, Uncle. Watch.' Cupid deftly split the new chakram into four equal parts. 'Thought the yin yan chakram was impressive? Any one who holds one of these four parts can control Xena. Time for a demonstration.' He threw a piece of the new chakram at Iolaus. It whirled around the head of the warrior, and back to Cupid's hand.

Suddenly, Xena had unsheathed her sword and was heading in the direction of the blonde sidekick.

'Xena, what are you doing?' Iolaus drew his own blade.

'I'm going to kill you,' Xena hissed.

'I'd run if I were you, little buddy. I'll hold her off.' Hercules grabbed Xena from behind and pinned her arms.

'Think you could kill my lover and get away with it, Xena? Think again. When you've finished killing all those YOU love, you will do the bidding of whoever I give these pieces of chakram to. I think the first piece should go to the Sovereign. Your misery has only just begun.' In a cloud of pixie dust, the god was gone.

Cupid stood in front of the Sovereign in his hottub, where he and Hope lounged indolently. Apparently when the Sovereign had escaped, he took Hope with him.
Hope looked rather done in. Well, thought Cupid, after losing her father like that, I can well imagine she wouldn't be up to much. Pity the Sovereign got her...then again, she's rather beyond hope...no pun intended.
"Glad to see the love poo exists with you, Sovereign," Cupid snarled. "Just for that...I have a couple presents for you both!"
He tossed a couple pieces of the Chakram in their direction. Hope caught one--and her whole body just seemed to shimmer with new, well, hope.
The Sovereign caught the other one.
"Wow," he said as he shimmered with awesome power. "What a rush!"
"Now you two will listen to me and listen good," snarled Cupid. "Especially you, Hope! I am going to leave you here now until Xena does what she is meant to do. When she's finished, you will know. I will come for you."
"WHAT is this all about?" Hope demanded, furious. "I mean, the gods kill my father...and now you're giving me part of this...chakram."
"For MY purposes only," said Cupid fiercely. "This is vengeance, Hope. For my lover. Who Xena...killed." He broke off, tears rolling down his face, and turned away. Hope and the Sovereign looked at each other, and exchanged a rather knowing look. Cupid composed himself as best he could and turned back to face them.
"Here is the dealio," he smiled grimly. "You two are going to come when it's time...and do one thing and ONE thing only."
"What's that?" chuckled the Sovereign, amused by this strange winged god.
"You are going to get Xena to do exactly what YOU want her to do. You too, Hope," Cupid smiled. "And don't worry. I have one of these little gifts for your sister too."
"Perfect," purred Hope. "It won't be long now. Soon, my brother will come into power."
"Your brother," Cupid said casually. "Tell me about him." He'd been expecting this, counting on it actually.
Hope was bound to Cupid now. He would not let her harm any innocents...just Xena. And anyone Xena was close to. Well...except Uncle Herc and his mother. Those two of course would be spared.
Cupid sighed. He was really going to catch it for this. But he owed Jeremaiah after all.
"My brother is biding his time," Hope said, spilling out her secrets to Cupid. The Sovereign actually tried to shush her, as she’d shared with him that he would benefit from this--but he too was under the spell of the chakram, and Cupid's power. "He waits in the temple of Zeus, his tomb. He waits. And when it's time...he will rise. He will succeed where my father failed."
"Will he now," Cupid ignored the pounding in his heart, which was somewhere in the vicinity of his throat.
"My father always knew he'd succeed," Hope said. "He fooled everyone. His last lover...totally ate up his innocence. All along he's been scrambling his brain, and now he has gone...quite mad. He let himself be killed, or rather look like it—for the purpose of getting into Zeus’s temple."
"Really," Cupid smiled weakly. "Go on."
"No," the Sovereign said fiercely. "You've said enough." He grabbed Hope by the hair. "THere will be no more talk of how he fooled Cupid into getting him into Olympus...so he could again scramble with the gods' brains. Oh, they thought they were nipping it in the bud by whooshing Bella out of there so that no more spawns of Dahok would ever get into Olympus...but---"
"Yes," Hope cried in ecstasy. "Cara failed, but Jeremaiah won't. And Zeus? Will never know a thing." She smiled at Cupid. "Will he?"
Cupid smiled at her, a slow evil smile. Then--without a word--WHOOSH! Hope stumbled as the power rushed through her head and left her stupefied a moment. The Sovereign put a hand on her shoulder to balance her, but he caught some of the energy too. He too stumbled. Then, both righting themselves, they stared blankly at Cupid.
"I will hurt Xena and no one else," Hope said in a clear voice. "No more talk of taking over the world. I have no interest in that. As for my brother, Cupid...do what you want with him."
She meant every word she said. For the Sovereign's part, he just nodded.
"Yeah, what she said," he said.
"Believe me, I intend to," Cupid snarled. "I hope you both know that this was all part of my plan. No one need die...unless Xena kills them. She's good at killing after all." He curled his lip.
"Your, uh, wish is our command," the Sovereign said. He obviously hated saying that to Cupid.
Cupid laughed uproarously.
"I've only just begun!" he shouted. "You have your orders. Wait. I will call you when it's time."
With that said, he whooshed away.

He would take the third piece of chakram to Bella. He had something special in mind for the fourth one...that would just eat Xena alive!

But first things first.

Cupid whooshed into Zeus’s temple. Zeus and Hera were amusing themselves, oblivious to him—for now. went into the tomb where Jeremaiah's body lay. Jeremaiah sat up, and rubbed his eyes. With a bit of magic, he repaired his wound. Then, slowly, he smiled.
"So," Cupid said casually, keeping his emotions in check. "Had a bit of fun...at my expense, did you honey?"
"Cupid," Jeremaiah said calmly, in that so seductive voice that had always gotten to the winged god, "It wasn't what you thought it was."
"Oh DON'T give me that rubbish!" snapped Cupid. "You were Eli's friend. You wanted more from him. I even believed those tears. Very convincing."
"I was Eli's friend," Jeremaiah said, hurt. "He DID have an impact on me."
"Spare me," Cupid sighed. "And you're mortal."
"Well no, that part is a lie," Jeremaiah's cobalt blue eyes filled with tears. "Cupid, I'm really sorry I lied to you. But...I do really love you. Always will."
"Don't, Jeremaiah," Cupid said darkly, fighting back his own tears. "Don't."
"I had to get into Zeus's temple," Jeremaiah said desperately. "I knew that if I could get Xena and Livia to run me through, that would happen. You were never particularly close with Zeus and Hera but when you want a favor from them..."
"SHUT UP, Jeremaiah!" shouted Cupid. Then with a mighty lightning bolt, he struck.
Jeremaiah however was gone. He had disappeared before the lightning bolt could hit him.
No, thought Cupid. He is not going to get away with this.
"Tsk tsk, Cupid," said a familiar female voice. "Going all soft on Dahok spawns now? Made you forget your wife pretty damn quick, did he, that Jeremaiah? Good work, I might add."
Cupid whirled around. The bane of his mother's existance lounged against the wall of the tomb, wearing an expression of pure triumph.
"Discord," Cupid said darkly. "I might have known you had something to do with this."
"It wasn't ALL Dahok of course!" winked Discord. "I knew that if I could get that guy to go for you, your poor mumsy would wring her hands for all eternity." She chuckled. "Gotta love me!" she snarled at the quote, and spit in the tomb.
"How did you do it?" Cupid demanded. "HOW?"
"He wanted someone to fark with in the Olympian world. I think he had his eye on me, actually. I would have been glad to...he's cute...but no, I saw the greater good." She assumed an expression of mock solemnity. "Then Xena hit you with one of your own arrows." She tittered in laughter. "How convenient that he was headed for EXACTLY that spot at JUST the right time!"
WHOOSH!
Dite's Afro stood there, furious as hellspawn.
"You SERIOUSLY need a boob job, girl," she snarled, facing Discord. "Not to mention a few choice body parts REMOVED for messing with my son like that!"
"I just love it when you get serious," Discord said in mock adoration. "It's so--so--sexy!"
"AAHHH!" Dite's Afro zapped her. Within moments the two of them were having a nice little zapping contest. Cupid took that opportunity to get the fark right out of there. He had to complete his task before he got his wings clipped.
He changed his mind about going to Bella first. He had to get this one out of the way first. The opportunity was too good to pass up.
Uncle Herc had calmed Xena down somewhat. With Iolaus gone and out of the way, she wasn't in a battle-crazed rage about killing him. He was trying to talk to her, make some sense of what happened with her. Xena was not a happy camper. She was going to "Get that Cupid and see to it personally that all his arrows are broken in front of me."
Not a chance, baby. Cupid grinned. Now….for the moment he’d been waiting for! He rubbed his hands in glee. Herc and Xena didn’t know he was there. They were otherwise occupied. .

Livia had gone off to do some fishing. She sat on a rock by the stream, thinking abuot all that had transpired. Alti was dead...well she'd always been rather annoying. At least there was one person not trying to plan Livia's life.
"One is replaced by another," said a voice behind her.
"What..." Livia whirled around. "HEY!" Something came flying at her. Without thinking, she caught it before it could make an impact and do her harm.
Cupid grinned mischievously. "Happy Birthday, Livia."
"It's not my birthday--what is this?" Livia looked at the object in her hand.
Hmmmm, she thought. Of all the--
"I don't trust you," she told Cupid. "Why are you giving me this? This piece of the chakram?"
Cupid only laughed uproarously. "Ain't Karma a bitch?" He walked up to her, put a hand on her shoulder. She recoiled at his touch but looked unflinchingly into his eyes.
“This is a very special piece of the Chakram,” he said to her. “You will have control over Xena—but more to the point—those who have the other pieces of this Chakram—have to do YOUR bidding.”
“You’re putting me on,” she snarled. “Don’t fool with me, Cupid. Nobody fools with me, you know.”
“Nope. It’s all real, Livia,” Cupid said. “You get to control Xena, AND the three others. Do whatever you like with them.”
Livia laughed uproariously. Cupid remained serious.
“You helped make it possible for the gods to get their brain scrambled,” he told her. “Got your revenge on the gods….and you dind’t even know there was a time we all wanted you DEAD.”
“You’re psychotic,” Livia snarled. “Be off with you. I don’t want this—“ she thrust the chakram piece back at him. But it stuck to her hand. “Huh? TAKE THIS BACK!”
“Sorry, babe,” Cupid giggled. “The spell is set in motion. And—you know what THAT means, don’t you?”
He winked, slowly. Livia understood, feeling his control over her.
“No,” she snarled. “I will not go along with this, I WON’T!”
“No choice, babes,” Cupid said. “I told you, Livia—Karma is a bitch. You may not have actually KILLED Jeremaiah but you helped unleash an evil on Olympus…and as a result—well—this is not the same Cupid.” He chortled maniacly, his eyes big and wide and rather unstable. Livia actually took a step back from him. Crazy psychotic mortals were one thing. But psychotic gods…this was going to be a problem.
“You will wait until the appropriate time—and I will come to you,” Cupid said darkly. “When Xena has killed all she loves…that will be the sign. The four of you will do your work on her.” He grinned. “Have fun sugar!”
Before Livia could say anything more—Cupid whooshed away.
He had made his decision. Bella would have nothing to do with this. Cupid had other uses for her. However….
Tara walked out of the Earth temple he’d put her in, her hair all white, looking rather confused and disshevelled.
“Tara,” he said to her. “how are you feeling?”
“I don’t know—I mean—where’s the music?” she began to move, rather clumsily at that. She had once been a fabulous dancer…but her affiliation with Dahok, and his death, had taken away her coordination.
“Never mind. I have a better task for you than dancing,” Cupid said, taking her by the hand. He placed the piece of the chakram in her hand. Tara gasped as the power entered her…and she was bound to Cupid.
She looked up into his face, her mind fully restored.
“I get to tell Xena what to do, huh?” she smiled. “Not too shabby.”
“And you will do whatever Livia says as well,” Cupid said.
“Ohhhhh! Not the bitch of Rome!” Tara whined.
“Yes,” Cupid said firmly. “Sorry, Tara. This is how it must be. Your son is loose on the world. I don’t mind telling you—he will be dealt with. By ME.”
Tara looked at him, fear on her face.
“No,” she said softly. “Not Jeremaiah—please.”
“Remember his name now, do you?” Cupid grinned. “Good on you.”
“Look, I was never a goody twoshoes all right?” Tara snapped. “I tried to turn it around, and it just didn’t work for me all right? Can’t help it!”
“No, but it’s going to work for you now!” Cupid snarled. “Now. Get back in there. I’ll be back for you—when it’s time.”
Tara started to resist, but the power was too strong. She sighed—and turned and walked back into the temple.
Cupid smiled to himself. The task was completed. It wouldn’t be long now.
WHOOSH!
Apollo stood, his face contorted in fury. All around him, there were gods. Zeus and Hera. Dite’s Afro, crying. Discord, looking disgruntled but somehow satisfied. Psyche, looking sad, and very hurt. This broke Cupid’s heart. He went to her to take her in his arms, but Apollo put out his hand to stop him. Cupid froze in place.
“I wanted your wings clipped and your arrows broken and your power removed,” Apollo snarled. “But your mother here was upset…so we came up with a compromise.”
“Oh, Cupid, why can’t you behave?” Dite’s Afro wailed. “If you had only LISTENED to me—this wouldn’t be happening to you!”
“I don’t understand, what is happening to me?” Cupid demanded.
Apollo turned to Zeus, a smug look on his face. Zeus cleared his throat and glared at Cupid.
“As of this moment, your marriage to Psyche is null and void,” he said darkly.
“You can’t do that!” Cupid shouted as Psyche began to cry.
“Either that or lose your power. Take your pick,” Zeus smiled.
Cupid sighed. He would miss Psyche, but perhaps they could still get together for some rendevous—they dind’t have to be married to do that, did they?
“All right,” he relented.
“And,” Zeus said, “you will be married again. And don’t even THINK about having any extra liaisons, Cupid. You will live a monogamous life.”
“Monogomous?” Cupid stared at him. “Grandad with all due respect—I can’t believe someone like you would—“
“It’s NOT my idea you idiot,” Zeus snapped. “It’s Hera’s.”
“Figures,” Cupid said ruefully as Hera looked him up and down. “All right then. I’ll get Bella to be my wife. And—“
“Did we say you have a choice?” Hera said coolly. At that point Dite’s Afro burst into fresh sobs.
Cupid’s blood ran cold. Discord started to laugh. Psyche suddenly turned to her—and set of a couple of good zaps—which Discord deflected. The zaps hit Psyche—and knocked her down. She lay completely still.
“Oops,” Discord said giggling. “Umm, didn’t you say you took away her immortality as well?” she asked Zeus.
“No,” Cupid said, feeling himself go weak at the knees. “No. Psyche—“ he went to her and knelt by her side. She couldn’t be dead. Could she?
“Cupid,” Apollo said smugly, as Dite’s Afro, unable to bear it anymore, ran out of the room, “Meet your new wife.”
Discord knelt down beside him, grinning broadly.
“I believe someone once said this to you,” she said, “But ain’t love a BITCH?”
“NOOOOOOOOOOO!”


Several boxes of chocolate later, Dite’s Afro felt somewhat normal. She was disappointed in Cupid but she would get over that. He certainly had a good enough punishment. Although if it were her, she would have opted for him losing his powers.
Discord, his wife? As if, she wanted to say, but couldn’t. It had been decreed. There was nothing else she could do for him.
She went to his temple. He had all but desecrated the tomb with fire and lightning bolts. Zeus had been highly annoyed, but managed to fix it in no time at all.
Cupid sat on his favorite armchair, guzzling rum and weeping up a storm. His eyes were rather buggy. He was not at all well.
Discord sat watching him, enjoying his turmoil. She’d have her wicked way with him later, but for now….it was fun to watch him in…discord.
Angrily, Dite’s Afro sent a charm over to her. Suddenly without knowing what hit her, Discord began to sing.
“Sunshine on my shoulders looks so lovely….” She broke off, glaring at Dite’s Afro. She had a lovely voice so it wasn’t unpleasant to listen to. When she finished the song, however, she stormed over to Dite’s Afro.
“What was that all about?”
“Oh a little unremovable lurve charmy warmy—just because—I can,” Dite’s Afro grinned. “You have to be married to Cupid, but you also have to treat him well. I may not be very proud of him right now, but it’s bad enough he has to look at your ugly face every morning…AND refrain from those he likes. Sooooooo…” she grinned.
“I will not be a good wife,” snarled Discord.
“Oh, yes you will,” smiled Dite’s Afro. “You will NOT nag him, you will not be difficult…and you will help him with whatever he wants to do.”
“NO!”
“Yeeees,” Dite’s Afro said, mocking her anger. “Did you really think you could pull your little tricks on me and get away with it? AS IF!” she chortled…and whooshed away, leaving Discord with her mouth hanging open.

"Stop breaking my urns awready!" dite's afro shouted at Livia. It was a small outdoor, patio-like temple of dite. "Whaddaya want with me, toots?"


"The only thing I hate worse than getting the attention of a god is being told what to do by one", Livia replied, showing dite the palm that contained the chakram piece. "What can release this from me?"


dite sighed, "Your death. The death of Cupid or Cupie changing his mind about this spell. No, if he lost his powers or his immortality, it would still remain on you. I can't get the thingie off with any powers I have."


"But you have powers that could lead to a situation that could make your son change his mind, correct?"


"Yeah but he's so obssessed with revenge. What can change his wittle mind?"


Grinning, Livia looked at dite and then at the road that lead to Xena. "You leave that up to me."


...

dite wasn't too fond of the plan. Putting the spell around Livia that kept her unseen to both Xena and Cupid was easy enough, as was rounding up as many of Cupid's arrows that she count find. After her son's antics had forced Alti to fall in love with her, dite had "accidentally" broke many of them. She had also kept a handful under lock and key. These arrows she brought with her to her next visit with Livia, along with the surprise Livia had asked for.

dite wanted nothing to do with the chakram- assembled or in four parts. Wouldn't it all be for the best if the weapon that controlled Xena ended up with Livia? They were on the same said now, weren't they?

"Very good. You brought the arrows and- it. Now, you know the rest of my plan. Be off!"

dite wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Don't order me around you mortal hussy! I dunno if I can go through with this plan, it just reeks of seriousness."

Livia paced a half circle around dite, much the same way she would do to Roman soliders who didn't meet up to her expectations. Only here, running dite through with her sword would do no good. "Think of your old dead friend Gabrielle. Isn't this plan for the 'greater good'? Aren't the alternatives worse for your dear son?"

The goddess' reply was a whoosh which took her to the camp of the Soverign and Hope.
...
"Any bright ideas...yet?" Hope inquired of the Soverign. "Nope, I am still thinking and if you would be so kind as shut up and keep your trap shut then maybe I can come up with something," came the reply to Hope.

The two were uneasy allies and now were more bound to stick togather thanks to that brat Cupid. They each sat on a log opposite one another with a campfire between them. "If only my father were alive. Maybe we could find Bella and persuade her to help us. If she could remove the chakram pieces, we'd have half of it rejoined. Think of wha- of what-what is that?"

Hope pointed to a shiney gold object wedged in-between some rocks at the edge of their camp. The Soverign stood and approached it, as did Hope. He was obviously fascinated, "I don't recall it being here before." Then to Hope- "A golden apple!" And Hope to him- "Let me see! I want it. It's beautiful."

dite watched from near-by as the two fawned over her legendary golden apple, also known as "the apple of discordance". The two villians pawed at the apple, never letting it out of their sight. Trying civilly at first to decide who would get to hold it and for how long. Then arguing about ownership. The Soverign decreed, "I found the camp. I am the leader here. Therefore it is mine." To which Hope snarled, "Bullshoot! I saw it first. It is obviously a gift to the legacy of Dahok and I am his rightful hei-" Oh that was met with, "Arrogant bitch! It's a present intended for the Soverign who will use it to return to his thron-". This was cut down with a shout of, "Loser jerk! What would you do with this majestic golden treasure? See how it matches my beauty. It had to have been created for me."

While the golden apple enamored the twosome with each passing second, dite whoosed to the scene some choice weapons. As the bickering turned to pushing and shoving, and then to fighting, neither Hope nor the Soverign questioned how the weapons had appeared on the scene. They were each intent on killing the other. The knives and swords had been forged by Hephaistos and "borrowed" from his inventory. Hope somersauted behind the Soverign and thrust a sword through his back. In his last dying moments, the Soverign turned to Hope, looked at the blade protuding from his chest and the glare of smary superiority on her face. The high volume of his scream surprised Hope but what shocked her more was when he fell against her, the sword entering her stomach as he grabbed the sword handle on his back and pushed it further into Hope.

dite covered her eyes as she neared the dead duo and swiped the bloody chakram pieces that had fallen to the ground. She picked up the golden apple, wiping the blood off on some leaves. "Mortal cooties, so sick"

...
"Excellent. Three of the four pieces are mine. The Soverign and Hope can no longer pose a threat." Looking at a depressed dite, she added, "Nor can they harm any innocent people. Now for Cupid."

dite whined, "This part of the plan can backfire and harm- kill- innocent people."

"Look. I agreed that we would not kill Tara. I know you would not allow that. Why, I don't know, as she's no innocent. Not a murdereress like Hope but not one of those peace and love types that you protect." Livia saw the look of agreement on dite's face. Damn, now I can read these idiot gods just like mother. "Besides, you said it yourself. Cupid needs to be taught a lesson. 'He won't let harm come to those he loves', your own words.."

"Yada yada yada, thanks for quoting me back to myself to make me hurt even more."

...
dite whooshed to Cupid's pad. The boy was seated in his favorite love-chair, staring at Discord who sat asleep in the opposite seat. He had one hand over his mouth, head rocking back and forth, dite knew this was his means of thinking how to get in or out of trouble.

"Cupie, come here." Mom was serious, Cupie immediately noticed. Not good. At all. For me.

Cupid opened his mouth to speak and dite quickly covered it with her hand. "No. You listen without interrupting me. Livia has three of the four chakram pieces as Hope and the Sovie are dead." Cupid's eyes went ablaze. "Now, Livia won't kill Tara. She promised me that much. But you know those friends of yours you've hung with since childhood who frequent the Olympian Tavern with you twice a week? And those babes you're very found of down at Athena's gym? Well, it so happens that they were all summoned to meet at a spot close to where Xena is camped. Cupie, Livia has a lot of your arrows. She plans to bring Xena to the where your friends are, and repeatedly shot her with your arrows. You know what that means? She'll KILL THEM ALL!" Cupid was fighting to speak against dite's hand. "No, you listen to me you spoiled brat. The only way Livia will end her plan is if you remove the final chakram piece from Tara and give it to her. You can either save your pals or be responsible for their deaths. It's your decision."

With a mighty migraine of seriousness pounding through her afro, dite whooshed away.

Sorry for being a party pooper.. *S*

The chakram pieces were created equal, if you want more power, you possess more pieces.

Sorry to be a stick in the mud, but it was the whole point of it breaking it 4. If one person has power, it wouldn't have broken at all..

Oh, Crap, thought Cupid as his mother whooshed away. Now what?
He sighed. I can't let them die, he thought. Not with my arrows. And NOT by Xena.
Dammit.
He looked over at Discord and wrinkled his nose in disgust. She'd found a way to break the "unremovable" love charm--typical. She'd been a right pain in the ass all day.
To Hades with it, thought Cupid. I need to think of a better solution....
WHOOSH!
"Umm--Grandad," Cupid said, surprised.
"Cupid, I just thought you'd like to know--I think you made a little snafu with Livia back there," Zeus said darkly. "Gave her false hope, you did."
"What?" Cupid frowned.
"Not to put too fine a point on it, but all those chakram pieces are created equal," Zeus said. "You can't give one person more power than the others, it doesn't work that way."
"Oh."
"Oh," Zeus said mockingly, mimicking his grandson's cluelessness. "Cupid, I really don't care what you do with the Chakram pieces at this point, but giving Livia those false ideas...she actually believes if she gets all the chakram pieces, somehow she will have more power!" He walked up to Cupid and glared at him. "We can't HAVE that now, can we?"
"No. We can't," Cupid said sheepishly.
"Well. You better fix it then," Zeus said fiercely. "By the way, I'm taking these bottles of rum with me. We need them for our hottub party." He caught Cupid's crestfallen glance and said impatiently, "I'm leaving you one, don't worry. But Cupid...whatever you do with the Chakram, you MUST take care of Jeremaiah. I can't have him mucking up Olympus again. That's your job. In a way--you owe us that." He snarled.
"Uhhh--right," Cupid said, thinking fondly of what it would be like to stick that chakram in Jeremaiah's head. Quickly that thought was replaced--by grief and the need to hold Jeremaiah close, and forgive him.
Zeus curled his lip, having read Cupid's mind. "THat's just the problem," he said. "That will obviously be a challenge for you--but tough, you'll have to sort it yourself. AS for Discord here--" he chuckled in amusement, and looked over at her, sleeping indolently in her chair. "I hear she tossed off the love spell."
"Grandad," Cupid said plaintively, "I know I fouled up, and I'm sorry. But--if I take out Jeremaiah--do you think--"
"Cupid," Zeus said darkly, lifting his hand which shimmered as lightning went around it, "don't push it."
Cupid swallowed, but was silent, as Zeus whooshed away.

Livia turned as Dite's Afro whooshed back to her.
"Well?" she demanded.
"All right, I told him," Dite's Afro grumbled. "But I don't know if--"
WHOOSH!
"That was quick," Livia said, snarling. "Have you got it?"
"Yes, yes," Cupid sighed.
"Good. Hand it over then."
Cupid smiled and handed over the chakram piece he'd taken back from Tara, who'd protested greatly until Cupid put a charm on her that sent her to sleep. As Livia took it, her whole body began to shimmer. Then, suddenly, all the pieces of the Chakram came back together. Livia held it and stared at it a moment. THen she turned slowly to Cupid, and glared.
"No."
"Yeeeees," Cupid drawled, amused by the incredulous look on her face. "The power is gone, Livia. The deal is off. You're free." Dite's Afro's jaw dropped as she watched her son. She had no idea what he was up to. In a word, she was clueless.
"I'll take that," Cupid grinned, reaching for the chakram.
"Ah--no you won't."
Someone reached their hand around Cupid's neck. Before anyone could say anything, Cupid suddenly felt all the breath knocked out of his body. He choked, put his hand to his throat, and felt himself whirled around by Xena's powerful grip. Cupid fell to the ground, still clutching his throat, choking uncontrollably. Xena stood over him, snarling.
"I've just cut off the flow of blood to your brain," Xena said. "You have thirty seconds to live. And don't even think about it!" she snarled at Dite's Afro. "This blondie OWES me."
"No argument from me," Dite's Afro said, feigning indifference as Cupid stared at her incredulously.
Well it serves you right, she said telepathically, although deep down she hoped that Cupid wouldn't be stupid, he would do whatever Xena wanted.
"Now. Take the spell off of me," Xena snarled. "TAKE IT OFF!"
Cupid glared at her, although it was getting harder and harder to breathe.
"Well?" Xena knelt down and put her face right up to him. "The seconds are ticking away."
Cupid put his hand on Xena's shoulder. There was a shimmer...and the spell was gone.
With the last of his strength, Cupid whooshed Iolaus from wherever he was hiding into where they all stood. Xena stood up...and looked at him.
"Iolaus, I--"
"Uhhh, XENA?" Dite's Afro cried, stamping her foot, frantically jerking her head toward the dying Cupid.
"Oh. Right," Xena, bored, bent over and undid the pinch from Cupid.
He stood up, coughing, and rubbed his neck. Xena chuckled a little at the stupid expression on his face.
"I'm a god," Cupid shouted. "You can't put the pinch on a god--can you?"
"Apparently," Xena shrugged. "I put the pinch on an archangel once. Why not a warped god who's losing his powers?"
"I am not losing my powers," Cupid growled.
"Oh?" Xena snatched the chakram from Livia and walked up to Cupid. As she did this, Livia turned and walked away, hearing some commotion in the trees.
"Let me give you an idea," she said. "All those funky things you've been doing lately. Putting power over people. What do you think, those are YOUR powers?"
"Last I checked," Cupid snarled.
"Oh. Well you'd like to THINK so. But they're not," Xena grinned. "You're being controlled, Cupid. Aren't you?"
Cupid thought a moment, frowning. Dite's Afro twirled her afro. THis was entirely too serious for her. She really wanted to give Cupid a good old fashioned spanking. Maybe later.
"Jeremaiah," Cupid said softly. "Maybe--"
"He's stealing your powers. Happens when you sleep with a Dahok spawn," Xena said, shrugging. "Don't you HATE when that happens?"
"I KNEW it," Dite's Afro snapped. "I TOLD you it was Jeremaiah, Cupid! I didn't have a good feeling about him right from the start you know--"
"Ah, but you still let him sleep with him didn't you," Xena sneered in her direction. "See--these Dahok seeds--they seem to always get the better of everyone. Gods of Olympus, even Alti."
"Well, it doesn't matter," Cupid cried, drawing himself up. "Because--I'm going to kill him." He gasped as he said that. "No," he said quickly. "I"m going to cure him. Wait! I--"
THWACK!
Cupid looked down at the arrow protruding from his chest--his own arrow. Looking up, he saw that Livia was smiling in the same way she'd smiled when she'd killed Jeremaiah. His bow was in her hands. SHe'd shot him with one of his own arrows.
"Oops," she said, then jerked her head behind her.
Hercules stormed over to them, with Jeremaiah struggling in his grip.
"Unhand me, you mortal!" Jeremaiah squealed.
"I'm a demigod, that's MR. Mortal to you," Hercules snarled. "Here, Cupid, here's your lover boy. Found him wandering around the forest. Guess he missed you."
Cupid and Jeremaiah's eyes met. Jeremaiah looked at the arrow protruding from Cupid's chest--and his face lost all color in the moonlight.
"It can't be," he said, sagging in disappointment.
Hatred, incredible hatred surged through Cupid's soul. He would have known this double-crossing Dahok spawn the moment he'd laid eyes on him. If he weren't blinded by--
"Love," he snarled. "Livia's right. It is a bitch."
Before anyone could move, Cupid snatched the chakram out of Xena's hand, still keeping his eye on Jeremaiah.
"This," he said, advancing toward Dahok's son, "is going to be better than ANY foreplay--"
"Oops," Jeremaiah giggled. With a flick of his hand, both he and Cupid disappeared.
Xena stared at the empty air, then sighed in exasperation.
"I really need a vacation," she growled.
"Same here," Hercules snarled. "NOW what? Dite? DITE?"
Dite's Afro was also gone.
"Great. THey're BOTH captured?" Hercules sighed. "He loses the plot and now we gotta rescue his sorry butt again."
"Not me," Xena snarled. "Let him die for all I care. ALL I want is the chakram."
"And all I want is my sister safe," Hercules said. "I wouldn't wish a son like Cupid on anybody. Well--who's with me?"
Zeus whooshed over to them.
"Leave it," he said darkly to Hercules. "Let Cupid sort his own mess out this time."
"Dite's Afro--"
"This is the test," Zeus said. "If Cupid proves worthy, he is restored to freedom from Discord. If not--he must lose his immortality and be cast amongst the beggers."
"What about Dite's Afro?" demanded Hercules.
"Jeremaiah is using her as bait," Zeus said. "It's up to Cupid to rescue her." He sighed, and glared at Livia. "Why'd you use the love/hate arrow?"
"What's it to you?" Livia demanded.
"Never mind, on your head be it," sighed Zeus. "But Hercules, you are not to interfere. Its' up to Cupid now. I'm out of here, I have a hottub party to host."
He whooshed away.
"What the HELL was that all about?" spat Xena. "What about my Chakram?"
Hercules turned to her, solemnly.
"I think I know what's going on."

Jeremaiah smiled as he led Cupid into the special chamber he'd planned for him all along.
"You see--it is just as I promised you," he said. "All along, just as we've planned."
Cupid was struck by the beauty of the chamber. The most incredible furniture he'd ever seen--a loveseat, a couch, a fireplace...two windowseats...and a hottub at the end of the room.
"Oh," he said softly, "it's beautiful."
Numbly, he remembered the agreement he'd made. Which he'd been made to forget so long ago, it seemed. Jeremaiah had shared with him what he was, and invited Cupid to come in with him and be a part of Dahok's plan for him. Cupid, overwhelmed by love, had agreed. Then, Jeremaiah had modified his memory.
"I knew you'd enjoy it," JEremaiah said--and ran his hand down Cupid's back.
Cupid recoiled at his touch and whirled around to face him. "Don't you touch me," he snarled.
"Ooo," Jeremaiah said, grinning. "That love/hate arrow is a trip, eh? Made you hate me, just like you said a second arrow would. But Cupid--I'm not stupid, I just pretended to be."
He exerted his power over Cupid. Cupid clung to the Chakram for strength. Slowly they battled it out with wills, each glaring at each other as they did so.
"I agreed to the plan when I loved you," Cupid snarled. "I don't love you anymore--so guess what?" He raised the Chakram. "Time to die, babes."
"No problem," Jeremaiah shrugged, still grinning. He flicked his wrist, and the armchair behind Cupid twirled around. Cupid turned--to see Dite's Afro, chained to the chair, looking extremely annoyed.
"Mom!" Cupid cried. He turned to Jeremaiah, who wore a look of utter hatred on his face.
"I owe her, you see," he snarled. "She killed my sister. That was not very nice."
Dite's Afro screamed incoherent words through the gag that bound her mouth, struggling against the chains with all her might--but the chains had power on them that she could not fight.
"So cute," JEremaiah said. "To see a goddess, looking so--helpless."
Cupid grabbed Jeremaiah and flung him up against a wall. Jeremaiah laughed hysterically.
"LET HER GO!" Cupid roared in his face.
"Sorry babes," Jeremaiah flicked his wrist again--and--
Cupid looked desperately at his mother. She looked into his eyes. Under Jeremaiah's spell, she held her son's gaze, with all her might.
"No," Cupid panicked. "No, Mom. Please..."
Dite's Afro's eyes held pure agony as she worked her spell on Cupid. He felt the energy flow through him...and slowly...
He turned to Jeremaiah. Love, more powerful than he had ever felt, rushed through him. He took Jeremaiah's face in his hands...and planted the most passionate kiss he had ever given him. He let Jeremaiah go...and savored the beauty that was him. Behind him, Dite's Afro sighed. This was not good.
"Now," Jeremaiah smiled, "Where were we?"
"Right here," Cupid said--and lifting the chakram high in the air, he brought it down with a single swoop--and buried it in Jeremaiah's head.
A cry of anguish filled the temple--it was Cupid's. Jeremaiah also screamed his agony, but the power of the chakram burned through him. It consumed him...and finally he sank into a pool of blood and died.
"NOOOOO!" Cupid fell to his knees. "No! Jeremaiah, no!" He cradled his head in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. His sobs radiated around the temple.
"What have I done? What have I done to you?"
"Ohhhh," whined a voice behind him.
Cupid looked up. Dite's Afro had shaken off the chains, free of Jeremaiah's spell now that he was dead.
"It was the love/hate arrow, Cupie," she said sadly. "It made you hate him--as well as love him."
"No," Cupid turned away, tears falling on Jeremaiah's body. "No."
"Haven't I warned you about getting carried away with those stupid arrows?" Dite's Afro said, exasperated. "You muck about with Xena, get yourself thwacked, fall in love with--THAT thing, ewwwww!" She recoiled, seeing Jeremaiah's corpse in Cupid's arms. "Then, because you're so blinded by love, you agree to this ICKY poo plan of his--" She sighed. Cupid looked so miserable. WHat was she going to do with him? She was furious at him, and yet--
"I've had enough of this seriousness for one lifetime," she snapped. With a flick of her wrist, she took away the spell of the arrow.
Cupid dropped the body of Jeremaiah, recoiled, and got to his feet. He put his hands up to his face, brought them away with tears on them, and cried out in disgust.
"Well it serves you right!" Dite's Afro snapped. "You insolent little brat! You never listen to me! And now--"
"I know, I know," Cupid shook off the last of his tears. "Look. There's something else I have to do. Can we talk about this later?"
"No, we'll talk about this RIGHT NOW! You insolent brat, meddling around and then you're going to plan our demise with THAT THING?"
"Not the gods' demise," Cupid said. "The Earth."
"Oh, what. That THING was gonna take over for Zeus? I don't think so. See, Cupie stoopsy, your problem is--well DUH! You're a bigger airhead than me sometimes! Like when you fell in love with Psyche and got jealous and turned into a green-eyed monster! I TRIED to warn you about that but nooooo! Then Hercules stuck up for you so I went soft--as usual--well no more!" She walked up to him and glared at him.
"Before you do anything, hear me out," Cupid said, not trusting the fed-up look in her eyes. "Please."
Dite's Afro sighed. "All right, what is it?"
"Jeremaiah wanted me to help him become a god," Cupid said, his memory fully restored. "He wanted to be the new God of War. And he wanted me to sweet-talk you into going along with it. Once you had agreed, well, you could use your--daughterly charm--to get Grandad to make it happen."
"AS IF!" DIte's Afro screamed, incredulous. "That thing wanted to take over all of Olympus! Did you REALLY believe that's all he wanted?"
"Well I KNOW that NOW!" Cupid snapped. "I DID not know it then! I thought all he wanted...."
"CUUUUUPID, you are so STOOOOPID!" Dite's Afro shook him in exasperation with her power. He struggled, but she continued to shake him.
"I SHOULD HAVE LET THEM REMOVE YOUR POWERS!" she shouted. "IF I HAD KNOWN YOU COULD BE SO BLINDED BY YOUR OWN LOVE POWERS..."
"All right! All right I'm sorry!" Cupid wailed. Finally, over her fury and miffed at herself that she was provoked as such, Dite's Afro let him go.
"Ohhh, I hate getting angry," She whined. "Your father used to get angry like that."
"I know," Cupid said. "But he actually used to cause me pain when he shook me. You don't, you just rattle me around a little."
"Ohhh," Dite's Afro walked up to him and put her arms around him. "Cupid, WHAT am I going to do wtih you? I can't keep getting you out of scrapes! I mean, this is icky, I even broke a nail when that putrid one chained me up!"
She was crying now. Cupid hated seeing her cry. He patted her shoulder, full of remorse for all the heartache he'd caused her.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I know I've been a disappointment to you. And I have the nerve to complain about Bliss!" He sighed. He hadn't seen his son since Discord had come to live with them. WHat was he up to now, he wondered?
"Speaking of Bliss," Dite's Afro said, pulling away and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, "you need to watch him. He's not happy about the whole--you know what situation."
"Psyche."
"Cupid, don't you cry now, you'll make me start again. I HATE being serious!" she whined. "Anyway, the good news is, now that you got rid of that thing, you can have your freedom back. I'll even personally remove Discord as your wife!"
Cupid stared at her. "Are you serious?"
"Well, it took some doing," said Dite's Afro, "but I managed to talk Zeus and Hera around, as well as Apollo."
"YES!" Cupid threw his arms around her. "FREEDOM! At LAST!"
"I think not."
They both turned around.
Bella walked toward Cupid. He looked at her, questioningly, but she continued to walk toward him. Then, without a word, she looked down at Jeremaiah's body.
"Exactly what I wanted," she said, looking up and smiling at Cupid. "My father thought he could shove me aside for him. Well--I outsmarted him. I have Minya's blood as well, you know."
She smiled. "I make my own decisions," she continued. "All along--i always have. I'm my own person. I'm NOT anyone else's pawn!"
As she continued to smile, both Cupid and Dite's Afro felt intense power flow over them. Suddenly, they wanted more than anything else...to serve Bella, and what she wanted.
"There," she said. "That is MUCH better. Now," she smiled, "Hand it over."
Numbly, Cupid gave her the chakram.
"Good," Bella said. "All will be in place now. Here!" She separated the chakram, and gave a piece first to Cupid, then to Dite's Afro.
"As soon as Xena kills everyone she loves," Bella smiled, "she will do whateeeeever you two want of her. And me of course. And Tara."
Tara stepped out of the shadows. Bella tossed her the remaining piece of the Chakram...and Tara caught it, smiling.
"Wait a moment--Xena loves ME!" Dite's Afro cried indignantly. "I think...." she twirled her hair, confused and feeling a bit insecure.
"Not as much as she loves Hercules," giggled Bella. "Believe me, Cupid. I've wanted this ever since I was born. Now that we're all together...WE will control Xena's soul."
"Bella," Cupid cried, "Why are you doing this? What has Xena done to you?"
"Planned my demise from the moment she learned who I was," Bella snarled. "She wasn't very nice to my mother either. She's unstable. She will get in the way of my plans for the world. Can't have that."
"What are your plans for the world?" demanded Cupid.
"Rule, of course," Bella shrugged. "My father couldn't crack it. Didn't have the stomach I guess. Well--takes certain BLOOD to do that, doesn't it?" SHe chuckled, looking over at Dite's Afro. THe Goddess of Love sighed inwardly. SHe looked so much like Mins--but all this icky evil! It was too much. SHe wished she had some chocolate.
"She paid me a visit just now. Xena that is," Bella went on. "She couldn't meddle with Jeremaiah but she could take care of ONE Dahok spawn." SHe grinned. Only THIS Dahok spawn learned from CUPID."
Cupid hung his head, wishing he could sink into the floor.
"I cast the same spell upon her you did--but I didn't need the chakram, my powers are my own," Bella grinned. "She's now planning the demise of everyone she loves...ending with her little babe, who she plans to crucify...and break her legs!" Bella laughed maniacly. Cupid recoiled, wondering how in Hades he was going to get out of this.
"OH! By the way," Bella grinned, "No one will punish you for your mistake with me, Cupid. Even after my death...." She flicked her wrist. Power covered Cupid and went inside of him.
"There. You're immune. Not even the Gods can remove your powers or do anything to your immortality--or anything else about you."
"Thanks," Cupid said, grimacing, "I THINK."
"You were an excellent lover, Cupid," Bella said, winking at him. "Taught me many skills. I will always be grateful to you. But now..." She smiled, stretched, and walked around the temple, "it's time to put this plan into action. After all," she grinned and turned to them, "Minya would have wanted SOME part of her to be remembered...for glory! And speaking of," she giggled, "I have a special present for Zeus when this is all over." She giggled maniacly again...and without a word, whooshed them back to Cupid's temple.

"What th--" Dite's Afro shook herself off. "Huh? WHat just happened? One minute we were having a serious weepy blah moment, then--"
"I thought you whooshed us home!" Cupid said incredulously.
"I thought YOU did!" Dite's Afro stared at him.
"Well, SOMEONE did," Cupid said, storming into his temple. Discord was nowhere to be seen, but Bliss stood there, grinning.
"Bliss," Cupid growled, "What are you up to? Did YOU whoosh us back?"
His son chuckled. "Of course, Dad! Just having fun."
"Damn you, Bliss, you're too old for a spanking but ONE of these days...." Cupid sighed. "Never mind. Mom--I could use a drink. Could you?"
"Turn down rum after that? As IF," Dite's Afro sighed. "Cupes, you got any chocolate?"
"But of course!" Cupid flicked his wrist, and a box of Aphrodite chocolates appeared in his hands.
"You! You whooshed that from my supply, you brat!" Dite's Afro snapped.
Cupid chuckled, and ran into the kitchen, waving the box of chocolates as he did. Dite's Afro ran after him, threatening to box his ears. Mischievous brat!

The pieces of the chakram were now on pendants around both their necks. Bella had fashioned pendants, and placed them around their necks, inside their clothes. They did not even feel them...but they would when they went to bed. But they would have no idea what it was until Bella was ready for them again.

The gods had no idea of what had happened with Bella. Such was Bella's power and plan. All they knew was that Cupid had taken down Jeremaiah. THey thought it was all over. Blithely, Zeus and Hera frolicked in the hot tup, sure that Cupid would do the right thing...and return the chakram to them when he was ready. After all...they deserved it, not Xena. It was far too powerful for the likes of a mere mortal.

Only one was aware of what Bella had done.

A very angry, and confused warrior princess.

The problem was convincing everyone she loved...even as she planned for their slow painful deaths.

Xena snarled up at the sky. "Dahok," she said, "you may be dead, but you did one thing right. Finally pick the right mother for your spawn. Someone independent, but capable of fooling people. Into thinking she was STUPID!"

She screamed a battle cry, and threw her dagger at a tree. It imbedded there.
*********************************************

"Ignorance is bliss," Bliss grinned, watching as Livia, headed for the place where Cupid's friends waited, stumbled on a stone he put there.
She didn't fall, but she loosened her hold on the arrows she held.
WHOOSH!
"What th--" Furious, she turned around. If that was Cupid...
Bliss grinned at her. "Thanks," he said, waving the arrows he'd whooshed from her, winking. "Gotta fly!"
"You come back here, you--" Livia rushed him but he whooshed away. "Damn gods," Livia snarled. "To hell with it, I still have my own plan. At least I'm free of that stupid chakram piece!" She looked over at those poor vexed souls.
"I wasn't going to kill them anyway," she thought. "but these arrows hold more power than just making people fall in love if you use them right!"

Meanwhile, lurking in the shadows, Bliss watched her, as someone walked toward her. It was none other than Iolaus, wondering what she was up to.

Rubbing his hands in glee, Bliss hocked one of the arrows into the bow.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Cupid,

Hera looked down upon the earth, wondering what those mortals were up to now. Usually they bored her, but the new chakram was proving an interesting diversion.

Zeus entered the room, and sat by her. 'What are they up to now?' he asked.

'They seem confused. For some reason the fools are convinced that Xena will kill everyone she loves if four people hold pieces of the chakram. They haven't figured out that Xena only went after Iolaus because Cupid through a piece of the new chakram around his head.'

'That would mean that they didn't realise he was going to the same to all of Xena's friends and family.' Zeus rolled his eyes. 'These mortals take everything literally.'

'It is funny, though. Now they've made the chakram into necklaces. I wonder how heavy that would be? Do you think a piece would make a fetching ring for me?' Hera stretched out her hand, which Zeus took and kissed.

'You are the soul of wit, my dear. However, I think a Black Opal would be more fitting for your divine fingers, don't you?'

'As usual, you know exactly the right thing to say.'

Two things happened to dite's afro that morning that she had never expierenced before. The first was the long deep gash on the side of her right leg. The weird dreams & unexplained migranes she had been having lately were one thing, scars were another. It should have been impossible but the bloody wound was as obvious as the afro on her head. "OOOoh I'm an ICKenstein monster OOOoh!" But how did the cut get there? she pondered as she did her best to treat it and cover it.


The second strange thing that occured was when dite whooshed over to Demeter's place for something to keep the wound from getting infected. Demeter kept such medical aids for visiting mortals. Was dite turning mortal? "Gag me with a mortal spoon I'd sooner die...which I just may..duh!". It was during the whoosh that something bright caught dite's eye and threw her off balance. What could be stuck between the whoosh and the whooshed place? All dite knew was that it threw her whoosh balance off and she fell Hard. Sprained her bloody leg. dite screamed, "AAAaaaahhhhh sheeeeeeEEEEEEttT!"


She thought "Oh what's happening to me?" and worried that perhaps Dahokian Cara had put a spell on her before dying or that she'd unknowingly caught some disease from something grimey in Hephaistos' metal shop. But first she must fix whatever was wrong with her whoosh. A whoosh gone awry could be a dangerous thing. Aether, god of light, was also the supervisor of the Whoosh Department (WD). The WD was only a street over from where dite lived, normally she'd walk the short distance but the sprained leg made that out of the question. What would the neighbors say if they say her limping about? dite figured it'd be okay to do a short, safe whoosh to the WD.

It was the last time she would ever whoosh away from her home.

...

Somewhere in mid-whoosh to see Aether, dite came to an abrupt halt, which only intensified the pain of her now swollen leg. She was not somewhere in Olympus between her home and where Aether worked. No, her physical form was stuck inside the whoosh itself- in a whooshland-limbo. It was still there after she repeatedly tried to zap herself out of the mid-whoosh, which made her whine for help. The light she had seen earlier in another whoosh was now in view and very close. Maybe the light has something to do with Aether, dite considered, and off she wobbled in it's direction.

...

The next thing she knew, dite was lying across a thick warm blanket atop a plush golden rug. As she began to pull herself up to sit, the pain of her aching leg still burning within her, she was greeted by the face of a woman who she thought might have come from the land of Chin.

"Good. You're awake. We will talk and I will attend to your wounds," the lovely woman spoke. "My name is Lao Ma."

...

"W-why did you bring me here? You best let me go soon. I-I have friends who are expecting me, if I'm not back soon they'll come here looking for me, and you'll be sorry!" squeaked out a frightened, lying dite. Plus she was certain that the woman who faced her was already long dead.

Lao Ma smiled, laughed at this. "You called for help not long ago. I heard and brought you here." As she applied pressure points to dite's sprained leg, she continued, "No one knows you're here, dite's afro. More than likely, when they do look for you, they will believe that you are working on one of your other projects. What is it- music in Africa, fireflies somewhere else? You are known for disappearing for days at a time. Sorry, I didn't mean that pressure point to cause you pain. No dite, you aren't going anywhere for a few days. If I'm correct, you can't even do your-what is it you've named it- your whooshing ability?"

dite pushed herself away from Lao Ma and tried to whoosh but couldn't. She tried and tried but she remained flat on her rear. There were no golden floaty thingies flowing from her fingers to put a spell on her host. Her powers were either gone or non-existant in this odd world. Her face was now in the whine mode.

Lao Ma had taken the pain from her sprained limb though she hadn't healed it completely. The gash still remained. She stood with her back to the deity. "No point whining. I will not harm you. The only weapon I possess is compassion. Compassion is the best defense and helps you establish harmony, something you're sorely lacking, dite, harmony."

"Wha? Moi? I gotta lotta harmony. Gotta love a good beat and melody!"

"You lack inner calm, dite, and you don't believe in yourself or what you do. That is why you, an immortal, have these scars and why your mind and heart is afflicted with migranes and dreams that tear at reality. This is a manifestation of you punishing you. You are willing yourself physical and emotional pain. Unless you change, unless you learn to stop willing, stop desiring and start to transcend the limitations you have set upon yourself, then you will die, dite."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE d-d-d-d--die-EEEEEEEEEEEE!"

...

An hour or so passed. They were drinking tea in a brightly colored room adjacent to the one in which dite had first awoke. dite did not trust this woman of Chin yet. But she was stuck there for the time being. The woman did listen intently to everything she had to say, which was a strange sensation for the goddess who was used to people laughing and smirking at most everything she told them. Now that someone was paying attention, dite was rambling. And rambling.

"...yeah I thought I'd try being evil or naughty, that didn't work out cause..." then "...I hated being used as a warrior goddess super hero thingie. I don't understand mortal motivation when it's not for love or something non-meanie..." which begat "...silly stupid mortals cutting each others head off or trying to control somebody's soul pppffft!..." this turned into "...me who started the love & peace brigade cause stupid Xena is off on a scavenger hunt or somethin'..." led to this "..I danced with Livia who blah blah blah then I gathered these weapons blah blah blah killed Soverign and Hope yeah they're bad but still no dancing feel guilty blah blah blah stupid son Cupid needs his powers removed blah blah blah"- well, how nice of Lao Ma to remain collect and interested through it all.

"About this chain with a chakram piece on it over your neck." she inquired of dite, who had felt the piece in her sleep and quickly forgot about it. "I believe it must have been Bella who placed it on you. Well, it certainly isn't welcome here." And the pendant suddenly vanished.

"But that thingie has powers of some kind. Affects Xena somehow. I dunno how, it's hard metal of some kind, seems it morphs into something different every five minutes i dun know and i dun care there's no instructions on it and nobody explains these things to me in simple plain talk, sorry i'm ramblin'. Where did you send it to? Don't you care if it gets in the wrong hands?"

Her hostess shrugged, "The gentlest thing in the world overcomes the hardest thing in the world. Xena has the means to overcome anything that seeks to control her. She has to focus and will it to happen. Let the pendant fall into the hands of her foe. It will only increase her means to contain it for her own. To reduce someone's force, first increase it." Noticing that dite was lost back after the word 'gentlest', she turned her head slightly, peering far away, "The chain with the chakram piece now hangs on a branch near Xena's campsite. The sun is reflecting brightly off the chain. Someone will find it. Now, let us have our lunch outside."

...

After lunch, dite fet better. Staring now and then at Lao Ma. "I heard about you through my friend Gabrielle. She told me about you & Xena & Borias & your son, Ming Tien. Don't mean to be mean but how do you expect me to do what you want when your own son ended up killing you?"

"First, just because we give birth to them doesn't mean we own them. You should know that. Your own son Cupid has put your life in danger. Do you love him any less? No, nor did I with mine. Nor did it mean that I didn't realize that one day, perhaps, my son might have to pay a debt for what he would do. I accept that and it made me whole, even in death.. Ming tried to change his world according to his desire. That is not the way of the world and he could never succeed.

Second of all, dite, it's not about what you think I expect of you. You have been thrown from your path, your way. This is why you hurt and called for help You wouldn't be here otherwise. It's up to you to stop what is killing you."

dite had approximately six thousand questions for the woman she now considered less menacing when she was sure she heard voices somewhere close-by.

Her new friend stood and smiled, "I see you've heard the children. Let's pay them a visit."

...

dite & Lao Ma stood upon a lush green hill overlooking a very wide, also very green meadow on the edge of a deep forest. dite turned to the lady from Chin. "I meant to ask, how did you get here and where is here?"

"I have sponsors. Those who wish to be anyonomous about their giving and the size of their heart. As for this place," she looked about, surveying the beauty of the land, "It's home."

As the two walked down the hill, the children came into view. Laughing and playing games. They didn't appear to be held here against their will, dite noticed. "Where'd they come from? They dead, too?"

Lao Ma smiled and replied, "They're quite alive. These children- and some of them are young adults- are here for the same reason you are, dite. They were unhappy, confused, seeking an answer and headed on a path of self-destruction. They weren't in danger or in harm's way. Like yourself, I don't interfere as reformed Xena would."

Then she added, "Once these youngsters have healed and found their path, they are returned to earth. Always there are more arriving." Noticing dite's glee in watching the young ones play, she thought, 'one more child arrived today as well.'

Lao Ma & dite spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening talking to the children in the meadow. dite was so absorbed in this that she hadn't noticed that her leg had healed and no sign that the scar had ever been there.

However, that night, as she tossed and turned in her sleep, the gash on her leg returned and she felt more pain throughout her body than she had in her entire lifetime. Yet for all the hurt and suffering, she was glad she there in Lao Ma's world. Not a bit worried that she couldn't whoosh away or that her powers seemed to have temporarily abandonded her. It was this feeling of acceptance of the situation that helped her make it through the night.
...

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"What do you want?" asked Livia.

"You know," said Iolaus conversationally as he stood near the empress. "Xena had this really nifty trick she used to do. She used to catch arrows in mid-flight before they reached their target."

He heard two zings and saw a flash of movement from Livia.

"Like that?" she smirked and snapped two arrows between her fingers.

Iolaus grinned, "yeah, now if you'll let me give you a hand..."

He grabbed Livia's hand and the two spun. Iolaus acted as an anchor and Livia spun into the air landing on right on top of a voyeur in the bush. Livia punched the winged boy on the side of the head and was pleased with the way his eyes rolled in his head. Iolaus came over and picked up the bow and arrows that had been knocked away.

"Oh why don't the gods practice a reliable form of birth control?" Livia asked the world at large.

"Hell if I know," came a familar voice and Xena appeared from behind a tree. "Perhaps it's time to sterilize 'em."

She glanced briefly at Bliss then at Livia. "Nice work, kid."

"Should we destroy his arrows?" asked Iolaus.

"No," answered Xena. "We're going to use them to put this little monster out of commission for a century or two."

Grabbing the arrows from Iolaus she bent down and grabbed Bliss with one hand, picking up and slamming his body against a tree. Grabbing an arrow she thrust it through one shoulder deep into the tree. She repeated the process with the other shoulder and then used the remaining arrows to securely pin the annoying prat driving five more arrows through his torso.

Iolaus shuffled his feet uncomfortably, "Uh...don't you think you're being a bit harsh?"

"He's immortal. It won't kill him--hell, it doesn't even really hurt him-- much, but it may teach him the consequences of interfering overmuch with the lives of mortals."

Xena grabbed Bliss' chin and gazed unwaveringly into his eyes. "Listen closely, I represent all mortals. We are tired of you and your kind playing games with us. Each arrow that is stuck in you will stay in you forever. Until the sun burns out or I get it in my head to just kill you and be done with it. You may break off the shaft, but they are always inside you.

"The first arrow is Love. You love me. The second arrow is Hate. You hate me. The third arrow is Pain. You shall now know what it is to suffer as mortals do. The fourth arrow Empathy. You can now try to understand me and you can never forget that I have a reason to do what I've done."

"What's the fifth arrow?" Iolaus was feeling a horrified fascination.

"The fifth arrow is Rage. The sixth is Forgiveness," continued Xena. Her eyes never wavered as they held Bliss's.

"What's the last arrow?" the young god rasped.

Xena allowed a ghost of a smile to flit across her face. "That's the one arrow that requires the most time and it's the arrow that will keep you pinned to that tree until you are truly ready to be free and become a god that is actually of use to the world. Wisdom."

Xena dropped his chin and turned on her heel. She gestured to Iolaus and Livia to join her and began to walk away. Before the trio disappeared from sight, Xena turned and said one last thing.

"Welcome to my world, Bliss. I love and I hate. I feel rage and yet I forgive. I feel pain, but I have empathy for others--even for you. Now it's time to find out if you've got what it takes to be as much as we are."

Bliss stared silently at the spot where the trio disappeared for a long time. He remained that way for some number of years until a random wayfarer stumbled into his grove and asked if he knew what the whip-or-will was saying. But that's another tale...

********

"Okay, you guys with me so far?"

Iolaus looked bemused and Livia shook her head slowly.

"And just how," she asked darkly, "Did you get this information?"

"Hell, if I know," snarled Xena. "Bella has a bad habit of projecting. She thinks she's clever, but she's just not very thorough. Looks like she inherited Minya's propensity to run at the mouth."

"Well, that's not unbelievable," admitted Livia.

"So, off we go to the four corners of the chakram," said Iolaus.

"Yippee," said Livia unenthusiastically. "I hope you know that once this over, you are not invited over for the Saturnalia."

*************

The trio dispersed and each headed off to her or his target. Iolaus went in search of Cupid, while Livia went in search of Bella and Tara.

Xena watched them depart then looked down at the scrap of parchment in her hand.

"The golden goose has your egg."

*******

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