Prologue

Ares walked up to the young girl and put his arm around her.

"Time to go now." he said softly

The child turned around, and looked at Xena and Gabrielle. What they saw
horrified them, for the look in her eyes was one of pure unmistakable evil. Her
lips turned up in a mocking smile and then she said,

"Goodbye Mother."

As Ares and the girl disappeared Callisto struggled to her feet. She stood there
ramrod straight, hands clenched at her sides. Her brow furrowed into a hateful
scowl and her long blonde hair whipping about her head in the strong breeze
that still sailed through the air. Then a look of raw, undeniable heartache came
upon her face.

"AARRREEEESSS!!!!!!"

Joxer came running toward Xena and Gabrielle. Out of breath he said "Gabby,
where did ya go?" The two women looked at him.

"Uh, did I miss something?"

Chapter One

Callisto stood there, frozen, unable to move, lost in her heartache. Looking
skyward, a single tear slowly slid from her large brown eyes and down her pale
cheek. Her demeanor, once so hard, cold and hateful now contained a new look,
the look of sorrow. Once again she had lost someone that she loved. Only this
time it had been at the hands of Ares. She took a deep breath and then let the air
out slowly. She turned around and faced Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer. For one
short moment that seemed like an eternity, her eyes linked with Gabrielle's, their
two souls locked in agony over a tiny life lost to the gods. The two shared each
other's thoughts of love discovered and lost. Then, without saying a spoken word,
Callisto turned and walked away. The three friends watched her dark form
slowly grow smaller and smaller in the distance until it was totally swallowed up
by the darkened forest.

"I've never seen her look like that." said Gabrielle a bit shaken.

"No. Neither have I" said Xena. "Something is very different about her. She's
changed somehow."

"Well, I sure don't trust that she devil! How can you two be so calm?" said Joxer.
"Jeez, Gabby, she stole your kid and now Ares has her and all you can say is
'I've never seen her look like that'?"

"Joxer, you twit, I'm still trying to understand what happened here." Gabrielle
was very annoyed. "I had a baby. She was stolen by Callisto and now she's been
turned into an evil goddes by Ares and taken away again! I didn't say I forgive
Callisto, I just said I never saw her like that before! Nothing that happened here
is the way that it should be!"

Finally, all of the emotion, all of the comprehension of what had taken place hit
Gabrielle. She sat down on a rock, wrapped her arms around her small thin
body and hugged herself, rocking back and forth sobbing. Xena knelt down
beside her good friend and gathered her up into her arms. Holding her tightly,
she tenderly stroked Gabrielle's hair.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Gabrielle, I promise you."

Ares and the young girl walked through the rising mists of the forest floor. The
god and the young goddess made a tender looking sight as they strolled through
the moonlight side by side. But it was anything but tender.

"What shall I call you?" the child asked with an edge of sarcasm to her voice.

"Ahh, little goddess, I supposed that for now, you may call me Uncle Ares." Ares
smiled in a evilly wicked manner.

"Uncle Ares? Are you my uncle?" responded the child, still feigning childlike
inncocence?

"In a manner of speaking.......yes. I am." Ares replied with a knowing look in his
eyes.

"What is my name, Uncle Ares?" Ares looked down into the two large green orbs.

"Hmmmm. I think I shall call you......Lileas." Ares smiled broadly at the little
girl. She smiled back looking up at him knowingly. Then he slipped his hand
into hers.

"Come Lileas. I shall teach you what it means to be a goddess."

Xena unhitched Argo from the tree where Joxer had left her. She then brought
her around to where Gabrielle stood, removed the stretcher and helped Gabrielle
up into the saddle.

"You still need to see that healer." she said. "You ride on Argo, and I'm gonna
do the walking this time. Give me your staff." Xena smiled at her poor attempt at
humor. Gabrielle also smiled. She loved Xena's dry wit and appreciated what the
warrior princess was trying to do.

"Mind if I tag along?" Joxer hurried over to the two women. In his haste he
tripped over a small grey stone which was jutting up from the earth.

"Ha ha ha ha!!" Gabrielle's eyes took on the merry look of someone who could
not keep themselves from laughing at someone else's misfortunate accident. "Haa
ha ha ha hee hee hee! Ohhh, Joxer, I'm so sorry!! Ahh ha haa haa! I just can't
stop laughing! Thanks! I really needed that!"

"Glad I'm good for something." grumbled Joxer. Then Xena seeing Joxer's
comically disgusted face bagan to laugh also.

"Hee hee heeee! Oh! C'mon, Joxer. You gotta admit. You're pretty funny
sometimes! Hah ha ha ha ha!" Xena said as she and Gabrielle both rocked with
laughter, wiping salty tears from their eyes.

Joxer, who had been quite insulted at first now became caught up in the laughter
too. "Ho ho ho ha ha ha! Joxer the mighty, he's so tidy...." he began to sing
merrily.

"Aw shut up!" cried Xena and Gabrielle in unison. Then the three friends began
to travel the road leading to Poteidaia all three singing Joxer's song. As they
departed, their jovial chortling was heard by a solitary figure who had been
silently observing the threesome from a short distance away. She waited until
they were a good distance down the road and then she emerged from the shadows
and stealthily began to follow them.

The three friends finally arrived in Poteidaia. Xena went to the tavern to get them
something to eat and to procure rooms for Joxer and herself for the night. In the
meantime, Joxer escorted Gabrielle to the house of Aristippus , a great
philosopher and healer. Joxer banged on the old, heavy wooden door. When
there was no answer after a while, he banged again, this time hitting the door so
hard that it shook under his fists. After a moment, the door opened slowly and a
very small, shriveled up old man emerged from behind it. He wore the white robe
of a healer and had a very long beard which almost reached his waist. He leaned
against a tall stick for support.

"Well, what do we have here?" the old healer tried to size up the young couple.

"Aristippus, don't you remember me?" Gabrielle came closer so that the old man
could see her better.

"Ah yes, little Gabrielle. I brought you into the world. How could I ever forget
that sweet, loving face. What can I do for you today?"

As they entered his house, Gabrielle told Aristippus the story of the birth of her
baby two days before and her subsequent battle with Callisto. Aristippus listened
quitely all the while shaking his head in disbelief. They entered his examination
room and he helped her up onto a long table covered with a white sheet. He
placed a pillow at the head of the table and Gabrielle laid down.

"You there!" he said to Joxer. "Are you her husband?"

"Uh, no I'm not." Joxer replied somewhat embarrassed.

"Shoo, then! Get out! Get out! This is a private examination! Not for your eyes!"
cried the old man excitedly.

"It's ok Joxer, I trust Aristippus completely. Thanks for bringing me here."
Gabrielle smiled at Joxer. Joxer still hesitated. "Look if it will make you feel any
better you can wait for me outside, ok?"

"Ok Gabby." said Joxer reluctantly. "But if he tries anything I'll........"

"Joxer...just leave!" Gabrielle cried loudly. Then her voice softened. "I'll be all
right, really."

"Ok Gabby. I'll be waiting outside for ya." Joxer gave Aristippus a threatening
look and then left the room closing the door behind him.

"Is he always that way?" asked Aristippus bewildered.

"Unfortunately.....yes." Gabrielle laughed. But her laughter began to cause her
pain and she grimaced while clutching her abdomen.

"All right, little one, let me see what's going on here now."

Xena entered the tavern and walked over to the proprieter. "I'll need some food
and two rooms for the night." she said. "I'll also need to stable my horse."

The owner nodded and walked into another room gathering together a basket of
food and drink. While Xena waited, she amusedly took in her surroundings. It
never ceased to amaze her how men could be so bold and boastful when they
were drunk. Here were told at least twenty different tales by twenty different men,
each one claiming to be the most important part of his story. One man told of
how another tried to steal his pig. He went on to say that he easily caught the thief
and as punishment chopped off the robber's hand as payment for his crime!! His
cronies nodded in agreement. On another side of Xena she overheard a man tell
of his conquest of a beautiful young woman. He spoke of how lovingly she looked
at him and how she told him he was the handsomest man in all of Poteidaia. At
the end of his account, his friends all patted in on his back in congratulations.
Xena smiled wryly to herself knowing that at least part of his tale was exagerated.
For the man was dirty, badly scarred, with greasy hair, had crossed eyes and
crooked teeth with one of the large front ones missing. He was anything but her
idea of handsome! She turned back and idly watched the proprieter gather her
food together. All of a sudden Xena sensed two cold eyes staring at her back. She
turned around sharply, Chakram in hand ready for battle.

"Xena, we have to talk." Callisto calmly stood her ground.

"I have nothing to talk to you about." Xena replied angrily.

"I know how this all looks to you, Xena. I don't blame you for hating me."
Callisto sounded repentant.

"Callisto, don't con me. We have been enemies too long for you to be able to fool
me by batting those big brown eyes of yours." Xena's own eyes narrowed as she
sized up her opponent.

"Just hear me out." Callisto answered. "Then, if you still don't believe me, I'll
leave."

"I'm listening." Xena said with trepidation.

Chapter Two

The marketplace of Poteidaia was ablaze with colorful activity. Vendors were
loudly hawking their wares in hopes of attracting the customers of their
neighbors, and citizens were strolling through the shops stopping to haggle here
and there for food and other necessities. Suddenly a young boy tore through the
narrow alleys, upsetting carts and spilling various pieces of merchandise as he
passed by. Not too far behind, a shopkeeper chased him shaking a large wooden
stick in the air as he ran.

"Stop! Thief! Somebody stop that boy!!"

A few of the merchants made feeble attempts to grab the boy as he passed, but the
youth was too quick for them. He dodged and weaved through the stands and
finally disappeared into a blind alley.

"Now I've got you!"

The man entered the alley looking around. The boy was nowhere to be found. He
knocked at the door of the only apparent house on the street. A very young girl of
about ten years of age answered. The merchant was startled at the young girl's
great beauty. She stood before him in beggars rags but despite her apparent
poverty, her loveliness radiated. He became entranced with her slight lean figure,
and was hypnotized by the two large emerald green eyes which stared back at
him. Her long blonde hair was the color of cornsilk and her skin smooth and
pale like that of a newborn baby. Her ethereal appearance so engulphed him that
he almost forgot why he had knocked on her door.

"Yes? What do you want?" her childlike voice awoke him from his reverie.

"I saw a boy of about your age run into this alley. He's disappeared. Have you
seen him?" The shopkeeper could not seem to tear his eyes away from those of
the girls.

"No. Nobody has been here today, good sir."

The merchant began to feel himself being drawn into those eyes. In all of his
nearly sixty years, he had never seen any that color. He knew nothing but those
emerald green orbs. Losing the memory of why he had come, he began to stutter.

"I...I'm sorry. I...uh...guess I...I've made a mistake." Please forgive me. " The
young girl closed the door and turned around. She regarded the young boy with
great interest.

"Thanks for hiding me." "If you hadn't opened your door and pulled me in he
would have caught me for sure!"

"Why was he chasing you?"

"I guess for this." The boy held out his hand. In it he held a small leather sack.

"What's in there?" The young beauty approached him all the while staring
directly at him. He was entranced.

"Uh," he began to stumble over his words. "Coins. Gold coins. I...um...stole them
from the...uh...merchant's...uh...money drawer."

"Are you a thief?"

"Wellll, I...I guess so." Why couldn't he pry his eyes from hers? He began to feel
like he was being swallowed up, drowing in those large emerald pools. "I...I did it
so my...uh...family can eat. We are poor...um... just like you."

"Come closer." Her statement was more like a command than a request.

The boy obeyed without hesitation. He stood before her and she slowly circled
him taking in every detail of his appearance. What she saw was a boy of about
her age who although still young, was very muscular and strong. His hair was jet
black and he had eyes the color of the deep blue sea.

"What is your name, boy?"

"Diomedes" He was totally hers now.

"Ah, named after the great Trojan hero, I see. You'll do, Diomedes."

"I'll do what?" asked the boy dreamily.

"Whatever my bidding is. You will be my helper!"

As she spoke, the little girl touched the lad on his shoulder, and he began to feel
very strange. All around him the room grew larger and he could no longer stand
on his two feet. He dropped to all fours and tried to cry out but the only sound
that he could manage was a piercing

"Meeeeooowwww!"

The goddess bent down and picked up the black cat stroking it affectionately. She
held the cat up and turned his face toward hers. His sea blue eyes stared back at
her in utter fear.

"Oh Diomedes, " she began with delight, "you will make a very useful pet
indeed!" Her laughter sounded like pieces of fine glass hitting stone.

"Mother! Thank the gods, you're here!"

Gabrielle wept with joy as her mother rushed over to the examination table. She
touched Gabrielle's cheek gently and tenderly kissed her on the forehead.

"How did you know I was here?" Her mother turned toward the door. There
stood Joxer, helmet in his hands looking very guilty.

"Your friend here told me everything that has happened to you."

"Everything? Oh Mother, I guess you're wondering about the baby and all...."

"Shhh, little one. We will have time for explanations later. Now you must let
Aristippus work his magic and make you better. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be
right here next to you."

Gabrielle smiled at her mother and looked over at Joxer gratefully.

"Thank you, Joxer. You know? You're not so bad sometimes. I could almost get
to like you." She winked at him and Joxer blushed with happiness.

Xena and Callisto sat across a table from each other speaking in hushed tones.
To the unknowing observer they would have appeared to be old friends putting
their heads together, their conversation animated and each listening intently to
what the other had to say. But their's was not a friendly chat. Here were two
unlikely allies, discussing the possibility of being unwillingly pledged together
against a common peril.

"How do you know that Ares is going to do this?" Xena asked with skepticism.

"How else would I know? He told me! Why, don't you believe me?" Callisto was
becoming angry.

"Why did he ask for your help then? He is a god, after all. He could have taken
Gabrielle's baby without your help." Xena still did not believe her old enemy.

"After we had that little fling, you know the one don't you, Xena dear? It was
when I was in your body." Callisto's voice oozed with the old taunting contempt
she always had for Xena.

"Go on."

"Well, he did enjoy our little, uh, shall we say romantic interlude? Anyway he
offered me a chance to get even with you through your little chatterbox friend."
Now the old Callisto was starting to show herself again.

"So you took the baby to give it to Ares. And in doing this you would have
revenge upon me because my best friend would be hurt and therefore I would be
hurt. Do I have that right?" Xena spat the words out.

"Oh, Xena dear. You are just sooo intelligent."

"You're sick! Do you know that, Callisto? I'll have none of this plan!" Xena got
up and started to leave.

"You're forgetting one thing, Xena. Only I know what makes the little goddess
tick!"

Xena turned around and looked deeply into Callisto's eyes. Expecting to see
hatred and evil, she was very surprised when what she saw there was intense hurt
and heartache. Had she seen this look before? She recalled the day Callisto made
her tell a whole village how her army had invaded Cirra and how she was
responsible for the deaths of Callisto's mother and sister. For one brief moment
Xena had seen this same look, indicating to her that somewhere, deep down
inside, Callisto still had feelings. But it was only for a moment and then once
again her old nemesis became her old cold-hearted self.

"And only I am immune to her power." Callisto finished.

"And why is that?" Xena was curious now.

"Because when the essence of my godhood entered her tiny body, along with it
went part of me, part of who I am. I cannot succumb to her because she is me."

"Callisto you are not making any sense." Xena was extremely bewildered by this
uncharacteristic behavior of her old enemy.

"I don't expect you to understand it, Xena."

"Why do you want to help us now? You just said you wanted revenge. What do
you have to gain from this?" Xena's eyes narrowed as she brought her face close
to Callisto's.

"I hate you Xena. I will always hate you. But let's just say that I hate Ares more."
Callisto returned Xena's suspicious look with a one of pure confidence.

"There is something that you aren't telling me. But, I'll let it go.....for now."

Xena made her decision. From what Callisto had told her the pairing of
Gabrielle's child and Ares would prove to be a dangerous one. And, if there was
any way to save Gabrielle's daughter from the darkness toward which she was
headed, Xena knew that she would move Mt. Olympus itself if needed. She sat
back down and listened to what Callisto had to say.

"Lileas, it's time to begin."

The muscular form of Ares materialized in front of the girl. "What do you have
here?" He looked at the black cat inquisitively. Picking up the animal he was
awed by it's unusual eye color. "Strange blue eyes. I've never seen any so
spectacularly colored on a cat before."

Dismissing the thought as unimportant. Ares unceremoniously dropped
Diomedes to the floor. On the way down, the feline raked his claws across Ares'
bare arm. "Ouch! You miserable little feline! " Ares brought up his hands and
began to make a motion that would destroy the little cat.

"No! Uncle Ares, please don't! He is my pet. He didn't mean it, really!" Lileas
scooped up the black cat and hugged it protectively. She then looked directly into
Ares eyes.

"Ahh, now, now my little goddess. Do not think that you can turn those emerald
jewels upon me so easily. It was I who gave you that power, remember?"

Ares arched his brow in an amused manner and thoughtfully stroked his beard.
Lileas pouted still stroking Diomedes'head tenderly.

"All right, you may keep the wretched creature." Ares relented. "But make sure
you keep it out of my way!"

Ares examined his arm. There was something very wrong here. Strange, the cat's
scratchmarks were beginning to ooze blood. How could this be, he was a god?
The only other creature that could cause such a phenomenon was the golden hind
and there were no more of those. He had destroyed the last one, killing her hind
persona and then turned her completely into a human thanks to his hated half
brother, Hercules. This creature was not a hind, but an ordinary cat. But he did
not have time to ponder the question right now. It was time to set his great plan
into motion.