Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, and I'm making no money from this story.
Rating: PG-13 (I really don't know, PG-15 at the most, but that will be latter on in the story)
Note: This is an answer to Eris' challenge, I haven't written myself into this story but I did write my younger cuz into it. Also, I didn't really like the whole Eve thing, so in this story that never happened, and never will happen.
With Gabby visiting her family, Xena had all the time she needed to think. She had Argo in a slow trot when she heard a familiar sound, it was that of swords clashing together. She urged Argo to go faster, and was soon upon the fight.
She couldn't believe her eyes, an all too familiar man was being attacked by a pack of bandits. She knew that he could handle himself, but wanted to know what was going on. She jumped off of Argo and let out her war cry. Together they quickly dispatched the pack of 10 or so bandits.
Xena turned toward the man she just helped. He was dressed in his usual black leather and had THAT grin on his face. They made eye contact, and as soon as she realized that she was getting lost in those big brown pools of passion, she put an annoyed look on her face and asked,
"Just what is going on here Ares?"
"What ever do you mean?" he asked still grinning.
"You know what I mean, why are you mortal? Or, why are you acting like it?"
All serious now, "I'm just trying to get some light out of a bad situation. You're right I am mortal, but it's a force outside of Olympus, that's why I don't look it." You don't look mortal either Xena, you're as beautiful as the goddesses are, as usual, he finished his sentence in his mind.
Just then there was a bright flash of dark green light. It soon left, and in its place stood a girl. She had long brown hair that was tightly pulled back in a braid, and she had brown eyes. She wore a pair of black leather pants and a tight black leather, sleeveless shirt that covered her well. She also wore silver battle armor, which, just like Xena's, was made to allow lots of movement. She had worrier boots on and had a rather well crafted sword at her side, she had her hand lazily placed over the hilt.
Here goes nothing she thought. "I'm the reason that you're mortal right now Ares. But you're wrong, I am from Olympus. We just have different means of doing things in the future."
"You mean that the future has decided that I should be mortal now?"
"Yeah, but the Zeus from this time has given me permission to do what I must to prevent the downfall of the Olympians. In order to do that you have to be mortal," turning her head to Xena she finished, "and you have to help. I'll finish telling you my story later, but more bandits are coming, we must go."
With that the stranger turned and started walking into the woods, gesturing for a very interested Ares and Xena to follow.
When she felt that they had traveled a good enough distance, the girl stopped in a small clearing, and sat leaning against a tree.
"Ask all the questions that you want, I'll do my best to answer. You can each ask one question at a time, then the other gets to ask, Ares, you start."
"Ok, who are you?"
"My name is Matina, it means 'one who is strong'. Xena, your question."
"You said something about the future, so, when are you from?"
"I come from 16 years in the future, I'll be born 3 years from now. Ares, your turn."
"Matina, it's a pretty name. Are you a goddesses?"
Matina smiled and chuckled, "No, I'm a demi-goddesses."
Xena was dumbfounded, "Ares! I can't believe you! You would make a move on a 13-year-old girl!"
Ares put on a sly grin, "Why Xena, if I didn't know you better, I would say that you were jealous."
"Alright, both of you can stop, this petty bickering will get us no where. So, what's your second question Xena?"
"Would you explain in great detail, why you are here?"
"Well, it all starts 2 years from now. That's the time that my parents fall in love, one of my parents is a god, the other mortal. Shortly after they realize their feelings, I'm conceived. On my tenth birthday, my dad comes to me and says that he is going to teach me to defend myself from the demi-gods of different territories, see the other groups of gods starting taking all of the demi-gods and goddesses in their territory to train them into slavery. They are used as ruthless killers, to do the biddings of their gods. We started my training that day and I learned quickly, but not quickly enough. A few days later, three of those demi-gods came and attacked my parents and me. My dad told me to run, so I did, I went to Zeus for help, but he wouldn't listen. I didn't know where Aphrodite was so I went to Cupid. When he and I arrived, my father was in a heap on the floor and slightly wounded, my mother was no where in sight.
"My father was planing on going after her, he recognized a pendent on one of her kidnappers as that of Kal's, you know Kal, but my father wanted to make sure that my training would be complete because he knew he was going on a suicide mission. So he spent the next two and a half years perfecting my movements. Then he left.
"See Chaos had made a prophecy when the gods were created, if a god weds a more then exceptional mortal, a mortal of certain stature, that that god's power would be unsurpassable. There would only be one of these mortals in existence, once it died, it's soul would be reborn. Well, the tale was true, Kal, married my mother, but the extra power came slowly, that's why he waited for my father to come to him. Two months after my father left, attacks on the Olympian territory began. After a huge battle four months long, Zeus was struck down. Aphrodite knew what she had to do; she took me aside, gave me a mission, and sent my back in time. I now have to find a way to push back Kal's schedule, even now he is planing it. So I'm going to find my parents, get them to fall in love earlier, so I will be conceived sooner, I'll be fully trained at the time my parents are attacked, and I can help them. That way my mom won't be kidnapped and Olympus would have bought it's self a little more time."
A while latter, after most of the questions have been asked…
"So Matina, tell us who your mother is, we go find her, bring her to your father, tell them that they are in love, and BOOM! I'm a god again."
If only I could tell you who my mother is, boy would you be surprised. Matina thought to herself. "It's not that easy, I can't say her name out load, but I will know it when I see her. I can't tell you where she is either, because, I don't know. I would say her name, but as I said, Kal is already looking for this mortal, he has spies in all of the territories, even Greece. I say her name, a spy goes and tells Kal, my mom is kidnapped 16 years early, and Kal gets one major jump on Olympus."
Ares was infuriated about the news he had just heard, so he yelled his next words, if he were still a god, it would have resulted in an earthquake. "I DON"T THINK YOU REAILIZE JUST HOW BIG GREECE IS GIRL, PLUS I'M MORTAL, IT COULD TAKE US YEARS TO FIND THIS WOMAN YOU CALL MOM!"
There was a rage growing in Matina's eyes as she stood and began to slowly form a ball of energy in her hand, (she is only a demi-goddesses like I said before, but that doesn't mean that she can't have great power, right?)
Xena saw this in the girl's eyes and didn't want a fight to happen, so she walked up to Ares, who was staring at Matina with an 'I gonna get you!' look in his eyes.
"Ares, look at me." He did just that. "Now that was not much of an insult, but it was put toward her mother, who she obviously loves very much. Now say that you're sorry, mean it, and we can get this whole adventure over with!"
"Fine." He said to Xena, then turned to the young girl, who at some point put her energy ball away. "I'm sorry, but I suggest that you don't get me mad."
"Apology accepted. But about what you said earlier, about you being mortal, I'll give you back your godhood…if…you swear on the river Styx that you will not leave without telling us during this time."
"No problem."
"That you will not leave to go do something stupid during this time."
"I swear."
"That you won't use your powers against us, that you will live the way me and Xena do until I am conceived."
"Of coarse."
"And…that you will be a perfect gentleman the entire time. Do we have a deal?"
"I swear on the river Styx, that I will abide by the rules just stated by you. Now give me back my godhood." He started off really mad but by the time he got to the end he was able to calm down enough to make it a believable speech.
Matina had a huge smile on her face, "Good…" she paused and looked around as if she was listening to pinpoint a location. "Sssshhhhh." She said as she held a finger to her mouth.
In the blink of an eye she unsheathed her sword, spun around and threw her sword at what seemed to be nothing. It plunged it's self into a tree, and in a shimmer of light a dead body appeared on the sword. The man was cut straight through the chest and pinned to the tree.
