ForevaXena's FanFic . . .

The World Within The Word

by jan gyn

Disclaimer: This is an original work of fanfiction copyright 2000 by jan gyn.  All characters herein are based on (unfortunately) fictional characters on XWP and Planet of the Apes.

Rating: G

Waves crashed.  Seagulls bleated.  Xena and Gabrielle were running on the beach under an early evening sky, chased by the Horde.  Xena lagged, as she was holding her swaddled infant into her bosom.

"C'mon. Xena," exhorted Gabrielle, as her bare feet splatted on the slick surf.  "We have to outrun them."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," panted Xena.  Her bare feet splatted louder, as she had yet to lose all of her pregnancy weight.  "Why in Tartarus are the Horde chasing us?  I thought we made peace a couple seasons ago."

"Think I know?  Gabrielle grinned.  "Maybe something fermented got in their 'kaltaka'."

"Or maybe Ares has something to do with this."

"Maybe."  Gabrielle became pensive even though she was running at full speed.

"You know, Xena, it still just blows me away:  Ever since we teamed up, nothing is as it seems."

"How so?"

"I mean some of the stuff you do with your chakram seems physically impossible.  It's like magic or something."

"I keep telling you, it's all in the wrist."

"Don't give me that, Xena."  Gabrielle rolled her eyes.  "And also, it seems that nothing's ever certain.  Like death.  Like, Callisto dies, but she keeps coming back.  Alti too."

"You got that right, sister.  It's a 'god' thing.  Why just the other day Ares was bragging of visiting the future disguised as a mortal named 'Elvis'."

"Elvis?  What kind of name is that?"

"Probably 'cause it rhymes with 'pelvis', knowing Ares."

"Ha!"  Gabby smiled, then looked stern.  "Xena, don't change the subject. Why is the world different when I'm with you?"

"What are you talking about?"  Xena stumbled.   "Ouch!"  The toe ring Gabrielle made her buy at Turban Outfitters in India had hit a surfacing clam.  From the swaddled bundle the baby stuck out its tiny hands and made the sound 'yiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi' as Xena hopped from foot to foot.  It hurt like heck, but Xena was glad it happened as she could change the subject.  "Gabrielle, I know I shouldn't have let you talk me into wearing this infernal toe thing."

"Xena, will you forget about it?  You've a baby to take care of. C'mon, the Horde's closing in!  Let's just make it around the bend."

Xena and Gabrielle rounded the rocky cliffs.  "By the gods," they said in unison as they stopped.

Before them was the Statue of Liberty, half-sunken into the surf.

The Horde also stopped and was silent.

The air sparkled between them.  "Par-tay!"  Angel Callisto appeared, surrounded by an aura of supernal whiteness.  "Mind if I join you?"

The Horde, their collective comprehension blown by the sight of Angel Callisto, turned heel and ran away screaming.

Callisto waved bye-bye like a kid.  "Bye, future sports fans."

"Callisto, what're you doing here?"  Xena glowered and pointed at the Statue.  "And what in Tarturas is this thing?"

"Just checking up on my favorite girls.  And THAT is the Statue of Liberty.  It's from a world unknown to you."  Callisto noticed Xena's baby and grinned goofily.  "My, I see you've been busy."

"Never mind that."  Xena protectively wrapped up her baby, who cried 'yiyiyiyiyiyi' at Callisto.  "This Statue of Liberty, is it a new god?"


"Believe it or not, Xena, this is an artifact from your future."

"The future?  You can see into the future?"

"One of the marvelous things about being a heavenly being, Xena, is that you don't have to comprehend events unfolding in a linear fashion.  Time is infinite and continuous.  Never ending, yet circular."  Callisto crossed her eyes and wriggled her arms like snakes and then her arms multiplied like that Indian God Kalli. "You can understand events all at once and perceive relationships, much like Gabrielle can, say, glance through a scroll and divine its essence."  She winked at Gabrielle.

Gabrielle winked back sarcastically.  "Gee, Callisto, suddenly you seem way smarter in the afterlife.  I suppose the Gods bestowed upon you a higher intelligence?"

Callisto yawned and inspected her nails.  "No, my dear, the afterlife is sort of like being stuck in an academy.  You have all this serenity with no earthly pleasures, so you end up reading alot."

"Is that so?"  Gabrielle threw up her hands.  "You, Callisto, of all people, get to sit around and read?  You've got to be kidding me."

Xena looked at both with annoyance.  "Alright scholars, would someone enlighten me as to what's really going on?"

"It's all a matter of perspective, girls.  I watch you, but somebody watches us."  Callisto pointed to the sky.  "You know, Xena, others are reading about us now, in their time.  And they're not gods."

"Callisto, cut to the chase.  What others?"

"Our fans."  Callisto pointed into the darkening sky.  "They're mortals, like you three, and they perceive us from a great distance, of both time and space.  They are READING us, our actions, thoughts and feelings, and, therefore, we exist, much as the characters that exist in Gabrielle's scrolls."  Callisto pointed out a star, and then another.  "Greetings, Xenites."  She waved like British Royalty.  "Say hello to Xena and Gabrielle, and to 'little Caesar' here."

One star twinkled, and then, another, and then, the rest.

Callisto cocked her ear toward the horizon and grinned.  "Gotta go.  Someone's approaching, on horse, from a different time line, and it's best they not see me."  She disappeared.

In the distance, astronaut Taylor and his female companion Nova approached on a horse.  Both were clothed in loincloths, Nova scantily so.  Taylor dismounted, knelt before the Statue of Liberty and started wailing at the sky as a puzzled Nova looked on.

Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other and smiled.  "Adventure beckons," they said in unison.

Back to FanFic Index