Gabrielle wasn't really certain what was going on. She hadn't gotten killed by the metallic thing but that didn't mean she was out of the woods with that. Instead she ran into someone, who grumbled in annoyance at weird Ren Faire people dressing up at ridiculous times and places and the blond was just completely lost. At least until she heard a familiar voice. Though.. that was impossible, right? Okay, so she hadn't been certain of the location of Hercules and Iolaus when they had shown up and Xena decided to make Caesar and Pompey fight just to wear them down. But she would have known if they were near, right? They would have helped.
"...Iolaus?"
Her automatic response was to throw her arms around him and cling to him. He was someone familiar in a terrifying new place. Someone like her, not a hero, just a sidekick. Normal. But how could she know he was really him? If this was some sort of illusion, he could just be part of that. Was this her punishment for everything that had happened since she lost her blood innocence? The betrayals and sacrifice, the killing of her own daughter. The daughter who had proved that maybe there were those who were beyond help.
She had to be strong. She had to keep her resolve going and not to break, but it was so hard. The last time, the illusion had been by Solan to help her and Xena mend their relationship after everything that had happened because of Dahak, because of Hope. But what purpose was someone showing her Iolaus while in a world that was clearly not her own?
She wasn't a mirage. But she stayed rooted, confused and scared and lost and shaking. She was on the verge of breaking. Because there had been too much already and this was just.. it was the thing that would break her if it was real. Even if it weren't, it would break her.