InsaneJournal

Blood, there was more blood than Livia had had on her hands since coming to this Gods forsaken world. Ares had provided well and Livia had taken to the slaughter, laughing at Eli as he stood powerless to stop it. Ever the peacemaker. Turn the other cheek. Well she cut that off too. She would steep his words in more blood than he could stomach until he eventually would leave her alone. Not that she'd get rid of the ghost. No, no he should see this. He should see all of it and know it was because of him that she did these things. Because of his lies about her, because of his stories of how she was to be his messenger, his prophet. The very idea disgusted her, and she laughed about it with her Lord Ares, occasionally even calling him to her to show him some particularly fine work he'd done. He'd kiss her, reward her in ways Eli could never hope to grasp and oh yes, he had to watch those too of course. It amused her, and she was pretty sure Ares loved to outdo the peace loving fool.

Livia belonged to Ares, there was nothing else to it but that. Ares and to Rome that was her mother.

"Xena bore you, carried you for nine months, she raised you as best she could until Rome caught her in its grip. It's bloody vice You will see the truth Eve. You will understand."

Speaking of bloody. Livia's sword cut into the heart of a young man running at her with a hammer.  They didn't have 'guns' didn't have much by way of defense but they tried all the same with what weapons they could muster. But of course they were no match. Men, women, children. Maybe she'd even let one live to tell the story. It could grow up and be a brand new little Callisto, wasn't that how she'd gotten started.

"Her hate pulls at you, pulls at Livia but that is not what dear Callisto wanted for you. She gave you her soul. In a way you are..."

Livia laughed, cutting the prophet off before he could speak at all "What? I am Callisto, is that it? Did you know I was Callisto, Ares?" she called, having lost track of her God in the bloodshed she'd caused, he was probably off causing bloodshed of his own somewhere else in the hope of a War. "You know what she'd have done in this situation, she'd have laid waste to this town. Maybe fire. Do you think fire?"

Eli closed his eyes. He did not have the power here he possessed at home. Not as much anyway. This was the world of another God, with other powers at work and he was but a shade, brought to instruct. He'd done what he could and said what he must but the words fell as his pleas did, on to deaf ears. And he'd heard Xena's whispered prayers. Please save my daughter, I cannot. And no, alone she could not. Eve...Livia, was so caught up in her bloody reign as Champion of the tyrant War God that she couldn't see the light that he knew lived within her. And so more had died as her rage at Eli's presence had taken over, and the Man of Peace had done nothing, much as it had pained him.

He did not have the full scope of his power and so he'd saved it. Watched and waited as the so called Bitch of Rome let her anger out on innocents. It would be a hard road back for Eve. But Xena could help her, Xena would help her.

He could feel the pull of the past, of his heaven. He could feel that hand, that wizened ancient hand reaching for him. And as a beam of sunlight caught Livia's eye, Eli called on his power. He showed her her story. He showed her it all, birth, early life, the good times, her mother, the mother that loved her. Gabrielle, Joxer. All the happier times. And with the softest of kisses to the Roman woman's cheek, the ghost of Eli was gone hoping that at least he had done the world some good even if he could not save the lives of those she had slain in her rage The guilt for them would find her, join that of the others she'd slaughtered. He had done all he could.

Livia...

No...

Eve...

No, she didn't deserve that name.

The woman looked up at her sword. Eyes glinting with tears as it dropped with a clatter to the ground. There was but one left as she had wanted. One young girl, eyes cold, watching the scene. Taking it all in. The girl watched as the woman slipped to the ground, defeated by her own mind.

Her name was...It was...

No no no, he'd come here looking for her, he'd want to congratulate her and the woman could not take that right now. Not when she'd seen the darkness there. Not when she'd lived it. Her soul, once so pure was tarnished and broken. By Ares and by Rome.

With a single confused wail, the woman found the modern device that let her view the boards.

The woman called for help in the only way she knew how.