DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Xena stuff is the legal property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. All other characters that appear belong to me. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer.

Death Wish, Love Wish
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Callisto was about to leave the scene of her last fight when she noticed a girl approaching her.

"Are you lost, little one, hm?"

"No."

"It's not safe for little girls to walk alone around the world."

"I was looking for you."

Callisto was surprised.

"Me?" she asked innocently and pointed at herself. "My, what an honor. And what would you want with me, hm?"

"I want you to kill me."

Callisto was astonished. She stared at the girl for a few moments and then burst out laughing.

"You want me to kill you, hm? Why?"

"Because I don't want to live anymore."

"Aren't you a little young to have a death wish?"

The girl smiled bitterly.

"Just kill me, will you?"

Callisto took her dagger and pressed it against the girl's neck. She expected to see fear in her eyes, but there was none. She pressed harder, but the girl still didn't flinch.

"Oh, well," Callisto said and slit the girl's throat.

"You're going to have to use the other dagger," the girl said.

Callisto turned around, surprised, and saw that not only was the girl still alive, but that there was no wound on her neck.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"I'm a goddess."

Callisto stared at the little goddess, astonished. The girl waved her hand and they were suddenly somewhere else. Callisto looked around and saw a burned-down village near by. Then she noticed a small graveyard and saw that one grave was still open.

"Where are we?"

"This used to be my home," the girl said and pointed at the village.

"You were a mortal?"

"Yes."

"How did you become a goddess?"

"I insulted Ares and he punished me."

Callisto laughed.

"He punished you by turning you into a goddess?" she asked with disbelief.

"Yes."

Callisto laughed again.

"I wish he punished me like that." The girl didn't respond. "What's your name?"

"Ariadne."

"And why do you want to die?"

Ariadne sighed.

"Ever since my family has been murdered, I've been forced to hide and kill to survive. I don't want to kill anymore."

Callisto thought.

"It's not like you'll be with your family when you die."

"Tartarus will be like the Elysian Fields to me."

Callisto stared at the girl for a while. Then she grinned.

"Tell you what, you do me a favor and I'll kill you in return."

"No," Ariadne refused.

"Oh, well, no favor, no death."

Ariadne screamed and shot an energy bolt at Callisto. Callisto threw herself aside, but Ariadne immediately shot another bolt. Callisto avoided it and the next few. She quickly noticed that each bolt was weaker than the one before. By the last bolt, Ariadne was crying. After she had fired the last bolt, Ariadne fell on her knees and cried. Callisto laughed.

"Ran out of power, have you?" she teased the goddess as she circled around her.

Ariadne just lay there until her tears ran out. Then she crawled to the grave and into it. Callisto was surprised by this and she carefully approached the grave. Ariadne didn't move and she had an empty stare. Callisto stared at the young goddess for a while and then she left.

The longer she walked, the more her mind kept telling her to go back. She was confused at first, but she slowly began to understand what was going on. Ariadne was probably about fifteen years old and if her village had been burned down five or more years ago, then she was then about ten or even younger and she had killed since then. Callisto recalled her first murder, she was fifteen then and it made her sick, but she had buried any feeling of guilt deep within herself. She tried to imagine how she would feel if she had started killing right after Xena had burned down her home. Would she also tire of it some day?

She still remembered how she wanted to be dead, not being able to bear the feeling of being alone. She imagined that Ariadne probably felt like she had. Suddenly, Callisto realized that she had stopped. She was confused and annoyed for a moment before her mind reminded her of the young goddess with a death wish. She felt a strong urge to go back, but there was also that tingling sensation in the back of her head. Callisto tried to identify it and when she finally did, it surprised her. It was fear. She thought about what she might be afraid of and realized that it was losing Ariadne. She was confused as to why she was afraid of losing her, after all, she didn't care about her. Did she? Strangely, she wanted to go back and help the girl. She had no idea as to why, but something kept telling her that she should. Callisto always listened to her instincts and so she went back.

When she got to the small graveyard, she carefully approached the grave. When she reached it, she looked inside even more carefully. Ariadne was still there, lying in the same position in which she was after Callisto had left. Callisto considered what to do.

"Ariadne," she softly called, but there was no response. "Ariadne!" Again, there was no response. "I'm here to kill you, Ariadne."

There was no response and Callisto reconsidered what to do. She finally jumped into the grave. Ariadne didn't move. Callisto touched her, but there was no response. She decided to get the girl out of the grave. She picked her up and lifted her out of the grave. Then she climbed out herself. She looked at the goddess, but Ariadne still had a blank stare. She picked her up and carried her to a tree.

"Ariadne," she called again and gently shook the girl.

Ariadne didn't respond. Callisto didn't know what to do. She sat down and thought. Suddenly, she remembered what her mother did when she or her sister were sad, she just held them and caressed them from time to time. It seemed to work miracles.

She leaned against the tree and took Ariadne into her arms, the girl's back to her. She hugged her and caressed her. Ariadne didn't respond and Callisto didn't expect her to. She just held her and caressed her from time to time.

When she woke up in the morning, she noticed that Ariadne was holding her arms. She caressed her and Ariadne moved her head. She caressed her again and Ariadne moved her head again.

"Ariadne?"

Ariadne moved. Callisto considered what to do. She decided to follow her mother's example and she kissed the young goddess. Ariadne stirred.

"You're not alone anymore, Ariadne," Callisto said and kissed the girl again.

Ariadne started to cry and Callisto soothed her. Ariadne slowly turned around and hugged Callisto. Callisto caressed her.

"You're not alone anymore," she said and kissed Ariadne.

Ariadne cried for a while and Callisto just held her. She was surprised when she felt that her eyes became wet.

Finally, Ariadne stopped crying. She hugged Callisto for a while longer and then quickly broke the hug. Callisto noticed that she had the dagger with the Hind's blood and she was pointing it at herself.

"No!" she cried and reached after her.

Ariadne stopped, surprised. She looked into Callisto's eyes and saw fear there. It confused her.

"Don't kill yourself. Please," Callisto begged. Ariadne stared at the warlord, surprised. "Please, Ariadne."

"Why?" Ariadne asked.

"Because… Because I… I care about you," Callisto confessed and gulped.

Ariadne was surprised.

"A change of heart? Why?"

"I don't know. I remember how I felt when my village was destroyed and I tried to imagine how you must have felt. I first killed when I was fifteen and it made me sick, but I buried that feeling. As I was walking away from here, my mind kept telling me to go back. I don't understand it fully myself, but I don't want to lose you."

Ariadne stared at her, surprised. She had been alone for so long and now the very warlord she had asked to kill her was telling her that she cared about her. It felt strange, good, she realized, being cared by someone, even if it was someone like Callisto.

"How do I know you don't just want the dagger back?" she asked.

"I don't care about the dagger! Do with it what you want, I don't care, just don't kill yourself. Please."

Ariadne stared at Callisto's eyes, but she saw no deceit, only fear. She wanted to love and be loved, but she didn't trust Callisto.

"I don't trust you."

"You're a goddess, Ariadne, and I can't hurt you."

"You can, with this dagger."

"Then hide it!"

Ariadne stared at the warlord for a while and then threw the dagger to Callisto. She sighed.

Callisto caught the dagger and put it away. Then she slowly approached the girl. She stared at her for a few moments and then slowly caressed her. Ariadne involuntarily pressed her cheek against Callisto's palm. Callisto spread her arms. Ariadne hesitated for a few moments and then hugged the warlord. Callisto hugged her back.

"How touchy."

Callisto and Ariadne jerked and looked who was disturbing their private moments.

"Ares," they said in unison.

"You're not getting soft on me, Callisto, are you?"

Callisto whispered something into Ariadne's ear and Ariadne waved her hand. Ares was surprised when Callisto disappeared and even more surprised when she reappeared behind him and pressed a dagger at his neck.

"This dagger is covered with the Hind's blood, Ares, so I suggest that you don't move. Tell you, what, I'll let you go, but before, you'll do me some favors. First, you will take godhood from Ariadne." She turned to the girl. "That is what you want, isn't it?" she asked.

Ariadne nodded.

"Yes."

"Good. Come here." Callisto turned back to Ares. "Well, Ares, do your stuff."

Ares very slowly put his hands on Ariadne's head and Ariadne gasped as he took godhood from her.

"Good boy," Callisto said when he was done. "Now promise me that you will leave me and Ariadne alone for ever."

"I promise."

"Swear by Zeus."

"I swear by Zeus."

"Good boy. Now get lost," Callisto said and removed the dagger. "And I suggest that you keep your promise or Zeus will be very angry and I even more."

Ares cursed under his breath and left.

Callisto put the dagger away and went to Ariadne, who was looking at her own body. She took another dagger and offered it to Ariadne.

"Do you want to see if you bleed?"

Ariadne looked at Callisto, surprised, and then took the dagger. She took a deep breath and cut herself across the palm. She relaxed when she saw blood trickle across her palm. She licked the blood and gave the dagger back to Callisto, who wiped it and resheathed it.

"Thank you," Ariadne said.

Callisto smiled.

"You're welcome. Say, since you're here, why don't you pay respects to your family and then we'll go to my village and I'll pay respects to mine."

"We?"

"Yes. I'd like you to come with me, if you want."

Ariadne considered. She wanted to go with Callisto and she could see in Callisto's eyes that she wanted to go with her, but there was still one thing that remained to be cleared.

"Will you still go around killing people?" she asked.

Callisto bit her teeth and thought about Xena. Now, that she had Ariadne, her revenge wasn't important anymore. It surprised her, but then she realized that her mother would be glad that she had given up her revenge. She smiled.

"No, I won't. Why don't you pay respects to your family and we'll talk about the future when we're on our way to Cirra."

Ariadne smiled, glad that Callisto gave up the murdering part of her life.

"Okay," she said.

The End