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. This story is set during the Hercules - The Legendary Journeys episode Armageddon Now 2. It is basically five variants of the same couple of scenes where Callisto meets her family. Oh, yes, Callisto is supposed to have a sister, but she wasn't mentioned in this episode, so I left her out. Oh, by the way, did anyone notice that the young Callisto had blue eyes? And another thing, some of the dialogue is from the episode.
Reunions
First reunion.
Callisto entered the barn and immediately noticed her mother and her younger self. She went to them.
"The village is burning. You're not safe here. Come with me," she said and offered her hand.
Her younger self reached out, smiling innocently, but her mother stopped her.
"Go away," Arleia said.
Callisto looked at her sadly.
A soldier entered the barn.
"Women and children are supposed to be out of here," he said and walked past Callisto.
"No!" Arleia protested and tried to push him away.
"Come," the soldier ordered and wanted to grab Arleia and Callisto's younger self.
Callisto screamed. She snatched the man's dagger and slit his throat from behind from behind.
Her mother and her younger self watched, terrified, as she kicked him away.
"Arleia, what is going on..."
Callisto turned, threw the dagger and froze, shocked, when she saw whom she had killed.
"Pankos? Pankos!" Arleia cried and ran to her dead husband.
Callisto stared at them, shocked. Arleia looked at her angrily and grabbed the dagger. Callisto looked at her apologetically, but Arleia attacked her. Callisto stared at her mother, shocked, and let her stab her over and over again.
When Callisto didn't fall after a few stabs, nor did she bleed, Arleia stopped and stared at her, confused.
"Callisto!"
Callisto looked and saw Iolaus burst through the doors. Arleia also looked, confused.
Iolaus stopped when he saw the two corpses.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I... I killed him," Callisto whispered and looked back at her dead father. "I killed him."
Arleia looked at her, surprised to hear pain in her voice.
Iolaus slowly approached the corpse of her father and saw that he had a wound in his chest. He jerked when Callisto suddenly snapped out of her apathy and looked at him.
"Iolaus, what did you do with the Hind's blood?" she asked him.
Iolaus was surprised.
"I put it on my dagger," he said and pointed at his dagger.
Callisto stared at the dagger for a few moments, thinking. Suddenly she turned and went to her younger self. She kneeled on one knee and took her hand. The young Callisto stared at her, frightened. Callisto wiped her tears and tried to smile, but she couldn't.
"Callisto," she said, "don't forget to cry and don't forget to laugh." She paused. "Promise that you won't become a warrior like me."
The young Callisto just stared at her, confused and frightened.
"Promise!" Callisto cried, afraid that her younger self might choose the same path as she did.
"I promise," the young Callisto quickly said, afraid that the strange warrior might hurt her.
Callisto smiled, relieved, and caressed her. Then she got up and approached Iolaus, who was staring at her, confused, just like her mother.
"Iolaus," Callisto said, "if you plan to use that dagger, then I suggest you use it now because you won't get a second chance."
Iolaus and Arleia stared at her, surprised.
"Use it!"
Iolaus took the dagger and slowly approached her.
"Do it!" Callisto ordered when Iolaus hesitated.
Iolaus lifted the dagger.
"No!!" Callisto cried when she started to disappear.
She reached out for her mother, but it was too late.
Iolaus, Arleia and the young Callisto stared at the empty spot. Iolaus looked around and put away his dagger.
"Are you okay?" he finally asked Arleia.
"No, we're not okay!" Arleia cried. "She just killed my husband!"
Iolaus looked at Pankos' body.
"Callisto's father?"
"Yes."
"Oh, boy. I'm sorry."
Arleia looked at him for a few moments and then went to her daughter. She hugged her and caressed her. Iolaus slowly approached them.
"Callisto," he said, "as she said, don't forget to cry."
Arleia looked at him, surprised.
"Why is everyone so interested in Callisto? Who was that woman?"
Iolaus considered what to say.
"A goddess."
"I know she's a goddess, but what's her name? Why did she kill my husband."
"I'm sure that was not her intention."
"How do you know?"
"Trust me, I do."
Iolaus turned to leave.
"Wait! What is her name?"
Iolaus turned and considered what he should tell her. He decided for the truth, but he didn't want the young Callisto to hear it. He went to them.
"Callisto," he whispered in Arleia's ear.
"What!" Arleia cried, shocked, and looked at him, at her daughter and back at him again.
Iolaus nodded and left. Arleia stared after him, hugging her daughter even more tightly.
Second reunion.
Callisto entered the barn and immediately noticed her mother and her younger self. She went to them.
"The village is burning. You're not safe here. Come with me," she said and offered her hand.
Her younger self reached out, smiling innocently, but her mother stopped her.
"Go away," Arleia said.
Callisto looked at her sadly.
A soldier entered the barn.
"Women and children are supposed to be out of here," he said and walked past Callisto.
"No!" Arleia protested and tried to push him away.
"Come," the soldier ordered and wanted to grab Arleia and Callisto's younger self.
Callisto screamed. She snatched the man's dagger and slit his throat from behind from behind.
Her mother and her younger self watched, terrified, as she kicked him away.
"Arleia, what is going on..."
Callisto turned, threw the dagger and froze, shocked, when she saw whom she had killed.
"Pankos? Pankos!" Arleia cried and ran to her dead husband.
Callisto stared at them, shocked. Arleia looked at her angrily and grabbed the dagger. Callisto suddenly remembered the ambrosia. She took the small bag and ran to her father.
"What are you doing? What is that?" Arleia demanded, angry and hurt by her husband's death.
"Ambrosia," Callisto said and lifted her father so that the ambrosia would slid down his throat more easily.
"Pankos?" Arleia asked hopefully when Pankos moaned. "Pankos!"
She pushed Callisto away and hugged her husband. Callisto cuddled up like a fetus and stared at her parents, crying.
"Callisto!" Iolaus called as he burst through the doors.
He stopped when he saw Callisto on the floor, crying.
Arleia and Pankos looked at the newcomer, surprised.
"What is going on here?" Iolaus asked, confused. He looked around. "Is everyone all right?"
Arleia turned to Callisto, wanting to yell at her, angry, but when she saw her sitting there like a little girl, crying, she stopped, surprised.
"Who are you?" she asked instead.
Callisto didn't respond, still shocked by the fact that she had killed her own father.
Arleia let go of her husband and grabbed Callisto's arm.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
Callisto jerked and looked at her. Arleia was surprised to see fear and pain in her eyes.
"Who are you?" she asked more softly.
Callisto looked away, ashamed, and got up. Her parents also got up.
"Arleia, we have to get out of here," Pankos said, "Xena's army is going to burn down the village."
"He's right," Iolaus confirmed.
"Come, Callisto," Arleia said and ran to her daughter.
Callisto stared at her family and then slowly followed them out of the barn. Iolaus didn't let her out of his sight. He wanted to attack her right then and there, but the fact that Callisto's family was there made him decide to wait. Callisto completely ignored him and he followed her out.
Outside, Xena's men were setting the houses on fire. Callisto stared at them for a while. Then she extended her arm and started to shoot fireballs at them. The men stopped, astonished, and looked for the source of the fireballs.
Callisto looked around to find their leader. She quickly located him and sent a couple of fireballs at him. Darphus tried to avoid them, but failed. When Xena's men saw Darphus get incinerated by a goddess, they decided to retreat.
"Thank you for saving us," Arleia said when she pulled herself together.
Callisto looked at her and smiled, happy.
"Come," Pankos said, "let's go to the house."
Arleia and the young Callisto followed him and Callisto stared after them sadly.
"Callisto," Iolaus said.
Callisto looked at him with a blank expression.
"Good bye, Iolaus," she said.
"Where are you going?"
"To kill... No!"
Callisto started to disappear and Iolaus could see that it was not of her own will. He wondered who that mysterious person that was helping Callisto was.
Third reunion.
Callisto entered the barn and immediately noticed her mother and her younger self. She went to them.
"The village is burning. You're not safe here. Come with me," she said and offered her hand.
Her younger self reached out, smiling innocently, but her mother stopped her.
"Go away," Arleia said.
Callisto looked at her sadly.
A soldier entered the barn.
"Women and children are supposed to be out of here," he said and walked past Callisto.
"No!" Arleia protested and tried to push him away.
"Come," the soldier ordered and wanted to grab Arleia and Callisto's younger self.
Callisto screamed. She snatched the man's dagger and slit his throat from behind from behind.
Her mother and her younger self watched, terrified, as she kicked him away.
"Arleia, what is going on..."
Callisto turned, threw the dagger and froze, shocked, when she saw whom she had nearly killed. Fortunately, Iolaus had intercepted the dagger.
"Pankos?" Arleia asked.
"Yes," Pankos said. "What is going on here?" He turned to Callisto. "You said you wanted to help us and now you nearly killed me."
"I… I'm sorry," Callisto whispered.
"You are not safe here," Iolaus said. "Xena wants the village burned to the ground. You have to get out of the barn."
Callisto stared at him, surprised.
"Why are you helping me?" she asked.
"I'm not helping you, I'm helping them," Iolaus said and pointed at Callisto's family.
Callisto stared at him for a few moments.
"Thank you."
Iolaus was surprised to hear that and he stared at her for a few moments before turning to Pankos.
"Is there another way out?" he asked him.
"It is, but it is currently blocked."
"Then we better make it clear. Show me."
Pankos lead Iolaus to the back exit. Arleia took the young Callisto's hand and they followed them. Callisto stood still for a while and then also followed them.
When she got to the back exit, Iolaus and Pankos were trying to remove the bags of seed. Callisto observed them for a while. Then she extended her arm and shot a fireball at the wall where no bags lay. Iolaus, Pankos and his family looked at the wall and then at Callisto, surprised.
"Get them to safety, Iolaus," Callisto said and turned.
"Wait, where are you going?"
Callisto turned back.
"If I'm not mistaken, then Xena had already given birth to her son. I'm going to find him and kill him in front of her eyes. Again," she added, grinning.
"You can't do that."
"And what are you going to do, hm? Stop me?"
"I'll try," Iolaus said and took his dagger. "There's Hind's blood on this dagger."
"Good for you. Now, about Xena. This isn't your Xena and she never will be, not with Hercules out of the picture. She will conquer the world and no one will dare stop her. Except me. If you want to make a difference, then find your own self and make sure he grows up decently."
Pankos and his family listened to the strange conversation and didn't understand a thing. The last sentence, however, started to make things a bit clearer to Arleia and she suddenly had a bad feeling about who the warrior goddess was.
"Callisto!" she called.
Callisto turned, afraid that something might have happened to her younger self, but when she saw that the young Callisto was safely with her mother, she looked at her. Arleia let go of the young Callisto and approached the goddess.
"Arleia!" Pankos warned her, but Arleia ignored him.
"Callisto?" she asked again.
Callisto stared at her with the look of a little girl who had just been caught in the act and was ashamed of it.
"Gods, it is you," Arleia said and took Callisto's hand.
Callisto tried holding back the tears, but being so close to her mother brought back the tears.
"Mama," she whispered as the tears started to roll down her cheeks.
Arleia caressed her. Callisto finally couldn't hold it back any longer and she hugged her mother.
"Mama," she whispered again.
Arleia hugged her back.
"Shh," she tried to soothe her, but the years of being alone were too long and Callisto just let herself cry and for the first time she realized how good it felt.
Finally she stopped crying and let go of her mother. She started to wipe her tears and Arleia caressed her.
"I missed you so much, Mama," she whispered.
"What do you mean?" Arleia asked, confused.
"You and Daddy were supposed to die today, that's why I came back."
Arleia stared at her, shocked.
"Oh, baby," she finally said and hugged Callisto.
Callisto hugged her back.
"Callisto, I hate to interrupt," Iolaus said, "but Xena's army is still here."
Callisto let go of her mother.
"Get them to safety, I'll take... No!!"
Callisto started to disappear. She reached out to her mother and Arleia reached back, but it was too late.
"What happened to her? Where did she go?" Arleia asked Iolaus.
"I don't know. Probably back to the present, where ever that is."
"But why?"
"I don't know."
Arleia looked back at the empty spot where Callisto had stood only moments before.
"You know her?" she asked Iolaus.
"Yes."
"What happened to her?"
"Well, her family was killed and she became a ruthless warrior like Xena. Xena, however, had changed and she fought for the good. Callisto killed many people and she nearly killed me once. She became a goddess and was trapped in lava. Last I heard of her was when she somehow escaped from the lava and killed Xena's son."
"Xena has a son?" Pankos asked.
"Yes."
The barn started to burn and Callisto screamed, afraid.
"Come, let's get out of here," Iolaus said.
Fourth reunion.
Callisto entered the barn and immediately noticed her mother and her younger self. She went to them.
"The village is burning. You're not safe here. Come with me," she said and offered her hand.
Her younger self reached out, smiling innocently, but her mother stopped her.
"Go away," Arleia said.
Callisto looked at her sadly.
A soldier entered the barn.
"Women and children are supposed to be out of here," he said and walked past Callisto.
"No!" Arleia protested and tried to push him away.
"Come," the soldier ordered and wanted to grab Arleia and Callisto's younger self.
Callisto screamed. She snatched the man's dagger and slit his throat from behind from behind.
Her mother and her younger self watched, terrified, as she kicked him away.
"Arleia, what is going on?"
Callisto turned and nearly threw the dagger. She froze, shocked, when she saw whom she had nearly killed.
"Pankos?" Arleia asked.
"Yes." Pankos said. "What is going on here? We have to get out of here, Xena's men have started to burn down the village."
Arleia took her daughter's hand and went to her husband. Callisto immediately followed them.
Outside, the villagers were running for their lives. One of Xena's men noticed Pankos and attacked him. Pankos wanted to defend himself, but Callisto pushed him away and blocked the strike with her sword. The man was so surprised that he forgot to defend himself when Callisto impaled him.
One of his comrades saw that and decided to avenge his death, but Callisto slowly extended her arm and fried him. That got everyone's attention. One of the men was stupid enough to attack her. Callisto grinned and let him impale her. She looked at her body when the man removed the sword.
"Maybe you should try again," she said.
The man did.
"Now's my turn," Callisto said, put her hand on his head and fried him.
Then she removed the sword from her body and looked at it.
"Anyone else?" she asked innocently.
Other men were smarter and did not attack.
"Retreat!" Darphus ordered.
Callisto turned to her family.
"You're safe now," she said and stepped closer, but her family backed off and Callisto could see fear in their eyes.
She stopped and stared at them sadly. Suddenly she turned and walked away.
"Callisto!"
Callisto looked and saw Iolaus.
"Get lost, Iolaus," she said and shot a fireball at him.
Iolaus ducked and the fireball missed him. When he got up again, Callisto was gone. He looked around, confused.
"Damn," he swore.
"Hey, you!" Pankos called and went to him.
Iolaus looked around.
"Me?" he asked and pointed at himself.
"Yes. You called that woman Callisto?" Pankos asked.
"Yes," Iolaus hesitatingly admitted.
Pankos thought.
"She said she wanted to help..." he said and stopped when a realization suddenly hit him. "Is she my daughter?" he asked, fearing that the answer would be yes.
"Are you Pankos?"
"Yes."
Iolaus took a deep breath.
"Then she is," he confirmed.
Pankos was confused.
"But how?"
"It's a long story."
"Is she a goddess?"
"Yes."
Pankos thought.
"She was afraid for us."
"Yes," Iolaus confirmed, "you were supposed to die today."
"What?"
"She came back to..."
Iolaus started to disappear.
"Hey!" Pankos called and wanted to grab Iolaus, but Iolaus had disappeared.
"Pankos?" Arleia asked when she got to him with Callisto.
Pankos turned to her and then looked at Callisto.
"We're safe now," he said.
Fifth reunion.
"Callisto! Callisto!" Arleia called.
"Mama," Callisto whispered when she saw her mother come for her younger self.
"Stay close to me, I don't want to lose you."
Arleia led Callisto's younger self away and Callisto followed them.
"There you are," Pankos said when his wife and daughter came running. "I've been worried sick."
"Daddy," Callisto whispered when she saw her father.
"Go, I'll meet you in the barn," Pankos instructed his family.
"No!" Callisto protested, afraid for her family. "You're not safe! Get out of here before it's too late!"
"Who are you?" Pankos demanded.
"I... I'm someone who wants to help you," Callisto said, crying. "If you don't get out of here, you're all going to die," Callisto said panicky.
"Look, I've given every last dinar we had to Xena's lieutenant. We'll be spared."
"Please, you have to listen to me!" Callisto begged and grabbed her mother.
"Let go of me!" Arleia protested.
"Mama!" the young Callisto screamed.
"Hey! Leave us alone!" Pankos protested. "Get Callisto out of here."
"No!" Callisto protested and waved her hand.
"Hey!" Pankos said when he suddenly found himself outside the village. He looked around. "Why have you brought us here?"
"Because it's safer. Stay here until Xena's army leaves."
"But we gave her all our dinars, she won't attack us."
"She will."
"What..." Pankos wanted to ask something, but Callisto had disappeared. "Damn."
"Maybe we should stay here," Arleia said.
"Why?"
"She was worried. I think she's trying to protect us."
"Protect us? Why?"
"I don't know."
"She cares," Callisto said.
"What?" Pankos asked and looked at his daughter.
"She cares," Callisto repeated.
"But we don't know her."
"She knows us."
"How do you know?"
"I saw the way she was looking at us. She cares."
"Let's stay here, just in case," Arleia said.
Pankos took a deep breath.
"Okay," he agreed.
When Pankos saw that Xena's army was leaving Cirra, he and his family went back.
The village looked pretty good, considering the fact that the Warrior Princess' army had just passed through.
"Belus!" he called one of his friends.
"Pankos! Where have you been?"
"Near the small hill by the river."
"What were you doing there?"
"Some goddess transported us there."
"Blond with black leather?"
"Yes. You know her?"
"No. She defeated Xena's army."
"What?"
"Yes, then she went to your house."
"My house?"
"Yes."
"Wait here," Pankos told his wife and his daughter and went to the house.
He didn't return immediately and Arleia started to worry. She took her daughter's hand, made sure that she was behind her and slowly approached the house. There were no sounds coming out, so she carefully went inside, Callisto following her.
She finally saw her husband, who was staring into Callisto's room. He was obviously very confused. Arleia approached him and suddenly heard a familiar tune being hummed. She finally got to Pankos and looked into the room. What she saw astonished her. The strange goddess was sitting on the floor, holding Callisto's favorite doll and humming the tune that Arleia herself had taught to Callisto. Suddenly a strange thought occurred to her.
"Callisto?" she asked.
Her husband looked at her, surprised and confused.
"Callisto?" Arleia asked again.
This time Callisto stopped humming and looked at her mother innocently for a moment and then looked at the doll again and resumed humming.
Arleia stepped closer. Her husband tried to stop her, but she shook him off.
"Callisto?" she asked, kneeling in front of the goddess.
Callisto ignored her, so she gently put her hand on Callisto's. Callisto stopped caressing the doll and looked at her mother.
"Callisto?" Arleia asked again.
Callisto stared at her mother for a while and tears stared to roll down her cheeks.
"Mama," she finally whispered.
Although Arleia had expected that answer, it still surprised her. She looked at her husband, who was staring at the goddess, confused.
Arleia looked back at the goddess and slowly wiped her tears. When she caressed her, Callisto put her hand over her mother's and held it pressed to her cheek.
"What happened to you, Callisto?" Arleia asked the goddess.
"Mama," Callisto whispered. "I... No!! Not yet!" she screamed as she started to disappear.
"Callisto!"
"Mama!" Callisto screamed and disappeared.
"Callisto!" Arleia called and reached after her, but Callisto was gone.
Arleia and her family were quiet for a while.
"Was she me?" Callisto finally asked.
Her parents looked at her.
"Yes," her mother finally said.
"She was so sad," Callisto said.
"Yes," Arleia whispered and got up.
She went to her daughter and hugged her.
"Everything will be all right now," she said.
The End