Welcome to AresJoxerCupidStrife

Part 1

Title: Gaia's Mirror
Author: Candra
Fandom: Xena/Hercules
Pairing: Cupid/Strife, Ares/Joxer, Hercules/Iolaus, Aphrodite/Hephaestus, Hades/Persephone, Cupid/Strife/?, Ares/Joxer/?, Hercules/Iolaus/?, Asclepius/?, Jet/?, Jance/?, Zeus/?, and others.
Status: WIP
Sequel/Series: Perhaps, if you want one.
Archive: Ask, give credit, and provide my email address for feedback
Criticism: Yes, please! Feedback: Candra_@webtv.net
Disclaimer: Jenna is mine, but if you wish to use her please do, just let me know. The rest are not mine. ::sigh:: But how I wish they were.
Summary: The first who is last from the future to the present shell come, to join with strength and sacrifice. She will face shadows, darkness, pain and sorrow. She will uncover the lies and deceptions and unmask the rouge who seeks to rule. She will raise the dead, heal the hearts and minds of those in pain and return the lost children of Olympus to thire rightful place. For all she will do she will ask for nothing other then to remain with those she loves and yet she will gain so much more for she will earn a place amongst the Gods.
Author's Notes: This is my first attempt at a true full length fic, I hope you all like it. A very, very, VERY big thank you to Scribe for creating Imp who lured me hear to AJCS.
Warning: Heavy angst, male preg, rape, torcher, romance, violence, you name it this story has it. I thought I should also warn you that this will be a LONG story and has not been betaed.
Rating: The whole range. From G all the way to NC-17.

Gaia's Mirror 1/?
By Candra

Ares sat on his throne brooding, which wasn't anything new, but what what he was brooding about was.

Earlier that day he had helped save the world from destruction by a guardian of the "Light". That was great, fabulous in fact. Ares liked the world, much as it is, and no matter what anyone thought or said, he did love his family, even if they didn't love him in return. Besides, no one was going to take away his toys, motals take SO long to grew to numbers large enough to play with.

What Ares was brooding about was the fact that he had to have Hercules and his little blond playmate help him. Alright, he help them, but why did it have to be Hercules?

A flash of light alerted the God Of War to someone's arrival but when the flash dissolved into a shimmering ghostly form instead of one of the other Gods he groaned. "Not again?"

[flash back]

It had been one of the worst days of his life. The plans he had to get rid of the insane bitch goddess Callisto had gone horribly wrong. With the help of the evil force that had risen she was able to beat him, steal the hind's blood and stab Strife, the God of Mischief, with a dagger coated in God killing liquid before she and the evil flashed out of the temple.

Ares pulled the convulsing body of his nephew into his arms.

"Oh Strife," He whispered as he silently screamed for Apollo, Zeus and Hades. "I am so sorry. I promised you......"

"Unc!" Strife said threw clenched teeth, "Swear ya wont ever let Hera and Discord near Bliss!"

"What?" Ares shook his head, "Strife, I don't understand."

Strife clutched at the front of the War God's black leather vest. "You've got ta swear it! Ya can't let them near Bliss! Swear it! Please!"

"I swear it Strife, I swear it." Ares swore and for one brief moment pain filled ice blue eyes locked with sorrow filled broody brown ones and then the God of Mischief body went limp in the God of War's arms.

As much as they tried Apollo, Hades and even Zeus could do nothing to return Strife to life. Ares picked up the body of his nephew and held him tightly. Then, with out even looking at the other Gods in the room, flashed from the temple.

(FLASH)

"Strife!" Ares had never felt such gut wrenching anguish coming from his son before.

"Cupid?"

"What happened!?" The God of Love demanded his eyes never leaving Strife's body.

"Callisto," Ares said his voice tight with grief and guilt. "She got a hold of the Hind's blood." He sighed, "She stabbed him Cupid."

"No." Cupid whispered in disbelief. Slumping to his knees the God of Love threw back his head and let lose a cry of pain and grief as he felt his heart die. Every living being, both on Olympus and in the realm of mortals, felt Cupid's pain and so strongly that it brought a tear to the eyes even the most hardened of Warriors.

"Cupid?" Ares didn't understand his son's reaction and bent down to him.

"OUT!" Cupid yelled and suddenly Ares found himself outside of Strife's room staring at the closed door and listening to his son sobs threw the door. He tried to go back in and found that not only would the door not open but he couldn't flash in either. But before he had a chance to do anything else......

(FLASH)

"Ares," Aphrodite appeared in a shower of rose petals, "Where's Cupid?" Her son's pain was effecting her so badly that it was making her ill.

Ares simply motioned to the door. The Goddess of Love could hear her son's sobs coming from within the room. She tried to enter but had no more luck then Ares had.

"What's happened?" She asked.

Ares could think of no other way of putting it. "Strife was killed this morning."

"Oh, no!" Aphrodite gasped, her beautiful face paling. "That's why I felt Cupid's heart brake."

The Love Goddess saw Ares frown and knew he didn't understand and wondered if she should tell him what only she and Cupid knew. She wondered how the news would effect him. She knew how much Ares cared for the Mischief God and she was one of the few Gods that knew what Strife had gone threw as a child.

"They were soul mates." She finally whispered. Aphrodite saw the deeper depth of pain that entered Ares' eyes for all that had been lost, for all that should have been but never could and now never would.

Ares took a step away when she reached out for him, "Please Dite, just go." When she glanced at the door he added, "Cupid will come out when he is ready." She sighed. She so badly wanted to comfort Ares and her son but knew that right now neither of them would let her and so she left.

(FLASH)

Ares moved threw his temple as if in a daze. He had failed his nephew so badly and in so many ways. Long ago he had sworn to the young God that he would always take care of him, that no one would ever hurt him again.

True, Ares had often shot Strife with fire balls and lightening bolts and had smacked him around more times then he could remember but Ares had always held back his powers and strength and had never did it to hurt Strife but only to get his attention or to return his focus where it was needed. But if anyone else ever tried to hurt Strife he would have blasted them threw a wall with out a second thought.

Ares sat down heavily on his throne. He should have never let this happen. He should have been more careful. He shouldn't have let Callisto near Strife. He shouldn't....

(FLASH)

A glowing form appeared in the Halls of War and said, "It's not a time for self recrimination Ares, God of War."

"Who are you?" Ares demanded standing slowly as the sword of War appeared in his hand.

"I am the Watcher." The form answered.

"Watcher? What kind of answer is that?" He pointed his sword at the form, "I want to know exactly *who* and *what* you are and what the Tartarus you are doing in *MY* temple."

The form glowed brighter for a second and suddenly the sword of War vanished.

Ares staired at his empty hand in disbelief. No one, not even Zeus himself, had the power to take the sword of War from him. Ares reached out with his powers to find his sword then turned to find it laying safe and unharmed across his throne. But before he could reach for it or do anything else the form spoke again.

"I have not come here to fight you God of War." The form said. "I am here to ask you to do something of extreme importance. The body of the Mischief God must be kept safe. It must be hidden away where *no* one may find it or do it harm. And you must do this."

"Why?" Ares asked frowning angerly.

"If it is not then what may be will never come to pass."

A small seed of hope began to grow inside of Ares as he asked, "Can you bring him back?"

"No, *I* can not." The form said sadly. Ares took notice of the way the glowing form had said *I* and wondered if there was someone else who could, but before he could ask the form spoke again. "You believe you have failed the Mischief God in life, do not fail him in death." With that the form flashed out of the temple.

Ares returned to Strife's bedroom to find that the shields Cupid had put up gone and he could enter the room. The sight that greeted him tore at his already aking heart.

Cupid had cried himself to sleep. He was curled around Strife's body and his right wing was stretched out to cover him as if in some way he could protect him.

Touching his son's head Ares pushed him into a deeper sleep. He froze as he reached out to stroke the white feathers. Pulling back Ares shook his head as if to rid himself of some bad memories and had to take several deep breaths before he was able to reach out again to gently fold the wing against Cupid's back. Ares had to pry Cupid's arms from around Strife and smiled sadly. "Even in his sleep," Ares thought, "Cupid trys to keep Strife with him."

Ares lifted his nephew's body. Something the form had said was true. He had failed Strife in life and he would do everything with in his powers and beyond to never fail him again, ever. With that, Ares flashed from the temple.

[end flash back]

That had been two years ago, almost three now, and no matter how much he was asked, threatened or begged he never told anyone what he had done with Strife's body. This drove the wedge even further between him and his son.

Since that first meeting the form had returned several time to warn him of thing that had, or were about to, happen. Most often the information was of little or no help to Ares, especially were the rouges were concerned.

The rouges. It had all begun shortly after Strife had died. Things began to happen that no mortal could do. Things that pointed to a rouge God, or Gods.

Aphrodite had been the first to be caught in one of the rouge's trapes. She had been out looking for a nice new place for one of her hidden "love nest" hoping she could get Cupid to help her fix it up. Actually she was hoping that working on something, anything would get her heart broken son's mind off of "other" things, if only for a moment.

She had been exploring a pretty little out cove by the sea. It was perfect. It was pretty an it was by the sea, what more could she want. But when she tried to flash out she tripped the trap.

Aphrodite was terrified as she felt herself suddenly become mortal and then the out cove seamed to explode.

When Hephaestus felt his wife's energy signal suddenly vanish, the Fire God panicked, but Aphrodite had told him where she was going and flashed to the out cove to search for her. He found her unconscious covered in dust and rubble.

Aphrodite had been lucky, coming away with only a few scraps and bruises, but it took nearly a week for her Godhood to fully return.

When Zeus was told of what had happened he knew that only another God could have set a trap like that, there was a traitor in their mist.

Zeus had no idea who it could be, but he did knew who it wasn't. So far he had cleared Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hestia, and Cupid.

As soon as Ares found out what was going on he wondered if there was a way for him to contact the Watcher. Just as the thought entered his mind the there was a flash and the glowing form was standing in front of him.

"You know what happened to Aphrodite?" He asked.

"I know." The form answered.

"What can you tell me about it?"

"Only that she is lucky to be alive and that that wasn't the only trap."

Ares growled angerly, "Can you tell me who is behind this."

"No, God of War, *I* can not."

Again with the *I* Ares thought then angerly spat, "Then tell me who can!"

"Now is not the time Ares, God of War."

"Then when in Tartarus will it be time!" Ares growled, his eyes flashing angerly.

"Soon." Then form said simply and the flashed away.

Ares howled in rage and spent the next hour destroying everything in his temple. With a thought he fixed it all the way it was and destroyed it all over again. Sometimes he really hated the Watcher.

And now the Watcher was here again, probable with some sort or riddle or something else that wont make much sense leaving Ares with far more questions then answers.

"Hello Watcher," Ares sighed, "What is it now?"

"It is time."

tbc