AresJoxerCupidStrife - Mishap

This is very experimental for me I have never seen the show in question. I just wanted to get some feedback on whether anybody thinks this is worth being continued or sent to the recycle bin and say bye bye and good riddance.

Title: Ranma Challenge
Author: mishap
Rating: NC17
Feedback: mishap00@mchsi.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/mishap00/index.htm
Fandom: Xena/Herc
Disclaimer: Any rights I am entitled to I freely give back to the
copyrighted owners of H:TLJ and X:WP. I own nothing and make no
claims.
Pairing: Ares/Joxer
Status: WIP
Series: No
Archive: AJCS, and others ask and you shall receive.
Warning: If you are not 18 and don't like m/m relationships don't
read this.
Notes: Ranma ½ challenge.
Summary: I ran across this challenge in the archive and I just had to give it a shot.

Ranma Challenge- (as copied from the archive)
Has anyone read/watched Ranma ½ if not let me give you an idea of what happens. In China is a special martial arts training area that is around a bunch of cursed pools. In each pool a creature has died, and whoever falls in the pools gets the form of that dead creature. For example Ranma fell in the pool of the drowned girl, and so when splashed with cold water turns into a girl, and if splashed with hot water turns into his natural form. Ryoga fell in the pool of the drowned pig, Mousse fell in the pool of drowned duck (how did that duck drown?????) and some unfortunate character in the series kept falling into different pools and well..............lets say *gack*.

The reason I am telling you this is that I would like to set up the challenge.

The challenge is this...Pick the characters and drop them in the pools. Chapter One

This was a situation I never thought I would find myself in, being fought over by two gods. I honestly don't understand why either Aphrodite or Ares would think I was worth fighting over.

"Joxie is mine, Ares, anyone with half a brain could see that." Aphrodite shouted, stamping her foot.

"Well then I guess it takes a whole brain to understand that he was dedicated to me at his birth. It must be to much for that half a brain of yours." Ares sneered turning his back on the enraged love goddess.

Aphrodite formed a fireball of immense proportions and before I bothered to think I jumped out in front of it trying to push Ares out of the way. Just before it hit he grabbed me around the waist and threw blast of his own energy to intercept it. Just before the world went dark I saw the two fireballs merge and change color before exploding.

The blast must have thrown us in the air I felt my body falling as my vision cleared and next thing I knew I hit the ground hard, very hard. As I tried to get breath back in my oxygen starved body I heard the sound of something large hitting water.

After the black spots stopped dancing in front of my eyes I lifted my head and took a look around. I didn't recognize a thing; pools of water surrounded me. A few pools away I spotted a body clad in familiar black leather lying face down half out of one of the pools of water. Hurrying over to check why Ares wasn't moving I noticed that he didn't look quite as large as he normally appeared.

The closer I got the odder looking he appeared not only was Ares smaller than I was used to his hair was a lot longer. I was within a few feet of him when he began to stir pushing himself up to his knees. "Uh Ares are you all right?" I asked. He turned to face me and whatever he might have replied was never spoken as I caught sight of what his open vest revealed. "Ares," I exclaimed loudly, "you have breasts."

"Are you completely insane Joxer?" he…er she shouted at me

"N-n-no," I stuttered, unable to take my eyes off of her I pointed. "Look for yourself."

Ares looked down and emitted a sound I never, ever expected the god of war to make. "Eek." She squealed pulling the edges of her vest together to cover herself.

"Aphrodite will pay for this." She shouted, waving her hand and causing her clothing to adjust to her new body. Her black eyes snapping in rage she stomped towards me.

"W-why don't you just change yourself back?" I asked backing away from enraged war god.

"Fool. Don't you think I would if I could?" she poked me in the chest emphasizing each word with a finger shaped bruise. "This isn't a spell; this is a curse by another pantheon all together. "How do you know?" I asked. My mouth outran my brain, again.

"I am a GOD, Joxer. I may not be able to change back to my original form, but I still have all my other powers intact.

"She is correct." Came an unexpected voice that caused both of us to jump. "And the god that cursed these pools is dead and it is not removable." Saying that the plump elderly man swung the bucket in his hands that had been unnoticed until then, drenching Ares in warm water.

I watched in fascination, as the leathers so recently made to fit a girl's smaller frame seemed to explode as Ares transformed back to his male form. Unable to resist the temptation I ran hungry eyes over the bronzed, muscular body that was revealed. My gaze lingered over the taut mounds of his ass, then the heavy flaccid cock as he turned to face me.

"JOXER!" Ares voiced thundered at full volume, frantic thoughts raced through my brain as I tore my eyes from the object of my fascination. How long had I been staring and had he noticed? I looked up into knowing, amused eyes. Yeah, he noticed. I wondered if I was about to die horribly.

"Joxer," he said in a quieter tone of voice, "don't worry about it. I read the old man's mind and we have more important things to worry about. The local pantheon is extremely paranoid when it comes to strangers, especially godly strangers. I am too far away from the source of my power to transport us home. I don't want to meet them with my power levels limited to what I have managed to carry with me and what I can get from your worship. Once we leave the valley here we can be detected, the only reason we have not been challenged already is this valley has hidden us from them.

Dragging my brain, kicking and screaming all the way, away from thoughts of Ares' body I asked. "W-what about this valley?"

"This valley was the stronghold of an extremely powerful god whose family was slaughtered by the pantheon I just spoke of. This god knowing that he could not overcome them sacrificed himself and used that power to perform the strongest curse I have ever seen. It makes Hecate's curses look like child's play. Not only do these pools transform anyone be they mortal or god, the valley itself has a kind of sentience and it hates this pantheon with a deep abiding passion. Not only is it masking our presence here if one of the local gods were to enter it would do it's utmost to kill them."

"How can a valley be alive?" I asked puzzled.

"It isn't exactly alive, Joxer it is under a curse. A very specific curse aimed at retribution and until the curse is fulfilled this valley acts as if it is a living entity." He explained.

It made sense in a weird kind of way. "So what do we do now? If we can't get home—"

"I never said we couldn't get home, I said that I can't transport us." He interrupted impatiently. "Once we leave the valley I won't be using my powers I am War, but I can't take on an entire pantheon single handed. As long as I don't use my powers we won't attract attention, which means that we have a long journey ahead of us. I am going to create horses and as many supplies as we can carry.

"I don't know how to ride." Growling under his breath Ares clasped my head between his palms. I could feel knowledge pouring into my brain.

"You do now." He stated removing his hands from my temples.

Several hours later Ares had created our supplies and was satisfied that I could ride the horse he had made for me. We were headed for the edge of the valley our pack animals in tow when a thought occurred to me. "Ares?"

"What now Joxer?"

"That thing you did to teach me how to ride. Would it work for my clumsiness too?"

"No, but this will," He said and handed me a small medallion. "put it on. Now before we leave the valley is there anything else?"

"Um… yeah I didn't see you make any…girl clothes. I mean if it rains…"

He made an irritated gesture with his hand and I noticed that his saddlebags appeared to expand as if something had been added. "Let's go." He ordered brusquely and spurred his horse into a ground-eating lope.

Chapter Two

My words about rain proved to be eerily prophetic we had been traveling for about two weeks with only short breaks between showers. I don't think that Ares stopped scowling the entire time as he was forced to abide in the unfamiliar body.

We had managed to find a reasonably dry cave to wait out the latest downpour it was deep enough to provide shelter for both our horses and us. The past two weeks had been a revelation for me. The isolation from others and mutual dependence had broken down a lot of the barriers between worshipper and god. I had always adored Ares from afar and lusted after him in a hopeless fantasy way. Getting to know my god on a one on one basis only deepened my respect and lust into a deep-seated love.

I was torn between the urge to see Ares back in his proper sphere and a longing to spend more time alone with him. I had always been attracted to both men and women, but I found both aspects of Ares, both male and female, equally attractive. It mattered not one bit to me how the outside appeared. I loved the unchanging spirit and personality inside of him. I say he and him because despite everything he is still the `GOD' of war.

"Ares," I asked hesitantly, "I still don't understand why you and Aphrodite were fighting over me?"

The familiar bearded face of my god turned away from his contemplation of the falling rain outside our cave to face me. "I don't abandon faithful worshippers. You have devoted yourself to me since you were a child and I won't relinquish you to Aphrodite's `tender' mercies." He scowled, "You've experienced first hand the games she plays with people. Can you imagine what she would do with you if you were to become hers? Without even the nominal protection that is provided to you as one of my followers I doubt you would survive a month."

I shuddered at the images his words provoked and offered him a heartfelt "Thank You."

"Don't be." He said. "You shouldn't have been subjected to her whims like you have and you wouldn't have been if you'd been properly blooded at your majority. Why didn't you come to one of my temples and complete your dedication?"

"Don't you know?" I was surprised at the question.

"Joxer, I can't use my powers until we are a lot closer to Greece. I also don't usually shuffle through mortals minds unless it's important or," he grinned. "unless it will irritate Hercules or my daughter."

"I went to dedicate myself the day after Jett did and the priest told me I didn't deserve it and had the guards throw me out. I left home that night and never tried again." He finished quietly.

"Joxer it is your right as a worshipper of mine and you shouldn't have been denied. Dedication is available to everyone regardless of skill or experience. What was the name of that priest?" he growled.

Joxer replied, "Soterios"

"No wonder," he sneered. "that idiot was thrown out of the priesthood not much later. He was completely incompetent and was stealing from me. He didn't die at all well." Ares laughed at the memory. "He didn't even make it to the next village before he was robbed of his ill gotten gains. I let the bandits keep what they took from him for taking care of him for me."

"So you mean that I should have been accepted and…

"You should have been as one of mine and bound to me by blood years ago." Ares stated flatly. "In fact if you wish it we can take care of that right now."

"How?" I asked. "There is no temple or…"

The god of war interrupted with a small smile. "I don't need a temple. A temple is just a symbol `I' am War, the single drop of my blood in a cask of wine when mixed with the blood of a willing follower is enough for a hundred or more warriors to be dedicated to me. Mortals like ceremony so when they go to my temple the priests provide it."

I questioned. "So you mean that all that is needed is small bit of your blood and mine in some wine?"

"And even the wine isn't truly necessary." He agreed.

"Can we…can I—"?

"All you had to do is ask." He said, pulling the symbol of his godhood partially from its sheath where it laid beside him. Grasping a wooden cup with his other hand he ran his finger along the edge and shook the resulting few drops of blood into the water in the cup.

Following his example I mimicked his actions and cut my fingertip on the sword he held out to me. As the blade cut into my flesh I felt a humming in my bones.

Ares took my hand and used my finger to stir the water mingling our blood together. My hands shook as I raised the cup to my lips the water and blood tingled as I let it flow over my tongue and swallowed. A feeling of euphoria swiftly followed and the cave appeared to glow brightly for a moment as I felt myself slide to the ground through air grown as thick as honey as darkness enveloped me.

I bolted upright into a sitting position as cold water drenched me and stole my breath. Shaking the water from my face as my surroundings came back into focus I was startled to find the concerned gaze of my god in his female form only inches from my own.

He'd obviously been outside to fetch the water that he used to wake me for his hair and clothing were drenched.

"Are you okay Joxer?

I felt my trademark goofy grin stretch my face until it threatened to crack my face. "I am wonderful." I sighed. The power of Ares' blood was humming and throbbing throughout my body producing a fire in my blood that was immensely pleasurable.

"Just rest for now. I am going to get some more water and warm it so I can get back to myself." He said with a mildly disgusted expression as he glanced down at the female body that he now wore.

I watched in fascination as he once more filled our one cooking pot and set it on the fire to heat as he removed the sodden cloth and leather from his body.

tbc?

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