(Note: Stuff with [] around them are timeframe markers. ~ marks the end of a scene. ~[]~ marks timeframe and end/beginning of a scene, as well as the beginning and end of a part. () are out of story notes. Now on with the tale.)
~[End of 'Faith']~
"Nebula!" Hercules called in warning.
Iolaus looked and saw the knife flying through the air straight for Nebula. Iolaus had just realized how much he cared for the woman and he wasn't about to see Dahok succeed in claiming her life. He was moving before he even finished realizing it. He leapt. He found himself between Nebula and the deadly dagger. He barely had time to feel fear before the knife struck him and sent him flying backward. The hunter's sense dimmed and he thought he heard Nebula screaming his name. He hit the floor behind him, but things were so dimmed, he didn't feel pain from the knife stuck in his chest, nor did he feel himself crashing to the ground. He watched and heard everything through a haze. Iolaus knew he was dying, again.
He felt bad about having to put Hercules through this again. 'If I had a choice....' Iolaus thought through the haze.
Hercules was there then, grasping the hunter protectively. 'A little late for that.' Iolaus thought vaguely. Iolaus heard his good friend speaking, and then he was replying. He couldn't really make out the words, he just knew he was saying them. He saw the pain in the demigod's face and guilt filled him and he had to speak but the darkness dragged at him, trying to pull him away before he could. Iolaus fought against it, he couldn't leave Herc like this, he couldn't!
Iolaus took a ragged breath and breathed his final whisper. This one he understood.
"Hercules...." Iolaus gasped, he would have said more but the darkness swept over him, faintly he heard his friend's denying calls. He wanted to respond, to call out. He really couldn't stand the hurt he was causing the demigod but something kept him away. At first he thought it was because he was dead, but as all sound of his friend's cries faded a lingering pain made him worry.
Iolaus looked down dazedly at his chest where the knife had been but found the knife gone but the wound was still there.
"Wh-w-what?!" Iolaus gasped dizzily and slowly realizing that the darkness he was standing in was even more dead than he remembered death being, not to mention more painful. This couldn't be death, could it?
A nasty laugh rang out from somewhere before the hunter and he looked up into the darkness trying to see who was there.
At first Iolaus didn't see anything then slowly two red glowing eyes, that danced with a wicked merriment, appeared before him and the distinctly male voice, still filled with the wicked laugh spoke. "Welcome Iolaus." There was a pause then the voice continued as a cloaked figure appeared with the eyes. "Do you remember me?"
Iolaus stared at the figure as a chilled feeling filled him. Somehow this person seemed familiar in a horrific way, yet as far as Iolaus knew he'd never met this man. "Who are you?" Iolaus demanded.
"Do you remember what Gilgamesh said?"
Iolaus thought back to all Gilgamesh had said. Gilgamesh had asked for Hercules' help in saving his land. But in the end Nebula's half-brother had turned out to be a servant of the evil God Dahok.
Iolaus quit thinking there. "Dahok." Iolaus growled as fury filled him.
The figure nodded. "Very good Iolaus. I'm here to collect the payment owed me."
Something about that chilled Iolaus to the bone and he shuddered. He found himself backing away from Dahok but he hit a wall and couldn't go any farther. "I never met you before and I certainly owe you nothing. I've never even had time to promise you anything, and even if I had time I would never have even considered saying yes so you must have mistaken me for someone else because....." Iolaus' brave act but fearful babbling was quickly interrupted.
"Enough!" Dahok roared. "Nebula was not the sacrifice to me, Iolaus."
Iolaus looked at Dahok something about those words ringing true in his soul. "What...." Iolaus knew he'd regret asking but curiousity got the better of him. "Are you talking about?"
Dahok raised a cloaked hand and a single claw pointed at Iolaus. "Remember." And memories flooded into the confused, and worried, hunter's mind.
~['Armageddon, Now']~
Iolaus knew that he only had a single chance left to save his friend, as well as time when he leapt forward, snatching the scepter from the Conqueror's grasp, his goal was the green gem, the Cronus Stone which would allow him to return back in time and save Alcmene. If he failed...then all was lost and evil would win.
'I will not fail.' He told himself the instant his fingers closed around the scepter and yanked it away, stumbling down the few step. The attention was instantly off the fighters at the bottom as the guards leapt forward to stop him.
The first one met with the end of the staff as Iolaus countered before he could strike at the hunter.
Iolaus fought off those he could. Behind him Xena ordered her warriors to get him and Iolaus saw guards start swarming up the steps toward him. He started to turn from them to try and escape but more guards had lined up at the top of the steps with their weapons drawn. Iolaus gritted his teeth, determined not to fail. He grabbed for the Cronus stone, it slid off the top of the scepter and into his hand easily.
'Time to leave.' Iolaus thought.
He never even got a chance to drop the staff.
His fingers were still kind of loose around the Cronus Stone as a sudden flash made him blink. Something hit the Cronus Stone, the jarring it and knocking his fingers loose, the stone fell from his hand, bouncing down the stairs. Iolaus' mind screamed in denial.
For a moment Iolaus thought maybe he could still succeed but then one of the onlookers surged forward. A guard was knocked forward, Iolaus lost sight of the Cronus Stone a moment and then...Then he saw it as a foot fell upon it. The stone shattered under the foot.
Iolaus' heart shattered with the stone.
He had failed. Around him, the world simply seemed to crumble.
The scepter fell from his nerveless fingers.
Everything seemed to stop to Iolaus. He sank to his knees, staring at the shards of the Chorus Stone in shock, his mind not accepting what he was seeing. As he stared he didn't realize that Xena, the Conqueror had gestured for her guards to capture him until his arms were grabbed and he was yanked to his feet.
Iolaus let them drag him up to face her and then he was shoved to stand before her. He was too dazed to do anything.
"Now why did you go and do that?" Xena asked. Iolaus tried to respond but found that he couldn't come up with the voice to say anything comprehensible. Her patience was strained slightly though. "You steal my scepter, distract the attention from the entertainment and destroy my stone."
Iolaus wasn't even tempted to look back to see which combatant had won in the fight that had been going on when he'd snatched the staff. He also found his voice. "I was trying to correct things." He replied, his mind was slowly realizing that he had to come up with something that might somehow give himself another chance to stop Callisto, but he was unable to come up with an argument that would convince the Conqueror that it might be best to let him off the hook some.
He wasn't even looking at Xena but he knew that she was angered by the reply. "Quit evading the question, you are only a common thief as far as I'm concerned." Her voice was cold and said clearly that he wouldn't be getting out of this.
Still Iolaus had to try. "That stone could have saved someone I, we both knew, as well as done a lot of good for everyone in the same breath. You can't possibly tell me that you are totally selfish. It just isn't the real you. Things couldn't have changed that much, I mean...they simply couldn't." Iolaus babbled as he silently hoped that she believed him. Then again he'd tried before to get her to believe him but it obviously hadn't worked.
"You dare tell me who I am?" The Conqueror growled rising from her throne. "I remember you said the same thing before. You also said you were from the future. You expect me to believe anything you say after that?"
"It's the truth." Iolaus replied bringing his gaze to lock on the fierce countenance of the woman. "I am from a future, and that stone could have saved Hercules....our friend. Whether you realize it or not you are alone."
There was a murmuring from the crowd. Xena looked toward them and then back at Iolaus. "So you failed. You are a thief and a failure. However you are thief to save people." The tone of her voice chilled Iolaus. He knew that he wasn't going to like what was about to happen, but there was nothing he could possibly say to change it. As soon as he'd tried to steal the Cronus Stone she had decided that he had to be punished, from then on he'd been doomed to convince her that it was best if she didn't.
"The normal punishment seems...too nice in this case." Iolaus finally looked into her eyes and saw the coldness there. "You wanted to save your friend, but couldn't. Well you shall forever be haunted by that. From now on you shall be locked up in the dungeon, the key destroyed and you shall forever be alone, a reminder of your failure and the crime you committed." she declared. "A much more fitting punishment."
It was then the hunter fully realized what had happened. Every word the Conqueror spoke echoed in his mind and tore at his heart. He had failed, he'd let so many people who'd been counting on him down. Xena didn't have to lock him up, he realized, he was already alone simply because he failed.
"Take him." Xena ordered.
Iolaus heard the murmurs from the crowd as he was dragged off. He resisted a moment and briefly pondered trying to break free but the guards had too hard of a grip on him to break it.
Iolaus finally quit resisting and went quietly from the scene. Hercules was gone for good now, Iolaus' world stopped then all that was left for him were the memories...memories of failure. An unforgivable failure.
He truly was alone.
~['Armageddon, Now']~
Iolaus stumbled through the door and it closed behind him with a clang, plunging him into almost total darkness, then the click of the lock with the only light coming from beyond the grates in the door, which was barely enough to actually see that the place was a square cell. In one corner he noticed there was a pile of straw for sleeping, his gaze continued around the room, discovering that there was nothing else in the room.
Iolaus groaned, pushing all thoughts away except the one of escape then he turned to walk over to the door. He examined the door and bars, both were made of the strongest materials possible and put together so no one could get out.
Somehow the hunter managed not to think of the obvious thing that tried to come to mind and checked the lock, hoping against hope that it could be opened. The lock was well out of reach though as were the hinges of the door, none of the obvious ways to escape were feasible. It looked like he might be stuck here.
Iolaus stepped back, despair filling him. He kept failing, each time he jumped through time he failed to stop evil, why should he bother trying to go after Callisto? The guards had taken his dagger with the Hind's blood on just before tossing him in here, besides he'd never get a chance to use it. Callisto was too powerful now.
The hunter sank to his knees, his mind finally straying to think of Hercules, of how Callisto had succeed in destroying him before he was every born. Then he thought of how he'd failed now. He had lost his only chance to save his friend.
Iolaus almost started to cry. His heart ached. 'The most important time for me to succeed and I had to fail? I wonder if I ever was truly anything, if I was doomed to fail Herc one of these days.' His surety that he had been destined to fail making everything much worse. He should never have been the one at the demigod's side then his friend would have had a more infallible companion, one who wouldn't have failed.
Guilt filled the hunter. There was nothing he could do about it anymore.
That drove Iolaus to his feet with renewed determination. Somehow he'd make sure that Callisto paid for this despite the failure he was. Iolaus took a deep breath and braced himself to go after Callisto. He stood a moment, expecting, hoping to go through time but nothing happened, he just remained in the cell with no where to go.
Iolaus was shocked a moment, then horrified.
"*No*!" Iolaus choked as the last vistages of all that he had left were finally torn from him.
He was trapped here.
~
Things seemed a blur to the despairing hunter. He'd sleep and when he awoke
there would be a meal and water awaiting him. Everyday the memories he had
left tore at him like nothing ever had before. He could remember nothing else
than the fact of his failings, of how he couldn't succeed when it was
absolutely needed.
Overtime he changed, first his appetite diminished, he grew less active. It quickly became obviously that he was being affected drastically. Yet he held on frantically to some hope, some part of him that refused to give in to guilt, refused the belief that his dearest friend was gone forever. Memories held him together for a time, but as the pain of time alone with the guilt, the realization that he could do nothing, the fact that he'd be stuck in the cell forever sunk in, the memories slowly became not enough, he needed more to hold onto. There was nothing there to grasp. He'd reach out and only find emptiness. Dreams haunted him, accenting everything.
Iolaus soon lost track of time, time seemed to have no meaning anymore, it was only what was destroying his hope and will to live, like it had destroyed Hercules.
Time continued to pass. It seemed like years later when the hunter's hope was holding with one last thread. Guilt was encompassing him in folds no one could have ever known before.
Then he gave up.
~[four years into 'Armageddon, Now']~
Iolaus curled up in the corner of the room staring blankly at the food he could no longer eat, his hunger was great but his will to had gone. He didn't even see the food, his mind had quit working long ago, things had become too much. The guilt, the knowledge that he had failed his closest and dearest friend was all that filled him now. He had quit caring, quit wanting to live. The only way he could do that in here was not to eat or drink. Normally that would be hard but now he welcomed it, he certainly felt he deserved it.
"I caused it." Iolaus whispered letting his head drop into his hand. "Why couldn't I prevent it?" He asked himself again for the first time this day as he had everyday since he'd been locked up here.
"I'm sorry Herc. I'm sorry that I failed you. I'm sorry that I was such a failure. I should have stopped Callisto, I know I could have, but I didn't try as hard as I should have," His voice choked on tears he'd never allowed himself to cry, he couldn't let himself cry, he simply didn't deserve to be the one to cry for the demigod, "I'm sorry." he said again shutting his eyes.
He was mouthing the apology still when things swayed around him. His eyes shut tighter, trying to block out what was happening. Things steadied, still he made no move to look around. He was ignorant of what was happening around him at that instant. He might have remained that way if a voice hadn't spoke.
"And if you could change things?" A harsh voice asked.
Iolaus' head snapped up, shocked at the sound of a voice not his. He was even more startled at the darkness around. His hands reached out for the walls of the cell but only met empty air. He was no longer locked up. He looked around, finding himself alone with no signs of the person who had spoken. "Who are you?"
There was a silence then the voice replied. "I am the evil responsible for you being here. The one who allowed Callisto the secret of time travel."
"You don't sound like her." Iolaus began.
"I am her father. I am Dahok." With those words two glowing red eyes materialized right in front of Iolaus, with a gaze so purely evil that the hunter couldn't help but feel an emotion that wasn't guilt or anger.
It took Iolaus a moment to realize that he was afraid.
Iolaus swallowed, trying to regain control of his emotions. Somehow he managed to keep the fear from his voice at least. "What do you want? I don't see why you'd be interested in me at all. I mean what am I but a failure?" He breathed.
Dahok's eyes remained the only visible portion of the being, but the eyes didn't change any as the creature replied to Iolaus questions. "Are you now? You haven't answered my question. Would you?"
Iolaus gulped remembering the first words Dahok had asked. 'And if I could change it?' Iolaus wondered, he knew what he would do. "You know the answer to that already? How could I not want to change it? But the point is I cannot and you must be thrilled about that. You got what you wanted. Hercules is gone for good." Iolaus said, fury that wasn't at himself rising within him.
Dahok laughed, a cold sound that chilled Iolaus and his fury faded except the guilt and anger at himself.
"You are mistaken. How can I enter this world?" Dahok replied finally.
Iolaus gulped, beginning to figure out what he was getting at. "I don't get, why would you do this whole time travel thing if you didn't get what you wanted? That just doesn't make any sense to me, I mean, wouldn't it be more proper to know what you are getting into before doing it. Either that or you are a horrid planner." Iolaus babbled not noticing the annoyed gleam in Dahok's eyes.
"*Silence*!" Dahok roared. "I have a deal to offer you."
Iolaus straightened, dreading what the deal might be, it could only be trouble. "What?" he asked cautiously.
"You may change the past so you succeed if, if you're willing to pay my price." Dahok finished.
Iolaus froze, a longing for that chance came through him, he couldn't take the thoughts of his failing his dear friend. But was this how to do it? Any price this demon offered would be betraying Herc even more. He couldn't accept this. Sadness passed through him.
'So lonely.' Iolaus thought. "Mortal?" Dahok said trying to get his attention, Iolaus only raised his hand to massage his temples, too confused to hear Dahok. 'I failed Herc, I shouldn't have been able to fail.' "Hunter?!" Dahok thundered, cutting through Iolaus' thoughts and firming the hunter's resolve.
"What payment?" Iolaus asked.
"That is my business."
"In that case no." Iolaus answered, eyes flashing determinedly.
"Don't you want to be free of the guilt? Don't you want to no longer be alone? Don't you wish to restore your friend? Are you really that sure you are so strong that you resist yourself?" Dahok asked.
Iolaus gulped. He didn't know how strong he was anymore, he only knew what he had to do.
"Suit yourself." Dahok said.
Iolaus frowned, puzzled by that, before he could speak though the red eyes winked out of existance. Iolaus flailed out to try and grab at the demon but his hand met only air. He froze, hand out stretched.
He only had a moment to ponder before the ground was gone from under him.
The hunter gasped as he fell.
Things spun despite the fact that all he could see was darkness. His stomach lurched. Iolaus shut his eyes, wondering what Dahok was doing. Things made little sense, he had to figure out what was going on, he doubted that he could take much more of this if he didn't. Dahok was right, Iolaus might not be strong enough to resist this offer simply because of his loneliness and guilt.
The world steadied, he quit falling but he wasn't standing on solid ground. The hunter had to open his eyes to see what was going on and where he was, he still could be curious much to his surprise.
As soon as his eyes opened unbidden memories overwhelmed him.
"Can you resist yourself?" The distant voice Dahok taunted maddingly.
Iolaus truthfully didn't know.
Memories flooded over him. Too many for him to tell them apart. His head was spinning as he tried to make sense of them all. Iolaus focused trying to remember just one at a time. He forgot about Dahok, he couldn't forget about his failure though.
The hunter's grief kept him from being able to focus very well. Iolaus felt a flash of annoyance and stubbornly refused to let his grief distract him. Fiercely he focused on the memories, making sure not to think of his guilt. Iolaus' determination began to pay off. The memories began to clear, one became clearer and froze in at the moment. Iolaus' heart caught as he saw which one it was.
It was the the one from when he'd lost his memory in order to forget about his dropping that woman.
The scene engulfed Iolaus. Iolaus remembered holding the sword, ready to strike at the friend he didn't remember. Herc had never doubted the hunter then. Iolaus remembered the demigod called Fortune. He'd gotten her to flip her coin to determine if the hunter would regain his memory. Hercules had never given up on Iolaus.
Iolaus turned from the memory, unable to stand seeing it. Guilt filled him. Things would have been better if Hercules had given up on him. Iolaus fought against the guilt and forced a smile at the memory.
"That isn't all." Dahok called.
More memories came to Iolaus.
'He had the Hind's Blood as he ran into the vortex to return to his universe. He couldn't let the alternate universe's Hercules get it back, Iolaus' universe depended on it too. The hunter ran through the vortex, it seemed so long. One step after another. He thought he'd make it, but then a hand stopped him. He was turned. He found the Sovereign there.'
Iolaus closed his eyes but the memory skipped on.
'Hercules punched his double from the other universe then he and Iolaus had hurried from the portal. The portal closed behind them, trapping the Sovereign, who had the Hind's Blood, again.'
Iolaus felt tears forming but fought against them. Hercules was the best friend Iolaus could wish for and the hunter had failed him as Herc hadn't failed him there. Iolaus gulped as guilt became intolerable.
Why did these memories hurt so much? They were tearing at his heart mercilessly, it hurt worse than anything he could remember.
'That must be what Dahok wants.' Iolaus realized.
Then the memories overwhelmed him again.
'"Change them..." Iolaus thought he heard Dirce saying. Iolaus was too busy worrying about the guillotine, the rope was still breaking.'
"And Herc saved me again." Iolaus whispered. "I didn't do anything for him then. Why couldn't I do something for him just this once. I've barely done anything for him." Iolaus whispered longing for the chance to make that up to his friend.
Iolaus choked on tears. He was a failure, plain and simple. He'd failed Hercules, he'd failed those of his entire timeline.
The hunter found his knees weakening. The memories were too much. He missed his friend, he was furious with himself, with Callisto, with Dahok, but he was mostly furious with himself. He could have prevented it, but he'd lost his chance...or had he? Dahok's offer...
'No!' His mind revolted weakly against idea. He could accept Dahok's help. 'If I don't Hercules is gone forever. I'll have truly failed him.' He shut his eyes, wanting to block out those thoughts but he couldn't.
Iolaus' mind drifted to other memories.
'Hercules had just promised his mother that he would stay longer next time. Iolaus saw that she was disappointed but understood. She knew them so well.'
His mind snapped from the thoughts of Alcmene. 'Had known.' Iolaus' throat tightened, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't keep from crying. He'd failed everyone this time.
'Callisto turned to the barn. Iolaus had just started to recover as she sent the fiery blast at the barn.'
Iolaus cried out, digging his fingers into his hair, desperate to stop that memory. The scene wouldn't stop. It just echoed through his mind, the memory of the barn being destroyed and taking Alcmene, and his hope, with it.
'Failed them this time.' Iolaus thought, tears threatening to get free.
Loneliness filled him. He missed Hercules, he needed his friend.
Emotions drifted through him, the foremost was confusion. He didn't know what to do anymore. One thing for sure he couldn't take being alone.
He was still thinking of that when the next memories rushed over him.
The next memories rose painfully reminding him.
'Hercules had managed to get Iolaus safely away from the vortex. But he couldn't escape its grasp.'
Iolaus gasped and clung to his head, silently thanking himself for not thinking that the guilt could get worse because it would have been proved wrong very quickly. 'That is how it all started. From then on it was doomed to go downhill.' He thought wanly.
He swallowed hard as the memories continued.
'Iolaus ran to check Strife when he had recovered from his shock at seeing the God fall. He knelt by the prone form to check for a pulse or any signs that he lived, but finding none.'
Iolaus loosened his grip on his head and ran a hand through his hair, his fingers quickly getting caught amongst the tangles. He couldn't have saved Strife, yet he felt that he should have stopped Callisto even though he knew that he'd never have succeed.
'Callisto sent the blast at the barn.'
Iolaus yelled loudly, frantically fighting off that memory hoping to find a more pleasant one. He didn't get his wish.
'There were too many guards. Iolaus slid the Cronus Stone off the scepter only to have it shot from his hand.'
Suddenly the image of the shattered Cronus Stone flashed through his mind. Xena's voice echoed through his mind even though it was only a memory. "You failed."
Iolaus shuddered, something snapped within him. "Yes I failed, I failed..." Iolaus voice shouted. "I failed this time."
"And it isn't the only time." Dahok's voice commented.
'The bridge was so far up Iolaus knew the woman wouldn't survive if she slipped from his grasp and yet he couldn't hold on. She finally slipped free from his grasp, plummeting to her death.'
Iolaus saw her falling but another part of him realized he'd basically let Hercules fall when he'd failed. Failed....
Loneliness, guilt, grief and anger flooded through him, they tore at his heart and threatened to overwhelm him. Iolaus fought against them trying to keep control of himself.
'The red eyes were floating before him, chilling him and fear flittered through him. "You may change the past so you succeed if, if you're willing to pay my price." Dahok offered.'
The offer rang in his head. This time Iolaus stopped and considered it. It was his last chance to save his friend, his last chance, how could he pass it up? Everything that had happened proved that Herc was needed. Iolaus gulped, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly the last sight he'd had of his friend flashed through his mind.
The emotions ripped at Iolaus' heart. He screamed incoherently, unable to find words. Somehow he struggled back into control enough to speak.
"Dahok!" Iolaus cried, hoping that it wasn't too late.
Iolaus shuddered as silence answered him. He couldn't have have missed the chance. Terror tore at him, his voice giving out as and he could only whisper. "Dahok." He breathed.
Iolaus ran a hand through his hair, annoyed at not being able to sound calm. 'Get a grip over yourself, Iolaus.' He scolded himself.
It had been too long for Dahok to have been still interested in that deal. Iolaus shut his eyes, trying to block out the knowledge of what happened. "Not again." He gasped. He couldn't believe it, he'd failed again. It hurt so much before now it stung even more. He didn't think he could take it.
Iolaus' eyes were still closed when disorientation and a familiar queasiness filled him. It had been so long Iolaus had almost forgotten what time travel was like...until that moment when it hit him again.
The hunter grimaced without opening his eyes then braced himself as he continued through time. He struggled to think of things that had nothing to do with what was happening, how he felt. He was still trying when a strange weight hit his hand, his fingers reflexively closed around it, instantly realizing what was in his grasp.
'What do I need a bow and arrow for?' Iolaus wondered just as his feet were on solid ground once again.
The sound of fighting drifted to his ears and his eyes snapped open to see where and when he was. His swift glance didn't have to go beyond the first person he saw, he realized where and when he was and he had to gasp.
"No," Iolaus gasped in horror, "not here!"
~['Armageddon, Now']~
Iolaus' gaze swept over the two combatants, Xena and finally to himself as he crept toward the Conqueror, still out of sight of everyone.
"Why so horrified? It is your chance to change things."
Iolaus blinked as he heard Dahok, his gaze continuing to sweep the area. His eyes were passing over the roof behind the Conqueror when his gaze lit upon a young man preparing his bow, almost as if he knew there'd be trouble.
"Stop him." Dahok told the hunter.
Reluctance filled Iolaus, he couldn't do it this way, not this way. He might still be an amateur at this time travel stuff but he knew enough that changing it this way was a pretty bad idea. Surely Dahok knew that, he obviously couldn't be more of an amateur than Iolaus was.
"If I do it the way you suggest then I won't exist to make the shot that saves the Cronus Stone, but if the man isn't stopped then I'll exist once more. This has to be impossible I cannot do it this way, it is wrong and cannot work!" Iolaus despaired but managed to keep his voice from revealing it, much to his relief.
"That shall not happen. I made sure of that." Dahok said confidently. "Now change it."
Iolaus nocked the arrow. He was barely aware that he was raising the bow and drawing back the string. His focus returned, the hunter's target was watching the combatants.
Iolaus aimed and his confidence fled.
'Save your soul or Hercules but betray yourself and other.' Iolaus froze, unsure that he was doing the right thing. Memories of the joy he and the demigod had together flashed through Iolaus' head. The hunter's hands trembled at the thought of the choice, how could he pick this, one way he failed Herc and the other he'd be betraying the demigod. That helped none. Iolaus noted his past time self leaping forward and snatching the scepter from the Conqueror's grasp. Frantic to decide Iolaus examined what the choice really was between, the hunter's soul and Hercules' life.
The answer to the question was clear as the true choice was seen. There was only one answer Iolaus could live with.
The archer was trying to get a clear shot at Iolaus and the Cronus Stone. With his doubt gone, the hunter took aim at his prey. Iolaus silently whispered to the demigod, "I'm sorry," then he fired the arrow.
The arrow left the bow, speeding toward its destination.
~['Armageddon, Now']~
The first one met with the end of the staff as Iolaus countered before he could strike at the hunter.
Iolaus fought off those he could. Behind him Xena ordered her warriors to get him and Iolaus saw guards start swarming up the steps toward him. He started to turn from them to try and escape but more guards had lined up at the top of the steps with their weapon's drawn. Iolaus gritted his teeth, determined not to fail. He grabbed for the Cronus Stone, it slid off the top of the scepter and into his hand easily.
He knew it was time to go, he started to drop the staff....
....then time split.
~
The archer finally got clear aim at his target, he was starting to release it
when a flash cut past his gaze, the string of the bow was cut and it fell over
his hand as his arm was grazed by an arrow. He was shocked, for a moment he
forgot his prey until his arrow clattered to the edge of the roof and fell
over the side. The archer ignored his lost arrow and his startled gaze turned
toward the arrow that had scraped against his arm.
He couldn't find the arrow though. His hand covered his wound, that was bleeding just slightly and looked the direction the shaft had come from, trying to find who had injured him. He vowed silently that no one would get away with that.
Unknown to the archer his attacker had long since ceased to exist.
A few moments later so did the man.
This existence disappeared leaving nothingness in its wake and no witnesses to what had occurred...except one.
In the darkness Dahok's cold laughter rang out as time was reset to what it was supposed to be. "Now I have what I want." he said, but no one could hear him.
(And the rest is known.)
~[End of 'Faith']~
"Nebula!" Hercules called in warning.
Iolaus looked and saw the knife flying through the air straight for Nebula. Iolaus had just realized how much he cared for the woman and he wasn't about to see Dahok succeed in claiming her life. He was moving before he even finished realizing it. He leapt. He found himself between Nebula and the deadly dagger. He barely had time to feel fear before the knife struck him and sent him flying backward. The hunter's senses dimmed and he thought he heard Nebula screaming his name. He hit the floor behind him, but things were so dimmed, he didn't feel pain from the knife stuck in his chest, nor did he feel himself crashing to the ground. He watched and heard everything through a haze. Iolaus knew he was dying, again.
He felt bad about having to put Hercules through this again. 'If I had a choice....' Iolaus thought through the haze.
Hercules was there then, grasping the hunter protectively. 'A little late for that.' Iolaus thought vaguely. Iolaus heard his good friend speaking, and then he was replying. He couldn't really make out the words, he just knew he was saying them. He saw the pain in the demigod's face and guilt filled him and he had to speak but the darkness dragged at him, trying to pull him away before he could. Iolaus fought against it, he couldn't leave Herc like this, he couldn't!
Iolaus took a ragged breath and breathed his final whisper. This one he understood.
"Hercules...." Iolaus gasped, he would have said more but the darkness swept over him, faintly he heard his friend's denying calls. He wanted to respond, to call out. He really couldn't stand the hurt he was causing the demigod but something kept him away. At first he thought it was because he was dead, but as all sound of his friend's cries faded a lingering pain made him worry.
Iolaus looked down dazedly at his chest where the knife had been but found the knife gone but the wound was still there.
"Wh-w-what?!" Iolaus gasped dizzily and slowly realizing that the darkness he was standing in was even more dead than he remembered death being, not to mention more painful. This couldn't be death, could it?
A nasty laugh rang out from somewhere before the hunter and he looked up into the darkness trying to see who was there.
At first Iolaus didn't see anything then slowly two red glowing eyes, that danced with a wicked merriment, appeared before him and the distinctly male voice, still filled with the wicked laugh spoke. "Welcome Iolaus." There was a pause then the voice continued as a cloaked figure appeared with the eyes. "Do you remember me?"
Iolaus stared at the figure as a chilled feeling filled him. Somehow this person seemed familiar in a horrific way, yet as far as Iolaus knew he'd never met this man. "Who are you?" Iolaus demanded.
"Do you remember what Gilgamesh said?"
Iolaus thought back to all Gilgamesh had said. Gilgamesh had asked for Hercules' help in saving his land. But in the end Nebula's half-brother had turned out to be a servant of the evil God Dahok.
Iolaus quit thinking there. "Dahok." Iolaus growled as fury filled him.
The figure nodded. "Very good Iolaus. I'm here to collect the payment owed me."
Something about that chilled Iolaus to the bone and he shuddered. He found himself backing away from Dahok but he hit a wall and couldn't go any farther. "I never met you before and I certainly owe you nothing. I've never even had time to promise you anything, and even if I had time I would never have even considered saying yes so you must have mistaken me for someone else because....." Iolaus' brave act but fearful babbling was quickly interrupted.
"Enough!" Dahok roared. "Nebula was not the sacrifice to me, Iolaus."
Iolaus looked at Dahok something about those words ringing true in his soul. "What...." Iolaus knew he'd regret asking but curiousity got the better of him. "Are you talking about?"
Dahok raised a cloaked hand and a single claw pointed at Iolaus. "Remember." And memories flooded into the confused, and worried, hunter's mind.
Dahok watched Iolaus remember. A startled expression came over Iolaus' face. Iolaus was stunned by what he was remembering, he knew that he shouldn't have any memory of all this but he felt as if it was true and like he'd always known on some level that all those memories had occurred.
Iolaus gulped as the memories faded and he opened his mouth to speak but to his shock he couldn't find the words he wanted to say. He just stood there, his mouth moving but not having the words to make a sound with. That reaction only lasted a breath and when it broke words flooded his mind ad he began babbling. "This is a trick. It couldn't have possibly have happened, it mustn't be true. If it had happened I wouldn't remember it or even have a hunch that I had forgotten something." The words still had some doubt in them over that fact and Dahok heard it.
"You mortals cannot banish all the doubt in your minds. You still have a part of you that believes that it all really happened, which it did, but that belief that is left is enough. Nebula never was the sacrifice."
Iolaus felt understanding hit him. He understood what Dahok had meant when he had told Iolaus he couldn't enter the Conqueror's world.
"You had all this planned didn't you?" Iolaus asked even though he knew the answer.
Dahok laughed and nodded. "How could I not?"
"You never wanted to get rid of Hercules back then, as the entire purpose of the time traveling escapade. What happened was the true goal of yours. If it hadn't happened that way you'd have failed in your plan." Iolaus commented.
"I never fail." Dahok stated.
"There is a first time for everything." Iolaus said then stopped. "Wait! Nebula never was the sacrifice, you planned for me to leap in front of that knife...I was the sacrifice, never Nebula." The hunter breathed horror filling him. He'd walked right into Dahok's hands. He shoved the uneasiness away. "You've been leading up to this point since...since the beginning haven't you. Your first plan hasn't even ended yet. You know, I was wrong, you actually plan way too much. You must have too much time on your hands, or is it that you need a new hobby?"
Dahok ignored Iolaus' comment, and spoke then, his voice took on a new, more serious tone. "I'm here to collect my payment." He stated finally.
Iolaus opened his mouth to reply but stopped. He'd already sold his soul to Dahok all that was left was to pay up, Iolaus no longer had a say in this matter. The hunter could only silently hope that Hercules would figure out how Dahok thought before it really was too late.
~[The End]~
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