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Title: The
10th Muse
Author:
CN Winters
Fandom:
Xena Fanfiction, Xena fanfic, Xena fan fiction, Xena and
Gabrielle fanfiction, Xena fiction
Rating: PG-13
for naughty language, violence, drug use...the usual.
Disclaimers:
Xena and the gang aren’t mine. They belong to
MCA/Universal/Studio USA and a bunch of other folks who now
own them. If the thought of two ladies in love is unappealing
please proceed on to another story.
Author
Note: There’s
a great out-of-print book called ‘Sappho: A Garland. The
Poems & Fragments of Sappho’ Translated by Jim Powell.
It’s very short and easy to understand -- it talks about
Sappho’s life and works. Some aspects in the book I
incorporated directly into this story. Others, well, I used a
bit of creative license. For over 10 years, I had this idea
rattling around in my head. TPTB were going to do a
Sappho ep in Season Four, with Xena having ANOTHER
doppelganger, Sappho. They dropped the idea because they said
they couldn't figure out how to keep the subtext sub. This
'episode' takes place in Season Six, rather than Season Four,
since Sappho is mentioned in S6's 'Many Happy Returns', which
is 30 years AFTER Season Four.
Dedication:
This story is dedicated to two of my best friends, Bridget and
Norma, who I lost within a year of each other. It was actually
through the Xenaverse that I met them so decided as a tribute
I’d finally put this story on ‘paper’.
Synopsis:
In this traditional, season six, subtext story that's part
French farce; part musical, Gabrielle has a Doppelganger, the
Poetess Sappho. It's up to Gabby, Xena and Sappho's friend,
the goddess Aphrodite, to guard Sappho during the 10th Muse
Competition...Of course they must also try to repair Sappho's
damaged relationship with her lover, and bandmate, Anaktoria.
Feedback: Sure, drop me a line
at cnwinters71@yahoo.com or feel free to
contact me via the form on my site at www.cnscaldron.com.
Teaser
“I
need your help!” Aphrodite said as she suddenly materialized
in the forest in front of Xena and Gabrielle.
Instantly,
Xena had her sword drawn while Gabrielle had her sais ‘at
the ready’. They both dropped their guard simultaneously
when they saw it was her.
Aphrodite
sighed, “Geeze. Take it down a notch, ladies.”
“You’re
lucky you’re immortal,” Xena hissed as she re-sheathed her
sword.
“Yeah.
Whatever.” The goddess waved her off and looked to
Gabrielle. “I need your help to save a friend, Gabby.
She’s got some pretty heavy political connections and her
family-.”
“Sorry,”
Xena interrupted. “I’m not a sword for hire -- especially
for politicians.”
“Well,
guess what? I didn’t ask you. I asked her,” she said
turning back to Gabrielle.
“You
want me?” the bard asked as she put her sais back in her
boots.
Aphrodite
nodded. “I need YOU, for sure,” she added for emphasis.
“I guess Xena can tag along too if she wants, but she’s
being stubborn.”
“Hey,”
Xena said indignant.
“What?”
Aphrodite shrugged.
“Where
Gabrielle goes, I go.”
“Great,
you’re going to Athens if she agrees,” Aphrodite told the
warrior. “Truth is, I would like your help too, but I’m
not going to twist your arm. I just figured you might feel
that one good deed deserves another after all.”
“Oh
really? A good deed?”
“Hey,”
Aphrodite said as she moved a few steps closer to poke Xena in
the breast place with a pointed finger. “I defied the
Olympian order to help Gabrielle, and that was AFTER I tried
to talk them out of going after Eve. And what did I get in
return, Xena? You killed my ENTIRE family!” she squawked.
“Except
Ares,” Gabrielle muttered.
“Yes,
except pain-in-my-ass, Ares,” she corrected herself. “But
hey,” she said with a sarcastic snort, “…if you can’t
be bothered to return the favor…” The goddess then let the
sentence hang for effect… and guilt.
Xena
looked at Gabrielle, who shrugged and told Aphrodite, “She
hit me with a Chakram.”
“She
killed my husband, my brothers, my sisters, my-.”
“Fine!”
Xena sighed not wanting to get into it all. “What’s the
job?”
“It’s
a muse that needs help, well, not a real muse, just someone
who’s super talented. In fact, you’ve met her.”
“I
have?” Xena asked.
“Yep,
you strong-armed your way into her dressing room and forced
her to write a poem for you, well, actually for her.” She
pointed in the bard’s direction.
Xena
suddenly looked worried as Gabrielle began to grow annoyed.
“What?!”
Gabrielle said as she slapped Xena’s arm. “You made Sappho
write something for me at sword point?!”
“Nooo,”
Xena whined.
Aphrodite
muttered, “It was a crossbow.”
“What?!”
Gabrielle screeched again.
“No,
I didn’t!” Xena argued.
Aphrodite
began to chuckle. “Take a chill pill, Gabby. I’m just
teasing you. Actually, Xena did strong arm her way in but then
she told her the sob story of missing the birthday concert and
she took pity on her. It was actually kind of sweet. Xena even
begged.”
“You
begged,” Gabby asked with a growing smile.
Xena
looked way for a moment. “I felt bad. I asked her to do
another show, but she said no. She had to get back to Mytilene.
So instead, she asked me to describe you. I did and, well, you
read what she came up with. She said she’d only hand it over
if I made a promise that I wouldn’t read it before I gave it
to you.”
“That’s
why you looked surprised when I read it,” Gabrielle
surmised.
“It
was the first time I heard it too. You loved what she wrote
for you and my screw up was corrected. So problem solved. End
of story.”
“Not
really,” Aphrodite added.
“You
have something more to add?” Xena asked coolly.
“You
never mentioned Sappho’s appearance.” Aphrodite motioned
for Xena to continue.
The
warrior turned to Gabrielle.
“Alright,
I should warn you.... Sappho looks like…”
“What?”
Gabrielle asked when Xena didn’t continue.
“Someone
in this circle,” she finished.
“Are
you kidding me?!” Gabrielle asked. “You mean 30 years
later and there’s yet another woman that looks like you?”
“Not
me.” She then nodded to Aphrodite and said, “…or her.”
“Me?”
Xena
simply nodded.
“Well,
how much like me?” Gabrielle wondered.
“You’ll
see.” Xena just smiled.
“Yeaaaaaah,”
Aphrodite added. “She IS a dead ringer for the bardly one
here, but you never met Anaktoria, Xena.”
“Who’s
Anaktoria?” Xena and Gabrielle both asked at the same time.
Aphrodite
giggled. “Like you just said, you’ll see.”
With
that, Aphrodite reached out and grabbed both their arms and
the three of them glittered away. When they re-immerged, they
were outside the south slope of the Acropolis of Athens at The
Odeon Inn, a small venue / tavern next to The Odeon of Herodes
Atticus, a much larger stone theatre structure.
A
large banner hung outside the theater that read, “The 10th
Muse Competition Finals.”
Gabrielle
began to put everything together.
“Wait.
You want me to act like Sappho and recite her poetry?”
“Actually
this competition has nothing to do with her poetry.”
“I
don’t understand,” the bard answered.
“It’s
about her music and I need you to sing.”
“I-I-I
don’t sing,” Gabrielle stuttered nervously.
“You
do today!” Aphrodite said as she pulled them both inside the
theater.
To
Act One
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