The Beginning

Author's note: I do not own Xena or Hercules. If I did, Xena and Ares would be together, Serena would never have died… Joxer would've gotten Gabrielle in the end rather than being killed… Things like that. Too bad…

Hercules and Aphrodite cautiously made their way into the Cabiri's temple. They both knew that this was their only chance to save Triton, and incidentally the world. Hercules knocked over a few pillars to get the spirit's attention.

"Why have you come here?" boomed the voice of the Cabiri.

"We've come to ask that you make Triton a new trident," Hercules answered.

"Why should I do such a thing? What is in this for you hero?" the Cabiri asked.

"Nothing, only that the fate of the world rests on this," Hercules replied.

"But the mortal woman who came here with you, in another time she was your wife, if you return Triton's trident she will have her husband back. If not, you could have her," the Cabiri said.

"I made a deal with fate, my heart for her life," Hercules said, his voice betraying the overwhelming sadness he still felt from losing her.

"You have always put others before your own happiness, son of Zeus. For this reason I have decided not to grant your request. I will not make another trident,"

"But if Triton dies the seas will die, and with them, the rest of the world!" Hercules exclaimed.

"You misunderstand, I will not create another trident, because there will be no need to. I have decided to turn back the sands of time. To reward you for risking your life, and sacrificing your heart to save this world time and time again. When you leave here you will wake, as if from a dream. You will find yourself back home in Serneya, with Serena," the Cabiri said.

"You're sending me back to my honeymoon?" Hercules asked suspiciously. "And what do you get out of this?"

"You're right to be suspicious, you must do one thing for me if I am to let this be," the Cabiri said approvingly.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I want you right a wrong you committed without knowing. You changed the destiny of this world and set into motion the Twilight of the Gods," the Cabiri said.

"How did I do that? How can a mortal man set into motion the time when mortals no longer need the gods?" Hercules asked.

"You turned to future queen of the gods against her king," the Cabiri told him. "You were only meant to help her realize that she was spiraling down the wrong path, not turn her against the man she loved!"

"Xena and Ares are meant to rule the gods!?"Aphrodite exclaimed, scaring Hercules who had forgotten she was still there.

"Yes, they balance each other, without her he would become one of the most evil beings in the cosmos, only then would he take Zeus' throne, and by that time it would be too late to save the gods. All of the gods would fall, but for Aphrodite and Ares. Ares would survive due to the love he still feels for Xena. Because of this love he would help her destroy the gods who would harm her child to save themselves. And you Aphrodite would stand by and watch as Xena killed Hephaestus, knowing that you could do nothing but accepting that she was right in doing so," the Cabiri explained.

"There has to be a way to prevent that future!" Aphrodite cried, tears filling her eyes.

"There is a way. Turning back the sands of time can change this, but only if our young hero here agrees to help mend what he has broken,"

"You mean turn Xena back to her dark side? No way in Tartarus!" Hercules exclaimed.

"No, reuniting the god of war and his chosen will not turn her back into her former self; he wasn't the cause of that in the first place. As I said before, they balance each other out. He brings out the fire and passion within her, and she brings out the goodness in him. If you truly wish to save this world, you will agree to do this. If not for the world, then for your sister. Save her the pain of watching her husband die, the way you watched Deianeira die," the Cabiri said.

Hercules was silent for a moment. His eyes locked with his sister's and saw the pain in them. He wouldn't allow her to feel that pain if he could help it, even if that meant that he would need to become friends with his brother.

"I'll do it," he said.

"Tell no one of this Hercules. The world must not know that it has been changed. The two of you, and Ares, shall be the only ones who will remember the separate strands of time. Only he can know all of what I have told you, for his knowledge of this world might be the only way to fix his broken relationship. You may tell Xena and her bard friend, as well as Iolus and Serena only what is neccesarry to gain their cooperation. You have a chance to change many things, save many lives that you were unable to save before. Above all, you must reunite Ares and Xena." the Cabiri said.

"Agreed," Hercules said.

"Won't tell a soul," Aphrodite said.

"It is done," the Cabiri boomed, and everything went black.