Blind Justice
folder
S through Z › Xena
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
9
Views:
7,409
Reviews:
21
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
S through Z › Xena
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
9
Views:
7,409
Reviews:
21
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Xena, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
chapter 3
Chapter 3:
Laying his burden down upon a nearby loveseat, he waited for his brother to arrive. His eyes travelled down the face he had come to enjoy watching these last few weeks. *Don’t even think it Ares. Just don’t. Remember who you are … *
In a golden flash, the Sun God enters Ares' temple, his features set in a slight frown.
”What is it, bro’?” He spots Joxer. Kneeling beside his dark counterpart, he speaks softly. ”What happened?”
Ares quickly explained just what had happened. That Joxer had a flashback, indicating it gave him head pains and weakened him before collapsing. The dark god looked at the man lying on the loveseat, the soft face of the mortal constricted into a pained frown.
Ares looked to Apollo as the golden god’s hands shimmered over Joxer, sending small amounts of power into the mortal. The power came back to him, a faint echo. Apollo frowned. He could sense a familiar signature on the mortal... well several, Dite and Ares included. But one in particular that he was familiar with but didn’t recognise.
”This is strange…. ”
Before Ares could speak, Eris flashed into the room. Her black hair was tussled and in disarray, her leather outfit bloodied. It seemed that the battle had started. Oh well. His sister could handle it, Ares decided. He had left detailed instructions anyway.
”Ares, where in Tartarus have you been?” She tossed her black hair over her shoulder, her blue eyes flashing at her older twin. She had been trying to get a hold of him for days.
Ares looks up at his sister, an angry snarl on his lip and dark brown eyes flashing. ”None of your damn business, Discord…. ” He turned back to the injured man on the loveseat.
Eris raised an eyebrow and walked around the loveseat, watching Ares' face as he watched Apollo work. She could easily read every shift of emotions: the puzzlement, the fear, the warmth. What was going on here?
:::::::
Apollo looked up from his task, smiling faintly at Ares, his blue eyes holding a reassurance.
”He is physically fine, Ares. It's his mind that I worry about.” The sun god stood up and moved to a nearby table, a pitcher of water appearing. He sat down in a chair, gesturing for Eris and Ares to do the same. The twins sat down looking expectantly at Apollo.
”What is it ‘Poll?” The being called Ares looked at his brother, his dark eyes imploring,”Please tell me …”
Apollo nodded. He slowly outlined the damage done to Joxer before he had healed him just weeks earlier. ”He had internal bleeding in his lungs and his head… and his spleen was bleeding as well. His legs were crushed and a joint severely damaged. But the most damage was to his Brain. Otherwise it was mostly bruises and smaller cuts." He didn’t mention that the man had been slowly bleeding to death, both inside and out. He took a deep breath and continued, watching his dark brother clench and unclench his fists. He glanced at Eris. But the Goddess of Discord mostly looked bored.
”His memory was altered… no, that's not the right word. More like the memory was locked into his brain by an outside force. I did not realise that until now. I believed his memory loss to be from the previous swelling in his brain. ” Apollo looked at Ares, and Discord. Ares looked worried. He hadn’t realised his brother had come to care for the mortal. Discord… well if you looked very closely you would see a sliver of disgust in her eyes.
”It's not a natural state and the brain is trying to‘re-open’ those memories, as Joxer wants to remember them. But the seal is fighting it and so it causes Joxer pain to even try to think about it. That is what is causing his head-pain. ” He runs a hand through his blond hair. He took a deep breath. ”I can try to remove the seal. It is possible… ”Ares looked hopeful,” But... and it's a big but... it might kill him. ”
Ares shot out of his seat and started pacing. His natural curiosity wanted to say 'do it' to find out just who did this to Joxer. Who had dumped the mortal in his valley? If this Being was a threat to Greece.
But at the same time, the part of him that wanted to keep Joxer close was screaming 'NO'. That he could loose the goofy mortal that had made him laugh.
*For the good of Greece, Joxer... or my own heart? *
A decision was made. Ares looked at Joxer, his face twisted in pain. To live like that. His brain fighting itself? He smiled sadly. It was no decision; he could not allow Joxer to live like that.
He could feel Eris' eyes on him, calculating and finding a weakness in his icy shell. Wondering what had changed. *Everything * Ares thought. Tartarus, he had showed her more of himself now than he had in over 2000 years.
Ares looked at Apollo. Meeting his light brother’s eyes.
”Do it …”
::::
*POV – Apollo*
To try to enter someone’s subconscious mind is not easy… even for a god. A mortal's mind is complex; every layer of thought must remain unharmed.
What I am about to do has not been done since the time of the Titans. I have tried it myself, but I lost the patient. I was young then, and I pray to the mother that I do not lose Joxer; I feel he will have a grave impact on us all.
I stand and ask Ares to transfer Joxer to a bed. He does so without even the slightest fuss. Normally, I would get at least a token of a protest. I follow him and am slightly shocked that Ares brings the mortal to his own private bedroom. I knew that they had shared a bed at the retreat, but here? With the magnitude of guestrooms?
I raise an eyebrow at Ares and, surprise, surprise, Tall, Dark and Handsome growls at me. I glare back at him.
”Thank you, Ares.” Shooing him out of the room, I call my son to me as well as Psyche. As Ace and The Mind Goddess appear, I quickly explain what it is I am preparing to do.
”Psyche, I need you as an anchor and as support. You are the goddess of mind and should on an instinctual level know what to do. Ace... ” I turn to my son,”I need you to keep tabs on us all. If he grows unstable, tell Psyche to withdraw and she will bring me with her. Do not take any chances, OK? ”
I gently touch Ace's shoulder and he smiles at me. A small nod and we get to work.
:::
Psyche stands behind me, both hands on my shoulders as I sit next to Joxer. I take deep breath and feel Psyche doing the same thing.
”Ready?” I ask and I get a nod from my son and a faint yes from the woman behind me. I lay a hand on Joxer's forehead and gently slide into his mind. This is different from reading or even sharing someone’s mind. I must tread carefully so I do not do any damage.
I can feel his chaotic mind. He truly is a work of art. I have always thought him to be slightly crazy. But as I healed him that first time, I healed his brain completely, removing the damage of beatings long ago.
But his mind. Had I still been in my body I would have shaken my head. Such a mess. But at the same time, that mess come together creating a whole that is simply beautiful.
Soon I find the 'closed off' memories; I can see the mind struggling with them still. I reach out with my senses. I feel Psyche doing the same. Together, we gently start to unfold the block around the memories like a flower shedding its pedals.
This is the part that becomes painful. Each ‘pedal’ that falls is a struggle for both him and for us….
*End POV*
Asclepius watched all this with a frown, his power spread over all three beings in his care, monitoring them. As he saw his father collapse, he reached out to steady both him and Psyche as she had fallen onto his father's back…
”Goddess, I hope they are ok… ”
Laying his burden down upon a nearby loveseat, he waited for his brother to arrive. His eyes travelled down the face he had come to enjoy watching these last few weeks. *Don’t even think it Ares. Just don’t. Remember who you are … *
In a golden flash, the Sun God enters Ares' temple, his features set in a slight frown.
”What is it, bro’?” He spots Joxer. Kneeling beside his dark counterpart, he speaks softly. ”What happened?”
Ares quickly explained just what had happened. That Joxer had a flashback, indicating it gave him head pains and weakened him before collapsing. The dark god looked at the man lying on the loveseat, the soft face of the mortal constricted into a pained frown.
Ares looked to Apollo as the golden god’s hands shimmered over Joxer, sending small amounts of power into the mortal. The power came back to him, a faint echo. Apollo frowned. He could sense a familiar signature on the mortal... well several, Dite and Ares included. But one in particular that he was familiar with but didn’t recognise.
”This is strange…. ”
Before Ares could speak, Eris flashed into the room. Her black hair was tussled and in disarray, her leather outfit bloodied. It seemed that the battle had started. Oh well. His sister could handle it, Ares decided. He had left detailed instructions anyway.
”Ares, where in Tartarus have you been?” She tossed her black hair over her shoulder, her blue eyes flashing at her older twin. She had been trying to get a hold of him for days.
Ares looks up at his sister, an angry snarl on his lip and dark brown eyes flashing. ”None of your damn business, Discord…. ” He turned back to the injured man on the loveseat.
Eris raised an eyebrow and walked around the loveseat, watching Ares' face as he watched Apollo work. She could easily read every shift of emotions: the puzzlement, the fear, the warmth. What was going on here?
:::::::
Apollo looked up from his task, smiling faintly at Ares, his blue eyes holding a reassurance.
”He is physically fine, Ares. It's his mind that I worry about.” The sun god stood up and moved to a nearby table, a pitcher of water appearing. He sat down in a chair, gesturing for Eris and Ares to do the same. The twins sat down looking expectantly at Apollo.
”What is it ‘Poll?” The being called Ares looked at his brother, his dark eyes imploring,”Please tell me …”
Apollo nodded. He slowly outlined the damage done to Joxer before he had healed him just weeks earlier. ”He had internal bleeding in his lungs and his head… and his spleen was bleeding as well. His legs were crushed and a joint severely damaged. But the most damage was to his Brain. Otherwise it was mostly bruises and smaller cuts." He didn’t mention that the man had been slowly bleeding to death, both inside and out. He took a deep breath and continued, watching his dark brother clench and unclench his fists. He glanced at Eris. But the Goddess of Discord mostly looked bored.
”His memory was altered… no, that's not the right word. More like the memory was locked into his brain by an outside force. I did not realise that until now. I believed his memory loss to be from the previous swelling in his brain. ” Apollo looked at Ares, and Discord. Ares looked worried. He hadn’t realised his brother had come to care for the mortal. Discord… well if you looked very closely you would see a sliver of disgust in her eyes.
”It's not a natural state and the brain is trying to‘re-open’ those memories, as Joxer wants to remember them. But the seal is fighting it and so it causes Joxer pain to even try to think about it. That is what is causing his head-pain. ” He runs a hand through his blond hair. He took a deep breath. ”I can try to remove the seal. It is possible… ”Ares looked hopeful,” But... and it's a big but... it might kill him. ”
Ares shot out of his seat and started pacing. His natural curiosity wanted to say 'do it' to find out just who did this to Joxer. Who had dumped the mortal in his valley? If this Being was a threat to Greece.
But at the same time, the part of him that wanted to keep Joxer close was screaming 'NO'. That he could loose the goofy mortal that had made him laugh.
*For the good of Greece, Joxer... or my own heart? *
A decision was made. Ares looked at Joxer, his face twisted in pain. To live like that. His brain fighting itself? He smiled sadly. It was no decision; he could not allow Joxer to live like that.
He could feel Eris' eyes on him, calculating and finding a weakness in his icy shell. Wondering what had changed. *Everything * Ares thought. Tartarus, he had showed her more of himself now than he had in over 2000 years.
Ares looked at Apollo. Meeting his light brother’s eyes.
”Do it …”
::::
*POV – Apollo*
To try to enter someone’s subconscious mind is not easy… even for a god. A mortal's mind is complex; every layer of thought must remain unharmed.
What I am about to do has not been done since the time of the Titans. I have tried it myself, but I lost the patient. I was young then, and I pray to the mother that I do not lose Joxer; I feel he will have a grave impact on us all.
I stand and ask Ares to transfer Joxer to a bed. He does so without even the slightest fuss. Normally, I would get at least a token of a protest. I follow him and am slightly shocked that Ares brings the mortal to his own private bedroom. I knew that they had shared a bed at the retreat, but here? With the magnitude of guestrooms?
I raise an eyebrow at Ares and, surprise, surprise, Tall, Dark and Handsome growls at me. I glare back at him.
”Thank you, Ares.” Shooing him out of the room, I call my son to me as well as Psyche. As Ace and The Mind Goddess appear, I quickly explain what it is I am preparing to do.
”Psyche, I need you as an anchor and as support. You are the goddess of mind and should on an instinctual level know what to do. Ace... ” I turn to my son,”I need you to keep tabs on us all. If he grows unstable, tell Psyche to withdraw and she will bring me with her. Do not take any chances, OK? ”
I gently touch Ace's shoulder and he smiles at me. A small nod and we get to work.
:::
Psyche stands behind me, both hands on my shoulders as I sit next to Joxer. I take deep breath and feel Psyche doing the same thing.
”Ready?” I ask and I get a nod from my son and a faint yes from the woman behind me. I lay a hand on Joxer's forehead and gently slide into his mind. This is different from reading or even sharing someone’s mind. I must tread carefully so I do not do any damage.
I can feel his chaotic mind. He truly is a work of art. I have always thought him to be slightly crazy. But as I healed him that first time, I healed his brain completely, removing the damage of beatings long ago.
But his mind. Had I still been in my body I would have shaken my head. Such a mess. But at the same time, that mess come together creating a whole that is simply beautiful.
Soon I find the 'closed off' memories; I can see the mind struggling with them still. I reach out with my senses. I feel Psyche doing the same. Together, we gently start to unfold the block around the memories like a flower shedding its pedals.
This is the part that becomes painful. Each ‘pedal’ that falls is a struggle for both him and for us….
*End POV*
Asclepius watched all this with a frown, his power spread over all three beings in his care, monitoring them. As he saw his father collapse, he reached out to steady both him and Psyche as she had fallen onto his father's back…
”Goddess, I hope they are ok… ”