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| Kronos Stone | Page 2 of 3 |
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Armageddon Now begins exactly where Maternal Instincts leaves off, with Xena and Gabrielle standing vigil by Solan and Hope's funeral pyres. From deep within the fires of Hope's resting place, there is a sudden burst of flame and a disembodied energy field is cast up into the air, travelling for a distance before landing in a nearby settlement. In an alley, a terrified old man witnesses the energy reconstructing itself into a human-like form - it is Hope, reborn as an emaciated, inhuman creature but still recognisably the child she was before. Killing the old man, Hope absorbs his very life force and, taking his hooded cloak, she walks away. Meanwhile, Hercules is visiting his mother Alcmene when news arrives that King Tyndareus may be about to start a war because his daughter has run away and got married; apparently the "hothead" king has been making offerings to Ares and raising an army. Hercules has to stop this, so he promises Alcmene that his next visit will be longer and sets off with Iolaus. Hope is outside the cave where Callisto is imprisoned and uses her powers to clear the entrance. Callisto emerges, and is welcomed by Hope, but it is clear that Callisto is furious to have been disturbed. She tells Hope that their collaboration is over, she has done all she can and and now just wants to be left alone. Hope tells Callisto her work is not finished yet, in fact her biggest challenge lies ahead - to rid the world of its greatest hero, Hercules. Ares is at his temple offering Tyndareus powerful weapons in the hope that the king and his army will be tempted into fighting a huge war against their enemies. Tyndareus just wants his daughter back, but Ares and Strife convince him that war is the only way to accomplish that. Fired up, Tyndareus seems all ready for war, but Hercules arrives just in time and, toppling two columns, he buries the store of weapons, much to Ares' fury. Felling an attacking Strife with one punch, Hercules joins Iolaus outside and they talk sense into King Tyndareus; now he plans to hold a wedding feast for his daughter and her new husband. Callisto says Hope has changed and she hardly recognised her. Hope replies that she is the same person she always was. Callisto still doesn't believe in the plan, as killing Hercules has been tried before. Hope says they will work together and to refuse would be a mistake. She says Callisto's life is empty and she needs a purpose. Callisto retorts that her life will never end, yet it effectively ended years ago in Cirra, and tells Hope to go away. Hope says she can redeem Callisto's life and banish her demons in a way she never thought possible. Ares is angry that the war has been averted, as he needed it to reinforce his position on Olympus, because he can see something coming the other gods can't. He shouts at Strife and the latter taunts him that even he won't cross Zeus. Suddenly, Ares hears Callisto's voice behind him. Obviously pleased to see the immortal newly-born goddess, Ares flatters her, but Strife makes his distrust clear; Callisto sends him flying with a fire-bolt. She says she loves fire, and it's always been a part of her since Xena's army burned her family in Cirra. Once again Callisto says that "everybody died that day." Ares delights in the recollection of that carnage, saying Xena would have laid waste to the entire mortal world had Hercules not interfered, which is obviously exactly the thinking that Callisto wants him to take. Strife urges Ares not to trust her as although she is a god, she isn't one of them. Ares and Callisto talk about the risks involved in killing Hercules and, sure enough, Callisto suggests getting rid of Hercules in a way Zeus would never know about. Again, Strife warns Ares that Callisto is just manipulating him, but Ares still wants to know more. Appearing outside, Callisto and Ares use their joint power to open up the gateway to the alternative universe. The vortex opens, and spews out Hercules' wicked alternative self, the Sovereign, who had been trapped in a "netherworld" between this world and his own. Callisto demands that the Sovereign hand over the pendant of Hind's blood he is wearing and, when he refuses, Ares uses his godly powers to sieze it. Furious, the Sovereign tries to attack, but the gods disappear. The Sovereign realises that this is not his world. Inside, Ares and Strife discuss the fact that, as Hind's blood is the only thing that can kill a god, any god who posesses it will have ultimate power over all others. Callisto returns and flirts with Ares, clearly angling to get hold of the Hind's blood pendant. Knowing the God of War doesn't trust her, Callisto asks what she needs to do to convince him. Ignoring Strife's protests, Ares hears Callisto out; she says that Hercules will be so busy dealing with the Sovereign that they will now be free to have their own fun and games. On their way to the wedding feast, Iolaus and Hercules talk to a villager who is immediately unsettled at the sight of Hercules, much to the latter's bemusement. The villager asks how he could have got there so quickly, as he saw "Hercules", bearded and with different clothes, tear up the village of Arcadia that morning. Immediately realising the Sovereign must be loose, Hercules and Iolaus head off in that direction. The Sovereign is busy wreaking more destruction, furious at the fact that in this world, people don't fear him - everywhere he goes, all he sees are happy, smiling faces. Arriving, Iolaus warns Hercules that, as the Sovereign has the same strength, defeating him could take for ever. Hercules however, has an idea. He gives Iolaus a bottle and confronts the Sovereign. The two fight, and at Hercules' cue, Iolaus throws the bottle, which lands at the Sovereign's feet and starts to give off a cloudy vapour. Quickly overcome, the Sovereign falls over unconscious. The bottle contained narcilepsis dust, which induces heavy sleep. Both Iolaus and Hercules suspect that the Sovereign couldn't have escaped the netherworld on his own; noticing the Hind's blood pendant has gone, Hercules adds that whoever freed him must also have that now. Carrying the Sovereign's unconscious body, Iolaus and Hercules return to the place where the gateway to the alternative universe opens, outside Ares' temple. They know they are in the right place, but how can they open the vortex? From behind, Callisto says she and Ares would be glad to help. Ares appears and Hercules isn't surprised to see he has the Hind's blood pendant. A recovering Sovereign demands its return, but the gods reopen the vortex, which pulls both Hercules and the Sovereign inside. Reappearing in the netherworld, the Sovereign is furious to find himself back there. Hercules sees that there is no obvious escape route. The Sovereign attacks, saying Hercules is to blame and that he no longer cares that killing Hercules would also mean his own death. Inside the temple, celebrations are in progress. Callisto and Ares are toasting to victory and a world without Hercules, joined by Strife who clearly wants to be in on the action. Flirting again, Callisto tries to grab the Hind's blood pendant from Ares' neck, and the God of War tells her to come and get it. The two gods have a spectacular fight, with Strife cheering on Ares, and, hearing the commotion, Iolaus goes inside. Ares eventually gets the upper hand, and leaves Callisto exhausted. Suddenly, Hope is present in the shadows of the temple, ordering Callisto to get up as her work is not done. The daughter of Dahak uses her power to give Callisto renewed strength for the fight, and Callisto ends up reducing Ares to a crumpled heap on the floor. Saying that Ares is finished and everything will be different now, Callisto grabs the Hind's blood pendant. Ares orders Strife to do something to stop Callisto and the obsequieous god approaches her, saying he wants to be the first to welcome her to the club. Unseen, Callisto has covered her dagger in the Hind's blood; turning, she replies that she wouldn't want to be in a club that would have her for a member, and stabs Strife. He falls to the ground, dead. Ares looks on horrified as the ground shakes and lightning bolts strike above the temple; even the Sovereign and Hercules feel the impact in the netherworld and know something terrible must have happened. Iolaus runs over to examine Strife's body and confirms he's dead. Ares still can't believe that a god has been killed. Delighted, Callisto says that at least they now know the Hind's blood really works. Hope summons Callisto and the two leave. Both Iolaus and Ares agree that Callisto could not have done this on her own; Ares says "the one great evil was here", part of the creature who was with her. This force of darkness has been sensed by all on Olympus, and it spells the end of both gods and mortals alike. Iolaus suggests that bringing back Hercules could be the only way to stop Callisto and this "evil", as Hercules must be the one person they are truly afraid of. The God of War agrees. In a forest clearing, Hope tells Callisto that it is time for the next stage of their plan. Callisto says she will do this for Hope but then it's her turn; Hope replies that her promise stands, Callisto's pain will be gone and she will live with a free heart. Hope gives Callisto the power that all gods have, the ability to cross time and says although she will master the gift eventually, for now she will be shown the way. Hope reassures Callisto that the other gods will not interfere or follow her as long as she has the Hind's blood. Watched by Ares and Iolaus, Callisto disappears, off on her journey. Hope says Ares and Iolaus are too late, it is too late for all of them. A furious Ares grabs Hope and demands to know where Callisto has gone. Even he is repelled by Hope's hideous appearance. Hope tells them Callisto has gone back to stop Hercules from ever being born. Iolaus realises that Callisto is going to kill Alcmene, Hercules' mother. Iolaus urges Ares to send him back through time to stop Callisto, and the God of War reluctanty agrees, unconvinced. He grants Iolaus the ability to follow Callisto wherever she goes in time and return to the present, but only that, and sends him on his way. Iolaus reappears in Corinth and talks to a couple of villagers. They've never heard of Hercules, but certainly know Alcmene, who they describe as a "harlot"; apparently even though her husband was away at war and eventually killed, she is already with child. Still fighting, Hercules suggests he and the Sovereign should work together to escape, but the latter isn't interested. Hercules then discovers that they can see the outside world through a "window" in a nearby pool. It shows whatever the viewer is thinking about. Worried that Iolaus is now alone with the evil that helped Callisto and Ares, Hercules suddenly sees his friend in the pool. The Sovereign warns him that this pool is "torture", as they can see but not intervene in outside events. Hercules argues there must be a way to free themselves. Alcmene, years younger, is kneeling outside her house, clutching flowers and talking to her dead husband's gravestone. She is with child and says she knows he must have come to her, even though people said he had been killed in battle before that night and it couldn't be possible. Watched by Hercules, Iolaus runs in and tries to explain to a startled Alcmene that she is in grave danger and has to come with him, but she is dubious of this stranger and says she isn't going anywhere. Walking away, she is stopped in her tracks by the approaching Callisto, much to Ioalus' horror. Callisto begins to launch a fire-bolt. To be continued... |
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