In this story Joxer and Gabrielle have been married for a while and they have a little girl named Phaedra. They tell her their version of the classic fairytale Sleeping Beauty. This may be the last story for a while. I have others written down, but haven’t had time to type them up yet.

Let me know what you think of it by commenting down below, click like, and also pass it on to your friends. Follow my blog so you can get an e-mail notice when I post another one. Thanks for reading my stories in advance.
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JOXER AND GABRIELLE BEDTIME STORIES: SLEEPING BEAUTY
by Tonee Rhian Rose

Joxer and Gabrielle had been married for five glorious years. They had a beautiful little blonde haired, brown eyed girl named Phaedra who was almost four years old. When it was her bedtime, she would always ask, “Mommy, Daddy, can you tell me a story?”

“Sure honey,” Gabrielle would always reply. “What would you like to hear; a story about Hercules?” Phaedra would always shake her head no.

Then Joxer would ask, “How about a story about Xena?” Again, she would shake her head no.

“Well, what story would you like to hear?” Gabrielle would ask.

‘I wanna hear a story about a princess!’ exclaimed Phaedra this time.

‘Ok,’ said Gabrielle. ‘This story is called: The Sleeping Beauty. Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wished very much for a child. One day, the gods blessed them with a beautiful daughter whom they named Aurora because she came with the dawn. To celebrate, they invited all the gods and goddesses; all except for Discord to a huge banquet party. The party went on for hours and everyone was having a good time; even Hera who was well-known for being a sourpuss. Soon it was time for the gods and goddesses to bestow gifts upon the child.

‘Artemis gave her the gift to understand all animals, Athena gave her a sharp mind and a sharp tongue to match, Ares gave her the skills of a warrior, Apollo gave her a fiery personality, Hermes gave her the gift of swiftness, Cupid gave her the gifts of love and beauty, and the Muses gave her the gifts of music, poetry, and eloquence. Just as Aphrodite was about to bestow her gift upon the child; Discord appeared in a ball of white lightning into the room.

‘“How dare you not invite me to this party?!” she shouted. “But that’s okay, I forgive you,” she said with an evil grin. “I too have a gift for the child.” She walked over to the child and said, “I have a special gift, the child will grow up with all the gifts my fellow gods and goddesses have bestowed upon her, but on the day of her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on the needle of a spinning wheel and DIE!!!!” she said as she laughed maniacally. Then she disappeared in a ball of white lightning from the room.

‘The king and queen rushed over to baby Aurora with worried expressions on their faces. The queen picked her up and said tearfully, “Oh what a cruel fate our child has!”

‘Aphrodite said, “Chillax people, I haven’t yet bestowed my gift. Though I can’t exactly change what will happen except for the part about her dying.”

‘“Can you really do that?” the king asked.

‘“Totally, fer sure!” she said in her valley girl language. “True she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel, but instead of dying, she will fall into a deep sleep that will last a hundred years or until her one true love kisses her.”

‘This however did nothing to ease their worries. The king ordered that every single spinning wheel in the entire kingdom should be burned in a great bon fire. Then he decreed that no one in the entire kingdom shall own another spinning wheel until after this terrible day has passed.

‘The years passed by quickly and soon Aurora grew into a beautiful young lady. She had long dark hair and piercing blue eyes; just like Xena. She was a kick-butt, ask questions later sort of woman. She wouldn’t tolerate anyone bullying someone weaker than they were. Soon it would be her sixteenth birthday, unfortunately that day, the king and queen had to deal with some urgent business in one of the outer provinces. They kissed her goodbye and promised they’d be returning later that evening for her party.

‘While they were gone, Aurora decided to explore the castle. Soon she’d gone through every room except for the one in the highest tower. She started to climb the stairs and soon she’d reached the top. When she looked inside, she saw an old woman; who was really Discord in disguise. “Who are you?” she asked the old woman.

‘“My dear child,” Discord said in her sweetest voice, “I am your grandmother.”

‘“What are you doing there, grandmother?” Aurora asked curiously.

‘“I’m making this wool into yarn using this spinning wheel. Would you like to try it?” Discord asked.

‘“Oh, yes! I would like to very much!” exclaimed Aurora.

‘So Discord gave Aurora her seat. No sooner did she sit down and begin to spin; she pricked her finger on the spindle.’

‘What’s a spindle, mommy?’ asked Phaedra curiously.

‘It’s the needle of a spinning wheel,’ explained Gabrielle and she continued the story. ‘Now when she had pricked her finger, she suddenly became very dizzy. “What’s the matter child?” asked Discord who now had an evil tone to her voice.

‘“I don’t know grandmother. All of a sudden I don’t feel so good,” Aurora said weakly.

‘“Maybe I should take you outside for some fresh air,” Discord said, for she had seen Aurora’s parents returning to the castle and thought it’d be a nice bonus for her to see the reactions on their faces. So she helped her down the long spiral staircase. When she was in eyesight of Aurora’s parents, she let her go. Aurora fell to the ground as if she were dead.

‘The king and queen ran over to their daughter’s lifeless body. The king grabbed the old woman and shook her angrily. “Who are you?!” he demanded. She jerked free from his grasp and laughed maniacally as she changed back to her true form. “DISCORD!!!!” he bellowed. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!!”

‘Discord smiled an evil smile and said, “I warned you that this would happen; now you have to live with it!” Then she disappeared in a ball of white lightning.

‘The queen knelt down beside her daughter and held her while she rocked back and forth and cried. Suddenly, Aphrodite appeared in the courtyard in a ball of orange lightning. “Don’t be afraid, she is only sleeping,” she said.

‘“Really? Are you sure?” asked the sobbing queen.

‘“Totally!” exclaimed the goddess. Now take her upstairs and put her into her bed.”

‘The king picked Aurora up and carried her upstairs to her bedchamber and placed her on top of her bed. “Now what do we do?” he asked.

‘“Now get everyone in the castle into their beds. I’ll get Hypnos to put everyone to sleep so when she is awakened, she won’t be without her friends and family,” she said. When the king and queen had gotten everyone in bed, they went to their own bedchamber and lay down in their own bed. Aphrodite then called Hypnos down from Mount Olympus. He appeared in a ball of purple lightning. He was dressed in purple robes, had short white blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She explained the situation to him and asked him if he could cast a spell and put everyone in the castle asleep.

‘“No problem,” he said yawning for he was always sleepy. “I’ll get right on it. When he was done, he disappeared in a ball of purple lightning.

‘Then Aphrodite called upon Flora to cover the entire castle in a thorny vine that would only part when Aurora’s true love came along for only he and he alone could awaken her. Flora had appeared in a ball of green lightning and she had long, curly red hair which was pinned back with a leaf shaped clip, and emerald green eyes. She wore a sleeveless, strapless dress; the top was a forest green colored velvet and the skirt was sea foam green colored lace which was divided into many leaf shaped pieces which overlapped each other. She wore an olive green colored armband on her right arm; which looked like a vine had wrapped itself around her arm. She was barefoot except for a green leafy anklet around her left ankle.

‘She faced towards the castle and lifted her hands. Slowly thorny vines with big beautiful blue roses grew up over the entire castle. When she was finished, she disappeared in a ball of green lightning. A short time later, Aphrodite disappeared in a ball of orange lightning.’

At this point, Gabrielle decided to stop the story there because she noticed that it was getting late. ‘Time for bed Phaedra,’ she said yawning. ‘Your mommy and daddy have to get up early to work the farm.’

‘But mommy, can’t we stay up a little longer? It was just getting good!’ pleaded Phaedra.

‘I’m afraid not honey,’ Joxer said. ‘Don’t worry; I’ll finish it tomorrow night.’

‘Okay daddy,’ she said as she kissed them both goodnight.

The next night, as promised, Joxer continued the story. ‘Year after year went by and many princes tried to get through the vine, but none succeeded. Some tried chopping it with their swords; none of their efforts even made a dent. Some tried tying a rope to it to pull it out; they couldn’t budge it an inch. Some even tried to burn it, but they couldn’t even get a spark going. This was some tough stuff, let me tell you!’ he said as he winked at Gabrielle and Phaedra. Phaedra giggled. He just smiled and continued on with the story, ‘One day, a prince who was as big and strong and handsome as Hercules came along the road to the castle.

‘In the town just outside the castle, the prince stopped at the local tavern. “Can I get a mug of mead and a room for the night?” he inquired.

‘“The room is ten dinars and the mead is two dinars,” said the burly bartender. “Say, stranger, you’re not from around here. Where are you from?”

‘“I am from Corinth,” said the prince as he paid his twelve dinars.

‘“You wouldn’t happen to be a prince, would you?” the bartender asked as he handed him the mug of mead.

‘“Yes I am, why do you ask?” he asked the bartender while eyeing him suspiciously.

‘“Oh, no reason really, it’s just that there’s a castle at the end of this road and legend has it that there’s a princess that lives there and she’s been cursed by the goddess Discord to sleep until her prince comes to wake her,” he said.

‘“Maybe I could be the one to wake her,” said the prince.

‘“Many have tried and failed, uh… What is your name?” asked the bartender.

‘“It’s Theodoros,’ said the prince.

‘“Well, Theodoros,” said the bartender, “let me tell you, it’s not an easy task. There’s a thorny vine that covers the entire castle. It can’t be chopped, pulled, or burned.”

‘“I see,’ said Theodoros thoughtfully. “Nevertheless, I must try. Perhaps I can think of something no one else has.” With that said, he bade the bartender goodnight and climbed the stairs to his room.

‘He lay down on his bed and he thought and thought. Suddenly an idea came to him. “If I can’t chop it, pull it, or burn it, perhaps I can simply tunnel underneath it. It’s brilliant!” he thought. The next morning, he went to the blacksmith and purchased a shovel and headed towards the castle. When he reached the castle he was all ready for some rigorous digging, but the vines parted allowing him to gain entrance. As he walked through the gate, the vines came together so as to allow no one else to enter.

‘As he searched through each room, he noticed that every person and animal was sound asleep. He searched high and low for the princess and finally, he came to her bedchamber. There she lay on her bed wearing a beautiful blue dress and a single red rose clutched in her hands. “She is so beautiful,” he thought. “Perhaps a kiss will awaken her.” He leaned down and tenderly kissed her on the lips.

‘At that moment she began to stir. She slowly opened her eyes. “Who are you?” she asked when she saw the prince.

‘He bowed to her and said, “I am Prince Theodoros of Corinth. You have been asleep for a very long time; the unfortunate consequences of a curse, but I have broken it.”

‘The princess smiled and said, “Thank you! My name is Aurora.” They talked for a while about this and that and eventually they got around to the subject of marriage. He proposed to her and she said, “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.” They walked down the stairs hand in hand, and found that everyone was waiting for them. Aurora and Theodoros announced to everyone that they were getting married to which everyone cheered.

‘That night they had a huge celebration. They invited everyone in the town. They celebrated until well after Midnight. Soon afterwards, Princess Aurora and Prince Theodoros were married and they lived happily ever after. The end.’

‘That was a good story mommy and daddy,’ said Phaedra. ‘Can you tell me another?’

‘Not tonight sweetheart,’ said Gabrielle as she tucked her in and kissed her goodnight.

‘Perhaps tomorrow,’ said Joxer as he also kissed her goodnight. ‘Now it’s time for bed.’

They told her many more stories afterwards, but the next one will have to wait till later.

This is the final chapter of Gabrielle and Joxer.

Let me know what you think of it by commenting down below, click like, and also pass it on to your friends. Follow my blog so you can get an e-mail notice when I post another one. Thanks for reading my stories in advance.
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Chapter 3

Soon, they were at the cottage. Guarding the entrance were two minotaurs. ‘Joxer, you go save those girls. We’ll hold them off,’ said Sola.

‘But they’ll beat me to a bloody pulp!’ exclaimed Joxer.

‘No they won’t! Not as long as you hold those flowers! Now GO!’ she shouted.

Joxer took off towards the cottage. The minotaurs charged towards him, but they couldn’t get within five feet of him for there was a barrier around him. Joxer went inside.

Hercules fought the larger of the two minotaurs and Sola fought the smaller using her sword and shield. Xena had taught her how to do flips. She did a no-handed cartwheel; kicking him in the face. He stumbled backwards.

Meanwhile, Hercules was punching the other one in the face. Soon, Sola and Hercules were back to back. They turned slightly to look at each other. Sola smiled at him in agreement for she knew what he wanted to do. They’d done it before against another pair of minotaurs when they were searching for the Sword of Veracity.

They linked their arms and Hercules flipped Sola over his head. She kicked the smaller one in the face and landed a kick on top of the larger one’s head knocking them both out. Then they went inside the cottage to look for Joxer. They found him surrounded by the girls. He had them singing,

‘Joxer the Mighty
He came to set us free
We were transformed into birds
But he listened to Gabby’s words
She told him to never fear
Should he ever shed a tear

Flower power set us free
Cause of Joxer’s love for Gabby
He’s Joxer, Joxer the Mighty!’

Sola started laughing. ‘Looks like Joxer’s got quite a following, wouldn’t you say?’ she said to Gabrielle.

‘Yes, I’d say so. I’m just glad this whole ordeal is over so we can go home,’ she said.

‘It’s not over yet,’ said Hercules. ‘We still have Hera to deal with.’

‘Can’t you talk to Zeus? You know, get her to tone it down just a bit? I mean this is ridiculous, even by her standards,’ said Sola.

‘You know what he’s like. Sometimes he’ll listen, and sometimes he won’t,’ he said.

‘Well, what do you propose we do then?’ she asked.

‘We’re going to raze this cottage to the ground and destroy her vineyard by salting the earth so nothing will grow here again. If she wants a vineyard, she’ll have to grow it someplace else,’ he said.

Sola said, ‘I’ll run back toCyrene’s and get the salt and some torches.’ She was off like a flash. She ran as gracefully as a gazelle. She burst in through the door which surprised Xena.

‘What happened? Is everyone alright?’ she asked.

Sola smiled and said, ‘Yes, everyone is okay. Joxer set all the girls free. I’m just here to get some salt and torches cause we’re gonna burn the cottage, and destroy the vineyard. You guys are welcome to come and help us. The forest is no longer enchanted.’

Xena and Iolaus went with Sola back to the cottage. Soon it was on fire. Sola had brought a couple of baskets, and she picked as many grapes as they could hold, before they burned them too. Then they took the salt and spread it all over the ground.

Two days later, Joxer and Gabrielle were married by Amphion. They went on to have many, many children, and they lived happily ever after.

The End

Sorry I’m late posting chapter 2.

Let me know what you think of it by commenting down below, click like, and also pass it on to your friends. Follow my blog so you can get an e-mail notice when I post another one. Thanks for reading my stories in advance.
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Chapter 2 

Sola had followed him back to the tavern. When she discovered that he’d locked the door, she softly tapped on it and said, ‘Joxer? Are you okay?’ She got no answer. ‘Joxer, please talk to me? I completely understand what happened. My father explained it to me once that if a person doesn’t get enough sleep that their dreams can bleed into reality. They start seeing things that aren’t there. C’mon, please open the door?’

Joxer slowly opened the door and pulled her inside. ‘I don’t know what’s happening to me. I keep getting these images in my head that I’m never going to see my beloved Gabrielle again,’ he said as he began to cry.

Sola took him in her arms and said, ‘Joxer, you mustn’t think those thoughts. We will get her back. As soon as you feel ready to go, Hercules and I will come with you to help you. Do you remember what I said to you when you decided to tell her how you felt?’

Joxer said, ‘Yeah, you told me that as long as I was happy, then you’d be happy.’

‘And I meant it. Joxer, you are my very best friend and I love you very much, so that’s why I’m going to help you get her back. Now get some sleep and we’ll set off in the morning, okay?’

Joxer nodded his head. As she was leaving, Joxer called out, ‘Sola?’

She popped her head back in and said, ‘Yes, Joxer?’

‘Thanks for being my friend. I don’t know what I’d do without you,’ he said as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Sola walked over to him, hugged him and said, ‘I’ll always be there for you, you know that. Now get some sleep, we have a busy day ahead of us.’

The next morning, Joxer, Sola, and Hercules set out for the vineyard. Xena desperately wanted to go with them, but Hercules and Sola explained to her that because she was mortal, she’d get turned into a bird like Gabrielle did, and that because they were both half-gods, that the magic probably wouldn’t effect them. Xena agreed, and they left.

When they got to the spot, Joxer was finding it difficult to move. Sola sent Hercules off to scout ahead. ‘Joxer, now you’re gonna have to cry. When your tears touch the ground, a red flower will spring up. When that happens, I will pick it and when I touch you, you should be able to move. This will also keep Hera’s harpies from attacking us, but you must hurry before she appears.’

No sooner had she said those words, a pair of peacock feathers shaped like eyes appeared in the sky. ‘SOLARIS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?’ boomed the voice of Hera.

‘I’m here to put a stop to you enchanting this forest and to release those poor young women you’ve changed into birds,’ Sola shouted back.

At this point, Hera came down from the clouds. She set Joxer free and then she released her harpies upon him. Joxer ran as fast as he could, and Sola was right behind him, with the harpies in hot pursuit. Hera was laughing maniacally. Sola came to a screeching halt. ‘Hide behind this tree!’ she shouted at Joxer.

She turned to face the harpies. She had three weapons which were designed by Hephaestus. The first was a sun shield which she used to block the harpies stone-like feathers which they threw at her like darts. One feather grazed her left leg.

‘Are you alright?’ asked Joxer concerned.

‘Yeah, it’s just a scratch,’ said Sola. ‘Just stay there behind the tree.’

He nodded his head in agreement and continued to watch with great concern and admiration for his friend. The second weapon was a crossbow that no matter how bad her aim was, it would always find its target. With a twang! whoosh! thud! she managed to pin the five harpies to trees. With her hypnotic powers she’d inherited from her father Morpheus, she put them in a trance. With the third and final weapon; a lunar sword that glowed blue like the moon whenever Hera’s harpies were near; she cut off each of their heads.

She turned to Joxer, ‘You can come out now, it’s safe,’ she said as she slid her sword back into its scabbard, strapped her shield to her back, and took her crossbow in her right hand.

‘Are you sure?’ asked Joxer as he emerged cautiously from his hiding spot. ‘There might be more of them.’

Sola laughed and said, ‘Yes, my dear friend, I’m sure, but just in case, I have my trusty crossbow.’ She took hold of his hand and said, ‘We’ll need to hold hands so we don’t get separated.’

They started walking back towards the vineyard. Soon it was getting difficult for Joxer to move again. ‘You need to cry Joxer!’ she said.

‘I don’t know if I can,’ he said.

‘You’re going to have to if you want to save Gabrielle!’ she shouted. ‘Quickly, here come the harpies!’ She shot at them with her magic crossbow. Each time a bolt left it, another would appear in its place like Cupid’s bow.

Joxer thought about how he’d never be able to see Gabrielle again, about how he would never hold or kiss her ever again. Soon, tears were flowing down his cheeks. As they splashed upon the ground, blood-red flowers with dew drops the size of a pearl magically grew. Sola promptly picked them, and the harpies disappeared. When she touched Joxer, he was able to move.

Hercules came walking towards them. ‘What’s taking you two so long?’ he asked.

‘Well, for starters,’ Sola explained, ‘Hera sent her harpies after us, and I had to fight them. Then I had to get Joxer to cry; which is not as easy as you might think by the way; while I held off more harpies so we could get these magical flowers.’

Joxer said, ‘Now let’s go save those girls!’

Sola handed him the flowers and said, ‘You need these to keep Hera’s harpies at bay, and to set the girls free. You’ll have to touch their cages.’ She turned to Hercules and asked, ‘How far is it to the cottage?’

‘It’s about an hour from here,’ he said.

‘Well, what are we waiting for?’ asked Joxer, ‘Time’s a wastin’’

End of Chapter 2.

This story is the sequel to Gabrielle and the Three Brothers. It is loosely based on the Brother’s Grimm story Jorinda and Joringle. 

Let me know what you think of it by commenting down below, click like, and also pass it on to your friends. Follow my blog so you can get an e-mail notice when I post another one. Thanks for reading my stories in advance.
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Gabrielle and Joxer
by Tonee Rhian Rose 

Author’s note: These characters don’t belong to me. Only the characters Solaris and Neona are my creations. 

Chapter 1

Once there was a small cottage with a vineyard in Amphipolis, Greece. It belonged to Hera who had enchanted it. Anyone who came within one hundred paces of the cottage, he was made to stand still until she set them free, and when she did that, she’d set her harpies loose on the poor fellow who would then be torn apart. Any maiden who came close to the cottage would be changed into a bird and then shut up in a gilded cage and placed inside a room in the cottage. She had about five hundred rare birds.

Joxer and Gabrielle were celebrating their engagement with their friends Xena, Hercules, Iolaus, Jason, Iphicles, Amphion, Leah (his wife), Princess Diana and Prince Philemon, Priestess Leah, Salmoneus, Falafel, Autolycus, Minya, Meg, and Gabrielle’s sister Lila at Xena’s mom, Cyrene’s tavern. They decided they needed some alone time to talk about their wedding plans, so they went for a walk in the forest. They had been walking for what seemed like hours when they came upon a fork in the road.

 ‘Which way should we go?’ asked Joxer.

 Gabrielle thought for a moment and said, ‘Let’s go to the left.’

 After a while, Joxer was noticing that it was getting difficult for him to move. ‘What in Tartarus is going on?’ he asked as he tried to pull his legs free. When he looked back up, he discovered that Gabrielle had disappeared and flying in her place was a beautiful bluebird. ‘Gabrielle! Where are you!’ he shouted.

Suddenly, the bird started to sing this little song,

‘I am just a little bird
And you can see me fly.
Though I’m just a little bird,
My love for you will fill the sky.

The enchanted hour, remember love has power, 
So never fear, should you shed a tear,
Remember the red flower.
Your love’s magic
Lies in flower power.’

Hera, who was watching all this transpire, came down from the clouds and shut Gabrielle up in a gilded cage. Then she set Joxer free and called her harpies to chase him down. He took off running back towards the tavern. The harpies threw their stone-like feathers at him, but luckily he was able to avoid them by running in a zigzag pattern. When he looked back to see where the harpies were, he tripped over a large tree root, hit his head, and fell unconscious.

Hearing Joxer’s cries for help, Hercules, Iolaus, and Xena came running out of the tavern. When they saw him lying on the ground about to be attacked by harpies, they took action. Xena drew her sword and threw her chakram. It smashed against several trees and chopped a couple of their heads off before returning to her outstretched hand. Iolaus drew his sword as well and swung it at them cutting off a couple of their wings.

The three remaining harpies flew into the air. They launched their stone-like feathers at them. All three dived behind the trees. Xena threw her chakram one more time. It clipped all of their wings and they fell out of the air. Hercules emerged from his hiding spot and smashed their heads in killing them. Then they gathered Joxer up and carried him back to the tavern.

They placed him on a bed, and a young girl named Solaris, who worked there, tended to his wounds. He’d been clawed badly by the harpies’ sharp talons and he had a large lump on his head from where he had hit it. She had met him a long time ago when she was traveling with Xena and Gabrielle. She used to travel with her cousin Hercules, Iolaus, and her identical half-sister Neona; who was Iolaus’ girlfriend, but she left them shortly after meeting Xena.

She had dated him for several years, even though she knew that he’d loved Gabrielle from the beginning, it didn’t matter to her. However, after Gabrielle had been crucified by Caesar, and then brought back to life by Eli, she encouraged him to tell her how he felt because he might not ever have another chance. Even though it meant that they might no longer be together, Sola; as she was called by everyone; still loved him and would do anything to see him happy, even if that meant that she could no longer be with him.

Sola was a half-goddess. Her father was the god Morpheus; the god of dreams, and her mother was a mortal named Helia after the sun god Helios. She had inherited a power she called dream walking. She could go into a person’s dreams and help them. She asked to be alone with Joxer, and everyone left. She placed a hand on his forehead, and instantaneously she was transported into his dream. What she saw broke her heart.

 Gabrielle was transformed into a bluebird who sang this song,

 ‘I am just a little bird
And you can see me fly.
Though I’m just a little bird,
My love for you will fill the sky.

The enchanted hour, remember love has power, 
So never fear, should you shed a tear,
Remember the red flower.
Your love’s magic
Lies in flower power.’

Joxer was helpless to stop it. ‘GABRIELLE! NOOOOO!’ he shouted.

Then he started running from the harpies. At this point, Sola stepped in and slew them.

Joxer collapsed and started crying, ‘Gabrielle, I’m sorry! I failed you!’

Sola crouched down beside him and said softly, ‘No, my dear friend, you haven’t. There’s still hope to save her. All you have to do now is wake up.’ With that, Joxer opened his eyes. There stood Sola smiling down at him. ‘You gave us quite a scare,’ she said. She called everyone back into the room and left to get more clean cloths and fresh water.

Xena asked, ‘What happened to you out there? Where’s Gabrielle?’

Joxer replied, ‘I’m not exactly sure what happened. I can sort of remember being chased and bumping my head, but not much else.’

Sola said, ‘I can help you with that. When I was in your dream, I saw Gabrielle transform into a bluebird and she was singing this song,

“I am just a little bird
And you can see me fly.
Though I’m just a little bird,
My love for you will fill the sky.

The enchanted hour, remember love has power, 
So never fear, should you shed a tear,
Remember the red flower.
Your love’s magic
Lies in flower power.”

 ‘I’ve heard rumors of a certain part of the forest being enchanted by Hera cause she owns a small vineyard on the edge of it. Any man who comes within one hundred paces of it is made to stand still until she wills him to move, but any maiden who comes too close is transformed into a bird. She then locks the bird in a cage and keeps it in a cottage on the property. What she does with them, I have no idea. After she sets the men free, she calls her harpies to chase them down and rip them to shreds, so it’s a good thing you got there when you did.’

 Hercules said, ‘I’ll go and rescue Gabrielle and these other women.’

 Sola said, ‘No, it has to be Joxer. Only his love for Gabrielle can set them free. However, he isn’t well enough to travel just yet, so I’m afraid that she’ll have to stay there for the time being.’

 ‘Sola, how do you know all this?’ asked Iolaus.

 ‘My father is Morpheus, the god of dreams. He’s why I have the power to “walk” into anyone’s dreams. Gabrielle’s song tells you everything you need to know. Only a blood-red flower with a dew drop the size of a pearl can free these girls,’ she said.

Hercules said, ‘Tell me where I can find such a flower, and I’ll go and save these girls!’

‘My dear cousin, you don’t understand, only Joxer’s love for Gabrielle can produce such a flower. When his tears of love touch the enchanted ground, a flower will appear and that will break the spell. However, as I said, he is in no condition to go anywhere just yet.’

Weeks went by, and Joxer’s dreams were plagued with nightmares of Gabrielle being transformed into a bird and of being chased by Hera’s harpies. One day, he was helping Sola pick strawberries. Suddenly, he got an image of Gabrielle and he leaned over and kissed her, but when he opened his eyes and discovered that it was Sola he had kissed instead of his beloved Gabrielle, he became embarrassed and dropped the basket of strawberries he was holding.

He ran back to the tavern and locked himself in his room. ‘What am I doing?’ he thought as he hung his head in shame. ‘How could I kiss someone else?’

End of Chapter 1.

I wrote a series of Xena Warrior Princess fan fics based around Joxer and Gabrielle. They’re also loosely based on fairy tales. This one is based on Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Let me know what you think of it by commenting down below, click like, and also pass it on to your friends. Follow my blog so you can get an e-mail notice when I post another one. Thanks for reading my stories in advance.
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GABRIELLE AND THE THREE BROTHERS
by Tonee Rhian Rose

Once upon a time, there lived three brothers in a wooden house with a straw roof in the woods in Athens, Greece. Their names were Jett, Jace, and Joxer. One day for lunch, they were each cooking a chicken. Jett cooked his until it turned black on the outside. Jace used all kinds of spices on his chicken. Joxer on the other hand roasted his chicken on a spit over an open flame. They sat down to eat, but their chickens were too hot so they decided to go out for a while.

Jett had been hired to assassinate the warlord Patronus so he went to do that, Jace went and performed a couple of songs at Meg’s tavern, and Joxer decided to go for a swim in the river behind their house. On the way there he could be heard singing… “Joxer the Mighty roams through the countryside, he never needs a place to hide. With Gabby as his sidekick, fighting with her little stick. Righting wrongs and singing songs. Being mighty all day long. I’m Joxer, Joxer the Mighty. Oh, Joxer the Mighty, he’s really tidy. Everybody likes him cause he has a funny grin. Joxer! Joxer the Mighty!”

Meanwhile, Gabrielle was walking through the woods sulking because Xena had left her behind. ‘Am I always going to be an expendable sidekick?’ she thought. Suddenly she came upon the brothers’ house. ‘I wonder who lives here,’ she said to herself. She could smell the aroma of chicken. ‘I sure am hungry. I hope whoever lives here will share their meal with me,’ she said. She knocked on the door and called out, ‘Hello? Anybody home?’ She went around to the side of the house and peered through the window. She could see the three chickens sitting on the table, but no one was around. ‘I’m sure they won’t mind if I took a little bite,’ she thought to herself as she climbed through the window.

Once inside, she went over to the table. She took a knife and cut into Jett’s chicken first and took a bite. ‘Blech! Who would eat this?’ she exclaimed. Next she cut a piece from Jace’s chicken and took a bite. In seconds, she was fanning her tongue and yelling, ‘Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot!’ She then got a drink of water. ‘Whoo! Boy, that was spicy!’ she exclaimed. She approached Joxer’s chicken with some caution. She took the knife and cut a small piece from it and took a bite. ‘Mmmmm! This is excellent chicken!’ she said. She then proceeded to consume the entire thing leaving only the bones behind.

Then she decided to rest in the living room. She first sat in Jett’s chair. Suddenly she sprang to her feet with an ‘Ouch! That hurt!’ ‘Whoever sits in this chair must have some really tough skin!’ she exclaimed. Next she sat in Jace’s chair, but it was a little too soft for her. Next she sat in Joxer’s chair. It was just right, not too soft and not sharp like the others. After a few minutes she was getting tired so she decided to go upstairs to take a little nap.

Then she went into Jett’s bedroom and lay down on his bed. ‘This bed is too hard, and no wonder! The whole thing is made of wood including the pillow,’ she said. Then she went into Jace’s room. His bed had a canopy with a pink curtain. She opened it and climbed into bed, but all the feathers tickled her nose, so she decided to try another bed. She soon found Joxer’s bedroom. Inside was a pile of straw and a wool blanket and a pillow. She was used to having to stay in barns sometimes on her travels with Xena so she lay down and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, the brothers were returning from their outings. Jett said, ‘That bastard Patronus got away! I must be slipping!’

Jace said, ‘I went over big at Meg’s tavern.’

Joxer said, ‘I had a refreshing dip in the river.’

When they went inside, they noticed that their chickens had been touched. Jett exclaimed, ‘Someone took a bite from my chicken and when I find out who they are, I’m going to kill them!’

Jace said, ‘Someone has taken a bite from my chicken too!’

Joxer saw what happened to his chicken and burst into tears. ‘Someone has eaten my chicken and left me nothing but the bones,’ he sobbed.

Jett said, ‘Oh quit being such a crybaby!’

Joxer said, ‘Oh sure you say that cause they only took a tiny bite from yours, but they entirely consumed mine!’

Jace said, ‘That’s enough my brothers. We need to find this person and confront them.’

So they searched the house and noticed that their chairs had been disturbed. Jett said, ‘Someone was sitting in my chair! Look they left blood all over it! If I find them I’m going to kill them!’

Jace said, ‘Whoever it was sat in my chair as well! There are blood stains on it too!’

Joxer said, ‘Yes, there are blood stains on mine as well!’ They followed the blood trail and it led upstairs to the bedrooms. They went to Jett’s room first.

Jett noticed that his leather blanket had been disturbed. ‘Someone has been sleeping in my bed! I’m really going to kill them now!’

Jace said, ‘You really need to stop all this death talk. It’s not healthy.’ Then they went to Jace’s room. He noticed that the curtain had been opened. ‘Someone has also been sleeping in my bed!’

Joxer decided to go on to his room ahead of his brothers. When he saw his beloved Gabrielle sleeping in his bed, he quickly woke her up. ‘Gabrielle! Wake up!’ he exclaimed gently shaking her.

She slowly opened her eyes. ‘Joxer! What are you doing here!?’ she asked confused. ‘Did Xena send you to find me?’

‘No, I stay here with my brothers Jett and Jace when I’m not out gallivanting the countryside with you and Xena. You must hurry up and leave here because if my brother Jett catches you, he’ll kill you. He’s an assassin you know. I’ll meet you out in the woods after they’ve gone to sleep.’

Joxer took his blanket and lowered Gabrielle out the window. He pulled the blanket back in just seconds before his brothers entered the room. ‘No one in here!’ Joxer said nervously.

Jett looked at him suspiciously and said, ‘You’re hiding something brother, I can always tell. Are they hiding in the straw?’ He picked up the pitchfork and started poking the straw hoping to strike something.

Joxer said, ‘See, I told you no one else was in here. Whoever it was must’ve left a while ago.’ Jett and Jace then left.

Later that night, Joxer snuck out and met Gabrielle in the woods. ‘Well, now you know where I live. Why did you eat my chicken?’ he asked.

Gabrielle said, ‘Well, I was hungry and it tasted so good.’

Joxer said, ‘Well, you could’ve left me some.’

Gabrielle said, ‘I’m sorry, how can I make it up to you? You just name it and I’ll do it.’

Joxer smiled and said, ‘Anything?’

‘Yes, anything, but make love to you. I mean I like you and all, but just not in that way.’

Joxer got a disappointed look on his face and said, ‘Alright, but can I have a kiss anyway? Please?’

‘Ok, but no tongues. You’re so cute when you beg,’ she said smiling. She took his face in her hands and gave him a little kiss on the lips. Needless to say, he left smiling. When Xena found Gabrielle she was smiling too.

‘What are you smiling about, Gabrielle?’ she asked.

‘I think I’m falling in love with Joxer. He’s such a sweet guy. I don’t know why I never noticed it before,’ she said with a dreamy look on her face.

‘Well, you be sure to tell him the next time you see him,’ said Xena.

‘Don’t worry I will,’ she said. And she did, and they went on to become engaged, but that’s another story.

 The End