I know what you're probably thinking..."This story is about Xena going crazy..." You're close but...no. Yes, it is about someone going crazy...but not Xena. In fact, this has nothing to do with Xena. I just thought that the picture was appropriate. Anyway...this is a continuation to the "Bound and Broken" series. If you haven't read it then you should. The order of the series is as follows: "Bound and Broken" "Insanity" "Time to Live Again" "The End" "In Destiny's Hands" and...ta-da! This story, "Mind Games". But the saga isn't complete yet...stay tuned for the rest of the series! Now...Enjoy the story!

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A light drizzle fell from a gray morning sky. It was a time for 
rebuilding. The Amazon village had been burnt to the ground. It was time to 
fix it and move on. Queen Cyan gave out her orders and the Amazons grimly set 
to work. Rae sat down on a rock and closed her eyes. She had been one of the 
lucky few who's home didn't get destroyed. Her hut, deep in the forest, had 
been untouched by Loa. Rae rubbed her eyes and shook her head. This was too 
much. She looked around the village. Corde and Saran stood where the Java Hut 
used to be. Ashana was already mixing new medicines since the whole Healers 
Hut was no more. Larc rummaged through the ashes of the Amazon Academy, 
hoping to find at least one thing intact. Luckily Queen Cyan's hut had been 
saved because there were protective spells all over it. Rae went over to help 
Larc since she had been a teacher at the Academy. She wandered where her 
classroom once stood. Nothing much was left. Rae sifted through the ruins. 
She found half of a script she had written. "My musical…" she looked at the 
burned paper and tears came to her eyes. Everything that the Island had 
worked so hard for was gone. Gone by the hand of a maniac…who Rae had brought 
to the Island in the first place. Rae sensed a presence below her. It could 
only be on thing. Her dog Teflic. He looked up at her with big eyes. *Rae are 
you all right?* Rae nodded. "I think so. This is just a very emotional time 
for the village I think…" *I understand. Truly, I do. Everything will get 
better…right?* "I hope so. The village should be rebuilt in no time. If all 
of us work together, everything will turn out right. But that does not take 
away the pain and sorrow… the only things that the Amazons that lived here in 
town have now are the clothes on their backs, their weapons, and their war 
masks. That's it. It can be hard starting over." *I agree. But you all can do 
it. I have faith in you.* Rae scratched Teflic behind the ears. "Thanks 
Teflic." "Talking to your dog again I presume?" Rae turned to find Queen 
Cyan. Rae bowed her head. "My Queen…" "Rae, how are you? Are you all right? 
You seem very upset…" Rae scanned the village. "It's just all of this. The 
destruction. Luckily nobody was hurt. I could have never forgiven myself." 
Queen Cyan eyed her. "What do you mean." "My Queen, you know it as well as I 
do that it's my fault for all of this. I brought Loa to the Island. I got rid 
of her, but look at all that she's done." "Loa was evil, but we must pick up 
and move on." "You are so calm about this. Aren't you the least bit upset?" 
Queen Cyan sighed. "This saddens me a great deal, but as Queen I must be 
strong for the tribe's sake. Right now we all need each other's support. If 
everyone saw me, of all people, upset then I think that they would be even 
more upset." "I understand what you are saying. Now, my Queen, if you would 
excuse me… I need to go help with the rebuilding of the village." Queen Cyan 
nodded. "Yes go. They need you. We all need each other…"
And so the tribe began to build up from the ashes. They toiled all day 
until late in the evening when they decided that it was time to turn in for 
the night. The exhausted Amazons went back to the intact huts for the night. 
Rae trudged tiredly to her hut, which she was now sharing with Corde and 
Tinka temporarily. She flopped down on her bed. Her head hurt, but she wasn't 
sick. Teflic jumped up beside her and lied down. And Rae fell asleep quickly 
to the sound of Corde and Tinka talking softly across the hut. 
A storm was brewing overhead…and underground. And deep in the darkest 
corner of hell, a voice was heard. "I'll get into your mind…until you feel so 
much pain that you'll cease to exist…"
Something was happening…Rae felt as if she was on a ride. It was speeding 
up. Lights flashed from white…to black…to red. Rae was jolted into invisible 
walls. Pain ripped through her like a wave. And she was falling…
"Ahhhhhhhhhh adiutorium! Adiutorium iuvo!" Rae screamed into the night. 
She sat upright and bolted out of her bed. She looked outside of her hut. 
Lightning streaked through the sky. Thunder sounded in the distance. The 
rain was pouring in buckets. Rae's scream woke Corde and Tinka. "Rae!" 
shouted Corde over the thunder. "Are you all right?" Rae looked over her 
shoulder at them. "Adiutorium iuvo…" she whispered, and ran out into the 
storm. "Rae!!! Come back!" shouted Corde and Tinka simultaneously. They 
jumped up from their bedrolls and ran after Rae into the storm…
Rae ran through the dark night and the wild storm. She had no sense of 
direction. And no sense of any pain as she ran through the brush. Her world 
was tossing and turning. Invisible hands reached out to her. Her screams 
ripped through the night. They seemed to drown out the storm. Soon the whole 
island felt that something wasn't right. Half-asleep Amazons ran through the 
storm to find the source of the disturbance. Soon they found it…standing by 
the cliff where Loa had met her death. It was Rae. "Rae!" shouted Queen Cyan. 
Rae turned, her eyes wild with fear and pain. She was pale as a ghost. She 
trembled in the pouring rain. "Rae come here," pleaded Saran, who had stepped 
up beside the Queen. Rae stepped back. She shook her head. "Haud… 
adiutorium…" "What in the world is she saying?" asked Tama. Larc thought for 
a moment. "She's speaking Latin…I can tell you that much. I think she's 
asking us for help." Rae looked up at the sky. The wind whipped her hair 
back. Queen Cyan whispered to Eponie, "You're good at counseling. Talk to 
her. Tell her that she'll be ok if she comes back with us." Eponie nodded and 
began trying to communicate with Rae. "Come on Rae. You're scaring us all. 
Please…" Rae held her head in her hands. "Ahhhhhh adiutorium!" she screamed 
again, and without warning turned and jumped…straight off the cliff. And in 
her mind she felt it again…she was falling.
"Rae!" the Amazon's cries of surprise echoed through the night. They 
rushed to the side of the cliff in panic. "Can you see her at all?" shouted 
Tinka. "No the rain is too blinding!" yelled Corde. "Wait!" shouted Falcon. 
"I see here. She's there. Look on that ledge!" The Amazons concentrated and 
then they saw her. Rae's fall to the angry ocean had been cut short by a 
small ledge. And Rae lied on the ledge, motionless. "We have to get her," 
said Queen Cyan. "And then she needs to go to the healers hut. This behavior 
is very unlike Rae." The Amazons agreed and silently praised themselves on 
the decision to rebuild the healer's hut first. "Now, who's going to get 
her?" asked Saran. Falcon pulled out her grappling hook. "I knew that this 
thing would be useful someday." She swung the hook around a large boulder and 
began to lower herself to the ledge. A huge gust of wind almost blew her into 
the rocks. "Falcon be careful!" shouted Saran. Falcon took in a deep breath 
and continued to lower herself. She finally managed to land on the ledge. She 
went over to Rae and looked for any major injuries. "Amazons!" she yelled. 
The Amazons looked over the cliff. Falcon looked up at them. "She has no 
broken bones. But she does have some pretty nasty cuts." Falcon secured some 
of the rope around Rae and picked her up. "And…she's burning up. Amazons, I 
think our sister is very ill. Now pull us up! And hurry! She needs help…" The 
Amazons pulled on the rope, and finally pulled Falcon and Rae from the ledge. 
Falcon set Rae on the ground. "Ashana take a look at her…" Ashana looked at 
Rae and felt her forehead. "Falcon was right. She's burning up. And she's 
very pale. Let's waste no time. We need to get her to my hut." The Amazons 
lifted Rae and brought her to the healers hut. They set her on a cot, and her 
eyelids fluttered a bit. Then they heard it. The voice. It was faint, but it 
was still there. "Adiutorium…" 
Rae was still falling…faster and faster until…she landed on a very hard 
surface. Rae opened her eyes. She was in a dark place. She stood up, blinked, 
and looked around. The place she was in…felt evil. She thought she heard 
tortured cries in the distance. And then she felt something on her 
head…something sticky. Rae touched her head and then looked at her hand. 
Blood. She was bleeding. What was this place? Rae walked cautiously until she 
came to some sort of clearing. Then she saw it. Flames rose up. There was 
lava and fire everywhere. People hung on crossed. There were flying 
winged…demons. And souls called from the lava…tortured souls. Rae stepped 
back, shocked. "Oh no…" she whispered. "I'm in…Tartarus…Hell…" "Yes you are…" 
came a voice. Rae breathed sharply. That voice. Not again… It could only be 
one person. "Loa…" Rae whispered. She turned around…and backed up in 
surprise. Standing before her was the same old Loa that she knew…except she 
had red eyes. Bright…glowing…red eyes. "Welcome to my world, Rae," whispered 
Loa in a haunting voice. Rae shook her head. "There is no way that you are 
going to catch me off guard. I won't let you." Loa smiled evilly. "But I 
already have…Look down Rae. What has happened to you?" Rae felt pain in her 
legs. She glanced down. Her legs had turned to stone. "What are you doing? 
What's happening to me?" asked Rae with a hint of fear in her voice. Loa 
smiled. "This is my world. Hell…what a nice place to live. Yes, your time has 
come." And suddenly Rae flew into the air…and Loa slammed her into the ground 
endless times…
The Amazons walked around the healer's hut in worry. Ashana was working 
endlessly to keep Rae's fever down. But nothing that she was doing helped. 
The fever seemed to keep rising. There was fear that Rae would just burn up. 
And then…Rae started to convulse. Slowly at first…and then violently. "I need 
some assistance here!" shouted Ashana, and immediately the Amazons swarmed 
around Rae and held her down. "We need to tie her down or she'll hurt 
herself," commanded Ashana. Falcon got some rope, and the Amazons tied Rae 
down. Suddenly she stopped convulsing. "Gods…is she dead?" asked Corde. "No," 
replied Ashana. "She's breathing faintly. But I don't know what's wrong with 
her. I've never seen an illness like this before…" 
Loa stopped slamming Rae into the ground. And Rae lied motionless on the 
stone. Then she slowly lifted her head. "Did you enjoy that?" asked Loa 
insanely. Rae rolled her eyes. "Yeah…every minute." "Oh good. Now I am going 
to tell you a story." Rae looked at her strangely. "A story? I can only 
imagine…" she muttered. She began to get up, but Loa shot power at her, which 
forced her back on the ground. "Stay down. You'll like this story." Rae 
sighed and Loa looked her in the eye. "Once upon a time there was a little 
whore… And the little whore got drunk…then pregnant. Then the child she had 
became the most annoying thorn in my side. Any guesses who I'm talking about 
Rae? It's you…and your mother." "What?" screamed Rae. "Your mother was a 
worthless whore. And you are a pathetic excuse for a warrior." Rae covered 
her ears. "I can't hear you. You won't penetrate my cool." "Oh but I will. 
You can hear me. What an honorable person you are…a daughter of a whore!" And 
Loa burst into insane laughter. Rae felt fire within. She tried and tried…but 
she couldn't control herself any longer. She overcame Loa's force field that 
held her down. Rae leapt up, much to Loa's surprise. And Loa saw it for the 
first time. Pure hate and evil…in Rae. The stuff that she lived off of. Rae's 
eyes glowed the insane red that Loa's eyes did. Rae stood there for a moment 
and glared. Then she sprung at Loa, pinned her to the ground, and slapped 
her. SLAP! "You've really done it haven't you!" SLAP! "You can say all you 
want about me." SLAP! Then Rae's voice turned lethal. "But you will never, 
never say anything about my mother again!" SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! This angered 
Loa. It wasn't the fact that she was getting hit. She didn't feel pain. It 
was the fact that Rae, of all people, was hitting HER. And then all of a 
sudden the tables turned and Loa blasted Rae away from her. "All right Rae 
you've met your match." "No, Loa you've met yours." Loa laughed insanely once 
again. Then she leapt over lava pits. "Come on Rae. Face the flames. Or are 
you chicken?" Rae shook her head. There was no way that Loa was going to get 
her out there. Loa grinned and sent a force to Rae. Rae's vision blurred and 
spun. Then she was flying again. She looked up to see…a winged demon carrying 
her. The thing dropped her at Loa's feet. And Loa pulled out her daggers. "I 
will end your life once and for all," she shrieked. But just as she was about 
to bring the daggers down, Rae rolled away and was on her feet. Loa looked at 
her in surprise. "I'm impressed…not really!" "Well you don't impress me Loa. 
You can't even fight fair." Loa twirled her daggers. "I don't have to." And 
suddenly Rae was on the floor with a dagger in her chest. But she wasn't 
dead. Rae looked at the dagger and then at Loa. Blood was gushing everywhere. 
Rae felt a faint pain…but the dagger wasn't really hurting her. Rae frowned 
and pulled the dagger from her chest. "Nice illusion Loa. Too bad for you 
that it wasn't real." She flung the dagger back at Loa. Loa growled. "You go 
too far Amazon…now it's time for the fires of Hell to rise!" And suddenly Rae 
was engulfed in flames. The flames rose into the air. And Loa laughed 
hysterically. But then Rae shot the flames at her. Loa dodged the flames and 
looked at Rae with rage in her eyes. "Well you aren't that easy to get rid of 
after all. Fine then. No more nice girl." Rae charged Loa, but Loa slammed 
her into the ground and she flew to the edge of the plateau where they had 
been fighting. Rae looked down at the lava pit below. She clung to the edge. 
Loa walked up to her and stepped on her fingers. "Bye Rae." Then she blasted 
her with power, and Rae fell into the lava pit…and was engulfed.
"Adiutorium!" came the scream from the cot in the healer's hut. Ashana 
sprang to the cot where Rae was. Her eyes were open and staring blankly at 
the roof. Ashana felt her forehead and quickly drew her hand back. Rae was on 
fire…almost literally. Rae was breathing hard. "It's ok Rae. It's me, Ashana. 
I am going to help you." But then Rae's eyes closed…her and her breathing 
became faint again. Ashana felt her forehead again. Rae was hotter than 
before…
Rae felt the heat all over. She was completely engulfed in lava. I am 
really dying…I'm dead. She thought. She felt her flesh burning as she made 
her trip to eternity… And then she was cold. The lava disappeared and she was 
lying in ruins…temple ruins. She felt like she was burning…but she knew that 
she wasn't. "What do you want from me?" she shouted to nobody in particular. 
"I have done everything. I always end up dead. Why is my life this way?" She 
closed her eyes. "Rae…" said a calm voice. Rae opened her eyes and sat up. 
"Go away whatever you are. I don't want to hear it." "This is not the real 
Rae that I know…" said the voice. Rae looked around. There was nobody in the 
room with her. "Who are you? Where are you? And what do you want?" "I am you. 
Look down, Rae." Rae glanced down and standing before her was…her…a miniature 
Rae. Rae gasped. "By the gods…you're me! But how…" "I am your inner spirit, 
Rae. Now tell me why you were defeated." Rae looked at the little person. 
"I…I don't know." "It's because you gave up." "What?" "You and I are becoming 
separated. The Rae that I know would never give up so easily." "But…I…What 
can I do?" "You must stand up and fight. Believe in yourself." The miniature 
pulled out a shimmering white sword and gave it to Rae. The sword grew to 
normal size. Rae admired it. "This sword…it's beautiful…" "Fight for what you 
believe in," said the miniature. "I am sending you back now. Valeo!" And the 
miniature disappeared. Before she knew it, Rae was flying back through the 
lava…to face her destiny…
Rae burst through the lava and back on to the plateau. Loa was sitting 
there playing with her daggers and cackling mindlessly. "Loa!" Shouted Rae. 
Loa was up in a flash. Rae drew in all her courage and swung her sword. She 
smiled. "Aiunt populi velut tu an fatum enim saecula saeculorum," she 
whispered in a dark tone. Loa frowned at her. "You make no sense, you fool." 
Rae shook her head. "Dementis populi peruro en abyssus." "Quit your 
babbling," said Loa. Rae advanced towards Loa. She raised her hand and sent a 
force field to Loa. Loa was forced to the ground. "That's not fair! Only I 
can do that!" she screamed. Rae's face was strangely calm. "Not anymore." She 
raised her sword…and brought it down. "Expello hic malevolens iam!" And 
suddenly there was a blinding flash of light…
Rae bolted upright from the cot. She was panting as if she had run a long 
distance. And she was sweating. "Rae?" asked Ashana. Rae turned and looked at 
her. "Ashana? Why am I here? What's going on?" Ashana felt her forehead. 
There was no sign of fever. "You…you were extremely sick." "I was?" 
"Yes…Amazons! She's awake!" The Amazons ran into the hut. "Rae! You're ok! 
What happened?" "I don't know…I need some time. I'll talk to all of you 
later." Rae stood up and walked out of the hut. She breathed in the fresh 
island air. Something told her to go to the beach. Then it hit her. She 
gasped and looked down at the ground. Deep below the ground lied Hell…and 
Loa. "It was her…" she whispered. Ashana came up behind her. "Rae are you all 
right?" "Yeah now I am…now that I've realized it." "Realized what?" Rae 
looked at her calmly. "That it was all a figment of my imagination. It was 
all mind games…" Ashana looked at her strangely. And Rae walked on to the 
beach. Something told her that the answer would be there…