ACT I

FADE IN:

2. LIMBO - TIMELESS

Xena slowly opens her eyes and finds herself surrounded by gray mist. The floor beneath her doesn't feel like the forest floor. It's hard and soft all at once. She wipes her forehead with the back of her hand and sees blood. She wipes the blood off of her hand then tries to fan away the mist.

XENA

Gabrielle?!

LAO MA (O.S.)

Welcome, Xena.

The mist clears and in the middle of the vast limbo is LAO MA, sitting on the lip of a well, looking into the waters. She's dressed in a flowing red silk robe accented by a winding dragon stitched in various colors. Xena stands, trying to stifle her groans.

XENA
(sotto voce)

Deja vu...

LAO MA

...all over again.

Lao Ma turns to face Xena, a broad smile gracing her lips.

LAO MA (CONT'D)

Ni hao ma, Xena.

Xena bows to her master, a smirk on her face, then straightens up and looks around.

XENA

Not too good if I'm seeing your spirit again...no offense.

LAO MA
(smiles compassionately)

None taken. Have a seat.

Lao Ma motions to the lip of the well and they sit.

XENA

I'm surprised you're here...I didn't die while in Japa or Chin, this time.

LAO MA
(still smiling)

The master is never far from the student, whether in heart, in mind, or in person. You are not dead, Xena. Not yet. You doubt your path, forgetting basic truths...and I am here to help. What troubles you?

XENA
(sighs)

Nothing...

LAO MA

Do not try to hide your heart, Xena. You are an open scroll to me.

XENA
(miserably)

Why is it that when I'm in trouble, you show up?

Lao Ma smiles and puts a comforting hand on Xena's shoulder.

LAO MA

Just as you teach Gabrielle, so too must the teacher be taught.

Xena, visibly distraught, turns away from her mentor. Lao Ma frowns, not because Xena won't confide in her, but because this is so difficult for her to talk about....at least, with her it is.

Suddenly, Lao Ma realizes why Xena is so reticent to talk to her.

LAO MA (CONT'D)

Do not feel ashamed because you are unsure. Examination of doubt can lead to great strength...

XENA
(defeated)

Yes, okay, fine...I have doubts!

(pauses)

I just don't know if anything's worth the fight anymore...

LAO MA
(overly dramatic)

Shen-me?!

(normal)

Xena, it is normal and human to question your path. You should know...you have done it many times before.

XENA

Yes, but this seems different somehow...

LAO MA

Is it because you have seen more of the world and the evil within it?

Xena acquiesces with a silent nod.

LAO MA (CONT'D)

And you feel that for every one evil you tear down, more crop up like weeds to take its place?

Xena again nods.

LAO MA (CONT'D)

I felt the same the first time I traveled the world. I saw so much evil, I wondered why I even bothered to try and arrange peace in my homeland.

(beat)

I later realized that I tried to arrange peace so such evil could not get a solid foothold there.

Lao Ma sees that this is doing Xena absolutely no good.

LAO MA (CONT'D)
(motions toward the well)

Indulge me, Xena. Let me show you things that may help you in your time of misgiving.

XENA

I have all the time in the world.

DISSOLVE TO:

3. EXT. TUSCARORA SETTLEMENT - MIDDAY

While Xena is unconscious, Gabrielle has followed behind the caravan with one eye on the captive attackers and one on the unconscious Xena, holding a rag to her wound. They make their way into a nice sized settlement of long houses.

Several Elders and Apenimon, whose name means "worthy of trust", come out of one of the larger houses to greet the caravan and are taken aback when they see the strangers, the bound war party and the stretcher carrying the body of the slain man.

APENIMON

(subtitles)

What happened?

OLDER MAN

(subtitles)

Crazy Wolf attacked us on our way back from a peace meeting with the Seneca. If it weren't for them, he and his traitorous Mohawk brothers would have killed us all.

The older man points towards Gabrielle and Xena. Chief Apenimon ignores him and steps up to Crazy Wolf who stands totally still, fire and hatred burning in his dark eyes.

APENIMON

(subtitles - signing)

We have made peace...why do you insist on breaking it?

Crazy Wolf says nothing, but glares at the chief. Chief Apenimon breaks his eye contact with Crazy Wolf to talk to Gabrielle. He nods to his fellow tribes people that everything is under control and smiles at the blonde. He sees her wound and motions for her to let him examine it.

APENIMON (CONT'D)

(subtitles - signing)

I do not know if you understand, but I thank you for saving my people. I am Apenimon, chief of the Tuscarora. I give you safe passage while on our lands.

GABRIELLE

(signing)

I understand a little... Thank you, Chief Apenimon. My friend was injured in the fight. Will you please help us?

APENIMON

(subtitles - signing)

Yes, of course.

(to people gathered in curiosity)

Honovi, Muraco...take the pallet and its burden to Mingan.

(to Gabrielle)

She will be well taken care of.

Two young men step forward to do as Chief Apenimon requested. The chief himself, turns toward their seven captives who stand, bound, in a group.

APENIMON (CONT'D)

Now...what to do with you... I suppose that we should signal to your tribe that you've been caught on Tuscarora lands in an attempt to kill our people.

(to Crazy Wolf specifically)

We all had such high hopes for you and your mission, Pallaton, but now you live up to your new name....Crazy Wolf.

(to several young warriors)

Take them to the hut and watch over them. Then have Dyami send the Mohawks a message about Crazy Wolf.
The warriors nod and take the war party away. Crazy Wolf turns toward Gabrielle as he's being led away.

CRAZY WOLF
(whispers venomously in broken Tuscarora)

(subtitled)

All to die. Your warrior to die.

Apenimon looks at Crazy Wolf with disdain, then at the confused Gabrielle.

APENIMON

(subtitles - signing)

It is an idle threat he can not uphold. Do not worry. Let's take care of your arm...

Apenimon guides her by her uninjured arm to a water pot to start getting her cleaned up.

DISSOLVE TO:

4. LIMBO - TIMELESS

Lao Ma and Xena are sitting on the lip of the well.

LAO MA
(bordering on amused)

Xena, have you ever thought of those you have saved? How you have affected their lives?

XENA

No...

LAO MA

Why?

XENA

I don't know. There were so many people we've encountered...

Lao Ma reaches up and turns Xena's head so she's looking down into the well.

LAO MA

We have seen enough of your past, warrior princess...let us see their past, the people you have saved through the years.

We see a scene of a man in his early to mid-forties, smiling as he walks through a village. He shakes hands with everyone he meets and winks cordially at young ladies. He walks into an orphanage and is barraged by children all rushing to hug him and welcome him.

Happiness shines from his eyes as he kneels to give the children hugs and kisses. He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a pouch, which he opens - inside are all sorts of candies for the kids.

LAO MA (CONT'D) (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Do you know who this is, Xena?

XENA (O.S.)
(you can hear the frown in her voice)

No...

LAO MA (O.S.)

Think back to your first winter solstice with Gabrielle...this is the young man who stole your chakram and...

Xena smiles widely at the memory of the young boy and the vision in the well.

XENA

...and turned it into a decoration...

LAO MA
(smiles)

Lynal...

(beat)

When you saved his orphanage, and taught the king about kindness, this young man took it to heart. It is because of you that he became a very popular and successful magistrate all those years ago...and as he grew up, took care of the new orphans. When he had children and grandchildren of his own, he passed along what he had learned from you to them.

As Lao Ma speaks, the images in the well morph into Lynal's lifetime. He as an arbiter, his wedding, having children, taking care of new batches of orphans, seeing to his children's schooling.

LAO MA (CONT'D)

If you had not helped those orphans, especially Lynal, this is what would have happened...

In the well, we see Lynal rushing through the village, dodging and swerving to miss hitting people. He's clutching his arm in pain, an open wound seeping blood. In his other hand he holds a dagger, covered in blood. He is approximately fifteen years old. Trailing him are several very mean looking guards.

He sees that there is a clearing up ahead. Lynal speeds up because if he can get to open ground, he can outrun them all. Unfortunately for him, he stumbles over a young child, and the guards catch up with him. He puts up no fight, but the guards beat him anyway.

Suddenly, the sickening crunch of bones breaking is heard and Lynal's body goes limp. The scene ripples back into the reflection of Lao Ma and Xena.

LAO MA (CONT'D)

If you had not saved his orphanage, the only family he ever knew at that point, then he would have continued to rob until he was fifteen years old. He would have accidentally killed someone in an attempted robbery and been beaten to death by the King's guards.

Lao Ma touches the water again and the ripples form into an image of KING SILVUS and his family, happy and serene.

LAO MA (CONT'D)

It is because of you that his kingdom thrived. Without you, King Silvus would have run the kingdom into the ground with his tyranny and pettiness. At the time of his death, his kingdom was almost as successful as Athens and has continued to grow based on what you taught him...

XENA

I can't take the credit...it was Gabrielle's doing...

LAO MA

But you saved Gabrielle and taught her your values, just as she teaches you hers. You have already seen what Gabrielle's future would have been like if you hadn't helped...a hardened slave willing to kill anyone who got in the way of her having freedom.

The scene in the well changes to one of MELEAGER from soon after the episode "The Execution." He, as gracefully as he can, is accepting tributes and thanks.

XENA
(whisper choked with memories)

Meleager...

LAO MA (O.S.)

Yes...Gabrielle's childhood hero. Both you and Gabrielle saved him when he was brought up on charges of murder...and because of you, he stopped drinking and returned justice to that village. He turned many lives around while he lived there. The village, it turned out, became a central location between several larger, more prosperous villages. Meleager was able to save the village from the warlords...all because of you and Gabrielle.

XENA (O.S.)

Did he have any children?

LAO MA (O.S.)

No...Meleager rededicated himself to justice...and he never had time to find the right one before he died...

The scene in the well changes to the kingdom of Treus. A miniature version of Xena is running around with two younger boys, her brothers. Their mother, DIANA, is sitting with her husband Philamon watching them play.

LAO MA (O.S.) (CONT'D)

And what of Diana? If you hadn't saved her, her kingdom would have fallen into blind hatred and retaliation once it was discovered that the successful assassin was sent by slave-traders in Libarium. Two great kingdoms would have fallen to each other, leaving the path open to anyone with a large enough army to take control...

XENA

I almost didn't agree...

Lao Ma says nothing. She and Xena both look into the well as the vision fades to gray, and we are left with the reflection of the two of them gazing into the water.

LAO MA

Those are just a few of the countless lives you've affected. These are the people you were fighting for...

(beat)

Now, we must look to the future...a possible future among many.

Xena turns her gaze back into the well as we...

FADE TO BLACK:

END ACT I

ACT II