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The following episode written for The Xena Warrior
Princess Virtual Season is a work of fiction based upon the television
series Xena: Warrior Princess. The original characters are used strictly
for fan purposes and not for profit. There is no intent to infringe upon
or violate any copyrights held by Studio USA, Renaissance Pictures,
Universal Television or any other organization that owns the rights to
this series.
The script, story ideas, and any characters created by
the authors that are not part of the original series are copyrighted and
remain the sole property of those authors. Also, any original artworks
are copyrighted and remain the sole property of those artists.
Permission to use any of the written or drawn works herein must be
submitted to the original author(s) and artist(s).
Xena
Warrior Princess Virtual Season
Episode 8.3: Future Echoes
Written by: Magenta
Beta-Read by: Closet Warrior Princess, Ashley Mayo,
and CA Osborne
Illustrated by: Kathy
TEASER
1. EXT. RIVER - MIDDAY
XENA and GABRIELLE are paddling up a river surrounded by
a lush forest. The leaves on the trees are just beginning to turn
different shades of red, yellow and orange signaling the coming autumn.
The warrior and the bard are wearing plain buckskin.
GABRIELLE
So...what are you saying? That you want to get paid or
get some statue in tribute to your name?
XENA
No, that's not it at all...you know better than that,
Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE
Well, then, what?
XENA
I'm frustrated! I want so much for the future, but I
feel like everything we do is in vain.
GABRIELLE
Care to explain that?
XENA
(sighs)
What's the point of saving some defenseless villagers
when they'll continue to be defenseless for the next army? What's the
point of defeating one warlord when it seems like ten more pop up to
take their place?
(sighs again, irritated)
(beat)
I dunno...what if my sense, OUR sense, of the Greater
Good isn't good enough for everyone else?
GABRIELLE
Why haven't you said anything before now?
XENA
Never really had time to...
Their conversation is interrupted by a woman's scream,
angry shouting, and war cries. They look at each other briefly before
rowing faster towards shore.
Once close enough, Xena and Gabrielle slide out of the
canoe and quietly drag it onto the riverbank and climb up the slope to
see what the ruckus is all about. A little further up the river, in a
clearing by the water's edge, seven braves, armed with tomahawks and war
clubs, harassing a peaceful caravan consisting of a few armed warriors,
a couple of young boys on the verge of becoming men, an elder and his
wife.
One of the braves has killed the elder, who was trying
to protect himself and his people. The woman is wailing in mourning,
while the children are lashing out. One brave pushes a child down and
kneels over the elder's prone body.
A pre-teenage boy steps up to the brave, speaking in a
voice so low that only those in the immediate area can hear, anger
flashing in his brown-black eyes. The brave pulls back as if to bludgeon
the boy and that is when Xena literally leaps into the chaos, catching
the tomahawk and giving the arm a good twist.
She pushes it away and the man uses the momentum to
swing the tomahawk underhanded back at Xena. As she blocks the blow,
she's attacked from behind by three braves.
Gabrielle springs forward and punches the man in front
of her then reverse high kicks the man behind her in the head, knocking
him down. The man to her right side lunges forward to hit her with his
tomahawk.
Meanwhile, Xena jumps and spins at the same time,
knocking the first man down and knocking out the three whom were coming
at her from behind. The man who was knocked down gets up onto his feet
as fast as possible and rushes Xena while drawing a dagger, swinging his
tomahawk and the dagger amazingly fast.
Xena catches a blow from the tomahawk with her sword and hand while
blocking the dagger attack with her shin guard. She wraps her leg around
the arm holding the dagger and squeezes until the man drops it, then she
flips backwards onto her hands, managing to throw the man while
dislodging her leg from its precarious position. He lands with a solid
thud and stays down. Xena turns to see that Gabrielle is about to get
bludgeoned while she's busy fighting two other braves and takes a
running leap forward, launching herself towards Gabrielle and her
attacker.
She slips a little on the dew wet leaf litter, losing
precious moments. She ends up taking the blow intended for Gabrielle on
her own head and her dead weight knocks the bard aside and pins her
down.
Thinking they're victorious over the intruders, the last
two braves left conscious turn and start towards the caravan, gripping
their tomahawks and war clubs menacingly.
Everything happened too quickly for Gabrielle to
register what exactly had occurred, but she feels fresh blood pour onto
her shoulder from where Xena's head lays on it. Frightened and angry,
Gabrielle gently pulls herself from underneath Xena and rushes towards
the two remaining men, launching herself into the air horizontally to
knock them both down.
She then rolls up to a standing position and hits the
man on her left in the face to knock him back out, then does several
back flips to dodge a fierce attack from the man on her right. On the
last back flip, she extends herself a little more to kick the man on the
chin, making him flip over and land on his stomach.
The man Xena flipped over her shoulder has awakened and
picked up his knife, throwing it with deadly accuracy. Gabrielle hears
that it's coming, but not fast enough as it gashes her shoulder deeply.
She grasps her arm in pain then looks over her shoulder
to see the brave coming towards her. She does a one-handed back flip
with a half twist which lands her face-to-face with the brave. He pulls
back to punch her, but her punch lands first. He's out.
Gabrielle looks around and all of the men are
unconscious. She signs to the caravan to have them tie up the attacking
braves. As they comply, she then rushes to Xena's side.
GABRIELLE
Xena? Xena, open your eyes, okay?
(desperate)
Xena!
Xena's unconscious head rolls back and forth as
Gabrielle strokes her cheeks and checks the wound.
FADE TO BLACK:
END TEASER
ACT
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