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ACT I
3. INT. GREECE - MOUNT OLYMPUS
Aphrodite is busy primping herself in the mirror currently deciding which shoes would go best with her pink outfit.
APHRODITE
(looking down at her feet)
Hmm… maybe this pair with the flowers.
A pair of pink sandals with a daisy on the front adorn her feet.
APHRODITE
Nah.
(beat - snaps her fingers)
These heels with all the pink strappies are much better…
(beat - smiling)
Plus they sparkle.
Aphrodite looks back up into the mirror and is startled to see Ares standing behind her with a scowl on his face.
APHRODITE
Yikes, bro!
(beat)
You just can't go sneaking up on people like that.
(beat)
And what's with the look? Don't you like the shoes?
ARES
(raised eyebrow)
Shoes???
APHRODITE
(sighs)
Why am I bothering to ask you?
(beat - mumbling)
Been wearing the same black leather for all eternity.
Ares just continues to stand there, arms crossed and looking rather annoyed.
APHRODITE
Okay… so what's the deal?
(beat)
Don't you have some war to be starting or watching or whatever…
ARES
No!!! That's the problem…
(beat - angry)
All of Eli's followers with their love and peace garbage are making warfare a little difficult at the moment.
APHRODITE
So you're bored?
ARES
Yes…
(beat - defensive)
No…
(mumbling)
Stupid peace…
APHRODITE
Bro, maybe what you need is a little female companionship…
(beat - smiling)
speaking of companionship…
Aphrodite snaps her fingers again, and two well-built men in loincloths appear beside a large pink couch with lots of multi-colored pillows. One of them is holding a golden bowl filled with an assortment of fruit.
APHRODITE
Hello boys…
Ares turns and starts to leave the room, a smile starting to appear on his face.
ARES
Hmm… a little female companionship…
(beat)
You might have something there, Sis.
Ares disappears with a lightning flash and a cloud of smoke.
CUT TO:
4. EXT. SOUTH AMERICA - MAYAN TEMPLE
Two figures sit atop the stairs leading to the entrance of a temple. They notice a man walking up the steps towards them. Just as he is about to place his foot on the next step, one of the figures waves his hand, and a round stone appears under the man's foot. He steps on it, causing him to stumble, and fall backwards. He rolls down the long array of stairs knocking down the people behind him, causing a domino effect with bodies flying everywhere.
FIGURE 1
(laughing)
I never get tired of that.
FIGURE 2
(smiling)
Nor do I, brother.
A flash of light is seen coming from behind the two.
ARES
Well, if it isn't my two favorite pranksters,
(beat)
Hun-Hunahphu and Xbalanque.
HUN-HUNAHPHU
Ares!
(beat)
Aren't ‘we’ kinda far from home?
ARES
Well, I was out looking for some laughs,
(beat)
and I thought of the two of you.
(beat)
So here I am.
Hun-Hunahphu and Xbalanque just look at one another and shrug their shoulders.
ARES
What do you say we do something a little more exciting than this?
XBALANQUE
Always on the lookout for something new.
(beat)
Do you have any ideas?
ARES
(smiling)
Funny you should ask…
CUT TO:
5. INT. LITTLE TEMPLE, OLMEC VILLAGE - BEFORE MID-MORNING
The Olmec woman leads Xena and Gabrielle through a back passage, and into a rundown little temple. The temple is decorated with a mural containing various misty and colorful gods, as well as urns depicting these same images, and a few statuettes.
Xena and Gabrielle meet with a Mayan Priest who claims to be rebelling against his tribe.
OLMEC WOMAN
I am called Toktam. This is Kaafi. He used to be a priest of the Mayans, but now he works for our cause.
GABRIELLE
I'm Gabrielle, this is Xena.
Gabrielle clasps their forearms in friendship, Xena merely nods in acknowledgment and stays aloof.
KAAFI
Are you the legendary warriors that came to this land from across the great sea?
Xena lifts an eyebrow in surprise.
XENA
Word travels fast around here…
Gabrielle smiles proudly.
GABRIELLE
(smiling)
I guess we are.
Kaafi looks approvingly at Toktam.
KAAFI
This is good fortune for us all. My people, the Mayans, are slowly integrating the Olmecs into our culture. They are doing their best to eliminate the Olmec way of life. To stop any uprising, the Mayans are using the game Pok-ta-pok to settle our cultural disputes.
TOKTAM
We call the game 'ollama'…
Gabrielle laughs, Xena simply raises her eyebrow.
GABRIELLE
We thought 'ollama' was the name of a player.
XENA
(punching Gabrielle's shoulder lightly)
Speak for yourself.
Gabrielle gives Xena a dark look. Xena looks back mischievously.
KAAFI
The game is just an excuse to get rid of the opposition.
(beat)
It's based on Mayan customs…
Kaafi is interrupted by a young Olmec boy, who runs frantically into the temple.
BOY
(out of breath)
The Mayan Soldiers…
(beat)
returned… Took people for tomorrow's game.
KAAFI
(sighing)
They never give up.
GABRIELLE
Don't worry… we'll help you get them back.
Gabrielle is distracted by a couple of statuettes in one corner of the room and walks over to them. She is fascinated because there is something familiar about them.
GABRIELLE
Xena, look at this.
Ignoring the priest Xena looks at the statuettes without interest.
XENA
Yeah…so?
Gabrielle glances at Xena, then concentrates on the statuettes.
GABRIELLE
I know this sounds crazy, but this statuette looks like you.
XENA
Coincidence!
Kaafi moves closer, fusses with hand gestures over mural.
KAAFI
(confused)
Hmm… these statuettes are new.
(beat)
They are not part of the original temple.
View of mural with statuettes placed in front of it, then Gabrielle, and then Xena.
GABRIELLE
(still fascinated with the statues)
The figures are connected by the heart and mind chakras…
(beat)
…like us, soul mates.
Xena nods in understanding and stands behind Gabrielle with her hands on Gabrielle’s shoulders.
GABRIELLE
Kaafi, tell us more about this mural…
(beat)
who are those two?
Depicted on the mural are two very ugly figures both wearing big, toothy grins.
Nobody notices two furie-like male entities appearing in the room.
KAAFI
That would be 'Hun-Hunahphu' the Hunter, and 'Xbalanque' the Sorcerer. Legend says they created mankind after they defeated Vucub-Caquix and his sons, because they found them too rich and arrogant.
CUT TO:
6. INT. LITTLE TEMPLE, OLMEC VILLAGE - AT NOON
The prankster gods stand a few feet behind the group gathered around the mural. They have been eavesdropping on the conversation, but cannot be seen or heard by anyone in room.
HUN-HUNAHPHU
She finds you ugly, brother.
Xbalanque looks annoyed, but cheers up quickly.
XBALANQUE
She finds you ugly too, brother.
Hun-Hunahphu cackles with glee.
HUN-HUNAHPHU
We could kill her now.
XBALANQUE
And ruin our fun?
Hun-Hunahphu shakes his head.
HUN-HUNAHPHU
Can't do that.
Xbalanque gathers arcane power in his hand.
XBALANQUE
Let's prepare the rock.
Hun-Hunahphu gets excited, rubs his hands together with glee.
HUN-HUNAHPHU
You mean zap it.
Xbalanque gets excited, too.
XBALANQUE
Yeah, zap it now.
The two prankster gods saturate the mural and statuettes with arcane power, laughing madly at their prank.
CUT TO:
7. CLOSE UP OF GABRIELLE
Out of curiosity Gabrielle places her hand on the mural wall and leans over to pick up her statuette, which is standing in front of the mural. Xena simultaneously touches her own likeness as well.
They are both immediately overwhelmed by images of their past-lives and transported into a daydream dimension between realities.
DISSOLVE TO:
8. UNWRITTEN PAST, BEGINNING OF TIME - SUBCONSCIOUS DREAMSCAPE
GABRIELLE
(puzzled)
Xena… what just happened?
XENA
Hmmmmm?
Xena turns her head to face Gabrielle and opens her eyes wide in surprise.
XENA
(exasperated)
What in Hades is going on?
A double-headed, four-legged creature bolts upright.
CUT TO:
9. FLASHBACK - CLIP FROM PROMETHEUS
Transcript from 'Prometheus' - Gabrielle telling a tale to Iolaus.
Iolaus is delirious with fever and Gabrielle tells him a story to comfort him.
GABRIELLE
You're going to make it Iolaus…
(beat)
I know you will.
Iolaus breathes painfully.
GABRIELLE
Let me tell you another story
(beat)
Once, a long, long time ago, all people had four legs and two heads.
(beat)
And then the gods threw down thunderbolts and split everyone into two.
(beat)
Each of them had two legs and one head.
(beat)
But the separation left both sides with a desperate yearning to be reunited.
(beat)
Because they each shared the same soul.
(beat)
And ever since then all people spend their lives searching for the other half of their soul!
Gabrielle begins to weep silently. Iolaus slips into a coma.
GABRIELLE
Iolaus…???… IOLAUS…!?!…
CUT TO:
10. SUBCONSCIOUS DREAMSCAPE
GABRIELLE
We are one soul… we are whole, Xena.
XENA
This can't be happening…
An entity enters the swirl in front of the combined soul warriors.
XENA
(sarcastic)
Ares! What a surprise!
(beat)
I should have known you had something to do with this.
ARES
Xena… Gabrielle! It's been a long time since you were together like this.
GABRIELLE
This feels like the past repeating itself. Yet, we are our present selves attached as one…
(beat)
Just like that tale I told to Iolaus…
XENA
(to Ares)
What is this place? What are you doing here?
ARES
The usual hocus-pocus stuff…
(he paces around)
…subconscious dreamscape. Your mind is witnessing these events…
(beat)
I thought I'd drop in to say hi.
(sneer)
No offense, but maybe we can speed evolution up a bit.
Two more entities appear.
GABRIELLE
(astonished)
Xena… they look like the entities on the mural.
XENA
Xbalanque the Sorcerer and Hun-Hunahphu the Hunter.
ARES
(applauds)
Very good, Xena. Isn't soul-memory amazing when you put your mind to it?
(beat - drifts closer)
Please excuse me for a moment…
Ares motions for the two prankster gods to join him.
ARES
Now, all you need to do is separate them, and eliminate their connection as soul mates.
XBALANQUE
(arms crossed)
And why are we doing this again…
HUN-HUNAHPHU
This doesn't seem too fun…
(beat)
plus… can't eliminate. Only block that connection.
ARES
Remember…
(beat)
They'll start acting weird… fighting… lots of chaos.
XBALANQUE
(smiling)
Chaos is good.
(beat)
Brother… remember that time we put everyone's heads on backwards?
HUN-HUNAHPHU
Oh yes, people started running into everything… falling down.
(beat)
Lots of chaos… that was great!
XBALANQUE & HUN-HUNAHPHU
Let's do it!!!
Xena looks at Ares with fury and determination. The latter smiles knowingly.
XENA
(angry - through clenched teeth)
Release us, Ares!
ARES
Release you?
(beat)
You and Gabrielle are soul mates.
(beat - to himself)
Well, not for much longer…
XBALANQUE
Ares?
(beat)
Can we play NOW?
ARES
Go ahead…
Ares steps aside as the two pranksters come in close range to Xena and Gabrielle. Xena tries to kick them, but she jumps and Gabrielle doesn't, which causes both of them to fall down.
HUN-HUNAHPHU
People are so funny like this…
(beat)
maybe we should put more back together.
ARES
(a little annoyed)
Let's get going…
The two brothers look at him.
XBALANQUE
Uptight, isn't he?
HUN-HUNAHPHU
Definitely in need of a good time.
Xbalanque and Hun-Hunahphu turn their attention back towards Xena and Gabrielle and engulf them in a huge ball of light. The four-legged body begins to spin slowly as it is slowly pulled apart. It begins to thin in the middle, and as the one becomes two, the formation of an additional arm for each one can be seen.
With the completion of the transformation, Xena and Gabrielle look as they normally do, but their newly formed hands are clasped tightly together.
ARES
Now… break the bond…
Xbalanque and Hun-Hunahphu wave their hands, and a lightening bolt is fired in-between the two women causing them to separate. Xbalanque places his hand over Xena's eyes as Hun-Hunahphu does the same to Gabrielle. Both bodies glow for a brief moment, and then just continue to float in an unconscious state.
ARES
So, it's done?
XBALANQUE
Yes…
(beat)
neither will be able to sense the presence of her soul-twin… as if they have no connection at all.
ARES
Memory?
HUN-HUNAHPHU
Neither will know they were here.
ARES
(smiling)
Perfect!
XBALANQUE & HUN-HUNAHPHU
(in unison with sinister smiles)
And Ares…
(beat)
This had better be fun… or we will be most upset.
With that the two prankster gods disappear, and leave Ares all alone in the dreamscape.
ARES
Without their connection… Xena is as good as mine.
DISSOLVE TO:
END ACT I
ACT II
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