ACT TWO

FADE IN:

18. EXT. DOCKS - DAY

The bard gives Xena a cold stare which seems to bring the warrior out of her trance and wipes the smirk off her face. Gabrielle doesn't notice it as she, her jaw set in anger, walks up to Xena and looks her dead in the eye.

GABRIELLE

(venomous whisper)

I hope you're happy, Xena.

The bard storms off to their cabin, her justified anger, and the realization that the warrior, with her own sword, harmed Gabrielle, causing more pain to Xena than any physical wound could. Taj descends from his place by the rudder wheel to address the warrior.

TAJ

Mmm...perhaps you need a bath, yes? Mmm...

Xena glares at the apparently suicidal captain and before she knows it, Malik is also by her side to calm her down.

MALIK

We have a saying in our homeland, when one is acting strangely, we think they need a bath to cleanse themselves. It is not a statement about your hygiene, warrior princess.

Xena looks at Malik, then at Taj...then stomps off to her cabin to try to work things out with Gabrielle. Malik goes back to Taj's side.

TAJ

Evil grips her soul and blinds her to the truth.

CUT TO:

19. INT. HALL - SAME

Xena approaches the door to their cabin and finds it locked. She knocks.

XENA

Gabrielle? Gabrielle, please open the door.

The door opens and Xena walks in to find Gabrielle already walking back to her hammock to continue to cleanse her wound. She gets back in the hammock with relative ease. The warrior walks in and, uneasy, rocks back and forth on her heels a pace away from where Gabrielle is sitting in the swaying contraption.

XENA

(continued)

(trying to ease the tension)

So...what's swinging?

Gabrielle gives Xena a look that would bend the strongest of Hephaestus' metals, then goes back to tending her wound. Xena approaches her and tries to take over, but Gabrielle flinches away out of anger.

XENA

(continued)

Gabrielle...I'm sorry. I honestly don't know what came over me... You know I didn't mean to hurt you.

The bard sighs and, after considering the warrior's words, hands their kit to Xena.

GABRIELLE

Is it your time of the moon? You always get really feisty around that time.

Xena looks at Gabrielle as she tends to the wound, cleaning it. It's a light cut and doesn't require stitches. She applies an herbal compound from a small bowl resting on the bard's lap.

GABRIELLE

(continued)

(laughs, remembering an incident)

Hey...I know you didn't mean to scare the entire village that one time, and I know I don't have to remind you of which one. I'm sure they're still writing reams of scrolls about it.

Xena smiles as she applies a bandage.

XENA

That would be some interesting reading...

Xena kisses the bandaged wound, then leans back and looks at Gabrielle.

XENA

(continued)

You always seem to forgive me when I step so wildly out-of-bounds... Why?

GABRIELLE

Because, most of the time, whether you're protecting me or a couple of villages, I know that the Greater Good is what drives you. At least your sense of the greater good. Even if I don't get it right away, I know...y'know? Like this time... You're right. It's one thing to fight against the breeze, but quite another to fight an opponent.

Xena smiles and hugs Gabrielle. A puzzled and concerned look crosses Xena's face when it's out of Gabrielle's eye sight. She recovers herself when she pulls away.

XENA

Yeah...I know... C'mon...let's go watch the world float by.

The bard smiles and they leave the cabin.

DISSOLVE TO:

20. SUNSET (SPED UP)

DISSOLVE TO:

21. INT. CABIN - NIGHT

The hammocks swing back and forth illuminated by the diffused moonlight coming through the oiled goatskin covers, used to protect the ship from taking on water. The lamp is not lit. We focus on Xena's hammock as she's tossing and turning. The camera pushes into her closed eyes.

DISSOLVE TO:

22. XENA'S DREAMSCAPE - TIMELESS

Some would describe the black void surrounding Xena as Limbo. From an origin unknown, there is a blue light illuminating the warrior princess as she looks blindly around. Suddenly, Cthulhu swoops down out of the darkness carrying a person dressed in a black robe and hood. The robe hides any identifying marks about this person.

CTHULHU

Since your friend stopped you from practicing, as a warrior should do, I've brought you a sparring partner. Perhaps, with enough concentration, you will discover your opponent's identity...

Cthulhu drops the figure and it lands in a crouch, its sword already drawn. Xena reaches back for her sword and unsheathes it. Her dream sword's blade contains fire and it illuminates the fight, but she still cannot see her opponent's face. Her opponent rushes at the warrior with great speed and ferocity, using the sword as an extension of itself. Xena blocks and parries with ease, but comes close to being injured several times. Every time her sword connects with the sword of her mysterious opponent, sparks of fire fly off, but the fire of the sword is not lessened.

CUT TO:

23. INT. CABIN - SAME

Xena is restless in her hammock. The camera pulls away and pushes into Gabrielle's dreamscape.

DISSOLVE TO:

24. GABRIELLE'S DREAMSCAPE - TIMELESS

She is surrounded by blackness. A short sword appears in the air before Gabrielle. The pommel is tear-shaped and silver with gold marbled within it, like a marblecake. The hilt is golden with silver flecks. The guard is made up of the ends of two snakes who intertwine for a few inches up the two foot long blade, stopping just before the blade becomes serrated on both edges for a few inches. The rest of the blade is double edged and polished to a fine silvery sheen, as if a light were coming from within it. Where the heads of the snakes meet and look at each other, fangs bared, there is a peculiar etching of an eye. To draw the etching out from the rest of the sword, the lines have been painted blood red. Cleopatra appears.

CLEOPATRA

You are about to meet your match, Gabrielle. Be confident. You are Ra's chosen.

When Gabrielle takes hold of the sword, Cleopatra fades away and a black robed figure walks out of the darkness swinging a sword. There is an almost familiar cocky swagger to the figure's walk. Suddenly, the robed figure attacks Gabrielle and she barely brings her short sword up to block the strong blows. The bard starts fighting back and the robed figure is no longer trying to be impressive, it's trying to survive. The bard uses her kata as starting points for sword moves, but finds herself improvising moves more and more as her opponent becomes more determined.

CUT TO:

25. XENA'S DREAMSCAPE - TIMELESS

Xena is fighting hard against this tireless fighting machine, jumping, ducking and rolling to avoid the sword. She bends her knees and ducks to her right, moving her left leg in and hears the whoosh of the sword as it comes down by her ear. She rolls as the sword abruptly changes direction towards her, then, when the sword passes harmlessly above her, she flips backwards and kicks her opponent's ribs.

CUT TO:

26. GABRIELLE'S DREAMSCAPE - TIMELESS

The robed figure and the bard are pretty well matched in their fight. The robed figure bends its knees and ducks to its right to avoid a downward swipe of Gabrielle's sword. The bard adjusts to the figure's movement and changes direction, slashing almost vertically at the figure, who rolls under the sword's path. Instantly, the figure does a back flip and kicks the bard in the ribs. Gabrielle stumbles, but manages to swing the sword backwards to block a slashing movement from the robed figure's sword and spins around to face it. In that split moment, the robed figure kicks Gabrielle in the stomach making her double over, then knees her in the face, knocking her down onto her back. Gabrielle is doing her best to block and parry the sword swipes that pin her to the ground while she tries to kick the figure's legs out from under it, all to no avail.

CUT TO:

27. XENA'S DREAMSCAPE - TIMELESS

The robed figure stumbles from the kick to its ribs, but manages to get its sword behind it in time to block a slashing movement from the warrior princess. Her opponent spins around to face Xena and in that split moment of distraction, the warrior kicks her opponent in the stomach and when it doubles over, she knees it in its face, knocking it down onto its back. Xena now has the advantage and tries to at least incapacitate her opponent as she blocks the attempts to kick her legs out from under her. She blocks a desperate upward thrust and spins the sword around with her own, dislodging her opponent's grip and tossing the sword aside. It lands blade down about a yard away. Her opponent watches it then looks up to see the point of Xena's sword barely an inch away from its neck.

CUT TO:

28. GABRIELLE'S DREAMSCAPE - TIMELESS

The robed figure catches Gabrielle's short sword with its own and circles it, dislodging it from the bard's grasp and sending it flying. It lands, tip down, in the ground a yard away. Gabrielle looks at the sword and looks up to find the point of the robed figure's weapon barely an inch away from the hollow of her throat.

CUT TO:

29. INT. CABIN - NIGHT

Xena and Gabrielle fall out of their hammocks. Xena is instantly on her feet, acting as if she's holding a sword to Gabrielle's throat as she lies on the ground. Their eyes meet.

GABRIELLE

Xena?

XENA

Gabrielle?

They look around, then Xena helps Gabrielle to her feet. They look at each other cautiously, then sit carefully in their hammocks.

XENA/GABRIELLE

You okay?

They smile uneasily and nod. Gabrielle frowns.

GABRIELLE

(continued)

Xena...I'm pretty sure I just had a really weird dream about you.

XENA

Same here...I think we need to talk.

Xena gets out of her hammock and stumbles to their bags to find the flint to fire up the oil lamp. On the way back there is a quiet curse. She hobbles over to the oil lamp and lights it, then hobbles over to her hammock and gets into it.

GABRIELLE

What happened?

XENA

Splinter. One of the floorboards over by the crate's not sanded properly so watch it when you go get something in that area...the rest of the floor is fine.

GABRIELLE

Did you grab the breast dagger while you were over there?

XENA

Yeah... You do it, please?

Gabrielle smiles and takes the dagger and Xena's foot and stretches it across the small distance between the two hammocks.

GABRIELLE

What was your dream about, Xena?

XENA

This figure in a robe was dropped in front of me and I was told to fight it...so I did. When it was over, I think it was you...

GABRIELLE

You were TOLD to fight ME?

XENA

At least I think so...and I don't know...I say told, but I felt more impelled...like it wasn't my decision anymore... What was your dream?

GABRIELLE

Cleopatra-

XENA

Cleopatra?! What was Cleopatra doing in your dream?

GABRIELLE

She told me to be confident and then this robed person walked out of the darkness and we started fighting...and I'm pretty sure it was you.

XENA

Maybe these dreams are because of what happened earlier...on deck.

GABRIELLE

(contemplative)

Maybe...

With a little wince from the warrior, Gabrielle pulls the offending splinter from Xena's foot.

GABRIELLE

(continued)

Got it!

The bard gets out of her hammock and throws the splinter into a waste bin by her foot. Gabrielle turns and sees Xena cradle her head in her hands, a common sight these days. The bard walks over and takes hold of one of Xena's hands with the intention of dragging her to the deck. Xena looks at her.

XENA

Why?

GABRIELLE

What do you do when you have a bad dream?

XENA

Go back to sleep?

GABRIELLE

(indignant)

You do not! You go for a walk so let's go, warrior.

(pauses)

Don't try to mislead me, Xena. I know everything about you.

XENA

Everything, huh?

GABRIELLE

Yep. Everything.

The warrior gets out of her hammock and favors her injured foot. Gabrielle watches her walk and stifles a giggle.

GABRIELLE

(continued)

Need some help there, Xena? Maybe some crutches? Or a chair with wheels?

Xena glares at the bard as they go up on deck.

CUT TO:

30. EXT. DECK - NIGHT

The moon is almost full and bright, illuminating everything around them. They go to the viewing deck above the captain's cabin and lie down with Xena's head in Gabrielle's lap as the bard massages her temples. Gabrielle frowns trying to decide whether she should tell Xena the rest of her dream.

GABRIELLE

Xena...this wasn't the first time Cleopatra visited me in my dreams... The first time she came to me was the night before we set off for the harbor to go to Alexandria... She told me about the city and asked me to come help her people against a threat from the gods...

XENA

Really? I had a dream a lot like that...except I didn't know who was visiting me...he said pretty much the same thing, that the Egyptians needed my help. Wonder why Cleopatra visited you and not me...

Gabrielle stops massaging Xena's head.

GABRIELLE

(jokingly)

What? I'm not good enough for Cleopatra?

Xena gives Gabrielle that "don't be silly" look. There is a beat of silence as they look into each other's eyes. Xena pinches the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes as the bard resumes massaging her temples.

XENA

When we get to Alexandria, I'm gonna go see what I can find out about the gods of Egypt.

GABRIELLE

Good! I can come with you and we'll go to the library...finally!

XENA

Why don't you stay in the inn, relax in a nice hot tub for a while? I'll tell you everything I find out, okay? Then, in a couple of days, we'll go back to the library just for you.

GABRIELLE

(disappointed)

Okay...

There is silence as Xena sits up and scoots around to sit next to the bard. They sit and contemplate how, even with the moon illuminating the waters, they could almost imagine that they were sailing among the stars in the night sky. Gabrielle leans her head against Xena's shoulder and it is then that the warrior's eyes glow red.

FADE TO BLACK.

ACT III