ACT ONE

FADE IN:

EXT. LARGE TOWN - DAY

Xena and Gabrielle enter the town. Their appearance doesn't seem to attract any attention from the inhabitants, who are busy attending a big market festival that winds all the way through the streets and around the buildings. The town appears very prosperous. The villagers appear cheerful and they welcome Xena and Gabrielle with friendly faces and smiles as the two women wander through the festivities.

GABRIELLE

Nice to see people

happy for a change.

XENA

Ummhmm.

Two women with baskets of flower necklaces dance past. They stop and offer Xena and Gabrielle one each, placing them around their necks before they run on, giggling.  Xena examines one of the flowers, then sniffs it experimentally.

GABRIELLE

Sure beats getting hit

over the head with a brick.

They enter the main marketplace. Near one end, two men are selling flasks of some herbal concoction, and next to them a potter displays a wooden table full of well made jars and pots.

XENA

Want to do some shopping?

Gabrielle studies the table. She shrugs.

GABRIELLE

No.

Xena looks at her in surprise.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d)

It finally dawned on me that the

more stuff I buy, the more stuff

I have to carry. Let's go.

Gabrielle leads the way through the marketplace and they arrive at the town inn. The innkeeper, a middle aged man wearing a leather apron, stands outside sweeping the ground in front of the inn with a straw broom.

XENA

Evening.

The innkeeper looks them over, then smiles.

INNKEEPER

Evening, ladies. Can I interest you

in a room, a bath, and a good meal?

GABRIELLE

(smiling)

Why?  Does it look like we need them?

The innkeeper reacts, a bit embarrassed.

INNKEEPER

No... No! No... Just a turn

of speech, you know!

XENA

(dryly)

We'll take all three. How much?

The innkeeper sizes them up again.

INNKEEPER

Five dinars.

Xena looks at him sternly.

INNKEEPER

(Cont’d)

With dinner.

Xena looks at him even more sternly.

INNKEEPER

(Cont’d)

And stabling for your lovely horse.

Xena smiles. Gabrielle hides a grin.

GABRIELLE

Nice festival you've got going on.

The innkeeper nods.

INNKEEPER

Been a good year, it has. Things

have been a lot better since

those leeches from Olympus left.

Xena and Gabrielle exchange significant glances.

GABRIELLE

Really? Why don't you sit down

with us and tell us more about that?

Xena takes one arm, and Gabrielle takes the other arm, and they escort the innkeeper inside the inn before he can protest. The broom falls to the ground, forgotten.

FADE TO:

INT. ARES' TEMPLE - NIGHT

The inside of the temple looks, if anything, more disrupted than it did before. Ares is sitting on the broken altar, pounding the chakram against the stone with a very irritated look on his face.

ARES

Stupid piece of....

In frustration, Ares throws the chakram across the temple and it smacks into the wall. Instead of returning to him, it falls to the ground with a clatter.

ARES

(Cont’d)

I waited too long.

Ares gets up and paces.

ARES

(Cont’d)

Xena… Xena... Xena....

(beat)

Why do you always have

to screw me up?

Ares lifts his hands and lets them drop to his sides.

ARES

(Cont’d)

But never screw me?

He laughs bitterly.

ARES

(Cont’d)

Who knew the power I'd need to

bring back my glory days would be

locked up in a present I gave to you?

Ares walks over and kicks the chakram. Then he picks the chakram up and looks at it speculatively.

ARES

(Cont’d)

I need to get her out of you, don't I?

Then you and me can have some real fun.

Ares flips the chakram, then twirls it on his finger as he thinks. He smiles, returns the chakram to his hip, then pops out in a flash of blue impatience.

CUT TO:

INT. TOWN INN - NIGHT

Xena and Gabrielle sit at a table with the remains of a good dinner in front of them. They both hold mugs of ale, as they listen to the innkeeper talk.

INNKEEPER

So... That's the story! Used to be, half our

harvest went to the gods. Field of wheat

to this one, herd of pigs to that one... Pah!

GABRIELLE

So, now you get to keep it all.

INNKEEPER

Right you are, and good riddance!

They weren't worth a dinar. Look,

we're still here, ain't we? Haven't

fallen off the world without ‘em?

The innkeeper stands up and slaps the table.

INNKEEPER

(Cont’d)

Well, it's been nice talking to you,

but I've got an inn to run. You ladies

have a beautiful, godless night.

Xena waves her hand at him as he leaves. They drain their mugs, then push back from the table and leave the room which is getting steadily more crowded.

CUT TO:

INT. RUINS OF OLYMPUS – ARES’ – TIME IRRELEVANT

A low mist swirls around the floor of a large room. There is a window on one side of it, but outside the window is a blank darkness.  The walls are draped with velvet, and the floor is covered in animal skin rugs. There is a huge, huge bed in the center of the room piled with pillows. A mirror hangs over it.

The room has an air of abandonment. There seems to be a layer of dust over everything, and though the bed linens are mussed, they lay over the side and droop on the floor. Near the door is a wooden dog bowl with three dishes, overturned.

Ares enters. He stares at the bowl, then kicks it out of his way and goes to a chest near the window. He throws the top open and starts pulling items out of it and tossing them over his shoulder. Most of the items are unidentifiable, but whips, chains, and things with points on them are prominently featured.

ARES

Where are you? Hmm?

Ares pulls out a silk robe. He stares at it, then sniffs it, grimacing before he tosses it aside. He then removes an old, ceramic case, square and very dusty.

ARES

(Cont’d)

Ah!

Ares takes the case and sits on the bed. He opens the case, then removes the chakram from his hip and places it inside. It fits into the round depression in the center. On the outside of the case are prominent, Egyptian hieroglyphs. Ares studies the sigils, turning the case over, and then upside down to read them.

ARES

(Cont’d)

Figures. I hate sand.

Ares gets up and puts the case under his arm. He snaps his fingers and disappears.

CUT TO:

INT. INN ROOM – NIGHT

Xena is lying on the bed on her back with her hands behind her head. She is dressed in a plain nightgown, and her hair is damp. Gabrielle stands near the window wrapped in just a towel, brushing her also damp hair out.

XENA

I never really thought about it.

Gabrielle stops and looks at her.

GABRIELLE

About how it would affect

everyone else after all this time?

Xena sighs. Gabrielle puts the brush down and goes to the bed, lying down on her side next to Xena.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d)

We fought the gods because

we had to. It's nice to see that

good things came out of that.

Xena brushes the backs of her fingers against Gabrielle's cheek.

XENA

So where does that leave Ares?

What's a god without followers?

Gabrielle thinks about that.

GABRIELLE

I don't know.

Gabrielle turns her head slightly and kisses Xena's fingers. Xena smiles. She rolls onto her side and they kiss each other with a warm, familiar passion.  Xena rests her forehead against Gabrielle's.

XENA

If I were Ares, I'd be looking for

a way to rebuild my empire.

Gabrielle nibbles the end of Xena's nose.

GABRIELLE

Where does the chakram fit into that?

XENA

I don't know.

Xena loosens the towel and pulls Gabrielle into an embrace.

XENA

(Cont’d)

But I bet we're gonna find out.

Gabrielle pulls the covers over them.

GABRIELLE

Maybe, but I bet it'll

wait till tomorrow.

XENA

No bet.

Xena pulls a dagger from nowhere and whips it over Gabrielle's head. It slices the candle in two and sends the lit end to the floor, dousing it.  The room goes dark, but not silent.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT ONE

ACT TWO