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ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
INT. STABLE - NIGHT
Gabrielle is sleeping right in front of Argo’s stall. The foal is curled up in the back of the stall and Argo seems to be standing guard over her youngster.
The door to the stable opens and a figure slips into the darkness.
Gabrielle opens one eye and waits as the figure moves slowly across the floor.
GABRIELLE Don’t make me hurt you, Xena.
Xena drops down next to her and runs her fingers through Gabrielle’s hair.
XENA You wouldn’t hurt me.
GABRIELLE Don’t be so sure. It’s been a long night.
She yawns and rolls onto her back.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) And you’re a grandmother.
She gestures to the stall. Xena crawls over to the stall and looks inside.
XENA He’s cute.
GABRIELLE He has wings.
XENA You’re kidding.
Gabrielle sits up and points.
GABRIELLE Check, ‘cause they look like wings to me.
Xena enters the stall and rubs Agro as she moves past to the foal.
XENA Well, I’ll be damned. He’s got wings.
Gabrielle stands up and looks in.
GABRIELLE What about the others?
XENA They’re safe for now, but we’re going to need to move them.
GABRIELLE Everyone in this village wants to hang their heads above their fireplaces. Moving a herd won’t be easy.
XENA Eh, it’s a small herd. A male, three females and two little guys like him. I’ve been thinking about it and I think I know someone who can help us.
GABRIELLE Who?
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. ROAD - MORNING
Xena and Gabrielle are walking down the road. Argo and the foal are following slowly. The foal has a blanket thrown over him, but it is rippling with the effects of him trying to move his wings.
XENA It shouldn’t be too much further if I remember right.
Xena begins looking through the trees. Gabrielle glances back at the foal, who is using his teeth to pull the blanket off.
GABRIELLE Xena, your grandson is misbehaving.
Gabrielle stops and waits for Argo and the foal, who drops the blanket right at her feet. His little wings seem to be getting small white feathers that are set off brightly against his golden coat.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Oh no you don’t!
She grabs the blanket up and tries to put it back on him, but he kicks up his heels and runs away from her.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Why you little....
Xena has wandered into the woods and calls to her.
XENA Over here!
GABRIELLE Xena! He’s trying to fly!
Xena runs back to the road and skids to a halt. She watches as the foal kicks his hind legs up and flaps his wings.
XENA (laughing) He’s not very good at it is he?
GABRIELLE He’s good enough.
She tosses the blanket and manages to get it over him. She gathers it around his neck and leads him to his mother, where she retrieves a rope.
XENA Spunky isn’t he?
GABRIELLE He’s his mother’s son. Did you say you found it?
XENA Yeah, it’s right over here.
CUT TO:
EXT. TEMPLE - MORNING
Xena tethers the foal to a small tree as Gabrielle investigates the building.
GABRIELLE Do you think she’ll come?
XENA If she hears us, I don’t see why not. She’s very fond of you.
GABRIELLE Aphrodite!
There is a flash and the air around them seems to shimmer as The Goddess of Love materializes in front of them.
APHRODITE You rang?
CUT TO:
EXT. TEMPLE - MORNING
Aphrodite is running her hands through the foal’s mane.
APHRODITE Isn’t he a cutie?
XENA We need your help.
APHRODITE I totally figured as much. You never write. You never call. (beat) Oh wait, yes you do.
She turns to Xena.
APHRODITE (cont’d) When you like, need something. Would it be too radical to ask for you just to give me a yell for drinks some time?
Gabrielle gestures as she steps towards the goddess, knowing that if it’s left to Xena, they’ll be trying to move a herd of Pegasus without Aphrodite.
GABRIELLE I’m really sorry, Aphrodite. We don’t mean not to stay in touch. It’s just that....
APHRODITE I know, I know. Villages to save, virgins to defile....
XENA Hey!
Gabrielle steps between them and puts her hands up to separate them.
GABRIELLE Please! Come on you two. We’ve got a real problem here. Aphrodite, there are men in a village not too far from here that are killing the Pegasus. We need to get them moved to a safer place.
Aphrodite tries to look unconcerned as she studies her fingernails.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Come on, you can’t really make me believe you’d see them slaughtered.
APHRODITE Why not?
XENA Aren’t you the Goddess of Love?
APHRODITE And what does that like, have to do with the price of papyrus in Egypt?
The foal nibbles Aphrodite’s fingers, apparently looking for a treat. The action seems to melt her heart and she smiles.
APHRODITE All alright. For you.
She scratches the foal’s head then turns to Xena and Gabrielle.
APHRODITE But you two are sooooo on my list.
Xena leans over and whispers to Gabrielle as Aphrodite returns her attention to the foal and Argo.
XENA Now I’m scared.
APHRODITE I heard that.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. FOREST - DAY
Gabrielle, Xena and Aphrodite are standing among the remaining herd. The Pegasus seems delighted with the attention of the Goddess and even allow Gabrielle to touch their wings. The stallion is standing next to Xena trying to chew on her hair.
XENA Stop it!
GABRIELLE (grinning) I think he likes you.
XENA I’m not his type. I don’t have enough legs.
APHRODITE I could fix that.
Before Xena can say anything, Gabrielle steps up to Aphrodite and rubs her hands together.
GABRIELLE So! Where do you think we should take them?
APHRODITE There’s only one rockin’ place I can think of that would be totally safe.
GABRIELLE Where?
APHRODITE Mount Olympus.
CUT TO:
EXT. MOUNT OLYMPUS - DAY
Xena and Gabrielle are each mounted on a Pegasus, holding a foal in their arms. Aphrodite appears on Argo, holding her foal. The stallion and the third mare follow as all the horses touch down.
Dismounting, Xena looks around the grounds where they have landed. There is lush green grass growing in the area where they stand but above them on a cliff stands the remains of Zeus’ palace. Now it is nothing more than a ruin, compared to the golden domain it had once been when the gods resided there.
Aphrodite joins Xena and Gabrielle as the Pegasus and the horses begin roaming around the pasture.
APHRODITE I don’t come up here much any more.
XENA Aphrodite....
The Goddess holds up her hands to stall her words.
APHRODITE Xena, please. We totally settled that already. It’s okay. Sometimes it’s just like, hard to realize I really don’t have a home anymore.
GABRIELLE You could, um, maybe fix the place up a bit?
APHRODITE I dunno... what’s the point really?
XENA Actually, you wouldn’t believe how therapeutic it can be.
GABRIELLE Xena and I spent some time in Amphipolis recently.
APHRODITE Well, I suppose I could do a little like, remodeling. It couldn’t hurt could it? I’ll so have to come up from time to time to check on them. Having a bodacious place to crash would be like, useful.
GABRIELLE Sure and think about the parties you could have.
A dreamy look crosses her face and her eyes seem unfocused as she smiles.
APHRODITE Cool.
XENA We could um, well, lend you a hand if you like.
APHRODITE Really?
Gabrielle realizes what Xena is trying to do and smiles as she wraps her arm around her partner’s waist.
GABRIELLE Sure, we could spend a couple of days. Do a little painting....
APHRODITE Totally cool!
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. GARDENS - EVENING
In the middle of what is now a beautiful garden, Xena is putting the finishing touches on a small open stable. It’s a just a place where the animals can rest and find shelter if they want it. On Mount Olympus it’s unlikely they’ll need it.
Gabrielle wanders down from the palace grounds. She looks happy and relaxed as her hands glide idly over waist high flowers.
GABRIELLE Looks good.
Xena appraises her handy work.
XENA Yeah, I think it’ll do. How’s she doing up there?
GABRIELLE She’s having a good time. She’s got about half the place remodeled. She’d really like you to come up and see it.
XENA I don’t know Gabrielle. The last time I was up there....
GABRIELLE She’s not working anywhere near the main hall. She’d really like you to see it. I get the impression that your opinion is important.
XENA Why?
GABRIELLE I’m not about to try and figure out how she thinks. She just keeps saying she wishes you’d come up and see what we’ve done.
XENA So what you’re saying is you think I should.
GABRIELLE Pretty much.
As they turn to leave, Argo’s foal comes prancing up and butts Gabrielle in the, well, butt with his head. She turns and stares at him though, with a smile on her face. His wings have come in completely and he’s growing at an obviously accelerated rate. He rears up at her and spreads his wings giving them a strong flap. When his feet return to earth and his wings fold up, a single white feather falls to the ground at Gabrielle’s feet. He knickers at her and turns to run back to his mother.
Xena steps forward and picks up the feather, which she runs through her fingers before handing it to Gabrielle.
XENA I think he wants you to have this.
CUT TO:
INT. PALACE - EVENING
Xena is truly amazed when she enters the west wing of the building. The inside is beautiful and tastefully decorated. There are no signs of the condition the building was in when they arrived.
XENA She must be exhausted from zapping things back together.
GABRIELLE Would you believe me if I told you some of it was done with good old-fashioned hard work?
XENA Really?
GABRIELLE Yeah. We’ve been working together on a lot of it. Just doing this and that and talking.
XENA Good talks?
GABRIELLE Very good talks.
Gabrielle takes Xena’s hand and tugs her down the hall.
GABRIELLE Come on, what she wants you to see it this way.
CUT TO:
INT. HALL - CONTINUOUS
Gabrielle stops out side a large door with a small golden plaque on it.
GABRIELLE This is it.
Xena peers at the plaque.
XENA What is a TRM?
GABRIELLE Totally Radical Mortal.
XENA Gods.
GABRIELLE (amusedly) Come on.
She opens the door and gestures for Xena to step inside.
CUT TO:
INT. CHAMBERS -CONTINUOUS
Inside the room, Xena finds a large apartment of rooms that seems to consist of a sitting room, a bedroom and a bathing room.
XENA Wow.
GABRIELLE Wow is right. These are for us.
XENA What?
Gabrielle moves to a large overstuffed sofa type piece of furniture and takes a seat.
GABRIELLE Aphrodite created this for us.
XENA She doesn’t expect us to stay here, does she?
GABRIELLE No she doesn’t, but she wanted to give us a place we could come when we needed a place to rest or just to come, sort of a ‘home’.
Despite herself, Xena smiles as she looks around the apartment.
XENA That was very nice of her.
GABRIELLE It made her feel better about coming back up here too. I told her we could stop in from time to time. You know....
XENA I know.
GABRIELLE She’s out on the patio. Go check that out. I’m sure we’ll find lots of uses for it.
Xena heads toward the doors to the patio, with Gabrielle right behind her.
CUT TO:
EXT. PATIO - EVENING
Out on the patio, Aphrodite is looking at an empty spot that doesn’t seem to be making her happy. It is on the far side of a large stone hot tub. The entire area has plants and flowers of every kind, and small statues scattered about. The view overlooks the garden where Argo, the herd and the foals are enjoying life. Xena tries to hide her smile but isn’t very successful as Gabrielle gives her a playful nudge in the ribs.
Aphrodite hasn’t heard them or is just ignoring them as she zaps a small waterfall into the empty spot that runs into the large stone tub. She turns and smiles, hand on her hips.
APHRODITE Too much?
XENA It’s very nice, Aphrodite. Thanks.
It looks for a moment as if the Goddess might tear up, but she smiles wider and nods.
APHRODITE You’re welcome.
XENA It’ll be nice to have a place to come once in a while when we need to get away from things.
GABRIELLE Speaking of that.... How exactly are we supposed to get here?
APHRODITE Just say, “Take me to Olympus. ” You’ll just ‘pop’ in. Right inside there. The room has been enchanted to like, listen for you.
XENA That’s convenient.
APHRODITE Radically. But for the next few days, just relax and totally enjoy yourselves. I don’t think Argo will be ready to leave her bodacious little one just yet. He’s growing fast, but…
XENA I think we can afford a few days. Wouldn’t want to separate them too soon.
FADE OUT.
END ACT FOUR
TAG
FADE IN:
EXT. PATIO - EVENING
As the sun sets in a brilliant explosion of color, Xena and Gabrielle are enjoying their built-in hot tub. Gabrielle lounges with her back against Xena’s chest. She’s sipping from a golden goblet as Xena runs a washcloth over her shoulders.
XENA I almost hate to leave.
GABRIELLE Really?
XENA Sure, I mean there aren’t very many places where we have whatever we want just by asking for it.
GABRIELLE I’m glad we discovered that enchantment. Who knew, “I wish I had chocolate and strawberries.” would work like that?
XENA The tub is nice.
GABRIELLE The tub is Elysia. I think I’m going to be tempted to be brought back here the next time I have mud in all the wrong places.
Xena chuckles and takes the goblet from Gabrielle to take a drink.
GABRIELLE It was nice what you did for Aphrodite.
XENA What did I do?
GABRIELLE You took her gift without arguing about it.
XENA Well, you know what they say. Beware Greeks bearing gifts.
As the sun sets and the herd frolics in the garden below, Xena and Gabrielle continue to enjoy the hot tub and each other.
FADE OUT. |
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